Molecular studies of human antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum transmission-blocking antigens

Malaria is a mosquito-vectored infectious disease caused by several Plasmodium species, with P. falciparum being the most deadly. Globally, around 3.4 billion people are at risk of acquiring malaria infection and disease. Although widespread insecticide and anti-malarial drug use have led to a dramatic decline in malaria-associated deaths, the emergence of insecticide and drug resistance has threatened this progress. To overcome these hurdles, vaccine candidates are being developed that target different parts of the parasite’s life cycle. Transmission-blocking vaccines (TBV) elicit antibodies targeting the sexual stages of Plasmodium development in mosquitoes. Preventing the development of Plasmodium gametocytes into infectious sporozoites can interrupt the transmission cycle and reduce the global malaria burden. Pfs25 and Pfs48/45 are two of the most promising TBV targets for P. falciparum. To develop durable TBVs capable of providing long-term transmission-blocking efficacy, structure-based vaccine design has emerged as a promising approach. This involves characterizing the interactions between potent antibodies and their antigens using biophysical and structural techniques and applying this information to guide vaccine design. Together this work will expand current understanding of the human immune response to P. falciparum antigens and inform the design of an efficacious malaria transmission-blocking vaccine.

Immunology

May 2023 — Apr 2026

$81,392

Canada