Immunogenicity of an alum-adsorbed synthetic multiple-antigen peptide based on B- and T-cell epitopes of the Plasmodium falciparum CS protein: possible vaccine application

Vaccine. 1994 Aug;12(11):1012-7. doi: 10.1016/0264-410x(94)90337-9.

Abstract

Multiple-antigen peptides (MAPs), containing B- and T-cell epitopes of the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite (CS) protein, have been designed to overcome the limitations of first-generation peptide vaccines caused by low epitope density, carrier toxicity and the lack of parasite-derived T-cell epitopes. The immunogenicity of a P. falciparum MAP construct (T1B4), containing four copies of the 5' repeat cell T epitope (T1) combined with the 3' repeat epitope (NANP)3, has been examined using different adjuvant formulations. Mice immunized intraperitoneally or subcutaneously with (T1B)4 in alum, a formulation suitable for human vaccines, developed high anti-peptide and anti-sporozoite antibody titres, comparable with those obtained with Freund's adjuvant. The MAP/alum formulation also elicited a strong anamnestic antibody response in sporozoite-primed mice, raising the possibility of using a MAP/alum vaccine to increase the low anti-sporozoite antibody levels of people living in malaria-endemic areas.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / chemistry*
  • Adsorption
  • Alum Compounds / chemistry*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antigens, Protozoan / chemistry
  • Antigens, Protozoan / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • Female
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Malaria Vaccines / chemistry
  • Malaria Vaccines / immunology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Plasmodium falciparum / immunology*
  • Protozoan Proteins / chemistry
  • Protozoan Proteins / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / immunology

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Alum Compounds
  • Antigens, Protozoan
  • Epitopes
  • Malaria Vaccines
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • circumsporozoite protein, Protozoan
  • aluminum sulfate