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Yu X, Min H, Yao S, Yao G, Zhang D, Zhang B, Chen M, Liu F, Cui L, Zheng L, Cao Y. Evaluation of different types of adjuvants in a malaria transmission-blocking vaccine. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 131:111817. [PMID: 38460299 PMCID: PMC11090627 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Adjuvants are critical components for vaccines, which enhance the strength and longevity of the antibody response and influence the types of immune response. Limited research has been conducted on the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of various adjuvants in malaria transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs). In this study, we formulated a promising TBV candidate antigen, the P. berghei ookinete surface antigen PSOP25, with different types of adjuvants, including the TLR4 agonist monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA), the TLR9 agonist cytosine phosphoguanosine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODN 1826) (CpG), a saponin adjuvant QS-21, aluminum hydroxide (Alum), and two combination adjuvants MPLA + QS-21 and QS-21 + CpG. We demonstrated that adjuvanted vaccines results in elevated elicited antibody levels, increased proliferation of plasma cells, and efficient formation of germinal centers (GCs), leading to enhanced long-term protective immune responses. Furthermore, CpG group exhibited the most potent inhibition of ookinete formation and transmission-blocking activity. We found that the rPSOP25 with CpG adjuvant was more effective than MPLA, QS-21, MPLA + QS-21, QS-21 + CpG adjuvants in dendritic cells (DCs) activation and differentiation. Additionally, the CpG adjuvant elicited more rubust immune memory response than Alum adjuvant. CpG and QS-21 adjuvants could activate the Th1 response and promote the secretion of IFN-γ and TNF-α. PSOP25 induced a higher number of Tfh cells in splenocytes when combined with MPLA, CpG, and QS-21 + CpG; and there was no increase in these cell populations when PSOP25 was administered with Alum. In conclusion, CpG may confer enhanced efficacy for the rPSOP25 vaccine, as evidenced by the ability of the elicited antisera to induce protective immune responses and improved transmission-blocking activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Yu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China
| | - Hui Min
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China
| | - Shijie Yao
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China
| | - Guixiang Yao
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China
| | - Di Zhang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China
| | - Biying Zhang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China
| | - Muyan Chen
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Li Zheng
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China.
| | - Yaming Cao
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China.
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Lu G, Shan S, Zainab B, Ayaz Z, He J, Xie Z, Rashid U, Zhang D, Mehmood Abbasi A. Novel vaccine design based on genomics data analysis: A review. Scand J Immunol 2021; 93:e12986. [PMID: 33043473 DOI: 10.1111/sji.12986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Modification of pathogenic strains with the passage of time is responsible for evolution in the timeline of vaccine development for last 30 years. Recent advancements in computational vaccinology on the one hand and genome sequencing approaches on the other have generated new hopes in vaccine development. The aim of this review was to discuss the evolution of vaccines, their characteristics and limitations. In this review, we highlighted the evolution of vaccines, from first generation to the current status, pointing out how different vaccines have emerged and different approaches that are being followed up in the development of more rational vaccines against a wide range of diseases. Data were collected using Google Scholar, Web of Science, Science Direct, Web of Knowledge, Scopus and Science Hub, whereas computational tools such as NCBI, GeneMANIA and STRING were used to analyse the pathways of vaccine action. Innovative tools, such as computational tools, recombinant technologies and intra-dermal devices, are currently being investigated in order to improve the immunological response. New technologies enlightened the interactions of host proteins with pathogenic proteins for vaccine candidate development, but still there is a need of integrating transcriptomic and proteomic approaches. Although immunization with genomics data is a successful approach, its advantages must be assessed case by case and its applicability depends on the nature of the agent to be immunized, the nature of the antigen and the type of immune response required to achieve effective protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangli Lu
- Institute of Business, School of Business, Henan University, Henan, China
| | - Sharui Shan
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University (Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Hospital), Guangzhou, China
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bibi Zainab
- Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Zainab Ayaz
- Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Jialiang He
- School of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Zhenxing Xie
- Basic School of Medicine, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Umer Rashid
- Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Dalin Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Arshad Mehmood Abbasi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
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Bettencourt P. Current Challenges in the Identification of Pre-Erythrocytic Malaria Vaccine Candidate Antigens. Front Immunol 2020; 11:190. [PMID: 32153565 PMCID: PMC7046804 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium spp.-infected mosquitos inject sporozoites into the skin of a mammalian host during a blood meal. These enter the host's circulatory system and establish an infection in the liver. After a silent metamorphosis, merozoites invade the blood leading to the symptomatic and transmissible stages of malaria. The silent pre-erythrocytic malaria stage represents a bottleneck in the disease which is ideal to block progression to clinical malaria, through chemotherapeutic and immunoprophylactic interventions. RTS,S/AS01, the only malaria vaccine close to licensure, although with poor efficacy, blocks the sporozoite invasion mainly through the action of antibodies against the CSP protein, a major component of the pellicle of the sporozoite. Strikingly, sterile protection against malaria can be obtained through immunization with radiation-attenuated sporozoites, genetically attenuated sporozoites or through chemoprophylaxis with infectious sporozoites in animals and humans, but the deployability of sporozoite-based live vaccines pose tremendous challenges. The protection induced by sporozoites occurs in the pre-erythrocytic stages and is mediated mainly by antibodies against the sporozoite and CD8+ T cells against peptides presented by MHC class I molecules in infected hepatocytes. Thus, the identification of malaria antigens expressed in the sporozoite and liver-stage may provide new vaccine candidates to be included, alone or in combination, as recombinant protein-based, virus-like particles or sub-unit virally-vectored vaccines. Here I review the efforts being made to identify Plasmodium falciparum antigens expressed during liver-stage with focus on the development of parasite, hepatocyte, mouse models, and resulting rate of infection in order to identify new vaccine candidates and to improve the efficacy of the current vaccines. Finally, I propose new approaches for the identification of liver-stage antigens based on immunopeptidomics.
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Vaccination with virosomally formulated recombinant CyRPA elicits protective antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum parasites in preclinical in vitro and in vivo models. NPJ Vaccines 2020; 5:9. [PMID: 32025340 PMCID: PMC6994490 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-020-0158-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) cysteine-rich protective antigen (PfCyRPA) has emerged as a promising blood-stage candidate antigen for inclusion into a broadly cross-reactive malaria vaccine. This highly conserved protein among various geographical strains plays a key role in the red blood cell invasion process by P. falciparum merozoites, and antibodies against PfCyRPA can efficiently prevent the entry of the malaria parasites into red blood cells. The aim of the present study was to develop a human-compatible formulation of the PfCyRPA vaccine candidate and confirming its activity in preclinical studies. Recombinant PfCyRPA expressed in HEK 293 cells was chemically coupled to phosphoethanolamine and then incorporated into the membrane of unadjuvanted influenza virosomes approved as antigen delivery system for humans. Laboratory animals were immunised with the virosome-based PfCyRPA vaccine to determine its immunogenic properties and in particular, its capacity to elicit parasite binding and growth-inhibitory antibodies. The vaccine elicited in mice and rabbits high titers of PfCyRPA-specific antibodies that bound to the blood-stage parasites. At a concentration of 10 mg/mL, purified total serum IgG from immunised rabbits inhibited parasite growth in vitro by about 80%. Furthermore, in a P. falciparum infection mouse model, passive transfer of 10 mg of purified total IgG from PfCyRPA vaccinated rabbits reduced the in vivo parasite load by 77%. Influenza virosomes thus represent a suitable antigen delivery system for the induction of protective antibodies against the recombinant PfCyRPA, designating it as a highly suitable component for inclusion into a multivalent and multi-stage virosomal malaria vaccine.
