A new study carried out in the West African nation of Mali found that an experimental drug protected adults against malaria for at least six months. The one-dose drug is the latest possible treatment for the disease spread by mosquitos.
在西非国家马里进行的一项新研究发现，一种实验性药物可以保护成年人免受疟疾侵袭，有效期至少6个月。这种单剂量药物是治疗这种由蚊子传播的疾病的最新可能疗法。
Malaria killed more than 620,000 people in 2020 and sickened 241 million. They were mainly children under the age of 5 in Africa.
2020年，疟疾导致62万多人死亡，2.41亿人患病。他们主要是非洲5岁以下的儿童。
The World Health Organization is releasing the first malaria vaccine for children. But it is just 30 percent effective and requires four doses.
世界卫生组织正在为儿童发放第一支疟疾疫苗。但它的有效性只有30%，需要四次注射。
The new study tested a very different idea. The drug gives people a large dose of lab-made malaria-fighting antibodies. The vaccine depends on the immune system to make enough of those same infection-blockers after vaccination.
这项新研究测试了一种截然不同的方法——给人们大剂量的实验室制造的抗疟疾抗体，而不是依靠免疫系统在接种疫苗后制造足够的相同的感染阻滞剂。
Dr. Kassoum Kayentao is with the University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies in Bamako, Mali. He helped lead the study in two small villages in Mali. He said the "available vaccine doesn't protect enough people."
Kassoum Kayentao博士就职于马里巴马科科学技术大学。他在马里的两个小村庄领导了这项研究。他说，“现有的疫苗不能保护足够多的人。”
During malaria season in some places in Mali, people are bitten by infected mosquitoes on an average of twice a day.
在马里的一些地方，在疟疾季节，人们平均每天被受感染的蚊子叮咬两次。
The experimental antibody was created by researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health. It is given intravenously, or directly into the veins.
这种实验性抗体是由美国国立卫生研究院的研究人员发明的。它可以通过静脉注射，也可以直接进入静脉。
The drug would be difficult to release to a large amount of people. But scientists are also testing a shot version of the treatment, which would be easier to give out.
这种药物很难释放到大量人群中。但科学家们也在测试一种注射版的治疗方法，这种方法更容易分发。
The U.S. government research was published Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine and was presented at a medical meeting in Seattle.
美国政府的这项研究周一发表在《新英格兰医学杂志》上，并在西雅图举行的一次医学会议上发表。
The antibody works by breaking the life cycle of the parasite, which is spread through mosquito bites. It targets parasites early before they enter the liver, where they can grow and multiply. The drug was created from an antibody taken from a volunteer who received a malaria vaccine.
这种抗体通过打破通过蚊子叮咬传播的寄生虫的生命周期而发挥作用。寄生虫在肝脏生长和繁殖，它在寄生虫进入肝脏之前就将其锁定。这种药物是从一名接受疟疾疫苗的志愿者身上提取的抗体制成的。
The research involved 330 adults in Mali. The study participants got either one of two different antibody doses or a placebo - a substance given to a patient like a drug but has no physical effect on the patient. All participants were tested for malaria infection every two weeks for 24 weeks. Anyone who got sick was treated.
这项研究涉及马里的330名成年人。研究参与者要么服用两种不同剂量的抗体，要么服用安慰剂——一种像药物一样给患者服用的物质，但对患者没有物理影响。所有参与者每两周接受一次疟疾感染检测，持续24周。所有生病的人都得到了治疗。
Infections were found by blood test in 20 people who got the higher dose. Infections were found in 39 people who got the lower dose. Eighty-six people who got the placebo became infected during the study period.
通过血液测试，接受较高剂量的感染者为20人，接受低剂量的感染者为39人。而在研究期间，服用安慰剂的感染者为86人。
The higher dose was 88 percent effective, compared to the placebo. The lower dose was 75 percent effective.
与安慰剂相比，高剂量的有效率为88%，较低剂量的有效率为75%。
Protection might last during the several months of malaria season.
这种保护可能会在疟疾季的几个月里持续有效。
The cost is not yet known. But one estimate suggests lab-made antibodies could be given for just $5 per child per malaria season.
其成本尚不清楚。但有一项估计表明，在每个疟疾季，每个孩子只需花费5美元就可以得到实验室制作的抗体。
Dr. Johanna Daily is with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. She was not involved in the study. She said lab-made antibodies are used to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases and COVID-19.
约翰娜·黛丽博士就职于纽约爱因斯坦医学院。她没有参与这项研究。她说，实验室制造的抗体用于治疗癌症、自身免疫性疾病和新冠肺炎。
"The good news is now we have another, immune-based therapy to try to control malaria," she said.
她说:“好消息是，我们现在有了另一种基于免疫的疗法来尝试控制疟疾。”
I'm Dan Novak.
丹·诺瓦克报道。
A new study carried out in the West African nation of Mali found that an experimental drug protected adults against malaria for at least six months. The one-dose drug is the latest possible treatment for the disease spread by mosquitos.
Malaria killed more than 620,000 people in 2020 and sickened 241 million. They were mainly children under the age of 5 in Africa.
The World Health Organization is releasing the first malaria vaccine for children. But it is just 30 percent effective and requires four doses.
The new study tested a very different idea. The drug gives people a large dose of lab-made malaria-fighting antibodies. The vaccine depends on the immune system to make enough of those same infection-blockers after vaccination.
Dr. Kassoum Kayentao is with the University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies in Bamako, Mali. He helped lead the study in two small villages in Mali. He said the "available vaccine doesn't protect enough people."
During malaria season in some places in Mali, people are bitten by infected mosquitoes on an average of twice a day.
The experimental antibody was created by researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health. It is given intravenously, or directly into the veins.
The drug would be difficult to release to a large amount of people. But scientists are also testing a shot version of the treatment, which would be easier to give out.
The U.S. government research was published Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine and was presented at a medical meeting in Seattle.
The antibody works by breaking the life cycle of the parasite, which is spread through mosquito bites. It targets parasites early before they enter the liver, where they can grow and multiply. The drug was created from an antibody taken from a volunteer who received a malaria vaccine.
The research involved 330 adults in Mali. The study participants got either one of two different antibody doses or a placebo - a substance given to a patient like a drug but has no physical effect on the patient. All participants were tested for malaria infection every two weeks for 24 weeks. Anyone who got sick was treated.
Infections were found by blood test in 20 people who got the higher dose. Infections were found in 39 people who got the lower dose. Eighty-six people who got the placebo became infected during the study period.
The higher dose was 88 percent effective, compared to the placebo. The lower dose was 75 percent effective.
Protection might last during the several months of malaria season.
The cost is not yet known. But one estimate suggests lab-made antibodies could be given for just $5 per child per malaria season.
Dr. Johanna Daily is with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. She was not involved in the study. She said lab-made antibodies are used to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases and COVID-19.
"The good news is now we have another, immune-based therapy to try to control malaria," she said.
I'm Dan Novak.
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Words in This Story
dose - n. the amount of a medicine, drug, or vitamin that is taken at one time
antibody - n. a substance produced by the body to fight disease
immune system - n. the system that protects your body from diseases and infections
vein - n. any one of the tubes that carry blood from parts of the body back to the heart
cycle - n. a set of events or actions that happen again and again in the same order
parasite - n. an animal or plant that lives in or on another animal or plant and gets food or protection from it
multiply - v. to increase greatly in number or amount
participant - n. a person who is involved in an activity or event
therapy - n. the treatment of physical or mental illnesses
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