Identification of novel Plasmodium vivax proteins associated with protection against clinical malaria

Ramin Mazhari; Eizo Takashima; Rhea J Longley; Shazia Ruybal-Pesantez; Michael T White; Bernard N Kanoi; Hikaru Nagaoka; Benson Kiniboro; Peter Siba; Takafumi Tsuboi; Ivo Mueller

doi:10.3389/fcimb.2023.1076150

Identification of novel Plasmodium vivax proteins associated with protection against clinical malaria

Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2023 Jan 25:13:1076150. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1076150. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Ramin Mazhari^{1

2}, Eizo Takashima³, Rhea J Longley^{1

2}, Shazia Ruybal-Pesantez^{1

2}, Michael T White⁴, Bernard N Kanoi⁵, Hikaru Nagaoka³, Benson Kiniboro⁶, Peter Siba⁶, Takafumi Tsuboi⁷, Ivo Mueller^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
² Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
³ Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan.
⁴ Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, G5 Épidémiologie et Analyse des Maladies Infectieuses, Département de Santé Globale, Paris, France.
⁵ Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, Directorate of Research and Innovation, Mount Kenya University, Thika, Kenya.
⁶ Vector Borne Disease Unit, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea.
⁷ Division of Cell-Free Sciences, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan.

Abstract

As progress towards malaria elimination continues, the challenge posed by the parasite species Plasmodium vivax has become more evident. In many regions co-endemic for P. vivax and Plasmodium falciparum, as transmission has declined the proportion of cases due to P. vivax has increased. Novel tools that directly target P. vivax are thus warranted for accelerated elimination. There is currently no advanced vaccine for P. vivax and only a limited number of potential candidates in the pipeline. In this study we aimed to identify promising P. vivax proteins that could be used as part of a subunit vaccination approach. We screened 342 P. vivax protein constructs for their ability to induce IgG antibody responses associated with protection from clinical disease in a cohort of children from Papua New Guinea. This approach has previously been used to successfully identify novel candidates. We were able to confirm previous results from our laboratory identifying the proteins reticulocyte binding protein 2b and StAR-related lipid transfer protein, as well as at least four novel candidates with similar levels of predicted protective efficacy. Assessment of these P. vivax proteins in further studies to confirm their potential and identify functional mechanisms of protection against clinical disease are warranted.

Keywords: Plasmodium vivax; antibody; malaria; naturally acquired immunity; protective immunity; vaccine.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Antibodies, Protozoan
Child
Humans
Malaria, Falciparum* / parasitology
Malaria, Vivax* / parasitology
Plasmodium falciparum
Plasmodium vivax
Protozoan Proteins / genetics

Substances

Protozoan Proteins
Antibodies, Protozoan

Grants and funding

We acknowledge funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council Australia (#1092789 and #1134989). This work was made possible through Victorian State Government Operational Infrastructure Support and Australian Government NHMRC IRIISS. IM is supported by an NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship (1043345). ET and TT were supported in part by JSPS KAKENHI (JP21KK0138, JP21H02724, JP20H03481, JP18K19455, JP15H05276, JP16K15266) in Japan. BNK is an EDCTP Fellow under EDCTP2 programme supported by the European Union grant number TMA2020CDF-3203. RL is supported by a NHMRC Investigator Fellowship (1173210). The funders had no role in study design, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit the article for publication.