Internist infectiologist Meta Roestenberg received the Heineken Young Scientist Award 2020 yesterday for her work on a malaria vaccine. Bee Focus Radio she explains why it is so difficult to develop such a vaccine.
Roestenberg’s focus on vaccine development is due to her internships in the Philippines, Namibia and India, while studying medicine: “There I saw the impact of infectious diseases on everyday life. When I saw that, I decided I wanted to dedicate my life to that. “
GM vaccine
The vaccine that Roestenberg and her team are developing is a very special one. It is genetically manipulated. “Our vaccine actually consists of malaria parasites that are weakened. So you give the whole parasite, as it were. The immune system can practice with that. But we extract a number of genes, so that the parasite can no longer cause disease.”
Heineken Young Scientist Award 2020
Meta Roestenberg has the Heineken Young Scientist Award 2020 on Monday received, for her research into the development of vaccines against poverty-related infectious diseases. According to the jury, Roestenberg has accelerated this development ‘in an inimitable way’.
Why is it so difficult to make vaccine? Roestenberg gives two reasons: “The vaccines we already have are directed against viruses or bacteria, while malaria is a parasite. A parasite is also a very complex organism. It is difficult for the body to make good resistance to it. That is usually a sign that making a vaccine is difficult. “
The parasite that transforms
The parasite can do something that viruses and bacteria cannot. “The fascinating thing – which makes my job so much fun – is that parasites can change and disguise themselves. Look at the difference between a caterpillar and a butterfly, it’s the same beast, but it looks very different.”
That is fascinating for a scientist, but for the human body that deals with such a parasite, it is a huge challenge – which often ends in fatalities. Fortunately, Roestenberg and her team are making significant progress in the development of a vaccine. “At least we’re trying to show the immune system the caterpillar, and maybe a little bit finder,” she continues with the same metaphor. “We now see that there is a defense reaction. We also see that a certain amount of memory occurs. Whether it is sufficient, is a second.”
First, she and her team enjoy the prize – with a pizza, everyone neatly a meter and a half away, each with their own box. “Winning the prize is in itself a huge honor, and all the reactions from colleagues and friends make it super fun”. But then she quickly continues to further develop the vaccine.
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