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Nagaoka H, Kanoi BN, Jinoka K, Morita M, Arumugam TU, Palacpac NMQ, Egwang TG, Horii T, Tsuboi T, Takashima E. The N-Terminal Region of Plasmodium falciparum MSP10 Is a Target of Protective Antibodies in Malaria and Is Important for PfGAMA/PfMSP10 Interaction. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2669. [PMID: 31824483 PMCID: PMC6880778 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical manifestation of malaria is mainly due to intra-erythrocytic development of Plasmodium parasites. Plasmodium falciparum merozoites, the invasive form of the blood-stage parasite, invade human erythrocytes in a complex but rapid process. This multi-step progression involves interactions between parasite and human host proteins. Here we show that antibodies against a vaccine antigen, PfGAMA, co-immunoprecipitate with PfMSP10. This interaction was validated as direct by surface plasmon resonance analysis. We then demonstrate that antibodies against PfMSP10 have growth inhibitory activity against cultured parasites, with the region PfMSP10 R1 that is critical for its interaction with PfGAMA being the key target. We also observe that the PfMSP10 R1 region is highly conserved among African field isolates. Lastly, we show that high levels of antibodies against PfMSP10 R1 associate with reduced risk to clinical malaria in children resident in a malaria endemic region in northern Uganda. Put together, these findings provide for the first time the functional context of the important role of PfGAMA/PfMSP10 interaction in erythrocyte invasion and unveil a novel asexual blood-stage malaria vaccine target for attenuating P. falciparum merozoite invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hikaru Nagaoka
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Bernard N Kanoi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Kana Jinoka
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Masayuki Morita
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Thangavelu U Arumugam
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Nirianne M Q Palacpac
- Department of Malaria Vaccine Development, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | | | - Toshihiro Horii
- Department of Malaria Vaccine Development, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Eizo Takashima
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
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6
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Wetzel D, Chan JA, Suckow M, Barbian A, Weniger M, Jenzelewski V, Reiling L, Richards JS, Anderson DA, Kouskousis B, Palmer C, Hanssen E, Schembecker G, Merz J, Beeson JG, Piontek M. Display of malaria transmission-blocking antigens on chimeric duck hepatitis B virus-derived virus-like particles produced in Hansenula polymorpha. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221394. [PMID: 31483818 PMCID: PMC6726142 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum is one of the major threats to human health globally. Despite huge efforts in malaria control and eradication, highly effective vaccines are urgently needed, including vaccines that can block malaria transmission. Chimeric virus-like particles (VLP) have emerged as a promising strategy to develop new malaria vaccine candidates. METHODS We developed yeast cell lines and processes for the expression of malaria transmission-blocking vaccine candidates Pfs25 and Pfs230 as VLP and VLP were analyzed for purity, size, protein incorporation rate and expression of malaria antigens. RESULTS In this study, a novel platform for the display of Plasmodium falciparum antigens on chimeric VLP is presented. Leading transmission-blocking vaccine candidates Pfs25 and Pfs230 were genetically fused to the small surface protein (dS) of the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV). The resulting fusion proteins were co-expressed in recombinant Hansenula polymorpha (syn. Pichia angusta, Ogataea polymorpha) strains along with the wild-type dS as the VLP scaffold protein. Through this strategy, chimeric VLP containing Pfs25 or the Pfs230-derived fragments Pfs230c or Pfs230D1M were purified. Up to 100 mg chimeric VLP were isolated from 100 g dry cell weight with a maximum protein purity of 90% on the protein level. Expression of the Pfs230D1M construct was more efficient than Pfs230c and enabled VLP with higher purity. VLP showed reactivity with transmission-blocking antibodies and supported the surface display of the malaria antigens on the native VLP. CONCLUSION The incorporation of leading Plasmodium falciparum transmission-blocking antigens into the dS-based VLP scaffold is a promising novel strategy for their display on nano-scaled particles. Competitive processes for efficient production and purification were established in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Wetzel
- ARTES Biotechnology GmbH, Langenfeld, Germany
- Laboratory of Plant and Process Design, Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jo-Anne Chan
- Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Andreas Barbian
- Düsseldorf University Hospital, Institute for Anatomy I, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | | | - Linda Reiling
- Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jack S. Richards
- Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David A. Anderson
- Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Betty Kouskousis
- Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Catherine Palmer
- Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eric Hanssen
- The Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gerhard Schembecker
- Laboratory of Plant and Process Design, Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Juliane Merz
- Evonik Technology & Infrastructure GmbH, Hanau, Germany
| | - James G. Beeson
- Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Central Clinical School and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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7
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Siau A, Huang X, Loh HP, Zhang N, Meng W, Sze SK, Renia L, Preiser P. Immunomic Identification of Malaria Antigens Associated With Protection in Mice. Mol Cell Proteomics 2019; 18:837-853. [PMID: 30718293 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra118.000997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Efforts to develop vaccines against malaria represent a major research target. The observations that 1) sterile protection can be obtained when the host is exposed to live parasites and 2) the immunity against blood stage parasite is principally mediated by protective antibodies suggest that a protective vaccine is feasible. However, only a small number of proteins have been investigated so far and most of the Plasmodium proteome has yet to be explored. To date, only few immunodominant antigens have emerged for testing in clinical trials but no formulation has led to substantial protection in humans. The nature of parasite molecules associated with protection remains elusive. Here, immunomic screening of mice immune sera with different protection efficiencies against the whole parasite proteome allowed us to identify a large repertoire of antigens validated by screening a library expressing antigens. The calculation of weighted scores reflecting the likelihood of protection of each antigen using five predictive criteria derived from immunomic and proteomic data sets, highlighted a priority list of protective antigens. Altogether, the approach sheds light on conserved antigens across Plasmodium that are amenable to targeting by the host immune system upon merozoite invasion and blood stage development. Most of these antigens have preliminary protection data but have not been widely considered as candidate for vaccine trials, opening new perspectives that overcome the limited choice of immunodominant, poorly protective vaccines currently being the focus of malaria vaccine researches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Siau
- From the ‡Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, Singapore;.
| | - Ximei Huang
- From the ‡Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, Singapore;; From the ‡Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, Singapore
| | - Han Ping Loh
- From the ‡Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, Singapore;; From the ‡Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, Singapore
| | - Neng Zhang
- From the ‡Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, Singapore
| | - Wei Meng
- From the ‡Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, Singapore
| | - Siu Kwan Sze
- From the ‡Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, Singapore
| | - Laurent Renia
- §Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), A*STAR, Biopolis, Singapore
| | - Peter Preiser
- From the ‡Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, Singapore;.
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Production, quality control, stability, and potency of cGMP-produced Plasmodium falciparum RH5.1 protein vaccine expressed in Drosophila S2 cells. NPJ Vaccines 2018; 3:32. [PMID: 30131879 PMCID: PMC6098134 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-018-0071-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum reticulocyte-binding protein homolog 5 (PfRH5) is a leading asexual blood-stage vaccine candidate for malaria. In preparation for clinical trials, a full-length PfRH5 protein vaccine called “RH5.1” was produced as a soluble product under cGMP using the ExpreS2 platform (based on a Drosophila melanogaster S2 stable cell line system). Following development of a high-producing monoclonal S2 cell line, a master cell bank was produced prior to the cGMP campaign. Culture supernatants were processed using C-tag affinity chromatography followed by size exclusion chromatography and virus-reduction filtration. The overall process yielded >400 mg highly pure RH5.1 protein. QC testing showed the MCB and the RH5.1 product met all specified acceptance criteria including those for sterility, purity, and identity. The RH5.1 vaccine product was stored at −80 °C and is stable for over 18 months. Characterization of the protein following formulation in the adjuvant system AS01B showed that RH5.1 is stable in the timeframe needed for clinical vaccine administration, and that there was no discernible impact on the liposomal formulation of AS01B following addition of RH5.1. Subsequent immunization of mice confirmed the RH5.1/AS01B vaccine was immunogenic and could induce functional growth inhibitory antibodies against blood-stage P. falciparum in vitro. The RH5.1/AS01B was judged suitable for use in humans and has since progressed to phase I/IIa clinical trial. Our data support the future use of the Drosophila S2 cell and C-tag platform technologies to enable cGMP-compliant biomanufacture of other novel and “difficult-to-express” recombinant protein-based vaccines. A vaccine candidate for blood-stage malaria has overcome previous hurdles to enter clinical trials. The protein PfRH5 is an essential blood-stage infection facilitator of malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum, and a promising target for vaccine strategies. Unfortunately, efforts to produce the protein in an immunogenic, clinically-viable way have been met with difficulty. Here, researchers led by Simon Draper, from the UK’s Jenner Institute, used a fruit fly expression system to produce over 400 mg of high-purity protein. Formulated with an immunity-boosting adjuvant, the vaccine elicited antibodies in mice that proved inhibitory to blood-stage P. falciparum during in vitro assays. The PfRH5 vaccine candidate and its adjuvant have been approved for a clinical trial in the UK, and the authors hope that the expression system used may be beneficial in the expression of other ‘difficult’ proteins.
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Al-Quraishy S, Dkhil MA, Abdel-Baki AAS, Delic D, Wunderlich F. Protective vaccination alters gene expression of the liver of Balb/c mice in response to early prepatent blood-stage malaria of Plasmodium chabaudi. Parasitol Res 2018; 117:1115-1129. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-5789-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Merozoite Surface Protein 1 from Plasmodium falciparum Is a Major Target of Opsonizing Antibodies in Individuals with Acquired Immunity against Malaria. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2017; 24:CVI.00155-17. [PMID: 28877929 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00155-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Naturally acquired immunity against malaria is largely mediated by serum antibodies controlling levels of blood-stage parasites. A limited understanding of the antigenic targets and functional mechanisms of protective antibodies has hampered the development of efficient malaria vaccines. Besides directly inhibiting the growth of Plasmodium parasites, antibodies can opsonize merozoites and recruit immune effector cells such as monocytes and neutrophils. Antibodies against the vaccine candidate merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP-1) are acquired during natural infections and have been associated with protection against malaria in several epidemiological studies. Here we analyzed serum antibodies from semi-immune individuals from Burkina Faso for their potential (i) to directly inhibit the growth of P. falciparum blood stages in vitro and (ii) to opsonize merozoites and to induce the antibody-dependent respiratory burst (ADRB) activity of neutrophils. While a few sera that directly inhibited the growth of P. falciparum blood stages were identified, immunoglobulin G (IgG) from all individuals clearly mediated the activation of neutrophils. The level of neutrophil activation correlated with levels of antibodies to MSP-1, and affinity-purified MSP-1-specific antibodies elicited ADRB activity. Furthermore, immunization of nonhuman primates with recombinant full-size MSP-1 induced antibodies that efficiently opsonized P. falciparum merozoites. Reversing the function by preincubation with recombinant antigens allowed us to quantify the contribution of MSP-1 to the antiparasitic effect of serum antibodies. Our data suggest that MSP-1, especially the partially conserved subunit MSP-183, is a major target of opsonizing antibodies acquired during natural exposure to malaria. Induction of opsonizing antibodies might be a crucial effector mechanism for MSP-1-based malaria vaccines.
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Payne RO, Silk SE, Elias SC, Miura K, Diouf A, Galaway F, de Graaf H, Brendish NJ, Poulton ID, Griffiths OJ, Edwards NJ, Jin J, Labbé GM, Alanine DG, Siani L, Di Marco S, Roberts R, Green N, Berrie E, Ishizuka AS, Nielsen CM, Bardelli M, Partey FD, Ofori MF, Barfod L, Wambua J, Murungi LM, Osier FH, Biswas S, McCarthy JS, Minassian AM, Ashfield R, Viebig NK, Nugent FL, Douglas AD, Vekemans J, Wright GJ, Faust SN, Hill AV, Long CA, Lawrie AM, Draper SJ. Human vaccination against RH5 induces neutralizing antimalarial antibodies that inhibit RH5 invasion complex interactions. JCI Insight 2017; 2:96381. [PMID: 29093263 PMCID: PMC5752323 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.96381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of a highly effective vaccine remains a key strategic goal to aid the control and eventual eradication of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. In recent years, the reticulocyte-binding protein homolog 5 (RH5) has emerged as the most promising blood-stage P. falciparum candidate antigen to date, capable of conferring protection against stringent challenge in Aotus monkeys. We report on the first clinical trial to our knowledge to assess the RH5 antigen - a dose-escalation phase Ia study in 24 healthy, malaria-naive adult volunteers. We utilized established viral vectors, the replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus serotype 63 (ChAd63), and the attenuated orthopoxvirus modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA), encoding RH5 from the 3D7 clone of P. falciparum. Vaccines were administered i.m. in a heterologous prime-boost regimen using an 8-week interval and were well tolerated. Vaccine-induced anti-RH5 serum antibodies exhibited cross-strain functional growth inhibition activity (GIA) in vitro, targeted linear and conformational epitopes within RH5, and inhibited key interactions within the RH5 invasion complex. This is the first time to our knowledge that substantial RH5-specific responses have been induced by immunization in humans, with levels greatly exceeding the serum antibody responses observed in African adults following years of natural malaria exposure. These data support the progression of RH5-based vaccines to human efficacy testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth O. Payne
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah E. Silk
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sean C. Elias
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kazutoyo Miura
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID/NIH, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Ababacar Diouf
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID/NIH, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Francis Galaway
- Cell Surface Signalling Laboratory, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Hans de Graaf
- NIHR Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan J. Brendish
- NIHR Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Ian D. Poulton
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Nick J. Edwards
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jing Jin
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Loredana Siani
- ReiThera SRL (formerly Okairos SRL), Viale Città d’Europa, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Di Marco
- ReiThera SRL (formerly Okairos SRL), Viale Città d’Europa, Rome, Italy
| | - Rachel Roberts
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nicky Green
- Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor Berrie
- Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Martino Bardelli
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Frederica D. Partey
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Centre for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology (ISIM), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Michael F. Ofori
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Lea Barfod
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Juliana Wambua
- KEMRI Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Linda M. Murungi
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- KEMRI Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Faith H. Osier
- KEMRI Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Sumi Biswas
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - James S. McCarthy
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Rebecca Ashfield
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola K. Viebig
- European Vaccine Initiative, UniversitätsKlinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fay L. Nugent
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Gavin J. Wright
- Cell Surface Signalling Laboratory, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Saul N. Faust
- NIHR Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian V.S. Hill
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Carole A. Long
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID/NIH, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Alison M. Lawrie
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Simon J. Draper
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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12
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França CT, White MT, He WQ, Hostetler JB, Brewster J, Frato G, Malhotra I, Gruszczyk J, Huon C, Lin E, Kiniboro B, Yadava A, Siba P, Galinski MR, Healer J, Chitnis C, Cowman AF, Takashima E, Tsuboi T, Tham WH, Fairhurst RM, Rayner JC, King CL, Mueller I. Identification of highly-protective combinations of Plasmodium vivax recombinant proteins for vaccine development. eLife 2017; 6:28673. [PMID: 28949293 PMCID: PMC5655538 DOI: 10.7554/elife.28673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of antigenic targets of naturally-acquired immunity is essential to identify and prioritize antigens for further functional characterization. We measured total IgG antibodies to 38 P. vivax antigens, investigating their relationship with prospective risk of malaria in a cohort of 1–3 years old Papua New Guinean children. Using simulated annealing algorithms, the potential protective efficacy of antibodies to multiple antigen-combinations, and the antibody thresholds associated with protection were investigated for the first time. High antibody levels to multiple known and newly identified proteins were strongly associated with protection (IRR 0.44–0.74, p<0.001–0.041). Among five-antigen combinations with the strongest protective effect (>90%), EBP, DBPII, RBP1a, CyRPA, and PVX_081550 were most frequently identified; several of them requiring very low antibody levels to show a protective association. These data identify individual antigens that should be prioritized for further functional testing and establish a clear path to testing a multicomponent P. vivax vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Tenorio França
- Division of Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Michael T White
- Division of Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia.,MRC Center for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Wen-Qiang He
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.,Division of Infection and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia
| | - Jessica B Hostetler
- Malaria Programme, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom.,Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, United States
| | - Jessica Brewster
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia
| | - Gabriel Frato
- Center for Global Health and Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, United States
| | - Indu Malhotra
- Center for Global Health and Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, United States
| | - Jakub Gruszczyk
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia
| | - Christele Huon
- Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Enmoore Lin
- Malaria Immuno-Epidemiology Unit, PNG Institute of Medical Research, Yagaum, Papua New Guinea
| | - Benson Kiniboro
- Malaria Immuno-Epidemiology Unit, PNG Institute of Medical Research, Yagaum, Papua New Guinea
| | - Anjali Yadava
- Malaria Vaccine Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, United States
| | - Peter Siba
- Malaria Immuno-Epidemiology Unit, PNG Institute of Medical Research, Yagaum, Papua New Guinea
| | - Mary R Galinski
- International Center for Malaria Research, Education, and Development, Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, United States.,Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, United States
| | - Julie Healer
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.,Division of Infection and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia
| | - Chetan Chitnis
- Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
| | - Alan F Cowman
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.,Division of Infection and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia
| | - Eizo Takashima
- Malaria Vaccine Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, United States
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Wai-Hong Tham
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.,Division of Infection and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia
| | - Rick M Fairhurst
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, United States
| | - Julian C Rayner
- Malaria Programme, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher L King
- Center for Global Health and Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, United States
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Division of Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.,Malaria Parasites and Hosts Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Barcelona Institute of Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
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13
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Payne RO, Silk SE, Elias SC, Milne KH, Rawlinson TA, Llewellyn D, Shakri AR, Jin J, Labbé GM, Edwards NJ, Poulton ID, Roberts R, Farid R, Jørgensen T, Alanine DG, de Cassan SC, Higgins MK, Otto TD, McCarthy JS, de Jongh WA, Nicosia A, Moyle S, Hill AV, Berrie E, Chitnis CE, Lawrie AM, Draper SJ. Human vaccination against Plasmodium vivax Duffy-binding protein induces strain-transcending antibodies. JCI Insight 2017; 2:93683. [PMID: 28614791 PMCID: PMC5470884 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.93683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND. Plasmodium vivax is the most widespread human malaria geographically; however, no effective vaccine exists. Red blood cell invasion by the P. vivax merozoite depends on an interaction between the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC) and region II of the parasite’s Duffy-binding protein (PvDBP_RII). Naturally acquired binding-inhibitory antibodies against this interaction associate with clinical immunity, but it is unknown whether these responses can be induced by human vaccination. METHODS. Safety and immunogenicity of replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus serotype 63 (ChAd63) and modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) viral vectored vaccines targeting PvDBP_RII (Salvador I strain) were assessed in an open-label dose-escalation phase Ia study in 24 healthy UK adults. Vaccines were delivered by the intramuscular route in a ChAd63-MVA heterologous prime-boost regimen using an 8-week interval. RESULTS. Both vaccines were well tolerated and demonstrated a favorable safety profile in malaria-naive adults. PvDBP_RII–specific ex-vivo IFN-γ T cell, antibody-secreting cell, memory B cell, and serum IgG responses were observed after the MVA boost immunization. Vaccine-induced antibodies inhibited the binding of vaccine homologous and heterologous variants of recombinant PvDBP_RII to the DARC receptor, with median 50% binding-inhibition titers greater than 1:100. CONCLUSION. We have demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge that strain-transcending antibodies can be induced against the PvDBP_RII antigen by vaccination in humans. These vaccine candidates warrant further clinical evaluation of efficacy against the blood-stage P. vivax parasite. TRIAL REGISTRATION. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01816113. FUNDING. Support was provided by the UK Medical Research Council, UK National Institute of Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, and the Wellcome Trust. A clinical trial of a candidate blood-stage Plasmodium vivax vaccine targeting the Duffy-binding protein demonstrates safety and immunogenicity in healthy adults and induces strain-transcending antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth O Payne
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah E Silk
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sean C Elias
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn H Milne
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - David Llewellyn
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - A Rushdi Shakri
- International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Jing Jin
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Nick J Edwards
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ian D Poulton
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Roberts
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan Farid
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Thomas Jørgensen
