Researchers have identified the human antibodies that prevent the malaria parasite from entering blood cells, which may be key to creating a highly effective malaria vaccination. The results of the study were published in the journal Cell.
"Following an infectious mosquito bite, the malaria parasite goes first to the human liver, and then moves into the blood. Here it replicates ten-fold every 48 hours inside red blood cells - it is this blood-stage of the infection that leads to illness and can be fatal," explains study author. "The malaria parasite has a protein called RH5, which must bind to a human protein on red blood cells called basigin in order to infect them. In this study, we were able to demonstrate which human antibodies effectively block RH5 from binding with basigin, thus preventing the parasite from spreading through the blood."
The study was done as part of a clinical trial in Oxford of the first vaccine that targets the RH5 malaria protein. Until now, however, it was not clearly understood which specific antibodies could be generated by vaccination of a human volunteer and would effectively prevent RH5 from binding to red blood cells. "When someone is vaccinated, they make many different types of antibodies against the same RH5 target," explains co-author. "This study is key to understanding which specific antibodies are actually effective against malaria, and which are not."
Another key finding of the study is the identification of an exciting new antibody, which works by slowing down the speed in which RH5 binds to red blood cells. "The parasite can still invade, but this antibody slows down the invasion," says study co-author. They also identified the epitope of a novel group of non-neutralizing antibodies that significantly reduce the speed of red blood cell invasion by the merozoite, thereby potentiating the effect of all neutralizing PfRH5 antibodies as well as synergizing with antibodies targeting other malaria invasion proteins. "This gives the antibodies that do block RH5 more time to act, helping them become more effective. This is an exciting finding because it shows that antibodies which do not prevent the parasite from getting into red blood cells might still be useful, by making the protective antibodies more potent."
Authors also identified a subset of mAbs with neutralizing activity that bind to three distinct sites and another subset of mAbs that are non-functional, or even antagonistic to neutralizing antibodies.
There remains an urgent need to develop an effective malaria vaccine. Despite the increasing use of bed nets, insecticides and drugs in malaria-endemic regions, malaria still kills approximately 430,000 people each year. Scientists have yet been unsuccessful at creating a vaccine that works against the malaria parasite in the blood. The current vaccine based on RH5 has so far shown real promise, and continues to be trialled in the UK and Africa.
http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-06-13-identification-protective-antibodies-may-be-key-malaria-vaccine
https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(19)30553-7
http://sciencemission.com/site/index.php?page=news&type=view&id=publications%2Fhuman-antibodies-that&filter=22
Latest News
How protein synthesis in de…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Atlas of mRNA variants in d…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Mapping microbiome in metas…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Full-length mRNA packaged i…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Glucose-sensing mechanism t…
By newseditor
Posted 21 Apr
Other Top Stories
Light-sheet fluorescence nanoscopy by RESOLFT
Read more
Algal receptors and neuronal silencing
Read more
New computational method reveals significant degeneration of knee c…
Read more
Single-molecule blotting to detect site-specific receptor phosphory…
Read more
Diagnosing ear infection using smartphone
Read more
Protocols
A programmable targeted pro…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Apr
MemPrep, a new technology f…
By newseditor
Posted 08 Apr
A tangible method to assess…
By newseditor
Posted 08 Apr
Stem cell-derived vessels-o…
By newseditor
Posted 06 Apr
Single-cell biclustering fo…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Apr
Publications
Neuronal activity rapidly r…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
A perspective on muscle phe…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Foxp1 suppresses cortical a…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Single-cell long-read seque…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Unlocking potential: the ro…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Presentations
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
RNA structure and functions
By newseditor
Posted 19 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar