The role of complement in antibody-mediated immune mechanisms against malaria

There are considerable challenges for developing malaria vaccines, and one of the most fundamental is our limited knowledge of the immune mechanisms that confer protection against infection and disease. Antibodies to circumsporozoite protein (CSP) demonstrate some association with protection, but it is unclear how they function. This thesis addressed these knowledge gaps, and identified that antibodies to CSP and malaria sporozoites can activate human complement. Functional antibody responses were associated with protection against malaria, and could be induced by the leading vaccine candidate, RTS,S. These findings provide key insights into the mechanisms of protective immunity, which can aid vaccine development.