According to principal investigator Dr. Pierre Druilhe of the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France, it may be possible to use a single antigen to combat malaria. His team has identified an antigen that could aid in vaccine development. Called LSA-3, it is expressed on the malaria parasite while it is in the liver, before it attacks red blood cells. In experiments with chimpanzees, Druilhe's team found that LSA-3 protected the animals from infection. The researchers report their findings in the November issue of Nature Medicine.
Malaria kills more than one million people each year, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Besides the technical barriers that have held up vaccine development, Druilhe said, research funding remains a major obstacle. Irigoyen MM, Findley S, Earle B, Stambaugh K, Vaughan R Division of General Pediatrics, College of Physicians and Surgeons. To test if appointment reminders blinded to immunization status improve kept-appointment and vaccination coverage rates. Pediatric clinic serving a low-income community in New York City. Kept-appointment and vaccination coverage rates.