Structure guided mimicry of an essential P. falciparum receptor-ligand complex enhances cross neutralizing antibodies.

ABSTRACT: Invasion of human red blood cells (RBCs) by Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) merozoites relies on the interaction between two parasite proteins, apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) and rhoptry neck protein 2 (RON2) ^1,2 . Antibodies to AMA1 confer limited protection against P. falciparum in non-human primate malaria models ^3,4 . However, clinical trials with recombinant AMA1 alone (apoAMA1) saw no protection, likely due to inadequate levels of functional antibodies ^5-8 . Notably, immunization with AMA1 in its ligand bound conformation using RON2L, a 49 amino acid peptide from RON2, confers superior protection against P. falciparum malaria by enhancing the proportion of neutralizing antibodies ^9,10 . A limitation of this approach, howev

SUBMITTER: Srinivasan P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10153359 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature