What is RTS,S AS01 vaccine?

RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) is a vaccine that acts against Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite globally and the most prevalent in Africa. * In January 2016, the vaccine was recommended by WHO for pilot introduction in selected areas of 3 African countries.

Which vaccine antigen is the RTS,S vaccine based on?

RTS,S was developed by GSK and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) in a collaboration that spanned more than two decades. The vaccine is based on the circumsporozoite (CS) protein of P.

How effective is the RTS,S malaria vaccine?

It was shown that RTS,S/AS02D had a vaccine efficacy of 65.9%. These results indicated that development of an effective vaccine against malaria was feasible.

What stage does the RTS,S vaccine target?

Like RTS,S/AS01 and PfSPZ Vaccine, R21 targets the parasite’s pre-erythrocytic sporozoite stage.

What is the full meaning of RTS,S?

RTS,S is a scientific name given to this malaria vaccine candidate and represents its composition. The ‘R’ stands for the central repeat region of Plasmodium (P.) falciparum circumsporozoite protein (CSP); the ‘T’ for the T-cell epitopes of the CSP; and the ‘S’ for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).

How does RTS,S AS01 work?

Background. The RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine targets the circumsporozoite protein, inducing antibodies associated with the prevention of Plasmodium falciparum infection.

What does RTS,S stand for?

Why is there no cure for malaria?

An eradication campaign was started in the 1950s, but it failed globally because of problems including the resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides used to kill them, the resistance of malaria parasites to drugs used to treat them, and administrative issues.

Is malaria a virus?

A: Malaria is not caused by a virus or bacteria. Malaria is caused by a parasite known as Plasmodium, which is normally spread through infected mosquitoes. A mosquito takes a blood meal from an infected human, taking in Plasmodia which are in the blood.

How can malaria be treated or cured?

What is the treatment for malaria? Malaria can be cured with prescription drugs. The type of drugs and length of treatment depend on the type of malaria, where the person was infected, their age, whether they are pregnant, and how sick they are at the start of treatment.

Is malaria a virus or bacterial infection?