mRNA malaria vaccine due for first clinical trial

Mahidol University schedule makes development

The world’s second clinical test of an mRNA vaccine against dengue is getting closer to being launched by Mahidol University.

The vaccination applicant has already been tested on animals in a previous laboratory study, according to Prof Jetsumon Prachumsri, a scientist with the University of Tropical Medicine at Mahidol and head of the Mahidol Vivax Research Unit.

While the majority of vaccines contain dead or weakened strains of bacteria or viruses, researchers have created a new strain that uses message RNA molecules, she said. During the Covid- 19 pandemic, some mRNA vaccines were extremely helpful in saving some lives.

The Mahidol study group will conduct an mRNA vaccination test on a number of Thai participants to see how it works before expanding the assessment to include individuals in other countries, she said. This will help to make sure that people in other countries are even given the vaccination.

Malaria is a life-threatening illness that can be spread to people through some mosquito species, which are most prevalent in humid regions. Each season, there are more than 6 million new dengue cases worldwide.

Globally in 2022, there were nearly 249 million malaria cases and 608, 000 malaria deaths in 85 places, the World Health Organization says.

We anticipate that our work will spur even more research to be conducted on this mRNA vaccine, besides testing it on individuals.

This will help support the development of new malaria vaccines and study, according to Prof Jetsumon, who has conducted research in the last ten years to aid in the development of new medicines and vaccines for the disease.

Prior to this task, researchers collaborated with the Mahidol Vivax Research Unit and the Mahidol- Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit to study how a good man is infected by a mosquitoes bite.

According to Prof Jetsumon, Mahidol’s mRNA vaccine candidate will also be tested on the individuals who participated in the previous Mahild-Oxford study task.

Plasmodium falciparum, or P falciparum, is a parasite that causes disease.

Although less severe than Plasmodium vivax, the deadliest of the five disease worms, P vivax infection can also lead to death, she said.