This is the practice of voluntarily infecting oneself to find cures for diseases

In an unexpected twist of human altruism, a group of young adults volunteered for a medical trial that carried a considerable risk: being bitten by mosquitoes infected with the malaria parasite, which causes more than 600,000 deaths a year. This trial, carried out in 2017 at the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, sought to evaluate the efficacy of a new vaccine, R21, which had begun to generate great expectations among the scientific community.

The volunteers, in an act of bravery and generosity, placed their arms in containers designed to allow mosquitoes to feed. As the insects sucked their blood, there was hope that R21 would provide the necessary protection against malaria, allowing these brave souls to take part in an experiment known as a “controlled human infection trial.” These types of trials, although risky, have become increasingly common in medical research, contributing to important advances in vaccine development.

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The result was promising: The R21 vaccine has been shown to be up to 80% effective in preventing malaria, becoming the second vaccine in history recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for use in the population. The first doses of this vaccine are already being administered to babies in Ivory Coast and South Sudan, countries severely affected by malaria.

Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute, highlights the revival of controlled infection trials over the past two decades, stressing their importance in accelerating vaccine research and development. Although the idea of ​​deliberately exposing people to disease raises concerns, proponents argue that the benefits can outweigh the risks, especially if carried out under strict ethical conditions and with available treatments.

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However, the dark past of medical ethics, marked by non-consensual experiments and abuse, raises difficult questions about the validity of these trials. History is full of examples, from Nazi experiments to those carried out in Guatemala in the 1940s, that have fueled skepticism and concern. on the ethics of medical trials.

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EFE

Despite this, interest in Controlled infection trials are growing, especially in the context of pandemics and the urgent need to develop effective treatments. Scientists are considering exposure to more dangerous pathogens, but this also poses significant ethical challenges.

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As we move forward in this direction, it is essential to ensure that volunteer safety and respect for research ethics remain at the heart of the debate. Meanwhile, the brave people who participated in the R21 vaccine trial are remembered as pioneers in the fight against malaria, proving that scientific curiosity and the desire to help others can lead to significant advances in medicine.

PORTFOLIO