Making sterile, purified frozen Plasmodium vivax malaria sporozoites
Manufacture of aseptic, purified, cryopreserved Plasmodium vivax sporozoites
This project produces sterile, purified frozen Plasmodium vivax parasites so researchers can use them to test medicines, vaccines, and diagnostics for vivax malaria.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sanaria, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rockville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11159591 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team manufactures Plasmodium vivax sporozoites by infecting mosquitoes under strict sterile, GMP-like conditions, then purifies and cryopreserves the sporozoites. They validate the material's quality and infectivity using humanized-liver mouse models and rigorous quality control testing. The goal is to create consistent, safe batches that can be used for controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) and other clinical testing. Producing standardized Pv sporozoites reduces reliance on fresh infected blood and aims to speed and simplify clinical evaluation of drugs and vaccines.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for downstream trials using these materials would include adults eligible for CHMI or clinical trials of P. vivax vaccines or drugs, typically enrolled at specialized trial centers.
Not a fit: People with G6PD deficiency or those who cannot or do not enroll in related clinical trials are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this manufacturing work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make clinical testing of vivax malaria treatments and vaccines faster, safer, and more reliable, accelerating development of better prevention and care.
How similar studies have performed: Cryopreserved Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites and CHMI models have been used successfully, and the investigators' earlier phase II work produced Pv sporozoites infectious to humanized mice, but standardized Pv CHMI is less established than for P. falciparum.
Where this research is happening
Rockville, United States
- Sanaria, INC. — Rockville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chakravarty, Sumana — Sanaria, INC.
- Study coordinator: Chakravarty, Sumana
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.