How the RTS,S malaria vaccine works in Kenyan children
A systems immunology approach to evaluate malaria vaccine performance in endemic regions of Kenya
Researchers will follow children in a high-malaria area of Kenya who receive the RTS,S vaccine to learn which immune responses protect them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285333 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Your child would receive the four-dose RTS,S vaccination schedule used by the WHO program and be followed regularly until age 4. Doctors will collect routine health information, check for malaria infections, and take small blood samples over time to measure antibodies, T cells, and immune cell maturity. The team will use systems serology and immune cell analyses to see which kinds of immune responses are linked with protection or vaccine failure. This work is done in a high-transmission region of Kenya so results reflect how the vaccine performs where malaria is common.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are young children in the high-transmission Kenyan communities participating in the WHO RTS,S program who can receive the full four-dose schedule and attend follow-up visits.
Not a fit: Adults, people living outside the Kenyan study area, or children not eligible for or not receiving the RTS,S vaccine are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could help improve malaria vaccines or vaccination schedules so children in high-risk areas get stronger, longer-lasting protection.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier systems serology work identified immune correlates of protection in adults from non-endemic areas, but RTS,S has shown only about 36% efficacy in children in endemic settings and this pediatric longitudinal approach is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Worcester, United States
- Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester — Worcester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Moormann, Ann M — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Moormann, Ann M
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.