Tuesday, August 25, 2009

See

ScienceDaily: Your source for the latest research news and science breakthroughs -- updated daily
Science News
Share Blog Cite
Print Email Bookmark
First Genetically-engineered Malaria Vaccine To Enter Human Trials

ScienceDaily (Aug. 24, 2009) — Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists have created a weakened strain of the malaria parasite that will be used as a live vaccine against the disease. The vaccine, developed in collaboration with researchers from the US, Japan and Canada, will be trialled in humans from early next year.
See also:
Health & Medicine

* Malaria
* Vaccines
* Infectious Diseases

Plants & Animals

* Pests and Parasites
* Virology
* Microbiology

Reference

* Flu vaccine
* Infectious disease
* Vector (biology)
* Vaccination

Malaria kills more than one million people each year and destroys – through premature death and disability – the equivalent of at least 35 million years of healthy, productive human life every year.

Professor Alan Cowman, head of the institute's Infection and Immunity division, said in developing the vaccine the research team had deleted two key genes in the Plasmodium falciparum parasite – which causes the form of malaria most deadly to humans. By removing the genes the malaria parasite is halted during its liver infection phase, preventing it from spreading to the blood stream where it can cause severe disease and death.

Their success in genetically modifying the parasite and thereby preventing its invasion of red blood cells is published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.

Professor Cowman said similar vaccines had been tested in mice and offered 100 per cent protection against malaria infection. He said it was hoped the vaccine would produce similar results in humans. "Although two genes have been deleted the parasite is still alive and able to stimulate the body's protective immune system to recognize and destroy incoming mosquito-transmitted deadly parasites," Professor Cowman said.

This approach to vaccine development – using a weakened form of the whole organism that causes a particular disease – has proven successful in eradicating smallpox and controlling diseases such as flu and polio.

Professor Cowman said the research team, which includes Dr Matthew O'Neill and Dr Alex Maier from the institute as well as scientists from the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, the Walter Reed Army Institute for Research and the University of Maryland, had used knowledge from several decades ago – when scientists proved that irradiated malaria parasites provide protection against subsequent malaria infection in animal models and humans – in developing the vaccine.

"Although vaccines are under development that use whole malaria parasites weakened by irradiation to protect against infection, their safety and effectiveness rely on a precise irradiation dose and trial results have been variable," Professor Cowman said. "We believe that our genetically attenuated parasite approach provides a safe and reproducible way of developing a whole organism malaria vaccine."

Professor Cowman said it was unlikely the weakened parasites used in the vaccine would regain their potency as the genes had been deleted from the genome and could not be recreated by the parasite. "In addition, the 'one-two punch' approach of deleting two essential genes make it extremely unlikely that the attenuated parasite vaccine could restore its capacity to multiply and lead to disease," he said.

The human trials of the vaccine will take place at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Maryland, US. The genetically attenuated parasites to be used in the trial are being manufactured at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, which has the only facility worldwide capable of producing genetically-altered malaria parasites that comply with the good manufacturing practice guidelines required for human clinical trials.

The research is supported by a US$17 million, five-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Adapted from materials provided by Walter and Eliza Hall Institute.
Email or share this story:
| More
Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or report? Use one of the following formats:
APA

MLA
enlarge

Professor Alan Cowman from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, Australia, has created the world's first genetically-modified strain of the malaria parasite that will be used as a live vaccine against the disease. The vaccine, developed in collaboration with researchers from the US, Japan and Canada, will be trialled in humans from early 2010. (Credit: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research)

Related Stories
Malaria Vaccine Trials Begin Using 'Chimpanzee Virus' (Feb. 1, 2008) — Trials are underway for a new vaccine to combat the most deadly form of malaria. For the first time ever, researchers will use a virus found in chimpanzees to boost the efficacy of the vaccine. ... > read more
Bug-Zapper: A Dose Of Radiation May Help Knock Out Malaria (Nov. 10, 2007) — Researchers used their expertise in radiation science to help a young company create weakened, harmless versions of malaria-causing parasites that, in turn, are being used to create a new type of ... > read more
Vaccine Against Early Stage Malaria Shows Real Potential, Review Finds (Oct. 18, 2006) — An experimental vaccine that attacks the malaria parasite in its early stages prevents a significant number of malaria cases, and should move closer to licensing and widespread use, according to a ... > read more
New Way The Malaria Parasite And Red Blood Cells Interact (Mar. 17, 2009) — Researchers have discovered a new mechanism the malaria parasite uses to enter human red blood cells, which could lead to the development of a vaccine cocktail to fight the mosquito-borne ... > read more
Novel Approach For Rapid Identification And Development Of Malaria Vaccines (July 28, 2007) — Malaria is the world’s most frequent parasitic disease, affecting more than 100 countries in the tropical zones, mostly in Africa, and 40% of the world population, with more than a million ... > read more
Search ScienceDaily
Number of stories in archives: 44,032
Find with keyword(s):

