Last Updated: 09/12/2024
Understanding the Role of Maternal Anti-malarial Immunity in Infant Protection
Objectives
This study aims to investigate whether the amount and number of targets of antibodies that are trans-placentally transferred plays a role in protection from malaria in infancy by using flow cytometry to measure antibodies against the infected erythrocytes (IE), and ELISA to measure antibodies to specific (IE) recombinant proteins,.
One child dies every two minutes from malaria. These deaths occur in children below 5 years. However, children aged below 6 months are relatively protected. This has been attributed to the presence of maternal antibodies. The mechanism of action of these antibodies has been difficult to study in clinical infections because of the complex life cycle, multiple antigens and lack of clinical correlates to protection. To address these challenges, this study proposes to use archived samples from a unique birth cohort in Kilifi, Kenya, to look at the immunologic correlates of protection in infants at birth, and before their first infection. Understanding this is paramount in understanding the role of different antigens and antibody responses in protection against malaria. In addition, identifying the targets of such immunity and how the antibodies to the different targets work together to bring about the desired goal of clinical protection from malaria.
Jan 2018 — Sep 2019
$38,178
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