ABU Zaria Professor develops Malaria vaccine

An Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Professor with the Biochemical Parasitology Department, Prof. Nasiru Shua’ibu has developed a new malaria vaccine for the treatment of malaria fever.

Prof. Shua’ibu revealed this on Tuesday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said the vaccine was different and would be out soon for use by Nigerians.

“In a simple term that a layman can understand, the content of this malaria vaccine research is difficult, but let me try if I could simplify it, it is called DNA Vaccine.

“It is a new technology for discovery and delivery of vaccine against any infectious disease that was developed in the early to mid 1990s.

“The DNA of the malaria parasite was extracted and the portion of the DNA that is tested to be a good vaccine candidate is subjected to molecular biology methods which are used to produce a lot of the DNA,” Shu’aibu said.

Shua’ibu said the DNA when we injected into the body, produce chemicals that will prevent malaria through the help of body cells.

“Then a method of cloning is now used to insert the DNA into a vehicle that will carry the DNA into either animal or human body.

“It is then injected into the body of the animal or human and it eventually enters the cells of the animal in the same way a virus enters and infects cells.

“The injected DNA now uses the cells in the body to produce chemicals that will prevent malaria from infecting the body,” Shu’aibu said.