Epitope and HLA specificity of human TCRs against Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein.

ABSTRACT: Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a significant global health challenge. Current vaccines elicit antibody responses against circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP) that prevent the infection of hepatocytes but offer only moderate protection. Cellular immunity has emerged as a critical component of preerythrocytic protection that might be leveraged to develop improved PfCSP vaccines. Here, we characterized the clonality, molecular features, epitope specificity, and HLA restrictions of the human PfCSP-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell response to vaccination with an adjuvanted PfCSP vaccine, FMP013/ALFQ. Using TCR expression cloning, we identified novel conserved CD4+ T cell epitopes in the PfCSP N terminus and showed that the C-terminal CS.T3 epitope was targeted by CD4+ and rare CD8+ T cells, whi

SUBMITTER: van Dijk H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12243953 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature