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1: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Mar 19;99(6):3860-5.
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Immunization of Aotus monkeys with a functional domain of the Plasmodium falciparum variant antigen induces protection against a lethal parasite line.

Baruch DI, Gamain B, Barnwell JW, Sullivan JS, Stowers A, Galland GG, Miller LH, Collins WE.

Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. dbaruch@niaid.nih.gov

Immunity to Plasmodium falciparum in African children has been correlated with antibodies to the P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) variant gene family expressed on the surface of infected red cells. We immunized Aotus monkeys with a subregion of the Malayan Camp variant antigen (MCvar1) that mediates adhesion to the host receptor CD36 on the endothelial surface and present data that PfEMP1 is an important target for vaccine development. The immunization induced a high level of protection against the homologous strain. Protection correlated with the titer of agglutinating antibodies and occurred despite the expression of variant copies of the gene during recurrent waves of parasitemia. A second challenge with a different P. falciparum strain, to which there was no agglutinating activity, showed no protection but boosted the immune response to this region during the infection. The level of protection and the evidence of boosting during infection encourage further exploration of this concept for malaria vaccine development.

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PMID: 11904437 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC122614