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Researchers have identified new vaccine targets that could be of much help in the battle against malaria, according to a new study. 

Researchers tested a library of proteins from the Plasmodium falciparum parasite with antibodies produced by the immune systems of a group of infected children.

The purpose of the tests carried out were to measure which proteins the children's immune system responded to. The test revealed antigens that had not previously been identified as possible vaccine targets. 

"Resistance to malaria drugs is an increasing problem so vaccines are desperately needed to battle the Plasmodium falciparum parasite before it has a chance to make people sick," said Dr Faith Osier, first author from the Kenya Medical Research Institute, in the press release. "This study presents us with a large number of new vaccine candidates that offer real hope for the future."

The research monitored a group of children infected with malaria for six months. In the process, some patients became sick while some were protected by naturally occurring antibodies that stopped the malaria parasite from penetrating their red blood cells during the blood stage of the disease. 

"The use of these proteins by the Sanger Institute's Malaria Programme is helping to zero in on and exploit the weakest point in the malaria parasite's life cycle," commented Dr Julian Rayner, an author from the Sanger Institute. "Trials for vaccines in the past have focussed on one target at a time and have had limited success; with this approach, we can systematically test larger numbers of targets and identify targets that might work in combination."

The study has been published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.