title: Immunity to Plasmodium falciparum malaria sporozoites by somatic transgene immunization.
abstract: Immunity against the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum was induced using somatic transgene immunization, a method to effectively target B lymphocytes in vivo. A single inoculation of plasmid DNA containing an immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene coding in the complementarity-determining region 3 for three repeats of the sequence Asn-Ala-Asn-Pro (NANP), a B-cell epitope of P.falciparum sporozoites, induced antibodies against NANP in all mice. A booster with an antibody antigenized with the NANP peptide, or challenge with P. falciparum sporozoites, demonstrated the establishment of immunologic memory. Immunity to a parasite antigen can be induced by exploiting mechanisms in which B lymphocytes are both the source of the immunogen as well as the effector mechanism of immunity. The results indicate that somatic transgene immunization is a potential approach for vaccination against foreign pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego 92093-0063, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerloni
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Baliou
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Billetta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanetti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019076:Transgenes / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D009842:Oligopeptides; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C052953:(asparaginyl-alanyl-asparaginyl-proline)3