Recognising malaria research on World Malaria Day

Staff at the University of Oxford’s Draper Laboratory are recruiting people to take part in a new malaria vaccine study. 

The VAC089 study, led by Chief Investigator Dr Angela Minassian, opened this year and is sponsored by the University of Oxford and is funded by the European Commission. 

In this article, the study’s Senior Clinical Trial Project Manager Dr Jee-Sun Cho explains more about the study ahead of World Malaria Day on 25 April.

Talk to your healthcare professional about taking part in research or search for studies seeking volunteers at Be Part of Research

What is this research study about?

VAC089 is a phase 1a clinical trial assessing the safety and immunogenicity of two malaria vaccines in healthy malaria-naïve UK adults, both alone and in combination. These vaccine candidates aim to generate an immune response against the malaria parasite to prevent it from getting into the red blood cells. 

Almost half of the world’s population is at risk of malaria, with sub-Saharan African populations at the highest risk of acquiring malaria: approximately 95% of cases are estimated to occur in the World Health Organisation (WHO) African region. Children under five years of age are the most severely affected, accounting for 77% of deaths from this infection.

Malaria has different life stages; in the biting mosquito (transmission stage) and in people (liver stage and blood stage). Initial infection by malaria parasites leads to the liver stage of malaria in people and is asymptomatic. It is the blood stage of infection that is associated with symptoms and potentially severe or fatal complications.

Currently, the most advanced malaria vaccine targets the liver stage but this is not 100% effective at blocking the parasite. This means that even if one parasite gets through the liver and into the blood, malaria can still take hold and cause devastating disease. There is therefore a pressing need for vaccines targeting this blood stage as a second line of attack Both vaccines in VAC089 target the blood-stage and one of these has been tested in a number of trials, including in Tanzanian infants, with very promising results.

What does taking part involve?

Following an online pre-screening questionnaire, there is an in-person screening visit. It can last up to two hours with an opportunity for a short break. The purpose of the screening visit is for the potential participant to discuss the trial with the study team before consenting to take part in the study. 

Participants will receive 3 or 4 vaccinations depending on group allocation and attend 19 to 23 visits in total. Participants will be reviewed in the clinic the day after each of the three vaccinations and then at one week, two weeks and four weeks post-vaccination. In addition to this, there are 4 to 5 further clinic appointments, for approximately 6-months after the final vaccination. Visits will take place at the Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford.

Participants will be asked to fill in an electronic diary card to record any symptoms after vaccination and will be required to have blood tests taken at most of the follow-up visits. 

What motivates you to work in research?

Even before going to university, I wanted to work on a malaria vaccine to make a difference in the mortality and morbidity in the most deprived areas of the world. Since 2000, malaria deaths have decreased significantly. However, the current strategies, for example, insecticide-treated nets, indoor residual spraying, and antimalarial drugs, are being challenged and the need for effective and long-lived intervention is becoming more evident to combat malaria.  The malaria vaccine research field has developed extensive knowledge which is reflected by the latest advances in liver-stage vaccines and I hope the blood-stage vaccines will synergise with current strategies to achieve elimination in malaria disease burden. 

What would you say to people about considering whether to take part in research?

According to WHO’s World Malaria Report 2022, the estimated number of malaria deaths was 619,000 and malaria cases were 247 million. The majority of deaths occur in children under five. Being a part of malaria vaccine research could make a difference to these numbers. 

For more information on the VAC089 study visit the Jenner Institute website. 

Talk to your healthcare professional about taking part in research or search for studies seeking volunteers at Be Part of Research.