Boosting young children's immunity to malaria with preventive medicines
Enhancing immunity to malaria in young children with effective chemoprevention
This project sees if giving certain malaria prevention drugs to pregnant women and young children helps build stronger protection against malaria in young African children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11127740 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, pregnant women who are already part of a linked prevention trial will have their babies followed from birth into early childhood. Researchers will enroll about 924 children and collect health data and blood samples over time to track malaria infections and immune responses. The study compares children whose mothers received different preventive drug regimens and looks at whether blocking blood-stage infection early changes how well children develop natural protection. The aim is to find prevention approaches that lower illness now while supporting stronger long-term immunity.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are pregnant women enrolled in the linked IPTp trial in eastern Uganda and their babies who can be followed from birth through early childhood.
Not a fit: People who do not live in high-malaria areas, older children, or adults are unlikely to be eligible or to gain direct benefit from this study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lower malaria illness and deaths in young children by identifying prevention regimens that also strengthen their natural immunity.
How similar studies have performed: Previous trials show intermittent preventive treatment can reduce malaria during pregnancy and childhood, and early data suggest blocking blood-stage infections might enhance immunity, but applying this strategy to newborn cohorts is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jagannathan, Prasanna — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Jagannathan, Prasanna
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.