Mosquito-based Malaria Transmission-blocking Antibodies

Abstract (Set) A single effective vaccine against malaria is lacking. As such, the global research effort has focused on developing a "cocktail" vaccine, wherein different life stages of the parasite can be targeted specifically by separate vaccine components. Therefore, one vaccine component of interest would target the parasite stage (the ookinete) that invade the mosquito gut in the hope of blocking the cascade of secondary infections. The current paradigm involves developing antibodies against ookinete surface molecules. This approach is effective but since there are two main human parasite species (Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax), two separate vaccines will need to be produced. JHU scientists have approached it differently and chosen to target a mosquito antigen that the parasite uses for attachment. The benefit is a development of a single ?altruistic? vaccine that is effective against both parasite species in diverse mosquito species that transmit the parasite. Description (Set) Proposed Use (Set) JHU scientists developed antibodies which work against both field and laboratory strains of human malaria parasites. (The effect of an altruistic vaccine is to reduce the population of malaria-infected mosquitoes). This greatly advances the efforts towards the creation of a single, universal malaria transmission-blocking vaccine.

Inventor(s): Jacobs-Lorena, Marcelo ,Dinglasan, Rhoel David

Type of Offer: Licensing



« More Medical Patents

---