Last Updated: 02/12/2024
Investigation of cross-reactive antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes
Objectives
The proposed project has two main objectives:
- Firstly, to identify monoclonal antibodies that broadly react against variant surface antigens on erythrocytes parasitized by diverse Plasmodium falciparum strains
- And secondly, to identify the conserved epitopes of the surface antigens that are recognized by these antibodies.
This project aims to identify such antibodies by screening large numbers of sera from immune adults against diverse parasite strains. When cross-reactive sera are identified, we will request for blood samples from the individual donors and isolate and transform B cells producing monoclonal antibodies of interest. Then to identify the corresponding conserved target sites on the antigens, which will be potential targets for vaccine development.
Although antibodies against variant surface antigens have been linked to protection against malaria, the prevailing viewpoint is that antibodies against these antigens generated in the course of infection are predominantly variant-specific. However, there has been evidence suggesting some partial cross-reactivity of antibodies, and the group preliminary work supports the possibility that broadly cross-reactive antibodies may exist in adults who are clinically immune to malaria.
Oct 2012 — Oct 2016
$245,000
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