Host cell traversal by Plasmodium parasites drives sterilizing T cell-mediated immunity following immunization.

Active migration of Plasmodium sporozoites through host cells is essential for achieving sterilizing T cell-mediated immunity after vaccination, regardless of intrahepatic development.

• Why it matters: Understanding what makes a malaria vaccine effective is crucial for eradication, as current vaccines do not fully prevent infection. Identifying key parasite behaviors that induce strong immune responses can improve vaccine design.
• What they did: Using rodent models, the study examined how sporozoite traversal influences immunity, focusing on the ability of parasites to migrate through multiple host cells before infecting liver cells, and assessing immune responses.
• The result: Findings reveal that host cell traversal is vital for inducing durable liver-resident memory CD8 T cells and sterilizing immunity, emphasizing parasite migration as a critical factor beyond intrahepatic development alone.