[Malarial antigens in the era of mRNA vaccines].

Abstract

Even in the early 1990s, an immune response triggered by an mRNA vaccine was described for the first time. Since then, mRNA vaccines have been researched and discussed for possible prophylaxis; however, it was not until the COVID-19 pandemic that these vaccines experienced a real boom. The first mRNA vaccines were licensed against SARS-CoV‑2 and showed great success. It is therefore not surprising that manufacturers are also focusing on other diseases and pathogens. Besides viral diseases, such as influenza and AIDS, malaria is high on this list. Many pharmaceutical companies (including the German companies BioNTech and CureVac) have already confirmed that they are researching mRNA vaccines against malaria. Yet developing a working vaccine against malaria is no easy feat. Research on possible vaccines has been going on since the 1960s. The results have been rather sobering. It was not until 2015 that the vaccine RTS,S/AS01 received a positive evaluation from the European Medicines Agency. Since then, the vaccine has been tested in Africa.