Hundreds of millions of people are infected by malaria on an
annual basis and more than 500,000 of those people lose their lives, the majority of whom are younger than 5 years of age.
There is currently no
vaccine for the disease.
However, University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers
have conducted a new study and have produced an experimental vaccine that can
protect adults from malaria for more than a year. The findings from the Phase 1
trial of the study were published in the journal, Natural Medicine.
“These results are really important,” Kirsten Lyke, a researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said. “Malaria has such a devastating effect on children, especially in Africa. This vaccine has the potential to help travelers, military personnel and children in malaria-endemic areas.”
The treatment, which is known as the PfSPZ Vaccine, was
developed and produced by Sanaria Inc., which is located in Rockville Maryland.
Sanaria was supported in the endeavor by the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.
