Stabilized designs of the malaria adhesin protein PvRBP2b for use as a potential diagnostic for Plasmodium vivax.

ABSTRACT: Plasmodium vivax is emerging as the most prevalent species causing malaria outside Africa. Most P. vivax infections are relapses due to the reactivation of the dormant liver stage parasites (hypnozoites). Hypnozoites are a major reservoir for transmission but undetectable by commercial diagnostic tests. Antibodies against P. vivax reticulocyte-binding protein 2b (PvRBP2b) are among the most reliable serological biomarkers for recent P. vivax infections in the prior 9 months and act as indirect biomarkers for risk of relapse. We sought to design stabilized variants of PvRBP2b, under stringent conditions of minimally perturbing the solvent-accessible surfaces to maintain its antigenicity profile. Furthermore, for some of the designs, due to limited diversity of natural PvRBP2b homologs, we c

SUBMITTER: D Sa J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11929097 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature