Abstract

Safety and Immunogenicity of ChAd63 and MVA ME-TRAP in West African Children and Infants

Afolabi MO, Tiono AB, Adetifa UJ, Yaro JB, Drammeh A, Nebie I, Bliss C, Hodgson SH, Anagnostou NA, Sanou GS, Jagne YJ, Ouedraogo O, Tamara C, Ouedraogo N, Ouedraogo M, Njie-Jobe J, Diarra A, Duncan CJ, Cortese R, Nicosia A, Roberts R, Viebig NK, Leroy O, Lawrie AM, Flanagan KL, Kampman B, Bejon P, Imoukhuede EB, Ewer KJ, Hill AV, Bojang K, Sirima SB
Mol Ther. 2016;24

Permenent descriptor
https://doi.org/10.1038/mt.2016.83


Malaria remains a significant global health burden and a vaccine would make a substantial contribution to malaria control. Chimpanzee Adenovirus 63 Modified Vaccinia Ankara Multiple epitope thrombospondin adhesion protein (ME-TRAP) and vaccination has shown significant efficacy against malaria sporozoite challenge in malaria-naive European volunteers and against malaria infection in Kenyan adults. Infants are the target age group for malaria vaccination; however, no studies have yet assessed T-cell responses in children and infants. We enrolled 138 Gambian and Burkinabe children in four different age-groups: 2-6 years old in The Gambia; 5-17 months old in Burkina Faso; 5-12 months old, and also 10 weeks old, in The Gambia; and evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of Chimpanzee Adenovirus 63 Modified Vaccinia Ankara ME-TRAP heterologous prime-boost immunization. The vaccines were well tolerated in all age groups with no vaccine-related serious adverse events. T-cell responses to vaccination peaked 7 days after boosting with Modified Vaccinia Ankara, with T-cell responses highest in 10 week-old infants. Heterologous prime-boost immunization with Chimpanzee Adenovirus 63 and Modified Vaccinia Ankara ME-TRAP was well tolerated in infants and children, inducing strong T-cell responses. We identify an approach that induces potent T-cell responses in infants, which may be useful for preventing other infectious diseases requiring cellular immunity.