Accelerated prime-and-trap vaccine regimen in mice using repRNA-based CSP malaria vaccine

Abstract

Malaria, caused by Plasmodium parasites, remains one of the most devastating infectious diseases worldwide, despite control efforts to lower morbidity and mortality. Both advanced candidate vaccines, RTS,S and R21, are subunit (SU) vaccines that target a single Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) pre-erythrocytic (PE) sporozoite (spz) surface protein known as circumsporozoite (CS). These vaccines induce humoral immunity but fail to elicit CD8 + T-cell responses sufficient for long-term protection. In contrast, whole-organism (WO) vaccines, such as Radiation Attenuated Sporozoites (RAS), achieved sterile protection but require a series of intravenous doses administered in multiple clinic visits. Moreover, these WO vaccines must be produced in mosquitos, a burdensome process that severely limits their availability. To reduce reliance on WO while maintaining protection via both antibodies and Trm responses, we have developed an accelerated vaccination regimen that combines two distinct agents in a prime-and-trap strategy. The priming dose is a single dose of self-replicating RNA encoding the full-length P. yoelii CS protein, delivered via an advanced cationic nanocarrier (LIONTM). The trapping dose consists of one dose of WO RAS. Our vaccine induces a strong immune response when administered in an accelerated regimen, i.e., either 5-day or same-day immunization. Additionally, mice after same-day immunization showed a 2-day delay of blood patency with 90% sterile protection against a 3-week spz challenge. The same-day regimen also induced durable 70% sterile protection against a 2-month spz challenge. Our approach presents a clear path to late-stage preclinical and clinical testing of dose-sparing, same-day regimens that can confer sterilizing protection against malaria.