Award
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 5R01AI153425-05
Defining conserved epitopes on polymorphic malaria antigens
Recipient
University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
Award Amount
$527,357.00
Ceiling
$527,357.00
Awarded
January 23, 2025
Identifier
5R01AI153425-05
The project aims to identify conserved epitopes on malaria merozoite antigens to develop strain-transcending vaccines by studying immune responses and antibody characteristics in individuals with lifelong malaria exposure.
Description
This project studies immune responses against the malaria parasite in individuals with lifelong exposure to design better malaria vaccines. It compares antibodies from protected and susceptible individuals to identify characteristics of effective antibodies, maps conserved epitopes on merozoite antigens, isolates merozoite antigen-specific memory B cells, tests their ability to inhibit malaria strains, and deep-sequences B cell receptors to analyze immune responses. The goal is to develop immunogens that elicit strain-transcending antibodies and understand B cell differentiation mechanisms.