Malaria is a major public health problem. There were around 240 million cases of malaria and 627,000 deaths worldwide in 2020. There is a great need for a safe, effective malaria vaccine and the team at University of Oxford is trying to make vaccine(s) which can prevent serious illness and death. This study is being done to assess an experimental malaria vaccine for its ability to prevent malaria illness. This is done using a 'blood-stage challenge model'. This is when volunteers are infected with malaria parasites using malaria-infected red blood cells. The vaccine we are testing in this part of the study is called "RH5.2-VLP". It is given with an adjuvant called "Matrix-M". This is a substance to improve the body's response to a vaccination. RH5.2-VLP is being tested for the first time in humans in this trial. The Matrix-M adjuvant has been given to tens of thousands of people, with no major concerns, such as illness. The aim is to use this vaccine and adjuvant to help the body make an immune response against parts of the malaria parasite. This study will assess: 1. The safety of the vaccine in healthy participants. 2. The response of the human immune system to the vaccine. 3. The ability of the vaccine to prevent malaria illness (Group 2 only). We will do this by giving healthy adult participants (aged 18-45) three of the vaccines and/or expose participants to malaria infection at the Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine (CCVTM), Churchill Hospital in Oxford. We will then do blood tests and collect information about any symptoms that occur after vaccination. There will be 19 to 54 visits, lasting between 3 months to 2 years and 2 months.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
41
The RH5.1 protein consists of the entire full-length ectodomain of the PfRH5 antigen (amino acids E26 - Q526) with the sequence based on the 3D7 clone of P. falciparum. The RH5.2 protein consists of the "stabilised" core region of PfRH5 antigen with SpyTag fused at the C-terminus. The RH5.2-SpyTag protein is conjugated to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-SpyCatcher to produce the final RH5.2-VLP vaccine. The Matrix-M has been developed and manufactured by Novavax AB and is presented as a liquid solution in a glass vial.
Centre for Clinical Vaccinology & Tropical Medicine (CCVTM)
Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
To assess the safety of RH5.2-VLP and RH5.1 in Matrix-M in healthy volunteers at different doses and used in various regimens by assessing the occurrence of solicited local reactogenicity signs and symptoms
Occurrence of solicited local reactogenicity signs and symptoms for 7 days following each vaccination. These will be tabulated, detailing frequency, duration and severity of AEs. Haematological and biochemical laboratory values will be presented according to local grading scales.
Time frame: 7 days following each vaccination
To assess efficacy of RH5.2-VLP in Matrix-M by assessing its impact on parasite multiplication rate (PMR) in vaccinated volunteers compared to infectivity controls, against P. falciparum in a blood-stage controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) model.
Comparison of the PMR of the volunteers in Group 2 to the PMR of the malaria naive controls (Group 6) over 21 days of follow up period post-CHMI. PMR values will be collected initially as quantitative PCR data and calculated using a mathematical modelling.
Time frame: Maximum 21 days following CHMI
To assess the humoral immunogenicity of RH5.2-VLP with Matrix-MTM and RH5.1 soluble protein with Matrix-M when administered to healthy volunteers at different doses and used in various regimens, with comparison before and after vaccination
Serum ELISA response, antigen-specific antibody avidity measurement, antigen-specific antibody subclass/isotype measurement, quantitative antigen-specific IgG antibody levels (µg/mL readout) over time - analysis of peak responses and longevity, with comparison before and after vaccination
Time frame: From a number of key timepoints (Baseline up to day 790 (dependant on group))
To compare the anti-RH5 serum IgG functional immunogenicity between the RH5.2-VLP and soluble RH5.1 protein when used at different doses and in various regimens
In vitro GIA against 3D7 clone P. falciparum parasites using purified total IgG and a single-cycle pLDH readout assay, with comparison before and after vaccination.
Time frame: From a number of key timepoints (Baseline up to day 790 (dependant on group))
To determine the phenotype of vaccine specific immune cells in axillary lymph nodes
BCR sequencing with vaccine-specific B cells obtained from axillary lymph nodes to characterise the B cell repertoire (Group 1 \& 3 only)
Time frame: Day 140 (group 1) and Day 266 (group 3)
To determine the frequency of vaccine specific immune cells in axillary lymph nodes
BCR sequencing with vaccine-specific B cells obtained from axillary lymph nodes to characterise the B cell repertoire (Group 1 \& 3 only)
Time frame: Day 140 (group 1) and Day 266 (group 3)
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.