Objective
Infection of the liver by Plasmodium parasites, the causative agents of malaria, is an essential and clinically silent phase that constitutes an ideal target for anti-malarial prophylactic approaches such as vaccines. After inoculation in the skin by a mosquito, Plasmodium sporozoites migrate to the liver and invade hepatocytes, where they differentiate into liver stages and thousands of pathogenic merozoites. Liver stage-infected hepatocytes are potential targets for protective CD8 T cells elicited after immunization with live attenuated sporozoites, but the target antigens remain to be identified. We have previously identified a master regulator of Plasmodium liver stage development, named SLARP, which regulates gene expression during parasite stage conversion. SLARP-deficient parasites show a complete developmental arrest in the liver and, interestingly, confer poor protective immunity in rodent malaria models. We have recently generated a list of genes that are regulated by SLARP and may be involved in liver stage development and protective immunity. The objectives of this proposal are 1) to use a medium throughput reverse genetics approach to analyze the role of these genes during stage conversion, and 2) to investigate the molecular basis of SLARP-dependent gene regulation. One major roadblock for the development of pre-erythrocytic immune intervention strategies is the remodeling of the parasite antigenic make-up during stage conversion upon host switch. Generation of parasite lines with defined defects in stage conversion, ranging from early transformation to onset of DNA replication and parasite growth, will aid in prioritizing candidate protective antigens, which together can elicit lasting protection against reinfection. Furthermore, a better understanding at the molecular level of the process of parasite differentiation in the liver is a pre-requisite for the rational development of novel therapeutic approaches targeting malaria pre-erythrocytic stages.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases malaria
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology immunisation
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs vaccines
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology invertebrate zoology
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2011-CIG
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MC-CIG - Support for training and career development of researcher (CIG)
Coordinator
75654 PARIS
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.