- ExpreS2, ion Biotechnologies, SCION-DTU Science Park, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | | | | | - Matthew K Higgins
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas D Otto
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - James S McCarthy
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Willem A de Jongh
- ExpreS2, ion Biotechnologies, SCION-DTU Science Park, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Alfredo Nicosia
- ReiThera SRL (formerly Okairòs SRL), Viale Città d'Europa, Rome, Italy.,CEINGE, Naples, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Sarah Moyle
- Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian Vs Hill
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor Berrie
- Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Chetan E Chitnis
- International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India.,Institut Pasteur, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Paris, France
| | - Alison M Lawrie
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Simon J Draper
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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14
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Brune KD, Buldun CM, Li Y, Taylor IJ, Brod F, Biswas S, Howarth M. Dual Plug-and-Display Synthetic Assembly Using Orthogonal Reactive Proteins for Twin Antigen Immunization. Bioconjug Chem 2017; 28:1544-1551. [PMID: 28437083 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.7b00174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Engineering modular platforms to control biomolecular architecture can advance both the understanding and the manipulation of biological systems. Icosahedral particles uniformly displaying single antigens stimulate potent immune activation and have been successful in various licensed vaccines. However, it remains challenging to display multiple antigens on a single particle and to induce broader immunity protective across strains or even against distinct diseases. Here, we design a dually addressable synthetic nanoparticle by engineering the multimerizing coiled-coil IMX313 and two orthogonally reactive split proteins. SpyCatcher protein forms an isopeptide bond with SpyTag peptide through spontaneous amidation. SnoopCatcher forms an isopeptide bond with SnoopTag peptide through transamidation. SpyCatcher-IMX-SnoopCatcher provides a modular platform, whereby SpyTag-antigen and SnoopTag-antigen can be multimerized on opposite faces of the particle simply upon mixing. We demonstrate efficient derivatization of the platform with model proteins and complex pathogen-derived antigens. SpyCatcher-IMX-SnoopCatcher was expressed in Escherichia coli and was resilient to lyophilization or extreme temperatures. For the next generation of malaria vaccines, blocking the transmission of the parasite from human to mosquito is an important goal. SpyCatcher-IMX-SnoopCatcher multimerization of the leading transmission-blocking antigens Pfs25 and Pfs28 greatly enhanced the antibody response to both antigens in comparison to the monomeric proteins. This dual plug-and-display architecture should help to accelerate vaccine development for malaria and other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl D Brune
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford , South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
| | - Can M Buldun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford , South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford , Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
| | - Iona J Taylor
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford , Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
| | - Florian Brod
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford , Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
| | - Sumi Biswas
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford , Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Howarth
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford , South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
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15
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Favuzza P, Guffart E, Tamborrini M, Scherer B, Dreyer AM, Rufer AC, Erny J, Hoernschemeyer J, Thoma R, Schmid G, Gsell B, Lamelas A, Benz J, Joseph C, Matile H, Pluschke G, Rudolph MG. Structure of the malaria vaccine candidate antigen CyRPA and its complex with a parasite invasion inhibitory antibody. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28195038 PMCID: PMC5349852 DOI: 10.7554/elife.20383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasion of erythrocytes by Plasmodial merozoites is a composite process involving the interplay of several proteins. Among them, the Plasmodium falciparum Cysteine-Rich Protective Antigen (PfCyRPA) is a crucial component of a ternary complex, including Reticulocyte binding-like Homologous protein 5 (PfRH5) and the RH5-interacting protein (PfRipr), essential for erythrocyte invasion. Here, we present the crystal structures of PfCyRPA and its complex with the antigen-binding fragment of a parasite growth inhibitory antibody. PfCyRPA adopts a 6-bladed β-propeller structure with similarity to the classic sialidase fold, but it has no sialidase activity and fulfills a purely non-enzymatic function. Characterization of the epitope recognized by protective antibodies may facilitate design of peptidomimetics to focus vaccine responses on protective epitopes. Both in vitro and in vivo anti-PfCyRPA and anti-PfRH5 antibodies showed more potent parasite growth inhibitory activity in combination than on their own, supporting a combined delivery of PfCyRPA and PfRH5 in vaccines. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.20383.001 Malaria is one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide, killing over 400,000 people a year. About 200 million people are infected every year, placing a huge social and medical burden especially on developing countries. Microscopic parasites known as Plasmodium are responsible for causing this disease. Plasmodium parasites have a complex life cycle involving both mosquito and mammal hosts. This includes a stage where the parasites infect the mammal’s red blood cells, which causes the symptoms of the disease. In 2012, a team of researchers discovered that a protein called CyRPA forms a group (or ‘complex’) with several other proteins to allow the parasites to enter red blood cells. Developing a vaccine is one of the most promising approaches to prevent malaria. Vaccines help the body to recognise and fight an invading microbe by triggering an immune response that results in the production of proteins called antibodies, which can bind to specific molecules on the surface of the microbe. If the microbe later enters the body, these antibodies can be produced quickly to eliminate the microbe before it causes disease. However, efforts to develop a highly effective vaccine against malaria have so far been unsuccessful. Favuzza et al. – including some of the researchers involved in the 2012 work – used a technique called X-ray crystallography to investigate the three-dimensional structure of the CyRPA protein. The experiments show that an antibody is able to bind to a region of CyRPA – a designated ‘protective epitope’ – that is similar in the CyRPA proteins of all Plasmodium falciparum strains. These antibodies can prevent the parasite from entering the red blood cells, and vaccines containing CyRPA may therefore be effective at protecting individuals from malaria. The findings of Favuzza et al. also suggest that using CyRPA in combination with another protein in the complex called RH5 could make the vaccine more powerful as it would make it harder for the parasite to become resistant. The next step following on from this work is to design a vaccine containing protective CyRPA epitopes that triggers an immune response in mammals that is strong enough to reduce the numbers of parasites in the blood. A future challenge will be to develop a vaccine that combines several proteins involved in different stages of the parasite’s life cycle to provide full protection against malaria. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.20383.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Favuzza
- Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology Department, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Elena Guffart
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Small Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marco Tamborrini
- Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology Department, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Bianca Scherer
- Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology Department, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anita M Dreyer
- Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology Department, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Arne C Rufer
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Small Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Erny
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Small Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Joerg Hoernschemeyer
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Small Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ralf Thoma
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Small Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Georg Schmid
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Small Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Bernard Gsell
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Small Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Araceli Lamelas
- Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology Department, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Joerg Benz
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Small Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Joseph
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Small Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hugues Matile
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Small Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gerd Pluschke
- Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology Department, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Markus G Rudolph
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Small Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
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16
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Accelerating the clinical development of protein-based vaccines for malaria by efficient purification using a four amino acid C-terminal 'C-tag'. Int J Parasitol 2017; 47:435-446. [PMID: 28153778 PMCID: PMC5482323 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Fusion of a four amino acid ‘C-tag’ allows purification of a PfRH5 malaria vaccine. Overall process yield of 40–45% and very high product purity (>99%) was achieved. His6-tagged and C-tagged PfRH5 are conformational and bind to basigin. C-tag will facilitate the clinical translation of difficult-to-produce antigens.
Development of bespoke biomanufacturing processes remains a critical bottleneck for translational studies, in particular when modest quantities of a novel product are required for proof-of-concept Phase I/II clinical trials. In these instances the ability to develop a biomanufacturing process quickly and relatively cheaply, without risk to product quality or safety, provides a great advantage by allowing new antigens or concepts in immunogen design to more rapidly enter human testing. These challenges with production and purification are particularly apparent when developing recombinant protein-based vaccines for difficult parasitic diseases, with Plasmodium falciparum malaria being a prime example. To that end, we have previously reported the expression of a novel protein vaccine for malaria using the ExpreS2Drosophila melanogaster Schneider 2 stable cell line system, however, a very low overall process yield (typically <5% recovery of hexa-histidine-tagged protein) meant the initial purification strategy was not suitable for scale-up and clinical biomanufacture of such a vaccine. Here we describe a newly available affinity purification method that was ideally suited to purification of the same protein which encodes the P. falciparum reticulocyte-binding protein homolog 5 – currently the leading antigen for assessment in next generation vaccines aiming to prevent red blood cell invasion by the blood-stage parasite. This purification system makes use of a C-terminal tag known as ‘C-tag’, composed of the four amino acids, glutamic acid – proline – glutamic acid – alanine (E-P-E-A), which is selectively purified on a CaptureSelect™ affinity resin coupled to a camelid single chain antibody, called NbSyn2. The C-terminal fusion of this short C-tag to P. falciparum reticulocyte-binding protein homolog 5 achieved >85% recovery and >70% purity in a single step purification directly from clarified, concentrated Schneider 2 cell supernatant under mild conditions. Biochemical and immunological analysis showed that the C-tagged and hexa-histidine-tagged P. falciparum reticulocyte-binding protein homolog 5 proteins are comparable. The C-tag technology has the potential to form the basis of a current good manufacturing practice-compliant platform, which could greatly improve the speed and ease with which novel protein-based products progress to clinical testing.
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17
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Dkhil MA, Al-Quraishy SA, Abdel-Baki AAS, Delic D, Wunderlich F. Differential miRNA Expression in the Liver of Balb/c Mice Protected by Vaccination during Crisis of Plasmodium chabaudi Blood-Stage Malaria. Front Microbiol 2017; 7:2155. [PMID: 28123381 PMCID: PMC5225092 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.02155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs are increasingly recognized as epigenetic regulators for outcome of diverse infectious diseases and vaccination efficacy, but little information referring to this exists for malaria. This study investigates possible effects of both protective vaccination and P. chabaudi malaria on the miRNome of the liver as an effector against blood-stage malaria using miRNA microarrays and quantitative PCR. Plasmodium chabaudi blood-stage malaria takes a lethal outcome in female Balb/c mice, but a self-healing course after immunization with a non-infectious blood-stage vaccine. The liver robustly expresses 71 miRNA species at varying levels, among which 65 miRNA species respond to malaria evidenced as steadily increasing or decreasing expressions reaching highest or lowest levels toward the end of the crisis phase on day 11 p.i. in lethal malaria. Protective vaccination does not affect constitutive miRNA expression, but leads to significant (p < 0.05) changes in the expression of 41 miRNA species, however evidenced only during crisis. In vaccination-induced self-healing infections, 18 miRNA-species are up- and 14 miRNA-species are down-regulated by more than 50% during crisis in relation to non-vaccinated mice. Vaccination-induced self-healing and survival of otherwise lethal infections of P. chabaudi activate epigenetic miRNA-regulated remodeling processes in the liver manifesting themselves during crisis. Especially, liver regeneration is accelerated as suggested by upregulation of let-7a-5p, let-7b-5p, let-7c-5p, let-7d-5p, let-7f-5p, let-7g-5p, let-7i-5p, miR-26a, miR-122-5p, miR30a, miR27a, and mir-29a, whereas the up-regulated expression of miR-142-3p by more than 100% is compatible with the view of enhanced hepatic erythropoiesis, possibly at expense of megakaryopoiesis, during crisis of P. chabaudi blood-stage malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Dkhil
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud UniversityRiyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Science, Helwan UniversityCairo, Egypt
| | - Saleh A Al-Quraishy
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdel-Azeem S Abdel-Baki
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud UniversityRiyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef UniversityBeni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Denis Delic
- Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharma Biberach, Germany
| | - Frank Wunderlich
- Department of Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Germany
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18
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Abstract
Parasites of the genus Plasmodium have a complex life cycle. They alternate between their final mosquito host and their intermediate hosts. The parasite can be either extra- or intracellular, depending on the stage of development. By modifying their shape, motility, and metabolic requirements, the parasite adapts to the different environments in their different hosts. The parasite has evolved to escape the multiple immune mechanisms in the host that try to block parasite development at the different stages of their development. In this article, we describe the mechanisms reported thus far that allow the Plasmodium parasite to evade innate and adaptive immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Rénia
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Yun Shan Goh
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
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Hodgson SH, Llewellyn D, Silk SE, Milne KH, Elias SC, Miura K, Kamuyu G, Juma EA, Magiri C, Muia A, Jin J, Spencer AJ, Longley RJ, Mercier T, Decosterd L, Long CA, Osier FH, Hoffman SL, Ogutu B, Hill AVS, Marsh K, Draper SJ. Changes in Serological Immunology Measures in UK and Kenyan Adults Post-controlled Human Malaria Infection. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1604. [PMID: 27790201 PMCID: PMC5061779 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The timing of infection is closely determined in controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) studies, and as such they provide a unique opportunity to dissect changes in immunological responses before and after a single infection. The first Kenyan Challenge Study (KCS) (Pan African Clinical Trial Registry: PACTR20121100033272) was performed in 2013 with the aim of establishing the CHMI model in Kenya. This study used aseptic, cryopreserved, attenuated Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites administered by needle and syringe (PfSPZ Challenge) and was the first to evaluate parasite dynamics post-CHMI in individuals with varying degrees of prior exposure to malaria. Methods: We describe detailed serological and functional immunological responses pre- and post-CHMI for participants in the KCS and compare these with those from malaria-naïve UK volunteers who also underwent CHMI (VAC049) (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01465048) using PfSPZ Challenge. We assessed antibody responses to three key blood-stage merozoite antigens [merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1), apical membrane protein 1 (AMA1), and reticulocyte-binding protein homolog 5 (RH5)] and functional activity using two candidate measures of anti-merozoite immunity; the growth inhibition activity (GIA) assay and the antibody-dependent respiratory burst activity (ADRB) assay. Results:Clear serological differences were observed pre- and post-CHMI by ELISA between malaria-naïve UK volunteers in VAC049, and Kenyan volunteers who had prior malaria exposure. Antibodies to AMA1 and schizont extract correlated with parasite multiplication rate (PMR) post-CHMI in KCS. Serum from volunteer 110 in KCS, who demonstrated a dramatically reduced PMR in vivo, had no in vitro GIA prior to CHMI but the highest level of ADRB activity. A significant difference in ADRB activity was seen between KCS volunteers with minimal and definite prior exposure to malaria and significant increases were seen in ADRB activity post-CHMI in Kenyan volunteers. Quinine and atovaquone/proguanil, previously assumed to be removed by IgG purification, were identified as likely giving rise to aberrantly high in vitro GIA results. Conclusions: The ADRB activity assay is a promising functional assay that warrants further investigation as a measure of prior exposure to malaria and predictor of control of parasite growth. The CHMI model can be used to evaluate potential measures of naturally-acquired immunity to malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sarah E Silk
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford Oxford, UK
| | | | - Sean C Elias
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford Oxford, UK
| | - Kazutoyo Miura
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIH-National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Gathoni Kamuyu
- Centre for Geographical Medical Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Elizabeth A Juma
- Centre for Clinical Research, Kenya Medical Research InstituteNairobi, Kenya; Centre for Research in Therapeutic Sciences, Strathmore UniversityNairobi, Kenya
| | - Charles Magiri
- Centre for Clinical Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Alfred Muia
- Centre for Clinical Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jing Jin
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Thomas Mercier
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Hôpital Beaumont, Université de Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Decosterd
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Hôpital Beaumont, Université de Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carole A Long
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIH-National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Faith H Osier
- Centre for Geographical Medical Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Kilifi, Kenya
| | | | - Bernhards Ogutu
- Centre for Clinical Research, Kenya Medical Research InstituteNairobi, Kenya; Centre for Research in Therapeutic Sciences, Strathmore UniversityNairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Kevin Marsh
- Centre for Geographical Medical Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome TrustKilifi, Kenya; Department of Tropical Medicine, University of OxfordOxford, UK
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Kohl A, Pondeville E, Schnettler E, Crisanti A, Supparo C, Christophides GK, Kersey PJ, Maslen GL, Takken W, Koenraadt CJM, Oliva CF, Busquets N, Abad FX, Failloux AB, Levashina EA, Wilson AJ, Veronesi E, Pichard M, Arnaud Marsh S, Simard F, Vernick KD. Advancing vector biology research: a community survey for future directions, research applications and infrastructure requirements. Pathog Glob Health 2016; 110:164-72. [PMID: 27677378 PMCID: PMC5072118 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2016.1211475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Vector-borne pathogens impact public health, animal production, and animal welfare. Research on arthropod vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, and midges which transmit pathogens to humans and economically important animals is crucial for development of new control measures that target transmission by the vector. While insecticides are an important part of this arsenal, appearance of resistance mechanisms is increasingly common. Novel tools for genetic manipulation of vectors, use of Wolbachia endosymbiotic bacteria, and other biological control mechanisms to prevent pathogen transmission have led to promising new intervention strategies, adding to strong interest in vector biology and genetics as well as vector-pathogen interactions. Vector research is therefore at a crucial juncture, and strategic decisions on future research directions and research infrastructure investment should be informed by the research community. A survey initiated by the European Horizon 2020 INFRAVEC-2 consortium set out to canvass priorities in the vector biology research community and to determine key activities that are needed for researchers to efficiently study vectors, vector-pathogen interactions, as well as access the structures and services that allow such activities to be carried out. We summarize the most important findings of the survey which in particular reflect the priorities of researchers in European countries, and which will be of use to stakeholders that include researchers, government, and research organizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Kohl
- a MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research , Glasgow , UK
| | - Emilie Pondeville
- a MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research , Glasgow , UK
| | - Esther Schnettler
- a MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research , Glasgow , UK
| | - Andrea Crisanti
- b Department of Life Sciences , Imperial College London , London , UK
| | - Clelia Supparo
- b Department of Life Sciences , Imperial College London , London , UK
| | | | - Paul J Kersey
- c The European Molecular Biology Laboratory , The European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus , Cambridge , UK
| | - Gareth L Maslen
- c The European Molecular Biology Laboratory , The European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus , Cambridge , UK
| | - Willem Takken
- d Laboratory of Entomology , Wageningen University and Research Centre , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | | | - Clelia F Oliva
- e Polo d'Innovazione di Genomica, Genetica e Biologia , Perugia , Italy
| | - Núria Busquets
- f Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) , Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus UAB , Barcelona , Spain
| | - F Xavier Abad
- f Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) , Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus UAB , Barcelona , Spain
| | - Anna-Bella Failloux
- g Arboviruses and Insect Vectors Unit, Department of Virology , Institut Pasteur , Paris cedex 15 , France
| | - Elena A Levashina
- h Department of Vector Biology , Max-Planck-Institut für Infektionsbiologie, Campus Charité Mitte , Berlin , Germany
| | - Anthony J Wilson
- i Integrative Entomology Group, Vector-borne Viral Diseases Programme , The Pirbright Institute , Surrey , UK
| | - Eva Veronesi
- j Swiss National Centre for Vector Entomology, Institute of Parasitology , University of Zürich , Zürich , Switzerland
| | - Maëlle Pichard
- k Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors , Institut Pasteur, Unit of Insect Vector Genetics and Genomics , Paris cedex 15 , France
| | - Sarah Arnaud Marsh
- k Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors , Institut Pasteur, Unit of Insect Vector Genetics and Genomics , Paris cedex 15 , France
| | - Frédéric Simard
- l MIVEGEC "Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle" , UMR IRD224-CNRS5290-Université de Montpellier , Montpellier France
| | - Kenneth D Vernick
- k Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors , Institut Pasteur, Unit of Insect Vector Genetics and Genomics , Paris cedex 15 , France.,m CNRS Unit of Hosts, Vectors and Pathogens (URA3012) , Institut Pasteur , Paris cedex 15 , France
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Kalra A, Mukherjee P, Chauhan VS. Characterization of fine specificity of the immune response to a Plasmodium falciparum rhoptry neck protein, PfAARP. Malar J 2016; 15:457. [PMID: 27604988 PMCID: PMC5015194 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1510-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunological characterization of potential blood-stage malaria antigens would be a valuable strategy in the development of an effective vaccine. Identifying B and CD4(+) T cell epitopes will be important in understanding the nature of immune response. A previous study has shown that Plasmodium falciparum apical asparagine-rich protein (PfAARP) stimulates immune response and induces potent invasion-inhibitory antibodies. Antibodies to PfAARP provide synergistic effects in inhibition of parasite invasion when used in combination with antibodies to other antigens. In the present study, an attempt was made to identify B cell and CD4(+) T cell epitopes of PfAARP. METHODS Balb/c mice were immunized with recombinant PfAARP and both cellular and humoral responses were analysed at various time points. Computerized databases [immune epitope database (IEDB) and B cell epitope prediction (BCEPred)] were used to predict epitope sequences within PfAARP and predicted peptides were synthesized. In addition, nine 18 amino acid, long-overlapping peptides spanning the entire length of PfAARP were synthesized. Using these peptides, B cell and CD4(+) T cell responses in PfAARP immunized mice were measured by ELISA and ELISPOT assays. RESULTS Here, it is demonstrated that immunization of mice with PfAARP induced long-lasting, high-titre antibodies (4 months post immunization). Also, the recombinant protein was effective in inducing a pronounced Th1 type of immune response quantified by IFN-γ ELISA and ELISPOT. It was found that the predicted peptides did not represent the immunogenic regions of PfAARP. However, of the nine overlapping peptides, three peptides (peptides 3, 5 and 7) were strongly recognized by PfAARP-immunized sera and represented B cell epitopes. Also, peptide 3 elicited IFN- γ response, suggesting it to be a T-cell epitope. CONCLUSIONS Induction of long-lasting humoral and cellular response on PfAARP immunization in mice underscores its possible use as a blood-stage malaria vaccine candidate. Mapping of immunogenic regions may help in designing fusion chimera containing immunologically relevant regions of other vaccine target antigens and/or for multi-component vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aakanksha Kalra
- Malaria Research Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Paushali Mukherjee
- Malaria Research Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Virander S Chauhan
- Malaria Research Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India.
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Al-Quraishy SA, Dkhil MA, Abdel-Baki AAA, Delic D, Wunderlich F. Protective Vaccination against Blood-Stage Malaria of Plasmodium chabaudi: Differential Gene Expression in the Liver of Balb/c Mice toward the End of Crisis Phase. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1087. [PMID: 27471498 PMCID: PMC4943960 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Protective vaccination induces self-healing of otherwise fatal blood-stage malaria of Plasmodium chabaudi in female Balb/c mice. To trace processes critically involved in self-healing, the liver, an effector against blood-stage malaria, is analyzed for possible changes of its transcriptome in vaccination-protected in comparison to non-protected mice toward the end of the crisis phase. Gene expression microarray analyses reveal that vaccination does not affect constitutive expression of mRNA and lincRNA. However, malaria induces significant (p < 0.01) differences in hepatic gene and lincRNA expression in vaccination-protected vs. non-vaccinated mice toward the end of crisis phase. In vaccination-protected mice, infections induce up-regulations of 276 genes and 40 lincRNAs and down-regulations of 200 genes and 43 lincRNAs, respectively, by >3-fold as compared to the corresponding constitutive expressions. Massive up-regulations, partly by >100-fold, are found for genes as RhD, Add2, Ank1, Ermap, and Slc4a, which encode proteins of erythrocytic surface membranes, and as Gata1 and Gfi1b, which encode transcription factors involved in erythrocytic development. Also, Cldn13 previously predicted to be expressed on erythroblast surfaces is up-regulated by >200-fold, though claudins are known as main constituents of tight junctions acting as paracellular barriers between epithelial cells. Other genes are up-regulated by <100- and >10-fold, which can be subgrouped in genes encoding proteins known to be involved in mitosis, in cell cycle regulation, and in DNA repair. Our data suggest that protective vaccination enables the liver to respond to P. chabaudi infections with accelerated regeneration and extramedullary erythropoiesis during crisis, which contributes to survival of otherwise lethal blood-stage malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saleh A Al-Quraishy
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed A Dkhil
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud UniversityRiyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Science, Helwan UniversityCairo, Egypt
| | - Abdel-Azeem A Abdel-Baki
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud UniversityRiyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef UniversityBeni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Denis Delic
- Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharma Biberach, Germany
| | - Frank Wunderlich
- Department of Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Germany
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Regules JA, Cicatelli SB, Bennett JW, Paolino KM, Twomey PS, Moon JE, Kathcart AK, Hauns KD, Komisar JL, Qabar AN, Davidson SA, Dutta S, Griffith ME, Magee CD, Wojnarski M, Livezey JR, Kress AT, Waterman PE, Jongert E, Wille-Reece U, Volkmuth W, Emerling D, Robinson WH, Lievens M, Morelle D, Lee CK, Yassin-Rajkumar B, Weltzin R, Cohen J, Paris RM, Waters NC, Birkett AJ, Kaslow DC, Ballou WR, Ockenhouse CF, Vekemans J. Fractional Third and Fourth Dose of RTS,S/AS01 Malaria Candidate Vaccine: A Phase 2a Controlled Human Malaria Parasite Infection and Immunogenicity Study. J Infect Dis 2016; 214:762-71. [PMID: 27296848 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiw237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Three full doses of RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine provides partial protection against controlled human malaria parasite infection (CHMI) and natural exposure. Immunization regimens, including a delayed fractional third dose, were assessed for potential increased protection against malaria and immunologic responses. METHODS In a phase 2a, controlled, open-label, study of healthy malaria-naive adults, 16 subjects vaccinated with a 0-, 1-, and 2-month full-dose regimen (012M) and 30 subjects who received a 0-, 1-, and 7-month regimen, including a fractional third dose (Fx017M), underwent CHMI 3 weeks after the last dose. Plasmablast heavy and light chain immunoglobulin messenger RNA sequencing and antibody avidity were evaluated. Protection against repeat CHMI was evaluated after 8 months. RESULTS A total of 26 of 30 subjects in the Fx017M group (vaccine efficacy [VE], 86.7% [95% confidence interval [CI], 66.8%-94.6%]; P < .0001) and 10 of 16 in the 012M group (VE, 62.5% [95% CI, 29.4%-80.1%]; P = .0009) were protected against infection, and protection differed between schedules (P = .040, by the log rank test). The fractional dose boosting increased antibody somatic hypermutation and avidity and sustained high protection upon rechallenge. DISCUSSIONS A delayed third fractional vaccine dose improved immunogenicity and protection against infection. Optimization of the RTS,S/AS01 immunization regimen may lead to improved approaches against malaria. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NCT01857869.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A Regules
- Malaria Vaccine Branch Military Malaria Research Program Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Jason W Bennett
- Malaria Vaccine Branch Military Malaria Research Program Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Patrick S Twomey
- Experimental Therapeutics Branch Military Malaria Research Program
| | - James E Moon
- Malaria Vaccine Branch Military Malaria Research Program
| | | | - Kevin D Hauns
- Malaria Vaccine Branch Military Malaria Research Program
| | - Jack L Komisar
- Malaria Vaccine Branch Military Malaria Research Program
| | - Aziz N Qabar
- Malaria Vaccine Branch Military Malaria Research Program
| | - Silas A Davidson
- Entomology Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring
| | - Sheetij Dutta
- Malaria Vaccine Branch Military Malaria Research Program
| | - Matthew E Griffith
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Charles D Magee
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | | | - Adrian T Kress
- Experimental Therapeutics Branch Military Malaria Research Program
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Cynthia K Lee
- PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, Seattle, Washington
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Boes A, Spiegel H, Kastilan R, Bethke S, Voepel N, Chudobová I, Bolscher JM, Dechering KJ, Fendel R, Buyel JF, Reimann A, Schillberg S, Fischer R. Analysis of the dose-dependent stage-specific in vitro efficacy of a multi-stage malaria vaccine candidate cocktail. Malar J 2016; 15:279. [PMID: 27188716 PMCID: PMC4869186 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1328-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The high incidence and mortality rate of malaria remains a serious burden for many developing countries, and a vaccine that induces durable and highly effective immune responses is, therefore, desirable. An earlier analysis of the stage-specific in vitro efficacy of a malaria vaccine candidate cocktail (VAMAX) considered the general properties of complex multi-component, multi-stage combination vaccines in rabbit immunization experiments using a hyper-immunization protocol featuring six consecutive boosts and a strong, lipopolysaccharide-based adjuvant. This follow-up study investigates the effect of antigen dose on the in vitro efficacy of the malaria vaccine cocktail using a conventional vaccination scheme (one prime and two boosts) and a human-compatible adjuvant (Alhydrogel®). Results IgG purified from rabbits immunized with 0.1, 1, 10 or 50 µg doses of the VAMAX vaccine candidate cocktail was analysed for total IgG and antigen-cocktail-specific titers. An increase in cocktail-specific titers was observed between 0.1 and 1 µg and between 10 and 50 µg, whereas no significant difference in titers was observed between 1 and 10 µg. Antigen component-specific antibody titers and stage-specific in vitro efficacy assays were performed with pooled IgG from animals immunized with 1 and 50 µg of the VAMAX cocktail. Here, the component-specific antibody levels showed clear dose dependency whereas the determined stage-specific in vitro IC50 values (as a correlate of efficacy) were only dependent on the titer amounts of stage-specific antibodies. Conclusions The stage-specific in vitro efficacy of the VAMAX cocktail strongly correlates with the corresponding antigen-specific titers, which for their part depend on the antigen dose, but there is no indication that the dose has an effect on the in vitro efficacy of the induced antibodies. A comparison of these results with those obtained in the previous hyper-immunization study (where higher levels of antigen-specific IgG were observed) suggests that there is a significant need to induce an immune response matching efficacy requirements, especially for a PfAMA1-based blood stage vaccine, by using higher doses, better adjuvants and/or better formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Boes
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstrasse 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Holger Spiegel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstrasse 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Robin Kastilan
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstrasse 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Susanne Bethke
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstrasse 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Nadja Voepel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstrasse 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ivana Chudobová
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstrasse 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Judith M Bolscher
- TropIQ Health Science, Geert Grooteplein 28, Huispost 268, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Koen J Dechering
- TropIQ Health Science, Geert Grooteplein 28, Huispost 268, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rolf Fendel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstrasse 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany.,Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Johannes F Buyel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstrasse 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Andreas Reimann
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstrasse 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Schillberg
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstrasse 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Rainer Fischer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstrasse 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany.,Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
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25
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França CT, Hostetler JB, Sharma S, White MT, Lin E, Kiniboro B, Waltmann A, Darcy AW, Li Wai Suen CSN, Siba P, King CL, Rayner JC, Fairhurst RM, Mueller I. An Antibody Screen of a Plasmodium vivax Antigen Library Identifies Novel Merozoite Proteins Associated with Clinical Protection. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004639. [PMID: 27182597 PMCID: PMC4868274 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Elimination of Plasmodium vivax malaria would be greatly facilitated by the development of an effective vaccine. A comprehensive and systematic characterization of antibodies to P. vivax antigens in exposed populations is useful in guiding rational vaccine design. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In this study, we investigated antibodies to a large library of P. vivax entire ectodomain merozoite proteins in 2 Asia-Pacific populations, analysing the relationship of antibody levels with markers of current and cumulative malaria exposure, and socioeconomic and clinical indicators. 29 antigenic targets of natural immunity were identified. Of these, 12 highly-immunogenic proteins were strongly associated with age and thus cumulative lifetime exposure in Solomon Islanders (P<0.001-0.027). A subset of 6 proteins, selected on the basis of immunogenicity and expression levels, were used to examine antibody levels in plasma samples from a population of young Papua New Guinean children with well-characterized individual differences in exposure. This analysis identified a strong association between reduced risk of clinical disease and antibody levels to P12, P41, and a novel hypothetical protein that has not previously been studied, PVX_081550 (IRR 0.46-0.74; P<0.001-0.041). CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE These data emphasize the benefits of an unbiased screening approach in identifying novel vaccine candidate antigens. Functional studies are now required to establish whether PVX_081550 is a key component of the naturally-acquired protective immune response, a biomarker of immune status, or both.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila T. França
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jessica B. Hostetler
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Malaria Programme, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Sumana Sharma
- Malaria Programme, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Michael T. White
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia
- Center for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Enmoore Lin
- Vector Borne Diseases Unit, PNG Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Benson Kiniboro
- Vector Borne Diseases Unit, PNG Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Andreea Waltmann
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Andrew W. Darcy
- National Health Training & Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Honiara, Solomon Islands
| | - Connie S. N. Li Wai Suen
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Peter Siba
- Vector Borne Diseases Unit, PNG Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Christopher L. King
- Center for Global Health & Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Julian C. Rayner
- Malaria Programme, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (JCR); (RMF); (IM)
| | - Rick M. Fairhurst
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JCR); (RMF); (IM)
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail: (JCR); (RMF); (IM)
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26
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Zhang M, Kaneko I, Tsao T, Mitchell R, Nardin EH, Iwanaga S, Yuda M, Tsuji M. A highly infectious Plasmodium yoelii parasite, bearing Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein. Malar J 2016; 15:201. [PMID: 27068454 PMCID: PMC4828769 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1248-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmodium circumsporozoite protein (CSP) is a major surface antigen present in the sporozoite (Spz) stage of a malaria parasite. RTS, S vaccine, the most clinically advanced malaria vaccine, consists of a large portion of Plasmodium falciparum CSP (PfCSP). A highly infectious, recombinant rodent malaria, Plasmodium yoelii parasite bearing a full-length PfCSP, PfCSP/Py Spz, was needed as a tool to evaluate the role of PfCSP in mediating, protective, anti-malaria immunity in a mouse model. Methods A transgenic parasite, PfCSP/Py Spz, was generated by inserting a construct expressing the PfCSP at the locus of the P. yoelii CSP gene by double cross-over homologous recombination. Then the biological and protective properties of PfCSP/Py Spz were determined. Results This PfCSP/Py parasite produced up to 30,000 Spz in mosquito salivary glands, which is equal or even higher than the number of Spz produced by wild-type P. yoelii parasites. Five bites of PfCSP/Py-infected mosquitoes could induce blood infection in BALB/c mice. Conclusions The current study has demonstrated a successful establishment of a transgenic P. yoelii parasite clone that is able to express a full-length PfCSP, PfCSP/Py parasite. Importantly, this PfCSP/Py parasite can be as infectious as the wild-type P. yoelii parasite both in mosquito vector and in mouse, a mammalian host. A new transgenic parasite that expresses a full-length PfCSP may become a useful tool for researchers to investigate immunity against PfCSP in a mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhang
- HIV and Malaria Vaccine Program, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Affiliate of The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Izumi Kaneko
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan
| | - Tiffany Tsao
- HIV and Malaria Vaccine Program, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Affiliate of The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert Mitchell
- Division of Parasitology, Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth H Nardin
- Division of Parasitology, Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shiroh Iwanaga
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan.
| | - Masao Yuda
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan.
| | - Moriya Tsuji
- HIV and Malaria Vaccine Program, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Affiliate of The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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Noulin F. Malaria modeling: In vitro stem cells vs in vivo models. World J Stem Cells 2016; 8:88-100. [PMID: 27022439 PMCID: PMC4807312 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v8.i3.88] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Revised: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent development of stem cell research and the possibility of generating cells that can be stably and permanently modified in their genome open a broad horizon in the world of in vitro modeling. The malaria field is gaining new opportunities from this important breakthrough and novel tools were adapted and opened new frontiers for malaria research. In addition to the new in vitro systems, in recent years there were also significant advances in the development of new animal models that allows studying the entire cell cycle of human malaria. In this paper, we review the different protocols available to study human Plasmodium species either by using stem cell or alternative animal models.
