Toward the rational design of a malaria vaccine construct using the MSP3 family as an example: contribution of immunogenicity studies in models.

ABSTRACT: Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 3 (MSP3), the target of antibodies that mediate parasite killing in cooperation with blood monocytes and are associated with protection in exposed populations, is a vaccine candidate under development. It belongs to a family of six structurally related genes. To optimize immunogenicity, we attempted to improve its design based on knowledge of antigenicity of various regions from the conserved C terminus of the six proteins and an analysis of the immunogenicity of "tailored" constructs. The immunogenicity studies were conducted in BALB/c and C57BL/6J mice, using MSP3 (referred to here as MSP3-1) as a model. Four constructs were designed in order to assess the effect of sequences flanking the 69-amino-acid region of MSP3-1 previously shown to b

SUBMITTER: Daher LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2798173 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature