This study is to assess the safety, tolerability, and biomarkers of protection in healthy malaria-naïve adults, who will receive bites from Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes either infected with Plasmodium falciparum Sporozoites (PfRAS) (true-immunization) or noninfected (mock-immunization).
This is a Phase 1 open-labeled study. In addition to safety and tolerability of Plasmodium falciparum Sporozoites (PfRAS), this study is a comprehensive, systems biology-based effort to identify and validate biomarkers of protection with PfRAS immunization, comparing sterility protected to nonprotected study subjects. The goal of the trial design is to achieve approximately 50% sterile protection in order to facilitate the identification of biomarkers and correlates of protection. Following true-immunization or mock-immunization, study subjects and nonimmunized infectivity controls will receive a challenge via the bites of 5 An stephensi mosquitoes carrying infectious P falciparum sporozoites within a controlled clinical environment (controlled human malaria infection, CHMI) to determine the level of sterile protection.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
54
Radiation-attenuated Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites (PfRAS) administered by the bite of infected Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes
Administered by the bite of noninfected Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes
5 infectious Anopheles stephensi mosquito bites carrying infectious Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites within a controlled clinical environment.
Naval Medical Research Center Clinical Trials Center (CTC)
Bethesda, Maryland, United States
Solicited adverse events
Occurrence of solicited adverse events (AE) from administration of study immunization (PfRAS)
Time frame: 7 days
Unsolicited adverse events
Occurrence of unsolicited adverse events (AEs) from administration of immunization (PfRAS)
Time frame: 14 days
Laboratory adverse events
Occurrence of laboratory AEs from administration of study immunization (PfRAS)
Time frame: 7 days
Serious adverse events
Occurrence of serious adverse events (SAEs) from administration of immunization (PfRAS)
Time frame: 52 weeks
Signs and symptoms related to malaria infection
Occurrence of signs and symptoms related to malaria infection starting 7 days post-Controlled Human Malaria Infection (CHMI) (these will not be recorded as adverse events because they are expected as a result of malaria infection)
Time frame: 7 days
Parasitemia
Development of parasitemia and time to parasitemia after malaria challenge
Time frame: 52 weeks
Identify and validate immunological PBMC biomarkers
Compare Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell(s) (PBMC) read-outs between protected and nonprotected subjects and between immunized and mock-immunized subjects.
Time frame: 52 weeks
Identify and validate immunological serum biomarkers
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Compare serum read-outs between protected and nonprotected subjects and between immunized and mock-immunized subjects.
Time frame: 52 weeks
Identify and validate whole blood immunological biomarkers
Compare whole blood read-outs between protected and nonprotected subjects and between immunized and mock-immunized subjects.
Time frame: 52 weeks