Immune effector mechanisms in malaria

Malaria, a disease responsible for immense human suffering, is caused by infection with Plasmodium spp. parasites, which have a very complex life cycle - antigenically unique stages infect different tissues of the body. This review details recent developments in our understanding of immunity both to preerythrocytic stage antigens and to erythrocytic stage antigens. The former is largely mediated via CD8(+) T cells and involves IFN-gamma, nitric oxide, IL-12 and natural killer cells; the latter varies tin different hosts and with different parasites) but is largely mediated by antibody, helper T cells, nitric oxide and gamma delta T cells. The recent progress towards clinical trials of vaccine candidates against both the pre-erythrocytic stage and erythrocytic stage is also summarized, in particular the use of heterologous prime/boost strategies for the former and the use of MSP1 as a candidate vaccine for the latter.