“Revolutionary New Malaria Vaccine Developed: Chemically Modified Parasites Coated in ‘Reflective Jacket’ to Trigger Immune System and Save Half a Million Children’s Lives Annually Through LUMC Donation Investment Fund”

2023-04-27 13:11:39

A collaboration that provides a nice cross-pollination between these different disciplines and thus yields new insights. This new vaccine is necessary because about 500,000 children die from malaria each year. It is a major problem worldwide. Malaria parasites find their way to the liver through mosquito bites. One of the reasons this disease causes such serious problems is that the parasite is not properly recognized by the immune system. “That’s because this parasite has been co-evolving with humans for thousands of years,” says Roestenberg. “The parasite has adapted and knows how to hide. And is therefore actually invisible.”

Reflective jacket

The researchers came up with the idea of ​​dressing the malaria parasite with a ‘reflective’ jacket, as it were. “By this we mean chemical modifications that ensure that the immune system can better recognize the parasite,” explains Van Leeuwen, who is a chemist by training.

“You can compare it to the yellow reflective jacket worn by road workers, among others. By making the parasite ‘visible’, the immune system is triggered to recognize and respond to it.” Roestenberg adds: “Because the vaccine consists of whole parasites, this means that the immune system will eventually recognize the parasite even if it is not wearing a coat.”

At the moment there is a prototype of the chemical coat and validations are taking place in the model system. However, many steps still need to be taken before this is an actual product. First in the laboratory, then in the clinic. “If that succeeds, the impact will be enormous,” says Roestenberg. “Then we potentially have a vaccine with which we can potentially save half a million children’s lives every year.”

LUMC Donation Investment Fund

Money is needed to actually carry out these and other innovative studies. In this case, research funding from the direct government funding is not sufficient. The government believes that it should also be in the private domain. That is why the LUMC Donation Investment Fund was established, which is part of the Bontius Foundation.

Within this fund, donors offer support to promising research projects that can make good use of acceleration through funding. As soon as a project has successfully led to a product or treatment and can be introduced (on the market), the second phase begins. The same donors, but also other interested parties, can then invest in a new company or spin-off to be set up.

Would you like to know more about the research projects or would you like to become a donor? Then view the website of the LUMC Donation Investment Fund.

By: National Care Guide