Synergy in anti-malarial pre-erythrocytic and transmission-blocking antibodies is achieved by reducing parasite density
File(s)eLife.35213.pdf (980.54 KB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Anti-malarial pre-erythrocytic vaccines (PEV) target transmission by inhibiting human infection but are currently partially protective. It has been posited, but never demonstrated, that co-administering transmission-blocking vaccines (TBV) would enhance malaria control. We hypothesized a mechanism that TBV could reduce parasite density in the mosquito salivary glands, thereby enhancing PEV efficacy. This was tested using a multigenerational population assay, passaging Plasmodium berghei to Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. A combined efficacy of 90.8% (86.7–94.2%) was observed in the PEV +TBV antibody group, higher than the estimated efficacy of 83.3% (95% CrI 79.1–87.0%) if the two antibodies acted independently. Higher PEV efficacy at lower mosquito parasite loads was observed, comprising the first direct evidence that co-administering anti-sporozoite and anti-transmission interventions act synergistically, enhancing PEV efficacy across a range of TBV doses and transmission intensities. Combining partially effective vaccines of differing anti-parasitic classes is a pragmatic, powerful way to accelerate malaria elimination efforts.
Date Issued
2018-06-19
Date Acceptance
2018-05-18
Citation
eLife, 2018, 7
ISSN
2050-084X
Publisher
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
Journal / Book Title
eLife
Volume
7
Copyright Statement
© 2018 Sherrard-Smith et
al. This article is distributed under
the terms of the
Creative
Commons Attribution License,
which permits unrestricted use
and redistribution provided that
the original author and source are
credited.
al. This article is distributed under
the terms of the
Creative
Commons Attribution License,
which permits unrestricted use
and redistribution provided that
the original author and source are
credited.
Sponsor
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
PATH-Program for Appropriate Technology in Health
Grant Number
MR/K010174/1B
GAT.0888-11-06546-COL
MR/N00227X/1
n/a
n/a
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
e35213