Molecular Hallmarks of Naturally Acquired Immunity to Malaria

Immunity to malaria can be acquired through natural exposure to Plasmodium falciparum (Pf), but only after years of repeated infections. Typically, this immunity is acquired by adolescence and confers protection against disease, but not Pf infection per se. Efforts to understand the mechanisms of this immunity are integral to the development of a vaccine that would mimic the induction of adult immunity in children. The current study applies transcriptomic analyses to a cohort from the rural village of Kalifabougou, Mali, where Pf transmission is intense and seasonal. Signatures that correlate with protection from malaria may yield new hypotheses regarding the biological mechanisms through which malaria immunity is induced by natural Pf infection. The resulting datasets will be of considerable value in the urgent worldwide effort to develop a malaria vaccine that could prevent more than a million deaths annually. Overall design: 108 samples; paired pre- and post-challenge for 54 individuals 198 samples; paired pre- and post-challenge for 99 individuals