Abstract
BACKGROUND: The circumsporozoite (CS) protein is a major malaria sporozoite surface antigen currently being considered as vaccine candidate. Plasmodium vivax CS (PvCS) protein comprises a dimorphic central repeat fragment flanked by conserved regions that contain functional domains involved in parasite invasion of host cells. The protein amino (N-terminal) flank has a cleavage region (region I), essential for proteolytic processing prior to parasite invasion of liver cells.
METHODS: We have developed a 131-mer long synthetic polypeptide (LSP) named PvNR1R2 that includes the N-terminal flank and the two natural repeat variant regions known as VK210 and VK247. We studied the natural immune response to this region in human sera from different malaria-endemic areas and its immunogenicity in mice.
RESULTS: PvNR1R2 was more frequently recognized by sera from Papua New Guinea (PNG) (83%) than by samples from Colombia (24%) when tested by ELISA. The polypeptide formulated in Montanide ISA51 adjuvant elicited strong antibody responses in both C3H and CB6F1 mice strains. Antibodies from immunized mice as well as affinity-purified human IgG reacted with native protein by IFA test. Moreover, mouse immune sera induced strong (90%) in vitro inhibition of sporozoite invasion (ISI) of hepatoma cell lines.
CONCLUSIONS: These results encourage further studies in non-human primates to confirm the elicitation of sporozoite invasion blocking antibodies, to assess cell mediated immune responses and the protective efficacy of this polypeptide.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Vaccine |
Volume | 32 |
Issue number | 26 |
Pages (from-to) | 3179-86 |
Number of pages | 8 |
ISSN | 0264-410X |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 30 May 2014 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Adjuvants, Immunologic
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Antibodies, Protozoan
- Antigens, Protozoan
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Humans
- Immune Sera
- Immunity, Humoral
- Malaria Vaccines
- Malaria, Vivax
- Mice, Inbred C3H
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Plasmodium vivax
- Protozoan Proteins
- Vaccines, Synthetic
- Journal Article
- Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't