Genocea's mark on malaria

Genocea Biosciences Inc. has identified an immunological imprint in malaria based on a cluster of Plasmodiumepitopes that persists in patients for years after the last clinical episode. The findings suggest immune individuals could be a source of protective T cells, and the biotech will use a recent $1.2 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundationto identify biomarkers and create a vaccine.

The notion that malaria leaves a lasting memory on the immune system contradicts the common assumption that immunity to the Plasmodium parasites that cause the disease is short lived...