IL-2-anti-IL-2 Complexes In Immunity To Blood Stage Malaria Infection And Prevention Of Cerebral Immunopathology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$586,428.00
Summary
Cerebral malaria is a severe complication of malaria infection, which accounts for a large proportion of malaria-related deaths each year. There is no vaccine against malaria licensed for use in humans. Trial vaccines have been shown to protect poorly against cerebral malaria, and have on occasion, increased the its incidence amongst experimental animals. We aim to develop a safe malaria vaccine that controls malaria parasite numbers in the body, and also prevents cerebral malaria.
Investigating CD4+ T Helper Cell Differentiation During Blood-stage Plasmodium Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,388.00
Summary
Some infections tend to afflict us only once, e.g. chickenpox, because our bodies develop immunity to these microbes relatively easily. In contrast, it takes many infections to develop immunity to the malaria parasite, because our immune systems seem to respond inefficiently to it. My work will improve our understanding of how the immune system is poorly activated during malaria, and may provide new ideas for boosting the immune system in response to malaria or indeed other infections.