Molecular vaccines for malaria.

The basic premise of vaccination is the triggering of host immune responses leading to the induction of adaptive immunity having sufficient magnitude and duration to provide long term protection. This has been achieved by many licensed vaccines, the majority based on attenuated or inactivated organisms, although often the protective antigens and underlying molecular mechanisms have not been identified. However, this traditional approach has not led to the development of a licensed vaccine for malaria or for several other devastating infectious diseases. Recently, substantial efforts have been focused on applying rational molecular design principles toward the development of novel vaccines for these refractory pathogens. In this review, we discuss the molecular aspects of antigen design, adjuvant advancement and the development of vaccine delivery systems as they are being applied to malaria vaccines.