This technology is a low-dose vaccine co-administered with a glycolipid to enhance immune response and protect against malaria.
There are over 200 million cases and 1 million deaths each year caused by malaria. Existing methods of prevention include bednets, insecticides, and drugs, but a commercially available vaccine is still needed. A vaccine candidate has been developed, which targets an early stage of the disease to concurrently prevent infection, illness, and transmission. However, to be effective it must either be administered intravenously, or with a large, multi-dose regimen. This raises costs and complicates delivery logistics, impeding widespread use of the vaccine.
This technology uses glycolipid adjuvants to enhance the efficacy of live attenuated sporozoite vaccines in reducing the risk of malaria. The identified glycolipids were selected due to their increased CD1 binding and activation of natural killer T cells, which in turn secrete cytokines that activate other immune cells, resulting in the generation of a powerful cell-mediate immune response. When co-administered, the glycolipid enhances the effectiveness of the vaccine, reducing the size and number of doses needed to confer protection against malaria, and therefore lowering the cost and complexity of administration.
IR CU22363
Licensing Contact: Kristin Neuman
