Vaccine Research Shows Vigilance Needed Against Evolution of More-Virulent Malaria

ScienceDaily (July 31, 2012) — Malaria parasites evolving in vaccinated laboratory mice become more virulent, according to research at Penn State University. The mice were injected with a critical component of several candidate human malaria vaccines that now are being evaluated in clinical trials. "Our research shows immunization with this particular type of malaria vaccine can create ecological conditions that favor the evolution of parasites that cause more severe disease in unvaccinated mice," said Andrew Read, Alumni Professor of Biological Sciences at Penn State.

疫苗研究者提醒要更關注嚴重的瘧疾之演化


key words:
Vaccine

human malaria vaccines 

It is possible that more-virulent strains of malaria might evolve if a malaria vaccine goes into widespread use," Read said. The research, which will be published in the 31 July 2012 issue of the scientific journal PLoS Biology.

文中提到，實際狀況並不明白--確定動物模式的通則是極度困難的，是否人類的瘧疾已有演化。但在Read說：with our parasites, our mice, and with this particular antigen; the malaria parasites that evolved through vaccinated hosts become more virulent

Journal Reference:

1. Margaret J. Mackinnon, Andrew F. Read. Immunity Promotes Virulence Evolution in a Malaria Model.PLoS Biology, 2004; 2 (9): e230 DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.0020230