The first
clinical trial of a
DNA vaccine designed to protect against
malaria has just commenced. This
vaccine has been designed to induce protective CD8+
T cell responses against
Plasmodium falciparum infected
hepatocytes. Herein, we
review the rationale behind the development of
vaccines that induce protective CD8+
T cells, the strategy for the development of a
DNA vaccine designed to protect against falciparum
malaria, and the experimental data in
rodent models and nonhuman
primates which has provided the
foundation for trials of
DNA vaccines against P. falciparum
malaria in
humans.