Journal article
Plasmodium vivax Reticulocyte Binding Proteins Are Key Targets of Naturally Acquired Immunity in Young Papua New Guinean Children
CT França, WQ He, J Gruszczyk, NTY Lim, E Lin, B Kiniboro, PM Siba, WH Tham, I Mueller
Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases | PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE | Published : 2016
Abstract
Background: Major gaps in our understanding of Plasmodium vivax biology and the acquisition of immunity to this parasite hinder vaccine development. P. vivax merozoites exclusively invade reticulocytes, making parasite proteins that mediate reticulocyte binding and/or invasion potential key vaccine or drug targets. While protein interactions that mediate invasion are still poorly understood, the P. vivax Reticulocyte-Binding Protein family (PvRBP) is thought to be involved in P. vivax restricted host-cell selectivity. Methodology/Principal findings: We assessed the binding specificity of five members of the PvRBP family (PvRBP1a, PvRBP1b, PvRBP2a, PvRBP2b, PvRBP2-P2 and a non-binding fragmen..
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Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Acknowledgements
This study was funded in part by the Southwest Pacific International Centre of Excellence in Malaria Research (NIH grant U19AI089686) "Research to control and eliminate malaria in the Southwest Pacific"), the National Institutes of Health (AI063135), the National Health & Medical Research Council (1021544 & 1084717), the Malaria Elimination Science Alliance (MESA). This work was made possible through Victorian State Government Operational Infrastructure Support and Australian Government NHMRC IRIISS. IM is supported by an NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship 1043345), CTF is supported by the University of Melbourne-Melbourne International Postgraduate Scholarship (MIPS), WQH is supported by both Melbourne International Research Scholarship and MIPS and WHT is supported by an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.