Why functional pre-erythrocytic and bloodstage malaria vaccines fail: a meta-analysis of fully protective immunizations and novel immunological model.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Clinically protective malaria vaccines consistently fail to protect adults and children in endemic settings, and at best only partially protect infants.

Methodology/principal findings

We identify and evaluate 1916 immunization studies between 1965-February 2010, and exclude partially or nonprotective results to find 177 completely protective immunization experiments. Detailed reexamination reveals an unexpectedly mundane basis for selective vaccine failure: live malaria parasites in the skin inhibit vaccine function. We next show published molecular and cellular data support a testable, novel model where parasite-host interactions in the skin induce malaria-specific regulatory T cells, and subvert early antigen-specific immunity to parasite-specific immunotoleranc

SUBMITTER: Guilbride DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2873430 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature