Malaria Peptide Research Articles

A VLP for validation of the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein junctional epitope for vaccine development

Malaria continues to be a pressing global health issue, causing nearly half a million deaths per year. An effective malaria vaccine could radically improve our ability to control and eliminate this pathogen. The most advanced malaria vaccine, RTS,S, confers only 30% protective efficacy under field conditions, and hence the search continues for improved vaccines. New antigens and formulations are always first developed at a pre-clinical level. This paper describes the development of a platform to supplement existing tools of pre-clinical malaria vaccine development, by displaying linear peptides on a virus-like particle (VLP). Peptides from PfCSP, particularly from outside the normal target of neutralizing antibodies, the central NANP repeat region, are screened for evidence of protective efficacy. One peptide, recently identified as a target of potent neutralizing antibodies and lying at the junction between the N-terminal domain and the central repeat region of PfCSP, is found to confer protective efficacy against malaria sporozoite challenge in mice when presented on the Qβ VLP. The platform is also used to explore the effects of increasing numbers of NANP unit repeats, and including a universal CD4+ T-cell epitope from tetanus toxin, on immunogenicity and protective efficacy. The VLP-peptide platform is shown to be of use in screening malaria peptides for protective efficacy and answering basic vaccinology questions in a pre-clinical setting.

Utilising nanoparticles to enhance the vaccine induced T cell immune response

Abstract Vaccines are a powerful and cost-effective tool to limit the spread of disease, however, there are still some complex diseases for which we don’t yet have a successful and long-lasting vaccine, for example malaria and cancers. One reason for this is the difficult choice of target antigen, though there is also a need for potent adjuvants/delivery systems capable of inducing both antibody and T cell responses. Current licensed adjuvants, for example Alum, mainly elicit strong antibody responses, therefore, novel vaccine delivery systems need to be developed. One such system is by utilising nanoparticles to increase the vaccine induced immune response. Inorganic carboxylated polystyrene nanoparticles in the viral size range (40–50nm) are non-inflammatory, stable in solution, and target dendritic cells. Importantly, these nanoparticles elicit potent antibody, CD4+ T cell and CD8+ T cell responses to a range of antigens in murine studies, including to malaria and cancer peptides. Using fluorescent nanoparticles allows us to assess the interaction of these nanoparticles with specific cell subsets, such as antigen presenting cells, by flow cytometry. Furthermore, we can analyse the biodistribution of the nanoparticles using small animal imaging via the IVIS. Ideally, for maximum translation capacity into human vaccines these nanoformulations would be biodegradable. In addition to our model polystyrene nanovaccines we have been investigating biodegradable nanoparticles made from other materials, i.e. iron oxide. Comparable to polystyrene nanoparticles, biodegradable nanovaccines are also endocytosed by dendritic cells and are capable of inducing antibodies and cytokine secretion from both CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells.

Prime-boost vaccination with chimpanzee adenovirus and modified vaccinia Ankara encoding TRAP provides partial protection against Plasmodium falciparum infection in Kenyan adults.

Protective immunity to the liver stage of the malaria parasite can be conferred by vaccine-induced T cells, but no subunit vaccination approach based on cellular immunity has shown efficacy in field studies. We randomly allocated 121 healthy adult male volunteers in Kilifi, Kenya, to vaccination with the recombinant viral vectors chimpanzee adenovirus 63 (ChAd63) and modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA), both encoding the malaria peptide sequence ME-TRAP (the multiple epitope string and thrombospondin-related adhesion protein), or to vaccination with rabies vaccine as a control. We gave antimalarials to clear parasitemia and conducted PCR (polymerase chain reaction) analysis on blood samples three times a week to identify infection with the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. On Cox regression, vaccination reduced the risk of infection by 67% [95% confidence interval (CI), 33 to 83%; P = 0.002] during 8 weeks of monitoring. T cell responses to TRAP peptides 21 to 30 were significantly associated with protection (hazard ratio, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.75; P = 0.016).

Novel Computerized Approaches to Investigating Pharmacological Activities

Complementing clinical assessments using computerized procedures with the view of completely disengaging from clinical procedures may become inevitable in future. Huge biological and pharmacological data (such as sequences) are churned out daily such that it is becoming difficult to process them without the aid of computers. Computerized approaches including Digital Signal Processing (DSP)-based Bioinformatics procedures like Informational Spectrum Method (ISM) are rational techniques that need be incorporated into pharmacological studies. By means of ISM and one biological parameter or Amino Acid Scale (AAS), we have preliminarily shown how pharmacological activities can be decoded using computerized techniques. However, for effective engagement of ISM, some basic information must be made available and engaged. Firstly, the sequence information comprising of the consensus sequences and all the mutations involved must be assembled and engaged. Pharmacological activities (e.g. drug resistance) are known to be expressed in the genes/proteins (e.g.MDR1 and MDR2, pfdr1, etc). Secondly, biological parameters must be identified and engaged. This calls for good knowledge of the drugs’ mechanisms of action at the atomic level. This is because it has been identified that, at one point mutation; more than one biological parameter may be involved. To obtain the entirety of pharmacological activities exhibited therefore, aggregation of the contributions from each mutation and parameter is needed.We have then unveiled and compared the pharmacological activities of anti-retroviral agents (Enfuvirtide and Sifuvirtide), and potencies of Malaria vaccine candidates, peptides P18 and P32 (Innocentive Challenge Winning Solver Award, ID: 9933477), etc. A biomedical device called Computer-Aided Drug Resistance Calculator (Patent Application filed in 2014) is developed using this novel computerized approach. The device will rationally help assess a pharmacological property (drug resistance). Other researchers have recorded in-silico pharmacological assessments. Clinically and computationally derived outcomes are found to correlate. We therefore propose that these computerized approaches be engaged in deciphering pharmacological activities where sequence information and biological parameters are available. These approaches are rational. They also present pharmacological findings in numerical terms. In this era of rational, computerized, informatics- and robotics-based procedures, these approaches are envisaged to transform pharmacological investigation procedures especially now that pharmacological activities could be deciphered from their protein sequences or those of their protein targets and the genes/proteins expressing them. The procedures engaged in this study are expected to be embodied into Pharmaco-informatics program.

Virosome-Formulated Plasmodium falciparum AMA-1 & CSP Derived Peptides as Malaria Vaccine: Randomized Phase 1b Trial in Semi-Immune Adults & Children

BackgroundThis trial was conducted to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of two virosome formulated malaria peptidomimetics derived from Plasmodium falciparum AMA-1 and CSP in malaria semi-immune adults and children.MethodsThe design was a prospective randomized, double-blind, controlled, age-deescalating study with two immunizations. 10 adults and 40 children (aged 5–9 years) living in a malaria endemic area were immunized with PEV3B or virosomal influenza vaccine Inflexal®V on day 0 and 90.ResultsNo serious or severe adverse events (AEs) related to the vaccines were observed. The only local solicited AE reported was pain at injection site, which affected more children in the Inflexal®V group compared to the PEV3B group (p = 0.014). In the PEV3B group, IgG ELISA endpoint titers specific for the AMA-1 and CSP peptide antigens were significantly higher for most time points compared to the Inflexal®V control group. Across all time points after first immunization the average ratio of endpoint titers to baseline values in PEV3B subjects ranged from 4 to 15 in adults and from 4 to 66 in children. As an exploratory outcome, we found that the incidence rate of clinical malaria episodes in children vaccinees was half the rate of the control children between study days 30 and 365 (0.0035 episodes per day at risk for PEV3B vs. 0.0069 for Inflexal®V; RR = 0.50 [95%-CI: 0.29–0.88], p = 0.02).ConclusionThese findings provide a strong basis for the further development of multivalent virosomal malaria peptide vaccines.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT00513669

Association of HLA alleles withPlasmodium falciparumseverity in Malian children

Pre-erythrocytic immunity to Plasmodium falciparum malaria is likely to be mediated by T-cell recognition of malaria epitopes presented on infected host cells via class I and II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens. To test for associations of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles with disease severity, we performed high-resolution typing of HLA class I and II loci and compared the distributions of alleles of HLA-A, -B, -C and -DRB1 loci in 359 Malian children of Dogon ethnicity with uncomplicated or severe malaria. We observed that alleles A*30:01 and A*33:01 had higher frequency in the group of patients with cerebral disease compared to patients with uncomplicated disease [A*30:01: gf = 0.2031 vs gf = 0.1064, odds ratio (OR) = 3.17, P = 0.004, confidence interval (CI) (1.94–5.19)] and [A*33:01: gf = 0.0781 vs gf = 0.0266, 4.21, P = 0.005, CI (1.89–9.84)], respectively. The A*30:01 and A*33:01 alleles share some sequence motifs and A*30:01 appears to have a unique peptide binding repertoire compared to other A*30 group alleles. Computer algorithms predicted malaria peptides with strong binding affinity for HLA-A*30:01 and HLA-A*33:01 but not to closely related alleles. In conclusion, we identified A*30:01 and A*33:01 as potential susceptibility factors for cerebral malaria, providing further evidence that polymorphism of MHC genes results in altered malaria susceptibility.

Heat shock proteins as carrier molecules: in vivo helper effect mediated by Escherichia coli GroEL and DnaK proteins requires cross-linking with antigen.

In the past few years we have shown that mycobacterial heat shock proteins (hsp) of 65 and 70 kD exert a very strong helper effect in mice and monkeys when conjugated to peptides and oligosaccharides and given in the absence of adjuvants. In the present study we show that this adjuvant-free helper effect (i) is not due to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), since it was observed in LPS-resistant mice (C3H/HeJ) immunized with hsp-based constructs containing the malaria peptide (NANP)40, and (ii) is characteristic of hsp, since it was not observed with conjugates containing the mycobacterial p38 antigen, which is not a stress protein. Interestingly, the hsp GroEL and DnaK of Escherichia coli, which share a high degree of homology with the mycobacterial 65-kD and 70-kD hsp, respectively, exhibit a strong in vivo helper effect when conjugated to the (NANP)40 peptide, and the conjugates given in the absence of adjuvants. This in vivo helper behaviour of the GroEL and DnaK proteins corresponds well to that observed with the mycobacterial 65-kD and 70-kD hsp, respectively, since the hsp65- and GroEL-based constructs require previous priming of the animals with live bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), which is not needed for the hsp70- and DnaK-based constructs. Finally, using both mycobacterial and E. coli hsp we show that their in vivo helper effect in the absence of adjuvants requires cross-linking to the synthetic peptide. Taken together, our results suggest that the adjuvant-free helper effect observed with mycobacterial and E. coli hsp may be a generalized phenomenon, exhibited by hsp from diverse microorganisms. These findings may find applications in the design of vaccine constructs.

Successful primate immunization with peptides conjugated to purified protein derivative or mycobacterial heat shock proteins in the absence of adjuvants.

We have previously shown in mice that antibodies can be induced to synthetic malaria peptides conjugated to mycobacterial antigens, such as purified protein derivative (PPD) or heat shock proteins (hsp), and given in the absence of adjuvants after a previous priming with bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG). In the present study we investigated this model of immunization in the non-human primates, Saimiri sciureus monkeys. Monkeys primed with BCG subcutaneously and then immunized subcutaneously with the Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite (NANP)40 synthetic peptide conjugated to PPD or mycobacterial hsp of 65 or 70 kD, in the absence of adjuvants, produced antipeptide and anti-sporozoite IgG antibodies. Interestingly, the carrier effect of the hsp of 70 kD for the induction of anti-(NANP)40 antibodies was also observed in the absence of a previous priming with BCG. These data suggest that such a vaccination strategy may be applied to humans.

Contribution of influenza immunity and virosomal-formulated synthetic peptide to cellular immune responses in a phase I subunit malaria vaccine trial

We have demonstrated recently in a phase Ia clinical trial that synthetic malaria peptides delivered by immuno-potentiating reconstituted influenza virosomes (IRIV) induced long-lived peptide-specific antibody responses in all volunteers. In the current ancillary study to this clinical trial we have investigated the cellular immune responses specific for IRIV and the surface bound synthetic malaria peptides tested. After vaccination, in 50% (8/16) of the volunteers at least one positive lymphoproliferative response specific for the 49mer peptide derived from the Plasmodium falciparum apical membrane antigen-1 (AMA-1) was observed with stimulation indices ranging from 2 to 4.5. All volunteers showed pre-existing IRIV specific cellular immunity assessed by ex vivo IFN-γ ELISpot analysis and lymphoproliferation. The pre-existing influenza specific T cell responses did not interfere negatively with the induction of malaria peptide-specific humoral and cellular immune responses. Our results support the view that IRIV constitute a safe antigen delivery system for induction of peptide-specific immune responses in human populations.

Malaria infection changes the ability of splenic dendritic cell populations to stimulate antigen-specific T cells

The capacity of splenic CD11c+ dendritic cell (DC) populations to present antigen (Ag) to T cells differs during malarial infection with Plasmodium chabaudi in mice. Both CD11c+CD8+ and CD8− DCs presented malarial peptides on their surface during infection. However, although both DC subsets expressing malaria peptides could induce interferon-γ production by CD4 T cells, only CD8− DCs isolated at the acute phase of infection stimulated Ag-specific T cell proliferation and interleukin (IL)-4 and -10 production from MSP1-specific T cell receptor for Ag transgenic T cells coincidental with our reported Th1 to Th2 switch at this stage in response to the pathogen. The timing of these distinct DC responses coincided with increased levels of apoptosis in the CD8+ population and an increase in the numbers of CD8− DCs in the spleen. Our data suggest that the switch in CD4 T cell responses observed in P. chabaudi–infected mice may be the result of the presentation by different DC populations modified by the malaria infection.

Human CD4+ T Cells Induced by Synthetic Peptide Malaria Vaccine Are Comparable to Cells Elicited by AttenuatedPlasmodium falciparumSporozoites

Peptide vaccines containing minimal epitopes of protective Ags provide the advantages of low cost, safety, and stability while focusing host responses on relevant targets of protective immunity. However, the limited complexity of malaria peptide vaccines raises questions regarding their equivalence to immune responses elicited by the irradiated sporozoite vaccine, the "gold standard" for protective immunity. A panel of CD4+ T cell clones was derived from volunteers immunized with a peptide vaccine containing minimal T and B cell epitopes of the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein to compare these with previously defined CD4+ T cell clones from volunteers immunized with irradiated P. falciparum sporozoites. As found following sporozoite immunization, the majority of clones from the peptide-immunized volunteers recognized the T* epitope, a predicted universal T cell epitope, in the context of multiple HLA DR and DQ molecules. Peptide-induced T cell clones were of the Th0 subset, secreting high levels of IFN-gamma as well as variable levels of Th2-type cytokines (IL-4, IL-6). The T* epitope overlaps a polymorphic region of the circumsporozoite protein and strain cross-reactivity of the peptide-induced clones correlated with recognition of core epitopes overlapping the conserved regions of the T* epitope. Importantly, as found following sporozoite immunization, long-lived CD4+ memory cells specific for the T* epitope were detectable 10 mo after peptide immunization. These studies demonstrate that malaria peptides containing minimal epitopes can elicit human CD4+ T cells with fine specificity and potential effector function comparable to those elicited by attenuated P. falciparum sporozoites.

Applying biotin-streptavidin binding for iscom (immunostimulating complex) association of recombinant immunogens.

We have previously reported strategies for Escherichia coli production of recombinant immunogens fused to hydrophobic peptide or lipid tags to improve their capacity to be incorporated into an adjuvant formulation. In the present study, we have explored the strong interaction between biotin and SA (streptavidin) (K(D) approximately 10(-15) M) to couple recombinant immunogens to iscoms (immunostimulating complexes). Two different concepts were evaluated. In the first concept, a His(6)-tagged SA fusion protein (His(6)-SA) was bound to Ni(2+)-loaded iscom matrix (iscom without associated protein), and biotinylated immunogens were thereafter associated with the SA-coated iscoms. The immunogens were either biotinylated in vivo on E. coli expression or double biotinylated in vivo and in vitro. In the second concept, the recombinant immunogens were expressed as SA fusion proteins, which were directly bound to a biotinylated iscom matrix. A 53-amino-acid malaria peptide (M5), derived from the central repeat region of the Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage antigen Pf155/RESA, and a 232-amino-acid segment (SRS2') from the central region (from Pro-97 to Lys-328) of the major surface antigen NcSRS2 of the protozoan parasite Neospora caninum, served as model immunogens in the present study. All fusion proteins generated were found to be efficiently expressed and could be recovered to high purity using affinity chromatography. The association between the different immunogen-containing fusion proteins and the corresponding iscom matrix was demonstrated by analytical ultracentrifugation in a sucrose density gradient. However, some fusion proteins were, to a certain extent, also found to associate unspecifically with a regular iscom matrix. Furthermore, selected iscom fractions were demonstrated to induce high-titre antigen-specific antibody responses on immunization of mice. For the particular target immunogen SRS2', the induced antibodies demonstrated reactivity to the native antigen NcSRS2. We believe that the presented concepts offer convenient methods to achieve efficient adjuvant association of recombinant immunogens, and the advantages and disadvantages of the two concepts are discussed.

Immunisation of mice against neosporosis with recombinant NcSRS2 iscoms

The coccidian parasite Neospora caninum is an intracellular protozoan, causing abortion in cattle in many countries around the world. In this study, the protective potential of the major N. caninum surface antigen NcSRS2, expressed in Escherichia coli and formulated into immunostimulating complexes (iscoms), was investigated in an experimental mouse model. The recombinant protein was specially designed for binding to iscoms via biotin–streptavidin interaction. Two groups of 10 BALB/c mice were immunised twice, on days 0 and 28 with iscoms containing either the recombinant NcSRS2 (NcSRS2 iscoms) or similar iscoms with NcSRS2 substituted by an unrelated recombinant malaria peptide (M5) as a control (M5 iscoms). A third group of 10 age-matched BALB/c mice served as an uninfected control group. Immunisation with recombinant NcSRS2 iscoms resulted in production of substantial antibody titres against N. caninum antigen, while the mice immunised with M5 iscoms produced only very low levels of antibodies reacting with N. caninum antigen. After challenge infection with N. caninum tachyzoites on day 69, mice immunised with NcSRS2 iscoms showed only mild and transient symptoms, whereas the group immunised with M5 iscoms showed clinical symptoms until the end of the experiment at 31 days post inoculation. A competitive PCR assay detecting Nc5-repeats was applied to evaluate the level of parasite DNA in the brain. The amount of Nc5-repeats in the group vaccinated with NcSRS2 iscoms was significantly lower than in the control group given M5 iscoms. In conclusion, it was found that the recombinant NcSRS2 iscoms induced specific antibodies to native NcSRS2 and immunity sufficient to reduce the proliferation of N. caninum in the brains of immunised mice.

Evidence supporting the hypothesis that specifically modifying a malaria peptide to fit into HLA-DRβ1 *03 molecules induces antibody production and protection

EBA-175 protein is used as ligand in Plasmodium falciparum binding to erythrocytes. Evidence shows that conserved peptide 1815 from this protein having high red blood cell binding ability plays an important role in the invasion process. This peptide is neither immunogenic nor protective. Residues were substituted by amino acids having similar volume or mass but different polarity in 1815 analogues had to make them fit into HLA-DRβ1 *03 molecules; these were synthesised and inoculated into Aotus monkeys, generating different immunogenic and/or protective immune responses. A shortening in α-helix structure was found in the immunogenic and protective ones when their secondary structure was analyzed by NMR to correlate their structure with their immunological properties. This data, together with results from previous studies, suggests that this shortening in high-activity binding peptide (HABP) helical configuration may lead to better fitting into immune system molecules as shown by binding to purified HLA-DRβ1 * molecules rendering them immunogenic and protective and therefore, excellent candidates for consideration as components of a subunit based multi-component synthetic vaccine against malaria.

