Targets of antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes in malaria immunity

JA Chan; KB Howell; L Reiling; R Ataide; CL Mackintosh; FJI Fowkes; M Petter; JM Chesson; C Langer; GM Warimwe; MF Duffy; SJ Rogerson; PC Bull; AF Cowman; K Marsh; JG Beeson

Journal article

Targets of antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes in malaria immunity

JA Chan, KB Howell, L Reiling, R Ataide, CL Mackintosh, FJI Fowkes, M Petter, JM Chesson, C Langer, GM Warimwe, MF Duffy, SJ Rogerson, PC Bull, AF Cowman, K Marsh, JG Beeson

Journal of Clinical Investigation | AMER SOC CLINICAL INVESTIGATION INC | Published : 2012

DOI: 10.1172/JCI62182

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Abstract

Plasmodium falciparum is the major cause of malaria globally and is transmitted by mosquitoes. During parasitic development, P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes (P. falciparum-IEs) express multiple polymorphic proteins known as variant surface antigens (VSAs), including the P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1). VSA-specific antibodies are associated with protection from symptomatic and severe malaria. However, the importance of the different VSA targets of immunity to malaria remains unclear, which has impeded an understanding of malaria immunity and vaccine development. In this study, we developed assays using transgenic P. falciparum with modified PfEMP1 expression to quan..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Ricardo Ataide Author

Freya Fowkes Author

Michaela Petter Author

Michael Duffy Author

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Grants

Awarded by Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia from Portugal

Awarded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Funding Acknowledgements

Thanks to all participants in the study; Moses Mosobo, Brett Lowe, Tabitha Mwangi, and staff at the Kenya Medical Research Institute for technical assistance; and Gaogian Feng for help with phagocytosis assays. Funding was provided by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (project grant and career development award to J. Beeson; training award to F. Fowkes; Australian postgraduate award to J. Chan; Infrastructure for Research Institutes Support Scheme Grant), Australian Research Council (Future Fellowship to J. Beeson), the Welcome Trust, United Kingdom, and the Victorian State Government Operational Infrastructure Support grant. R. Ataide was supported by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia from Portugal (fellowship number SFRH/BD/32985/2006). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. This paper is submitted with the permission of the director of the Kenya Medical Research Institute.