Monoclonal antibodies for reducing malaria transmission

Abstract

In 2020, 241 million malaria cases and 627 000 deaths were reported globally by WHO, 95% of which occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. 1 WHOWorld malaria report 2021. World Health Organization, Geneva2021 Google Scholar The maintenance of the malaria parasite within humans is reliant on the transmission of the gametocyte stage from infected humans to female Anopheles vectors during blood feeding. Gametocytes develop in humans through formation and maturation in five morphologically recognisable stages. 2 Bousema T Drakeley C Determinants of malaria transmission at the population level. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2017; 7a025510 Crossref PubMed Scopus (21) Google Scholar Early-stage gametocytes are sequestered and only mature stage V gametocytes circulate in peripheral blood. Once ingested by mosquitoes, the fusion of gametes results in the formation of zygotes that develops further into motile ookinetes and oocysts. The oocysts release sporozoites that render the mosquito infectious. To date, no effective broad treatments or preventative immune-based interventions are available to interrupt malaria transmission. Safety, tolerability, and Plasmodium falciparum transmission-reducing activity of monoclonal antibody TB31F: a single-centre, open-label, first-in-human, dose-escalation, phase 1 trial in healthy malaria-naive adultsTB31F is a well tolerated and highly potent monoclonal antibody capable of completely blocking transmission of P falciparum parasites from humans to mosquitoes. In areas of seasonal transmission, a single dose might cover an entire malaria season. Full-Text PDF Open Access