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Scientists closer to developing anti-malaria
shot
Monday August 06, 2012 06:23:23 PM,
IANS
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Sydney: Australian
researchers have made a major breakthrough in the quest for a
vaccine against malaria, which snuffs out a million lives every
year, particularly of children.
The findings show that people who develop immunity to malaria
develop antibodies that primarily target a protein known as
PfEMP1, which is produced by Plasmodium falciparum, causing most
cases of malaria.
James Beeson, professor and senior study author at the Burnet
Institute, Australia's largest virology and communicable disease
research centre, said that these findings are a major advance
towards developing an effective vaccine, the Journal of Clinical
Investigation reports.
These findings unlock the mystery of which malaria proteins, known
as variant surface antigens (VSAs), could be targeted by an
effective vaccine to achieve immunity to malaria, according to a
Burnet statement.
"A vaccine against malaria is urgently needed to reduce this
disease globally and currently there is no licensed malaria
vaccine available. The new findings support the idea that a
vaccine could be developed that stimulates the immune system so
that it specifically mounts a strong response (or attack) against
the PfEMP1 protein that malaria produces," said Beeson.
Study co-author, Jo-Anne Chan said the findings also showed that
when the immune system attacks other proteins that malaria
produces, this is not as effective in protecting people. This
emphasises that the immune system has to 'get it right' in order
to fight malaria infection effectively.
Malaria is caused by a parasite that infects human red blood cells
and replicates within them. While inside these cells, malaria
parasites produce specific proteins that enable infected cells to
stick and clog-up blood vessels in the body.
This clogging can occur in organs such as the brain and lungs, and
the placenta in pregnant women, and causes severe illness and
death.
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