Enter a keyword or phrase to search ScienceDaily's archives for related news topics,
the latest news stories, reference articles, science videos, images, and books.


Just In:
Lightning's Mirror Image ... Only Much Bigger
Using Light To Teach Magnets New Tricks
Microchip Does 1,000 Chemical Reactions At Once
Naming Evolution's Winners And Losers
Inner 'Fingerprint' For Personal Medical Care
Why Sleep? To Boost Efficiency, Minimize Risk
Ultrathin LEDs: New Class Of Displays
Oxycholesterol: Greatest Heart Disease Risk?

Science Video News
Faster Flu Vaccine
Spraying viral genes directly through the skin is a new technique that turns infinitesimal amounts of DNA into an effective vaccine. If approved for. ... > full story

* Pediatricians Reduce Ear Infections By Vaccinating Children
* Biochemists And Computer Scientists Collaborate To Create Protein-folding Computer Game
* Biochemists Develop Diagnostic Tool to ID Strains Faster
* more science videos

Breaking News
... from NewsDaily.com

* S.Korea seeks 4-year prison term for stem cell fraud
* Encyclopedia of Life grows; clues on ageing, pests
* Satellites put into orbit for Japan and Australia
* Scientists make "sugar bug" drug for bowel disease
* Gene swap experiment makes altering bugs easier
* more science news

In Other News ...

* Suspect in U.S. model murder found dead in Canada
* Netanyahu sees talks with Palestinians in 2 months
* Storm Bill loses steam in North Atlantic
* Fires near Athens recede after 3-day inferno
* Malaysian state to cane woman after Ramadan
* Justice Dept advises pursuing CIA abuses: report
* Facebook to boost staff by 50% in 2009: report
* U.S. presses sanctions to end N.Korea atomic plans
* more top news

Copyright Reuters 2008. See Restrictions.
Free Subscriptions
... from ScienceDaily
Get the latest science news with our free email newsletters, updated daily and weekly. Or view hourly updated newsfeeds in your RSS reader:

* Email Newsletters
* RSS Newsfeeds

Feedback
... we want to hear from you!
Tell us what you think of the new ScienceDaily -- we welcome both positive and negative comments. Have any problems using the site? Questions?

* Your Name:
* Your Email:
* Comments:
* Click button to submit feedback:

About This Site | Editorial Staff | Awards & Reviews | Contribute News | Advertise With Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
Copyright © 1995-2009 ScienceDaily LLC — All rights reserved — Contact: editor@sciencedaily.com

