Optimizing Direct Membrane and Direct Skin Feeding Assays for Plasmodium falciparum Transmission-Blocking Vaccine Trials in Bancoumana, Mali.

ABSTRACT: Malaria transmission-blocking vaccines (TBV) have been evaluated in field trials in Mali since 2013. However, the assays currently used to measure serum antibody TB activity (TBA) after vaccination are highly variable, in part due to the lack of optimization and standardization for field assays in which mosquitoes feed on gametocytemic blood. Herein, we report a study conducted in Bancoumana village, Mali, where we identify and optimize the parameters that contribute to successful mosquito feeding outcomes in both direct skin feeds (DSFs) and direct membrane feeding assays (DMFA). These parameters include: 1) mosquito age, 2) duration of mosquito starvation prior to feeding, 3) membrane selection for DMFA, 4) anatomical location of DSF feeding (arm, calf, and ankle), and 5) time of day for

SUBMITTER: Coulibaly MB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5590592 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature