Grant: Project Grant - Priority Announcement: Global Health Research - CRPPHE

Malaria is a severe illness that impacts millions of people annually, especially in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of South America. In 2022, malaria resulted in 249 million cases and 608,000 deaths worldwide, with young children and pregnant women being the most affected. Although there are vaccines like RTS,S/AS01 available, their effectiveness decreases over time, highlighting the urgent need for better treatments. Our project, partially supported by Eyam Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics Ltd. and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to address this issue with an innovative approach. Instead of producing malaria-fighting antibodies in a lab and injecting them into patients, which is technically challenging and expensive, we are developing a technology that allows the body to create these antibodies on its own through advanced genetic techniques. This technology, which can be applied to malaria as well as other diseases and ailments, is known as the Gemini platform. It is designed to induce strong and long-lasting protection, reducing the need for frequent treatments. It is relatively cheap to produce; it can be freeze-dried and stored without refrigeration, making it ideal for use in areas with limited access to cold storage-something crucial in malaria-endemic regions with scarce resources. Our primary goals are to develop and test this new treatment to determine if it can effectively protect against malaria in laboratory and animal studies. If successful, this technology could greatly enhance and democratize access to more affordable malaria treatments. Looking ahead, this approach could also be applied to other diseases, offering a new way to improve global health. Ultimately, our aim is to reduce the global burden of malaria and other diseases by providing more durable, cost-effective, and accessible solutions.