* Health & Medicine
o Allergy
o Alternative Medicine
o Bird Flu
o Birth Control
o Breast Cancer
o Cancer
o Diabetes
o Diet and Weight Loss
o Diseases and Conditions
o Fitness
o Gene Therapy
o Heart Disease
o HIV and AIDS
o Lung Cancer
o Men's Health
o Nutrition
o Obesity
o Pharmacology
o Pregnancy and Childbirth
o Sexual Health
o Skin Care
o Stem Cells
o Women's Health
o ... more topics
* Mind & Brain
o ADD and ADHD
o Addiction
o Alzheimer's
o Anxiety
o Autism
o Depression
o Gender Difference
o Headaches
o Insomnia
o Intelligence
o Language Acquisition
o Parkinson's
o Perception
o Psychology
o Relationships
o Schizophrenia
o Social Psychology
o ... more topics
* Plants & Animals
o Agriculture and Food
o Animals
o Behavior
o Biology
o Biotechnology
o Cell Biology
o Cloning
o Developmental Biology
o Dogs
o Dolphins and Whales
o Endangered Animals
o Extinction
o Frogs and Reptiles
o Genetically Modified
o Marine Biology
o Microbes and More
o Nature
o New Species
o Pests and Parasites
o Spiders
o Zoology
o ... more topics
* Earth & Climate
o Air Quality
o Climate
o Coral Reefs
o Earthquakes
o Ecology
o Environmental Science
o Geography
o Geology
o Global Warming
o Hurricanes and Cyclones
o Ice Ages
o Oceanography
o Ozone Holes
o Pollution
o Renewable Energy
o Tsunamis
o Weather
o Wildfires
o ... more topics
* Space & Time
o Astronomy
o Astrophysics
o Big Bang
o Black Holes
o Dark Matter
o ESA
o Extrasolar Planets
o Mars
o Moon
o NASA
o Pluto
o Saturn
o Solar System
o Space Missions
o Space Station
o Space Telescopes
o Stars
o Sun
o ... more topics
* Matter & Energy
o Alternative Fuels
o Aviation
o Biochemistry
o Biometric
o Chemistry
o Detectors
o Electronics
o Energy Technology
o Forensics
o Fossil Fuels
o Inorganic Chemistry
o Nanotechnology
o Organic Chemistry
o Physics
o Quantum Physics
o Solar Energy
o Technology
o Wind Energy
o ... more topics
* Computers & Math
o Artificial Intelligence
o Communications
o Computer Graphics
o Computer Modeling
o Computer Science
o Encryption
o Hacking
o Mathematics
o Quantum Computers
o Robotics
o Software
o Statistics
o Video Games
o Virtual Reality
o ... more topics
* Fossils & Ruins
o Ancient Civilizations
o Anthropology
o Archaeology
o Dinosaurs
o Early Climate
o Early Humans
o Early Mammals
o Evolution
o Human Evolution
o Lost Treasures
o Origin of Life
o Paleontology
o Tyrannosaurus Rex
o ... more topics



* News
o Front Page
o Today's Summaries
o Latest Headlines
o Search Archives
o Email Newsletters
o RSS Newsfeeds
o News Sections
o Health & Medicine
o Mind & Brain
o Plants & Animals
o Space & Time
o Earth & Climate
o Matter & Energy
o Computers & Math
o Fossils & Ruins
* Articles
o Health & Medicine
o Mind & Brain
o Plants & Animals
o Space & Time
o Earth & Climate
o Matter & Energy
o Computers & Math
o Fossils & Ruins
* Videos
o Health & Medicine
o Mind & Brain
o Plants & Animals
o Space & Time
o Earth & Climate
o Matter & Energy
o Computers & Math
o Fossils & Ruins
* Images
o Health & Medicine
o Mind & Brain
o Plants & Animals
o Space & Time
o Earth & Climate
o Matter & Energy
o Computers & Math
o Fossils & Ruins
* Books
o Health & Medicine
o Mind & Brain
o Plants & Animals
o Space & Time
o Earth & Climate
o Matter & Energy
o Computers & Math
o Fossils & Ruins

Post this page to your favorite social bookmarking site:
close

* del.icio.us
* Digg
* Furl
* Netscape
* Yahoo! My Web
* StumbleUpon
* Google Bookmarks
* Technorati
* BlinkList
* Newsvine
* ma.gnolia
* reddit
* Facebook
* Tailrank
* Slashdot
* Fark

Include this item in your blog or web site:
close

* Title:
* Link:
* Summary:
* Click button to copy above text for pasting into your site:

Cite this article in your essay, paper, or report:
close

* APA style:
* MLA style:
* Click button to copy above text for pasting into your document:

Email this page's link to a friend or colleague:
close

* To Email:
* Your Name:
* Your Email:
* cc to self

Am vazut multe ceasuri superbe pe www.topceas.ro Am vazut multe ceasuri superbe pe www.topceas.ro Am vazut multe ceasuri superbe pe www.topceas.ro Am vazut multe ceasuri superbe pe www.topceas.ro Am vazut multe ceasuri superbe pe www.topceas.ro Am vazut multe ceasuri superbe pe www.topceas.ro Am vazut multe ceasuri superbe pe www.topceas.ro Am vazut multe ceasuri superbe pe www.topceas.ro Am vazut multe ceasuri superbe pe www.topceas.ro Am vazut multe ceasuri superbe pe www.topceas.roAm vazut multe ceasuri superbe pe www.topceas.ro
Am vazut multe ceasuri superbe pe www.topceas.ro
Am vazut multe ceasuri superbe pe www.topceas.roAm vazut multe ceasuri superbe pe www.topceas.roAm vazut multe ceasuri superbe pe www.topceas.roImi doresc un HTC MagicHTC Magic