Plasmodium falciparum malaria infects 5-10% of the global population (400 million clinical cases) and kills two million people annually. As such it ranks along with HIV and TB as the most serious infectious disease of humanity. It is widely accepted that an efficacious vaccine is required to afford protection against malarial fatalities. Recent research demonstrates the feasibility of a carbohydrate molecule-based Malaria vaccine approach. Scientific evidence shows that a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) molecule, a glycolipid-related carbohydrate, of Malarial parasite origin utilized as a vaccine can prevent the pathology and fatalities in rodent models of severe malaria. Three critical parameters to be considered in the generation of the optimal Malaria Vaccine molecule include: the identification of the minimal immunogenic molecule sequence that determines the specificity of immune response; the capability to generate sufficient material quantities for the requisite pre-clinical trials; and, the appropriate protein conjugate and adjuvant to potentiate the immune response. The goal of this SBIR proposal is to develop the synthesis strategy for large-scale molecule preparation and to generate a set of vaccine molecules that will help elucidate the lead vaccine molecule for subsequent advanced pre-clinical trials.
