The research was conducted by the Centre for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle. A weakened form of the parasite was created and used and experimentation suggests that the method is safe and generates a good immune response.
Seattle (AsiaNews / Agencies) – There has been "promising" progress in the search for a vaccine against malaria carried out by the Centre for Infectious Disease Research, in Seattle, in the United States. The research, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, reports that a weakened form of the parasite was created and used and experimentation suggests that the method is safe and generates a good immune response.
Malaria affects over 200 million people every year and causes 438,000 deaths per year (data 2015). It is the most important parasitic disease and the second infectious disease in the world for this morbidity and mortality in tropical and subtropical areas of Asia, Africa and America .
The malaria parasite goes through several stages both within the mosquitoes and human. The system used by the research team was to remove three of the parasite genes so that it could not infect liver cells. The immune system of people infected will react well, but the parasite will not be able to complete its life cycle.
Tropical disease experts have called the results obtained "promising".
Ten people took part in the trial and the disease did not complete its development in any of them, nor have there been serious side effects to the treatment.