Finding immune targets to prevent severe falciparum malaria
Official title: Identifying the targets of protective immunity to severe falciparum malaria
Funded at Brown University · NIH-11458269 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using people’s natural antibody responses to find new vaccine targets that could protect babies and young children from severe falciparum malaria.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project start | December 20, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $208,935 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AI182253-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11458269 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are infants and young children (and their caregivers) living in malaria-endemic areas who are willing to provide small blood samples and clinical follow-up information.
✕Less likely to help
People not exposed to Plasmodium falciparum, those with non-falciparum malaria, or anyone seeking immediate treatment benefit are unlikely to gain direct health benefit from participating in this discovery-focused work.
What this research studies
You might be asked to give a small blood sample and share basic health information so researchers can see which parasite proteins your immune system recognizes. They compare antibodies from people who remain well with those who develop severe falciparum malaria using a whole-proteome differential screening method to find proteins linked to protection. Promising proteins discovered this way (like PfSEA-1 and PfGARP) are studied further in the lab and developed as blood-stage vaccine candidates to complement existing liver-stage vaccines. This work combines analysis of human samples, laboratory testing, and preclinical vaccine development before any new vaccines are tested in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new blood-stage vaccines that better protect infants and young children from life-threatening falciparum malaria.
How similar studies have gone: Related work using the same screening approach has identified promising targets such as PfSEA-1 and PfGARP, but a broadly protective blood-stage vaccine has not yet been achieved so the approach is promising yet still early.
Where this research is happening
-
Brown University
Providence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kurtis, Jonathan D. — Brown University
- Study coordinator: Kurtis, Jonathan D.
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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.