A subset of Plasmodium falciparum RIFINs is linked to severe malaria risk reduction and engages LILRB1 through a conserved structural motif.

ABSTRACT:

Background

RIFIN proteins are key mediators of Plasmodium falciparum immune evasion through antigenic variation and inhibitory receptor interactions; however, some RIFIN variants elicit protective antibody responses in individuals with malaria. While it is not surprising that RIFINs provoke immune responses, the functional and structural basis of both the association of RIFINs with clinical outcomes and their engagement with inhibitory receptors remains a critical knowledge gap in malaria immunology.

Methods

In a systematic immunoproteomic analysis that uses protein microarrays, we profiled anti-RIFIN antibody responses in individuals with malaria and correlated these responses with disease severity. Candidate RIFINs linked to severe malaria risk reduction were identified an

SUBMITTER: Kassegne K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12704075 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature