EndPAMaL

One of our key projects , " Systematic prioritization and initial characterization of Plasmodium falciparum vaccine antigens against pregnancy associated malaria"   is part of the EDCTP2 programme supported by the European Union.

Malaria in pregnancy contributes to over 10,000 maternal and 200,000 infant deaths per year worldwide with over 25 million pregnancies at risk of infection in sub-Saharan Africa alone. Many of these deaths are due to severe anaemia in pregnant women and low birth weight. Malaria infection is highest between 13 and 18 weeks of pregnancy, when infected red blood cells begin to accumulate in the placenta causing placental malaria infection. However, there is strong scientific evidence that women in their second and subsequent pregnancies have a lower risk of placental malaria infection and severe malarial disease partly due to antibodies they acquire against Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) parasite proteins. By identifying these protein targets, we can develop vaccines that can protect women against malaria at this critical stage of raising a family. 

The objective of this study therefore, is to identify proteins against which pregnant women raise antibodies that protect them against placental malarial infection in pregnancy-associated malaria. In previous malaria vaccine studies, the focus has been on a limited number of protein targets lacking the full depth of available genomic sequence information. Here, a eukaryotic protein expression system will be used to produce a large library of P. falciparum proteins selected based on gene expression, biophysical characteristics such as size, 3D structure among others and the genomic diversity criteria that includes different protein families.  We are investigating the ability of the proteins selected to cause antibody production that blocks infected red blood cells from binding to the placenta. The aim is to understand the mechanism of antibody inhibiting the parasite while introducing protein diversity at the earliest stage of target identification; a key aspect of vaccine studies. Antibodies with the highest functional ability to block iRBCs will be tested in combination for future development, and further validation of vaccine targets. 

This approach will radically change the scale and pace of pregnancy associated vaccine development, and will produce resources of broad utility to the malaria research community and strengthen research Kenya and Africa.

We recently summarized our thoughts in this review

Importantly,   leveraging technologies optimized in the COVID-19 era will greatly accelerate malaria vaccine studies. 

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fitd.2022.988665/full