plasmodium immunotherapy

Plasmodium immunotherapy is an experimental cancer treatment strategy that utilizes controlled infection with blood-stage *Plasmodium* parasites, primarily *Plasmodium vivax*, to stimulate a systemic antitumor immune response. The therapy is designed to counteract the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, activate innate and adaptive immune cells such as CD8+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, and inhibit tumor angiogenesis. In clinical practice, patients are inoculated with *P. vivax*-infected red blood cells, and the resulting parasitemia is monitored and controlled at low levels using antimalarial drugs like artesunate or artemisinin to prevent severe complications. The treatment course typically lasts between 4 to 12 weeks, after which the infection is fully terminated with antimalarial agents. Preclinical research has demonstrated synergistic effects when Plasmodium immunotherapy is combined with chemotherapy (e.g., gemcitabine) or radiotherapy, particularly in models of lung cancer and glioma.

Other names

plasmodium immunotherapyPlasmodium infection therapyP. vivax immunotherapymalariotherapy