Scientists have found a way to turn the very thing that spreads malaria — a mosquito bite — into something that protects against it, at least in mice.
The approach, called chemovaccination, pairs live malaria parasites delivered by mosquito bite with an antimalarial drug that halts the parasite’s development at the late liver stage. The parasite never causes disease, but the immune system still gets a full look at it — and learns to fight it. The work, from WEHI in Melbourne with MSD (Merck & Co.), was published in Science on August 17, 2026.
How it worked
The team used drug compounds WM382 and MK-7602, which block two parasite enzymes (plasmepsins IX and X). In mice, the strategy produced durable protection along with a broad immune response — both antibodies and CD8+ T cells, including liver-resident memory T cells poised to respond fast to future infection.
Why it matters
Malaria remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, and existing vaccines offer only partial protection. “Using this new drug compound, we’ve found a way to turn mosquito bites — the very thing that spreads malaria — into vaccination events,” said lead researcher Justin Boddey. The results are preclinical; translating them into a practical human strategy would require substantial further study.