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28
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Payne RO, Milne KH, Elias SC, Edwards NJ, Douglas AD, Brown RE, Silk SE, Biswas S, Miura K, Roberts R, Rampling TW, Venkatraman N, Hodgson SH, Labbé GM, Halstead FD, Poulton ID, Nugent FL, de Graaf H, Sukhtankar P, Williams NC, Ockenhouse CF, Kathcart AK, Qabar AN, Waters NC, Soisson LA, Birkett AJ, Cooke GS, Faust SN, Woods C, Ivinson K, McCarthy JS, Diggs CL, Vekemans J, Long CA, Hill AVS, Lawrie AM, Dutta S, Draper SJ. Demonstration of the Blood-Stage Plasmodium falciparum Controlled Human Malaria Infection Model to Assess Efficacy of the P. falciparum Apical Membrane Antigen 1 Vaccine, FMP2.1/AS01. J Infect Dis 2016; 213:1743-51. [PMID: 26908756 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiw039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Models of controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) initiated by mosquito bite have been widely used to assess efficacy of preerythrocytic vaccine candidates in small proof-of-concept phase 2a clinical trials. Efficacy testing of blood-stage malaria parasite vaccines, however, has generally relied on larger-scale phase 2b field trials in malaria-endemic populations. We report the use of a blood-stage P. falciparum CHMI model to assess blood-stage vaccine candidates, using their impact on the parasite multiplication rate (PMR) as the primary efficacy end point. METHODS Fifteen healthy United Kingdom adult volunteers were vaccinated with FMP2.1, a protein vaccine that is based on the 3D7 clone sequence of apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) and formulated in Adjuvant System 01 (AS01). Twelve vaccinees and 15 infectivity controls subsequently underwent blood-stage CHMI. Parasitemia was monitored by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, and PMR was modeled from these data. RESULTS FMP2.1/AS01 elicited anti-AMA1 T-cell and serum antibody responses. Analysis of purified immunoglobulin G showed functional growth inhibitory activity against P. falciparum in vitro. There were no vaccine- or CHMI-related safety concerns. All volunteers developed blood-stage parasitemia, with no impact of the vaccine on PMR. CONCLUSIONS FMP2.1/AS01 demonstrated no efficacy after blood-stage CHMI. However, the model induced highly reproducible infection in all volunteers and will accelerate proof-of-concept testing of future blood-stage vaccine candidates. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NCT02044198.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth O Payne
- Jenner Institute Laboratories Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Kazutoyo Miura
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda
| | | | - Thomas W Rampling
- Jenner Institute Laboratories Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine
| | - Navin Venkatraman
- Jenner Institute Laboratories Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine
| | - Susanne H Hodgson
- Jenner Institute Laboratories Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine
| | | | | | - Ian D Poulton
- Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine
| | | | - Hans de Graaf
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, University Hospital Southampton National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton
| | - Priya Sukhtankar
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, University Hospital Southampton National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton
| | - Nicola C Williams
- Centre for Statistics in Medicine Botnar Research Centre, University of Oxford
| | - Christian F Ockenhouse
- Military Malaria Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative
| | - April K Kathcart
- Military Malaria Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland
| | - Aziz N Qabar
- Military Malaria Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland
| | - Norman C Waters
- Military Malaria Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland
| | | | | | - Graham S Cooke
- NIHR Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Saul N Faust
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, University Hospital Southampton National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Carole A Long
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda
| | | | | | - Sheetij Dutta
- Military Malaria Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland
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29
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Llewellyn D, Miura K, Fay MP, Williams AR, Murungi LM, Shi J, Hodgson SH, Douglas AD, Osier FH, Fairhurst RM, Diakite M, Pleass RJ, Long CA, Draper SJ. Standardization of the antibody-dependent respiratory burst assay with human neutrophils and Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Sci Rep 2015; 5:14081. [PMID: 26373337 PMCID: PMC4571651 DOI: 10.1038/srep14081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The assessment of naturally-acquired and vaccine-induced immunity to blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum malaria is of long-standing interest. However, the field has suffered from a paucity of in vitro assays that reproducibly measure the anti-parasitic activity induced by antibodies in conjunction with immune cells. Here we optimize the antibody-dependent respiratory burst (ADRB) assay, which assesses the ability of antibodies to activate the release of reactive oxygen species from human neutrophils in response to P. falciparum blood-stage parasites. We focus particularly on assay parameters affecting serum preparation and concentration, and importantly assess reproducibility. Our standardized protocol involves testing each serum sample in singlicate with three independent neutrophil donors, and indexing responses against a standard positive control of pooled hyper-immune Kenyan sera. The protocol can be used to quickly screen large cohorts of samples from individuals enrolled in immuno-epidemiological studies or clinical vaccine trials, and requires only 6 μL of serum per sample. Using a cohort of 86 samples, we show that malaria-exposed individuals induce higher ADRB activity than malaria-naïve individuals. The development of the ADRB assay complements the use of cell-independent assays in blood-stage malaria, such as the assay of growth inhibitory activity, and provides an important standardized cell-based assay in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Llewellyn
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Kazutoyo Miura
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, USA
| | - Michael P. Fay
- Biostatistics Research Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Andrew R. Williams
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Linda M. Murungi
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- KEMRI Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast, P.O. Box 230-80108, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Jianguo Shi
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Susanne H. Hodgson
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Alexander D. Douglas
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Faith H. Osier
- KEMRI Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast, P.O. Box 230-80108, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Rick M. Fairhurst
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, USA
| | - Mahamadou Diakite
- Malaria Research and Training Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-stomatology, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Richard J. Pleass
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Carole A. Long
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, USA
| | - Simon J. Draper
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
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30
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Nielsen MA, Resende M, de Jongh WA, Ditlev SB, Mordmüller B, Houard S, Ndam NT, Agerbæk MØ, Hamborg M, Massougbodji A, Issifou S, Strøbæk A, Poulsen L, Leroy O, Kremsner PG, Chippaux JP, Luty AJF, Deloron P, Theander TG, Dyring C, Salanti A. The Influence of Sub-Unit Composition and Expression System on the Functional Antibody Response in the Development of a VAR2CSA Based Plasmodium falciparum Placental Malaria Vaccine. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135406. [PMID: 26327283 PMCID: PMC4556615 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The disease caused by Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) involves different clinical manifestations that, cumulatively, kill hundreds of thousands every year. Placental malaria (PM) is one such manifestation in which Pf infected erythrocytes (IE) bind to chondroitin sulphate A (CSA) through expression of VAR2CSA, a parasite-derived antigen. Protection against PM is mediated by antibodies that inhibit binding of IE in the placental intervillous space. VAR2CSA is a large antigen incompatible with large scale recombinant protein expression. Vaccines based on sub-units encompassing the functionally constrained receptor-binding domains may, theoretically, circumvent polymorphisms, reduce the risk of escape-mutants and induce cross-reactive antibodies. However, the sub-unit composition and small differences in the borders, may lead to exposure of novel immuno-dominant antibody epitopes that lead to non-functional antibodies, and furthermore influence the folding, stability and yield of expression. Candidate antigens from the pre-clinical development expressed in High-Five insect cells using the baculovirus expression vector system were transitioned into the Drosophila Schneider-2 cell (S2) expression-system compliant with clinical development. The functional capacity of antibodies against antigens expressed in High-Five cells or in S2 cells was equivalent. This enabled an extensive down-selection of S2 insect cell-expressed antigens primarily encompassing the minimal CSA-binding region of VAR2CSA. In general, we found differential potency of inhibitory antibodies against antigens with the same borders but of different var2csa sequences. Likewise, we found that subtle size differences in antigens of the same sequence gave varying levels of inhibitory antibodies. The study shows that induction of a functional response against recombinant subunits of the VAR2CSA antigen is unpredictable, demonstrating the need for large-scale screening in order to identify antigens that induce a broadly strain-transcending antibody response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten A. Nielsen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail:
| | - Mafalda Resende
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Sisse B. Ditlev
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Benjamin Mordmüller
- Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Institut für Tropenmedizin, Tübingen, Germany, and Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon
| | - Sophie Houard
- European Vaccine Initiative, Universitäts Klinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nicaise Tuikue Ndam
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR216 Mère et enfant face aux infections tropicales, Paris, France
- PRES Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Mette Ø. Agerbæk
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mette Hamborg
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Achille Massougbodji
- Faculté des Sciences de la Santé de l’Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Centre d’étude et de recherche sur le paludisme associé à la grossesse et à l’enfance, Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Saddou Issifou
- Faculté des Sciences de la Santé de l’Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Centre d’étude et de recherche sur le paludisme associé à la grossesse et à l’enfance, Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Anette Strøbæk
- ExpreSion Biotechnologies, SCION-DTU Science Park, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Lars Poulsen
- ExpreSion Biotechnologies, SCION-DTU Science Park, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Odile Leroy
- European Vaccine Initiative, Universitäts Klinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter G. Kremsner
- Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Institut für Tropenmedizin, Tübingen, Germany, and Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon
| | - Jean-Philippe Chippaux
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR216 Mère et enfant face aux infections tropicales, Paris, France
- PRES Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
- Faculté des Sciences de la Santé de l’Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Centre d’étude et de recherche sur le paludisme associé à la grossesse et à l’enfance, Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Adrian J. F. Luty
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR216 Mère et enfant face aux infections tropicales, Paris, France
- PRES Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
- Faculté des Sciences de la Santé de l’Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Centre d’étude et de recherche sur le paludisme associé à la grossesse et à l’enfance, Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Philippe Deloron
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR216 Mère et enfant face aux infections tropicales, Paris, France
- PRES Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Thor G. Theander
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Charlotte Dyring
- ExpreSion Biotechnologies, SCION-DTU Science Park, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Ali Salanti
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
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