Mahidol University to launch first mRNA malaria vaccine trial

Mahidol University is nearing the start of the world’s first clinical trial for an mRNA vaccine targeting malaria.

This pioneering effort follows successful laboratory trials on mice and is set to advance to testing on monkeys before reaching human subjects.

Professor Jetsumon Prachumsri from the Faculty of Tropical Medicine at Mahidol University and chief of the Mahidol Vivax Research Unit confirmed the progression of the vaccine candidate. Unlike traditional vaccines that use weakened or inactivated pathogens, this new type leverages messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules. Such mRNA vaccines have been crucial during the Covid-19 pandemic, saving numerous lives.

The upcoming trial will initially involve a group of Thai volunteers to evaluate the vaccine’s efficacy. Depending on the outcomes, the testing will expand to include volunteers from other countries, ensuring its effectiveness across different populations.

Malaria, a severe disease transmitted to humans by certain mosquito species, remains prevalent in tropical regions. Annually, over six million new cases are reported worldwide. In 2022 alone, the World Health Organization recorded approximately 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 deaths across 85 countries.

Professor Jetsumon expressed optimism about the broader implications of their research.

“Aside from testing this mRNA vaccine on humans, we also expect our work to inspire more research building on it. This will help sustain global malaria vaccine research and development and benefit humankind.”

Professor Jetsumon has dedicated the past decade to advancing new drugs and vaccines for malaria. The Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, in collaboration with the Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit at the University of Oxford, previously studied the infection process of Plasmodium vivax, a protozoal parasite, in humans through mosquito bites.

The current mRNA vaccine candidate will also be tested on volunteers who participated in the earlier Mahidol-Oxford research project, reported Bangkok Post.

Plasmodium vivax, while less virulent than Plasmodium falciparum—the most lethal of the malaria parasites—can still cause fatal infections.