Protection from experimental cerebral malaria with a single intravenous or subcutaneous whole-parasite immunization

Abstract Cerebral malaria is a life-threatening complication of Plasmodia infection and a major cause of child mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. We report that protection from experimental cerebral malaria in the rodent model is obtained by a single intravenous or subcutaneous whole-parasite immuniza...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kirsten Heiss, Marion Irmgard Maier, Angelika Hoffmann, Roland Frank, Martin Bendszus, Ann-Kristin Mueller, Johannes Pfeil
Format: article
Language:EN
Published: Nature Portfolio 2018
Subjects:
R
Q
Online Access:https://doaj.org/article/ac2e1e92adb242c4a3afb6b1c60d8f6b
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Summary:Abstract Cerebral malaria is a life-threatening complication of Plasmodia infection and a major cause of child mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. We report that protection from experimental cerebral malaria in the rodent model is obtained by a single intravenous or subcutaneous whole-parasite immunization. Whole-parasite immunization with radiation-attenuated sporozoites was equally protective as immunization with non-attenuated sporozoites under chemoprophylaxis. Both immunization regimens delayed the development of blood-stage parasites, but differences in cellular and humoral immune mechanisms were observed. Single-dose whole-parasite vaccination might serve as a relatively simple and feasible immunization approach to prevent life-threatening cerebral malaria.