Overview
- Background
Malaria is a serious infection caused by a parasite. People get malaria when an infected mosquito bites them. Malaria can cause major health and social problems in places were malaria is common, such as Africa but can also affect travelers who have never been exposed to malaria. Researchers at the NIH want to find a safe and effective malaria vaccine, antimalarial drugs, or prevention regimen. To do this, healthy volunteers are recruited under a general screening study in order to see if are qualified to join a future malaria study.
- Objective
To screen healthy volunteers to see if they are eligible to join investigational malaria studies. The studies will be trials of investigational antimalarial drugs, malaria vaccines, or prevention regimens. They may also involve controlled human malaria infection trials.
- Eligibility
Healthy people ages 18 50
- Design
Participants will first be prescreened by phone.
Participants will be screened with:
Medical history
Physical exam
Blood and urine tests
Participants may go more than 1 year without joining a clinical trial. If this happens, they may be re-contacted to see if they still want to be part of this screening protocol. Those who still want to participate and have had relevant medical changes will be rescreened.
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Description
This is a screening protocol for healthy volunteers to participate in research studies conducted by Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology (LMIV).
Malaria-related morbidity and mortality have a major economic impact in endemic regions and
present a substantial health risk to non-immune travelers and people living in endemic areas. To stem the worldwide impact of this devastating disease, a safe and broadly effective malaria vaccine and improved antimalarial therapeutics are urgently required.
This screening protocol is designed to continuously evaluate potential healthy volunteers to build a pool of volunteers who may participate in future and ongoing LMIV malaria drug, vaccine, or controlled human malaria infections (CHMI) trials. A complete medical history and blood and urine samples will be obtained to evaluate whether volunteers are eligible for study-specific screening.
Eligibility
- INCLUSION CRITERIA:
All of the following criteria must be fulfilled for a subject to participate in this trial:
- Age greater than or equal to 18 and less than or equal to 50 years.
- In good general health and without clinically significant medical history
- Reliable access to the clinical trial center and available in the area for more than 1 year
- Females of childbearing potential must be willing to undergo periodic pregnancy testing and use reliable contraception per protocol when enrolled into LMIV clinical trials (protocol-specific requirements)
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
A subject will be excluded from participating in this trial if any one of the following
criteria is
fulfilled:
1. Pregnant, breastfeeding, or planned pregnancy in the upcoming year.
2. Hemoglobin, white blood cell (WBC), platelets, alanine transaminase (ALT), and
creatinine (Cr) outside of local lab normal range (subjects may be included at the
investigator s discretion for not clinically significant values outside of normal
range).
3. Anticipated use during the study period, or use within the following periods prior to
enrollment:
1. Investigational malaria vaccine within the last five years
2. Chronic systemic immunosuppressive medications (e.g., cytotoxic medications,
oral/parental corticosteroids > 0.5 mg/kg/day prednisone or equivalent).
Corticosteroid nasal spray for allergic rhinitis and topical corticosteroids for
mild, uncomplicated dermatitis are allowed.
3. Recurrent receipt of blood products or immunoglobulins
4. History of:
1. Sickle cell disease
2. Splenectomy or functional asplenia
3. Systemic anaphylaxis
4. Uncontrolled psoriasis or porphyria
5. Clinically significant medical condition, physical examination findings, other
clinically significant abnormal laboratory results, or past medical history that may
have clinically significant implications for current health status and participation
in the study in the opinion of the Investigator. A clinically significant condition or
process includes but is not limited to:
1. A process that would affect the immune response, or requires medication that
affects the immune response.
2. Any contraindication to repeated phlebotomy.
6. History of or known active cardiac disease including:
1. prior myocardial infarction (heart attack)
2. angina pectoris
3. congestive heart failure
4. valvular heart disease
5. cardiomyopathy
6. pericarditis
7. stroke or transient ischemic attack
8. exertional chest pain or shortness of breath
9. other heart conditions under the care of a doctor
7. Infection with HIV, hepatitis B, and/or hepatitis C
8. Psychiatric condition that precludes compliance with the protocol including but not
limited to:
1. Psychosis within the past 3 years
2. Ongoing risk for suicide, or history of suicide attempt or gesture within the
past 3 years
9. Suspected or known current alcohol or drug abuse as defined by the American
Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
Fifth Edition at the discretion of the PI
10. Any other finding that, in the judgment of the Investigator, would interfere with, or
serve as a contraindication to, protocol adherence, assessment of safety or
reactogenicity, or a subject s ability to give informed consent, or increase the risk
of having an adverse outcome from participating in the study