biostudies-literatureParra-Lopez CANIAID NIH HHSPHS HHSe100639https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC4077652biostudies-literatureUnknown9(7)Malaria is transmitted by Plasmodium-infected anopheles mosquitoes. Widespread resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides and resistance of parasites to drugs highlight the urgent need for malaria vaccines. The most advanced malaria vaccines target sporozoites, the infective form of the parasite. A major target of the antibody response to sporozoites are the repeat epitopes of the circumsporozoite (CS) protein, which span almost one half of the protein. Antibodies to these repeats can neutralize sporozoite infectivity. Generation of protective antibody responses to the CS protein (anti-CS Ab) requires help by CD4 T cells. A CD4 T cell epitope from the CS protein designated T* was previously identified by screening T cells from volunteers immunized with irradiated P. falciparum sporozoites. TPloS oneAn unstable Th epitope of P. falciparum fosters central memory T cells and anti-CS antibody responses.PMC4077652R37 AI038996R56 AI038996AI38996U19-57319R01 AI038996Calvo-Calle JMVargas LEPulido-Calixto CStern LJBernal-Estevez DSalazar LMYin LParra-Lopez CAfalseAn unstable Th epitope of P. falciparum fosters central memory T cells and anti-CS antibody responses.Malaria is transmitted by Plasmodium-infected anopheles mosquitoes. Widespread resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides and resistance of parasites to drugs highlight the urgent need for malaria vaccines. The most advanced malaria vaccines target sporozoites, the infective form of the parasite. A major target of the antibody response to sporozoites are the repeat epitopes of the circumsporozoite (CS) protein, which span almost one half of the protein. Antibodies to these repeats can neutralize sporozoite infectivity. Generation of protective antibody responses to the CS protein (anti-CS Ab) requires help by CD4 T cells. A CD4 T cell epitope from the CS protein designated T* was previously identified by screening T cells from volunteers immunized with irradiated P. falciparum sporozoites. T2014-01-01T00:00:00Z20142026-05-03T23:24:01.354Z2019-03-26T23:26:21ZS-EPMC40776522498346010.1371/journal.pone.0100639