Germinal center activity and B cell maturation are associated with protective antibody responses against Plasmodium pre-erythrocytic infection.

ABSTRACT: Blocking Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, at the asymptomatic pre-erythrocytic stage would abrogate disease pathology and prevent transmission. However, the lack of well-defined features within vaccine-elicited antibody responses that correlate with protection represents a major roadblock to improving on current generation vaccines. We vaccinated mice (BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J) with Py circumsporozoite protein (CSP), the major surface antigen on the sporozoite, and evaluated vaccine-elicited humoral immunity and identified immunological factors associated with protection after mosquito bite challenge. Vaccination achieved 60% sterile protection and otherwise delayed blood stage patency in BALB/cJ mice. In contrast, all C57BL/6J mice were infected similar to controls. Protection was

SUBMITTER: Visweswaran GRR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9292112 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature