Plasmodium vivax thrombospondin related adhesion protein: immunogenicity and protective efficacy in rodents and Aotus monkeys.
The thrombospondin related adhesion protein (TRAP) is a malaria pre-erythrocytic antigen currently pursued as malaria vaccine candidate to Plasmodium falciparum. In this study, a long synthetic peptide (LSP) representing a P. vivax TRAP fragment involved in hepatocyte invasion was formulated in both Freund and Montanide ISA 720 adjutants and administered by IM and subcutaneous routes to BALB/c mice and Aotus monkeys. We measured specific humoral immune responses in both animal species and performed a sporozoite challenge in Aotus monkeys to assess the protective efficacy of the vaccine. After immunization both mice and Aotus seroconverted as shown by ELISA, and the specific anti-peptide antibodies cross reacted with the parasite in IFAT assays. Only two out of six immunized animals became infected after P. vivax sporozoite challenge as compared with four out of six animals from the control group. These results suggest that this TRAP fragment has protective potential against P. vivax malaria and deserves further studies as vaccine candidate.
Castellanos
Angélica
A
Instituto de Inmunología del Valle, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.
Arévalo-Herrera
Myriam
M
Restrepo
Nora
N
Gulloso
Leonel
L
Corradin
Giampietro
G
Herrera
Sócrates
S
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D016645:Aotidae; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D017780:Malaria Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000276:immunology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D017780:Malaria Vaccines; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; C069428:thrombospondin-related adhesive protein, protozoan