Malaria results in significant morbidity and mortality in tropical regions. Despite available control measures, malaria persists. This underscores the urgent need for an effective vaccine for sustainable malaria control. Our previous work revealed that the infective stage of malaria parasite evades destruction by the complement system through a parasite surface protein, which binds the regulator of the classical pathway of complement activation. Disrupting this interaction makes the parasite susceptible to the complement system, reducing its motility and infectivity. Including this parasite protein in a vaccine could result in an efficacious vaccine. We aim to design and optimize vaccine formulations targeting the complement evasion mechanism, assess their efficacy, and test promising candidates in transgenic mice to advance towards more effective malaria vaccines.

2025

2026