Fitting modified HRP-I peptide analogue 3D structure into HLA-DR molecules induces protection against Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Conserved, high-activity, red blood cell binding malaria peptide 6786, from the HRP-I protein, having a random 3D structure as determined by 1H-NMR, was non-immunogenic and non-protection inducing when used as an immunogen in Aotus monkeys. Modifications made in its amino acid sequence were thus performed to render it immunogenic and protection inducing. Non-immunogenic, non-protection inducing modified peptide 13852 presented A2-H8 and K14-L18 helix fragments. Immunogenic, non-protection inducing modified peptide 23428 presented a short, displaced helix in a different region, whilst immunogenic, protection inducing peptide 24224 had 2 displaced helical regions towards the central region giving more flexibility to its N- and C-terminals. Immunogenic and protection inducing peptides bound with high affinity to HLA-DRB1* 0301 whilst others did not bind to any HLA-DRB1* purified molecule. Structural modifications may thus lead to inducing immunogenicity and protection associated with their capacity to bind specifically to purified HLA-DRB1* molecules, suggesting a new way of developing multi-component, subunit-based malarial vaccines.

Childhood and malaria vaccines combined in biodegradable microspheres produce immunity with synergistic interactions

Biodegradable microspheres may represent a potential tool for the delivery of combination vaccines. We demonstrate strong immunogenicity of five co-encapsulated antigens after a single subcutaneous inoculation in guinea pigs. Tetanus- and diphtheria-specific antibodies were not significantly affected by the presence of either antigen or by the presence of pertussis or Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) antigens. Microsphere formulations gave better protection against diphtheria toxin than did two injections of a licensed tetravalent vaccine. Finally, a synthetic malaria peptide antigen (PfCS) also encapsulated in PLGA microspheres increased diphtheria and tetanus-specific immunity and improved protection against diphtheria. These findings demonstrate the potential of microspheres as an alternative and promising strategy for combination vaccines with a further aptitude in reducing the number of inoculations required to gain functional immunity.

Long-term multiepitopic cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte responses induced in chimpanzees by combinations of Plasmodium falciparum liver-stage peptides and lipopeptides.

Preclinical immunogenicity studies of 12 malaria peptides, selected from four Plasmodium falciparum antigens (Ags), namely, LSA1, LSA3, SALSA, and STARP, that are expressed at the pre-erythrocytic (sporozoite and liver) stages of the human parasite were carried out in chimpanzees. To strengthen their immunogenicity, six of these synthetic peptides were modified by the C-terminal addition of a single palmitoyl chain (lipopeptides) and delivered without adjuvant, whereas the remaining six unmodified peptides were emulsified and delivered by using Montanide ISA51 adjuvant. We have previously reported that these peptides and lipopeptides induce high B-cell and CD4(+)-T-helper responses in chimpanzees. In this report, we show their ability to induce multiepitopic and long-lasting antigen-specific CD8(+) cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses. The magnitude, consistency, and memory of CTL responses generated by LSA3 peptides point to the strong immunogenicity of this liver-stage Ag. These findings support the screening strategy used to select the four P. falciparum pre-erythrocytic Ags and emphasize their valuable immunogenic properties. The successful immunization of nonhuman primates with combinations of corresponding peptides in a mineral oil emulsion (ISA51) and lipopeptides in saline provide a vaccine formulation that can be tested in humans.

