Sinden R E
Department of Biology, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, UK.
Sci Prog. 1993;77 ( Pt 1-2):1-14.
In the continuing efforts to develop strategies to limit the impact of malaria, scientists are constantly modifying established methods of vector control and antiparasite chemotherapy. Despite their best efforts malaria remains a major lethal and debilitating disease in the tropics annually killing 2 million children in Africa. New technologies have prompted the evaluation of vaccines as potentially powerful tools to ameliorate the impact of the parasite upon the infected human host, and more recently to block the transmission of the parasite from man to the mosquito vector. Laboratory studies suggest these transmission-blocking vaccines may reduce transmission significantly and one candidate antigen is now being prepared for human trials. This article reviews the properties and merits of transmission-blocking vaccines; describes the various candidate antigens under development; raises questions that still need to be answered; and indicates some of the unexpected approaches that are now being considered in our attempts to control this important pathogen.
在不断努力制定策略以限制疟疾影响的过程中，科学家们一直在不断改进已有的病媒控制方法和抗寄生虫化疗方法。尽管他们付出了最大努力，但疟疾在热带地区仍然是一种主要的致命且使人衰弱的疾病，每年在非洲导致200万儿童死亡。新技术促使人们评估疫苗，将其作为减轻寄生虫对受感染人类宿主影响的潜在有力工具，并且最近还用于阻断寄生虫从人到蚊媒的传播。实验室研究表明，这些传播阻断疫苗可能会显著减少传播，目前一种候选抗原正在准备进行人体试验。本文综述了传播阻断疫苗的特性和优点；描述了正在研发的各种候选抗原；提出了仍需解答的问题；并指出了在我们试图控制这种重要病原体的过程中目前正在考虑的一些意想不到的方法。
