Viral vectors in malaria vaccine development

Summary Traditional vaccine technologies have resulted in an impressive array of efficacious vaccines against a variety of infectious agents. However, several potentially deadly pathogens, including retroviruses and parasites, have proven less amenable to the application of traditional vaccine platforms, indicating the need for new approaches. Viral vectors represent an attractive way to deliver and present vaccine antigens that may offer advantages over traditional platforms. Due to their ability to induce strong cell‐mediated immunity (CMI) in addition to antibodies, viral vectors may be suitable for infectious agents, such as malaria parasites, where potent CMI is required for protection. Poxvirus‐vectored malaria vaccines have been the most extensively studied in the clinic, achieving significant reductions in liver‐stage parasite burden. More recently, adenovirus‐vectored malaria vaccines have entered clinical testing. The most promising approach – heterologous prime‐boost regimens, in which different viral vectors are sequentially paired with each other or with DNA or recombinant protein vaccines – is now being explored, and could provide high‐grade protection, if findings in animal models are translatable to humans. Significant barriers remain, however, such as pre‐existing immunity to the vector particle and an unexplained safety signal observed in one trial suggesting an increased risk of HIV acquisition in volunteers with pre‐existing immunity to the vector.