Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40642064›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025

Vaccine-induced responses to R21/Matrix-M - an analysis of samples from a phase 1b age de-escalation, dose-escalation trial.

Caroline Bundi, Duncan Bellamy, Elizabeth Kibwana, Lydia Nyamako, Rodney Ogwang, Kelvias Keter, Domtila Kimani, Ahmed M Salman, Samuel Provstgaard-Morys, Lisa Stockdale and 6 more

Abstract readClinical Trial, Phase I
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Caroline Bundi *Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
Duncan Bellamy *The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Elizabeth KibwanaCentre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
Lydia NyamakoCentre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
Rodney OgwangCentre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
Kelvias KeterCentre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
Domtila KimaniCentre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
Ahmed M SalmanThe Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Samuel Provstgaard-MorysThe Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Lisa StockdaleThe Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Adrian V S HillThe Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Philip BejonCentre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
Ally OlotuIfakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre, Bagamoyo, Tanzania.
Mainga HamalubaCentre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
Katie J Ewer *The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Melissa C Kapulu *Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: The pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccine R21 vaccine adjuvanted with Matrix-M reported good efficacy (75%) in an ongoing phase 3 trial and was recommended World Health Organization for use in children 5-36 months. Vaccine-induced antibodies against NANP are associated with protection, however, various factors such as age, pre-existing immunity, and vaccine dose have been shown to influence vaccine responses. Methods: Samples from adults (n =18), children (n = 17), and infants (n = 51) vaccinated with R21/Matrix-M in a phase I trial were assayed for vaccine-specific antibody responses. We measured antibodies (quantity) by MSD and ELISA; and function (quality) by complement (C1q) fixation assay, inhibition of sporozoite invasion (ISI) assay, and avidity assay. Pre-existing malaria antibody exposure was assessed using an anti-3D7 Results: Vaccine-induced CSP antibodies (against full-length R21, NANP, and C terminus), exhibited complement fixation and inhibition of sporozoites. These were significantly lower in adults compared to children and infants. Additionally, children had a higher rate of decay of vaccine-induced antibodies compared to adults 2 years post-vaccination. Furthermore, a higher Matrix-M adjuvant dose resulted in significantly higher C1q fixation, and ISI than the low adjuvant dose in infants. Importantly, functional measures ISI and C1q-fixation were positively associated with the vaccine-induced antibodies overall, but avidity was not. Interestingly, in adults, previous malaria exposure was negatively associated with ISI but positively correlated with avidity and C1q fixation. At baseline, all the study participants were seropositive for anti-HBsAg IgG above the WHO-required protective threshold of 10 mIU/mL, and titers significantly increased post-vaccination. Discussion: R21/Matrix-M was immunogenic across all age groups, with age and vaccine dose significantly affecting antibody magnitude and function. These findings emphasize the importance of evaluating the right adjuvant and vaccine dose for clinical development progression. This could thus inform the development of next-generation malaria vaccines. However, additional crucial factors need further exploration.

Indexed as

Antibodies, ProtozoanMalaria, FalciparumMalaria VaccinesPlasmodium falciparumAdjuvants, ImmunologicAdolescentAdultAge FactorsChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantMaleMiddle AgedProtozoan ProteinsAdjuvants, ImmunologicAntibodies, ProtozoanMalaria VaccinesProtozoan Proteinsantibodyimmunogenicitymalariapast exposureR21vaccines

Identifiers

PMID40642064
PMCPMC12241110

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.