The antibody response to sporozoites of simian and human malaria parasites: its stage and species specificity and strain cross-reactivity.

Attempts to vaccinate against malaria are currently being pursued in both simian hosts and human volunteers, using X-irradiated sporozoites as antigen. The present experiments provide information on the developmental stage during which simian malaria sporozoites acquire certain antigen(s) and become infective, and on the antigenic similarities between sporozoites of different strains and species of simian and human malaria parasites. Such knowledge should prove of value in the choice of sporozoite preparations for future attempts at vaccination.