Malaria vaccine: many in scientific community thought it was impossible

GlaxoSmithKline

head Moncef Slaoui research explains how the shift of cellular immunity has been the key to progress

Moncef Slaoui was on vacation with his family when he learned the results of the first trial involving small children in Africa, vaccine against malaria, he helped to invent. It was a day I will never forget.

"It was August 9, 2004," he said. "I'm on vacation with my children, driving from Chicago to Indianapolis and my phone rings and it's called the team in Mozambique. I had to leave at least an hour. I could not drive more. It was a great great time. "

The vaccine has been classified as about 55-60% efficient. It was the first sign that Slaoui, current president of R & D at GlaxoSmithKline, and colleagues will succeed in reducing the terrible consequences of malaria in Africa. Reduce by half the 200 cases a year could save lives and prevent much damage.

had been a long road. Slaoui joined the Belgian laboratory which became GlaxoSmithKline for 23 years with experience in immunology. "I brought a new perspective on what was then modern immunology," he said. Some of his new teammates had started working on a vaccine against malaria, but "was more or less stagnant conceptually."

one had succeeded in creating a vaccine against a parasitic infection. Many in the scientific community thought was impossible. "We have heard much about. There were many controversial discussions about whether we would be able to succeed, "Slaoui said.

But his ideas led the effort in a new direction success.

Scientists have tried to kill the parasites injected by mosquitoes of malaria when he entered the bloodstream. However, any attempt to make the vaccine a few minutes of work due to parasites will rapidly to the liver where the next stage of its product lifecycle. After five days there is an explosion of new parasites in the blood to cells and that is when the child is ill.

• Slaoui suggested the use of cellular immunity. "Instead of using antibodies that can kill bacteria or a parasite, using T cells that recognize [s] of the cell is not normal because it is infected with a parasite. He opened the possibility to find the parasite in the [hidden] in the liver and kill him there. "
• was easy to say but hard to do. They needed to find the right adjuvant, a substance that stimulates the immune system T cells to mount a response against malaria parasites.

was in 1996, eight years after Slaoui joined the effort vaccines became sure they were on track -. In experiments with the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC

Slaoui, said: ". It was the first demonstration of proof of concept we have been able to create a vaccine that caused the death of the parasite in the blood and liver "

method would be used later in the flu pandemic and the vaccine from GSK cervical cancer, making money. Slaoui, GSK said the program would not have fallen for a vaccine against malaria, which was for the sole benefit of the people too poor to pay, but the spin-offs proftable undoubtedly helped.
He said: "The management of GSK Biologicals, he was still fully committed to continue working on the vaccine against malaria, for two reasons vaccine against malaria has been just as good a major vehicle for advance our platform adjuvants for many other vaccines. [those] who were more able to give us a tour. But then there was a real commitment to public health in general and our responsibility to society to manufacture vaccines for those who benefit most, even when he could afford. "

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