CEL-1000—a peptide with adjuvant activity for Th1 immune responses

CEL-1000 (derG, DGQEEKAGVVSTGLIGGG) is a small immunomodulatory peptide which delivers demonstrated protective activity in two infectious disease challenge models (HSV and malaria) and an allogenic tumor vaccine model. CEL-1000 and other activators (defensin-β, CpG ODN, and imiquimod) of the innate immune system promote IFN-γ-associated protective responses. CEL-1000 is an improved form of peptide G (a peptide from human MHC II β chain second domain, aa 135–149) known to enhance immune responses of other immunogenic peptides. Since defensin-β, CpG ODN, and imiquimod have been shown to possess adjuvant activity, we investigated the adjuvant effect of peptide G and CEL-1000 as conjugates with HIV and malaria peptides. Antibody titers and isotypes were evaluated on serum taken from select days following immunization. Results for CEL-1000 and G peptide conjugates were compared with results for KLH conjugates of the same HIV peptide from the p17 molecule (87–116) referred to as HGP-30. Studies demonstrated that comparable titers were seen on day 28, 42, 63, and 77 with either G or KLH-HGP-30 peptide conjugates. In another study, CEL-1000 conjugates (CEL-1000-HGP-30) demonstrated a 4–10-fold higher titer antibody response than seen with several other peptide conjugates of the same HGP-30 peptide. Improved adjuvant activity of CEL-1000 in peptide conjugates was also demonstrated by a shift in the antibody isotypes toward a Th1 response (IgG2a). The IgG2a/IgG1, ratio for G-HGP-30 HIV or KLH-HGP-30 HIV conjugates were lower than for the CEL-1000-HGP-30 HIV conjugate. A similar favoring of the IgG2a/IgG1 ratio was seen for a malaria peptide conjugate (CEL-1000-SF/GF) compared to the un-conjugated peptide (SF-GF). CEL-1000 also showed adjuvant activity in an allogenic tumor vaccine model. As expected for an adjuvant, CEL-1000 or G does not induce detectable self-directed or cross reactive antibodies. CEL-1000 is currently being investigated for use as an adjuvant with conventional vaccines. It is expected that IgG2a antibodies would be preferably generated by CEL-1000 adjuvancy and could enhance in vivo clearance of antigens or pathogens.

Immune response to Plasmodium falciparum antigens in Cameroonian primigravidae: evolution after delivery and during second pregnancy.

Mechanisms responsible for the increase in malaria susceptibility during pregnancy, and in particular during the first pregnancy, have not been elucidated. T and B cell responses to leucoagglutinin, bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and to six Plasmodium falciparum antigens were longitudinally investigated in 33 pregnant women during their first pregnancy, after delivery, and during second pregnancy. Parasitological data obtained from the same women during and after the first pregnancy demonstrated the higher risk of P. falciparum infection during this pregnancy. Plasma levels of antibodies to Pf155/ RESA were lower during pregnancy than after delivery. Conversely, antibodies to P. falciparum asexual blood stages were higher during pregnancy than after delivery, suggesting that during pregnancy the regulation of antibody production may be variously impaired depending upon the antigens. The most striking finding of the present study is the impairment of the IL-2 cellular response during the first pregnancy. Conversely, proliferative responses, as well as IL-4 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) responses, were either unaffected or moderately enhanced. No difference in humoral and cellular responses was observed between first and second pregnancy. The impairment of the IL-2 responses involved the response to malaria peptides and proteins, as well as the response to non-malarial antigens and to the mitogen leucoagglutinin. Thus, the alteration of malaria immunity might rather fall into the general frame of the depression of cellular immunity during pregnancy than involve a specific malaria phenomenon.

MHC allele-specific binding of a malaria peptide makes it become promiscuous on fitting a glycine residue into pocket 6

Peptide 1585 (EVLYLKPLAGVYRSLKKQLE) has a highly conserved amino-acid sequence located in the Plasmodium falciparum main merozoite surface protein (MSP-1) C-terminal region, required for merozoite entry into human erythrocytes and therefore represents a vaccine candidate for P. falciparum malaria. Original sequence-specific binding to five HLA DRB1* alleles (0101, 0102, 0401, 0701, and 1101) revealed this peptide’s specific HLA DRB1*0102 allele binding. This peptide’s allele-specific binding to HLA DRB1*0102 took on broader specificity for the DRB1*0101, -0401, and -1101 alleles when lysine was replaced by glycine in position 17 (peptide 5198: EVLYLKPLAGVYRSLKG 17QLE). Binding of the identified G 10VYRSLKGQLE 20 C-terminal register to these alleles suggests that peptide promiscuous binding relied on fitting Y 12, L 15, and G 17 into P-1, P-4, and P-6, respectively. The implications of the findings and the future of this synthetic vaccine candidate are discussed.