Monoclonal antibodies for malaria prevention.
Mol Ther
; 30(5): 1810-1821, 2022 05 04.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1773852
ABSTRACT
Monoclonal antibodies are highly specific proteins that are cloned from a single B cell and bind to a single epitope on a pathogen. These laboratory-made molecules can serve as prophylactics or therapeutics for infectious diseases and have an impressive capacity to modulate the progression of disease, as demonstrated for the first time on a large scale during the COVID-19 pandemic. The high specificity and natural starting point of monoclonal antibodies afford an encouraging safety profile, yet the high cost of production remains a major limitation to their widespread use. While a monoclonal antibody approach to abrogating malaria infection is not yet available, the unique life cycle of the malaria parasite affords many opportunities for such proteins to act, and preliminary research into the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies in preventing malaria infection, disease, and transmission is encouraging. This review examines the current status and future outlook for monoclonal antibodies against malaria in the context of the complex life cycle and varied antigenic targets expressed in the human and mosquito hosts, and provides insight into the strengths and limitations of this approach to curtailing one of humanity's oldest and deadliest diseases.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
/
COVID-19
/
Malaria
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Mol Ther
Journal subject:
Molecular Biology
/
Therapeutics
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.ymthe.2022.04.001
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