AGS-v, an investigational vaccine that is derived from mosquito's saliva is currently on study to target a broad range of mosquito transmitted diseases such as malaria, dengue, Zika, and West Nile. The National Institute of Allergy And Infectious Diseases (NIAID) part of National Institute of Health (NIH) is conducting the trial.
According to Medical Xpress, NIAID has already launched Phase 1 clinical trial to test the vaccine. The trial is to further assess the vaccine's safety and its ability to generate an immune response. AGS-v was developed by SEEK, a London- based pharmaceutical company together with hVIVO.
AGS-v is unique compared to currently available vaccines because it is designed to trigger an immune response to mosquito saliva rather than to a specific virus carried out by mosquitoes. The investigational vaccine consists of four synthetic proteins which are sourced from mosquito salivary glands.
In a person vaccinated with AGS-v, the proteins will induce antibodies to cause an allergic response that can prevent infection when the person gets bitten by a disease-carrying mosquito. The single vaccine that could help prevent a bunch of diseases could be a monumental public health advance, stated by NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.
Furthermore, as stated by NBC News, the researchers will have to recruit human volunteers in order to carry out the administration of either the vaccine or placebo. These volunteers will be monitored and have to be bitten by mosquitoes and investigated if they have responded accordingly.
The clinical trial is expected to utilize 60 healthy adult ages 18 to 50 years. The mosquitoes that will be used in the study will not be carrying any virus or parasites so the participant's healthy body will be maintained throughout the trial.
Ten female "Aedis aegypti" from NIAID's Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research will be used. These mosquitos will bite the each participant's arms through a netting device. The biting session will last for at least 20 minutes.
