Subunit Blood-Stage Malaria Vaccines

The existence of asymptomatically parasitemic individuals in malaria-endemic areas has long been recognised to signify naturally acquired immunity to malaria disease, resulting from control of the parasite’s asexual blood-stage. This has for many years been viewed as a ‘proof-of-concept’ encouraging the development of blood-stage vaccines (BSVs). Results of clinical trials of candidate subunit BSVs have mostly, however, not lived up to early expectations and the field is currently experiencing a challenging period.