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October 6, 2021, marks a historic day in humanity's fight against malaria, as the WHO approved the rollout of the malaria vaccine. RTS,S/AS01 also known as Mosquirix among children living in sub-Saharan Africa and other at-risk regions. Though the vaccine protects against only 30% of infections, its rollout is a breakthrough, because developing a vaccine against complex malaria parasite is a herculean task.

Mosquirix was developed by British drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline in collaboration with health non-profit PATH and a network of African research centres, with partial funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The vaccine is the result of 30 years of research and it targets Plasmodium falciparum, the most common parasite causing malaria in Africa. The vaccine offers no protection against the other four species such as P vivax, P ovale, P knowlesi and P malariae which are prevalent in Southeast Asia, Americas and Europe.

Countries will need to take individual decisions on whether to introduce the vaccine or not and also work out funding arrangements on their own.

The WHO recommends the use of RTS,S for the prevention of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in children living in regions with moderate to high transmission as defined by the global health body.

“RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine should be provided in a schedule of 4 doses in children from 5 months of age for the reduction of malaria disease and burden,” the WHO said.

According to its estimates, more than 260,000 African children under the age of five die from malaria annually. That is why WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the approval of the vaccine as a “historic” development. 

“This is a historic moment. The long-awaited malaria vaccine for children is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control. Using this vaccine on top of existing tools to prevent malaria could save tens of thousands of young lives each year,” he said in a statement.

Credit : The Print 

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While research on gene editing has been happening for a while, the idea of performing it on humans on a large scale has been a subject of debate. The World Health Organisation (WHO) published a slew of recommendations in July 2021, on how to ensure gene editing research is used for the public good. It called on countries to stop any research that might lead to the birth of genetically edited human beings. The WHO established a committee in 2018 to develop standards for human genome editing. The committee produced a series of nine key, recommendations in its report. Among other things, it stressed the need for regulation and the creation of a database to track all forms of gene manipulation, providing a full overview, including pre-clinical research.’

The reports deliver recommendations on the governance and oversight of human genome editing in nine areas, including human genome editing registries; international research and medical travel; illegal, unregistered, unethical or unsafe research; intellectual property; and education, engagement and empowerment. The recommendations focus on systems-level improvements that WHO believes are needed to build capacity in all countries to ensure that human genome editing is used safely, effectively and ethically. In addition, the reports provide a new governance framework that identifies specific tools, institutions and scenarios to illustrate practical challenges in implementing, regulating and overseeing research into the human genome. 

Moving forward, the organization will convene a small expert committee to consider next steps for a human genome editing registry. WHO will also convene multisector stakeholders to develop an accessible mechanism for confidential reporting of concerns about possibly illegal, unregistered, unethical and unsafe human genome editing research.

Credit : AABB 

Picture Credit : Google