Antibodies against a Plasmodium falciparum antigen PfMSPDBL1 inhibit merozoite invasion into human erythrocytes

Abstract

One approach to develop a malaria blood-stage vaccine is to target proteins that play critical roles in the erythrocyte invasion of merozoites. The merozoite surface proteins (MSPs) and the erythrocyte-binding antigens (EBAs) are considered promising vaccine candidates, for they are known to play important roles in erythrocyte invasion and are exposed to host immune system. Here we focused on a Plasmodium falciparum antigen, PfMSPDBL1 (encoded by PF10_0348 gene) that is a member of the MSP3 family and has both Duffy binding-like (DBL) domain and secreted polymorphic antigen associated with merozoites (SPAM) domain. Therefore, we aimed to characterize PfMSPDBL1 as a vaccine candidate. Recombi..