Trials of new malaria vaccine start in Gambia

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- British scientists began clinical trials in the Gambia on Monday of a new DNA vaccine against malaria, one of the world's biggest killers.

Dr Adrian Hill, of Oxford University, said the vaccine is the first to target the malaria parasite inside the cell.

"Instead of using the malaria parasite itself, inactivated in some way, we are actually using DNA, the genetic material," Hill told BBC radio on Monday.

"We are using a purified preparation of DNA, which is a gene, and that gene makes a tiny part of the malaria parasite when it is used as a vaccine," he added.

So instead of trying to kill the parasite before it gets into the cell, the new vaccine is designed to destroy from the inside.

Early safety trials of the vaccine showed it was safe and produced a good immune response.

"We're pretty hopeful that we will see the same (response) in the Gambia and that the vaccine will be effective at preventing malaria," said Hill.

If the trial is successful and if governments and aid agencies are committed to the project, Hill said the vaccine could be available in about five to 10 years.

Malaria kills up to two million people each year. Over 90 percent of deaths are in Africa and two-thirds are among children.

The mosquito-borne disease causes high fever, muscle stiffness and sweating. It is the most prevalent tropical disease in the world. More than 40 percent of the world's population live in countries where malaria is endemic.

Drugs are used to treat victims but climate change, social instability and increased resistance to pesticides and treatments have hampered the battle against the illness.

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