Currently, PfSPZ vaccines are manufactured in mosquitos, which makes this discovery a potential game changer because mosquitoes are no longer required. The team cultured the malaria parasite's blood stages, which led to a better understanding of parasite biology and provided tools for vaccine development, the scientists said (Nature, December 7, 2022).

Their paper describes -- for the first time -- the completion of the Pf life cycle without needing mosquitoes and elucidates the comparative biology of in vitro PfSPZ with those produced in mosquitoes at the cellular, molecular, and functional levels through gene expression-, antigen expression-, morphological-, and infectivity studies, the researchers said.

mRNA vaccines may help combat malaria
George Washington University-led research shows that COVID-19 fighting mRNA technology might save lives, prevent illness, and help eliminate malaria....

Gamma delta T cells may hold key to malaria immunity
Scientists have shown how a poorly understood group of immune cells -- gamma delta T cells -- are directly involved in immunity to malaria, according...

4D microscopy reveals how malaria parasite invades red blood cells
A state-of-the-art microscopy technique has allowed Australian researchers to view parasite invasions in 4D. Using this technology, the team was able...

Single-cell mapping of malaria parasite transmission may lead to new treatments
Single-cell transcriptomics have been used to map which genes are turned on and off during the entire transmission cycle of the deadly human malaria parasite,...