YSPH EMD Seminar Series: "Fc-dependent IgG parasite clearance as a guide for vaccine development against P. falciparum malaria"

Passive transfer experiments established the protective role of antibody in immunity against malaria over half a century ago. The inhibition of erythrocyte invasion is widely assumed to be the best correlate of protection. We demonstrate the power of naturally acquired immunity in contemporary controlled human malaria infection studies. We show that the breadth of IgG Fc-dependent activity is a much stronger predictor of protection. Our data suggest that a functional-Fc-antibody driven approach to malaria vaccine development may be beneficial.