Last Updated: 28/08/2024
Naturally acquired anti-PvRBP2b antibodies block red blood cell invasion and protect against Plasmodium vivax malaria
Objectives
*Original in Portuguese: Anticorpos anti-PvRBP2b adquiridos naturalmente, bloqueio de invasão de glóbulos vermelhos e proteção contra Malária por Plasmodium vivax
The aim of this project is to test whether people exposed to low levels of malaria transmission in the Brazilian Amazon develop anti-PvRBP2b antibodies that recognize the same epitopes as invasion-inhibiting murine mAbs, whether specific antibody responses are associated with reduced malaria risk and whether naturally acquired antibodies inhibit reticulocyte invasion by P. vivax ex vivo.
The PvRBP2b protein was recently identified as a key ligand for cell invasion by Plasmodium vivax, as it binds to transferrin receptor 1 (CD71) on the surface of immature erythrocytes, known as reticulocytes, the parasite’s targets for invasion. Evidence has emerged that naturally acquired antibodies against PvRBP2b are associated with reduced malaria risk in areas of high and low transmission. Furthermore, invasion of host cells by P. vivax can be partially inhibited ex vivo by murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) raised against the recombinant PvRBP2b protein.
Apr 2024 — Mar 2026
