By elucidating the molecular and cellular strategies the parasite employs to avoid complement attack and other immune mechanisms, we seek to uncover vulnerabilities that could be exploited in the design of novel vaccines and therapeutics.
This includes exploring how the parasite avoids over-proliferation that could harm the host, maintains lineage fitness, and adapts to stressors such as antimalarial drugs and immune pressure. A key hypothesis under investigation is that programmed cell death (PCD) may play a role in these processes by enabling the selective elimination of less fit parasites or facilitating adaptation to adverse conditions.
This knowledge is applied to the development of novel vector control tools. Prototype interventions are first tested under controlled laboratory conditions in our insectary in Helsinki. Those showing promise are advanced to Phase II semi-field trials and Phase III community trials in northeastern Tanzania. These field trials include a strong social science component, ensuring that interventions align with community needs and expectations, thereby enhancing sustainability and long-term impact.
This holistic approach allows us to study malaria across its complex life cycle and identify intervention points that can be targeted to reduce transmission, disease burden, and the emergence of resistance.
Our laboratory is fully equipped to support these research areas, with the capacity to culture Plasmodium falciparum in vitro, maintain the complete life cycle of Anopheles mosquitoes, and conduct malaria infection studies using established mouse models.