Objective Adhesion of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (PE) to placental chondroitin-4-sulfate (CSA) has been linked to the severe disease outcome of pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM). After multiple pregnancies, women acquire protective antibodies that block CSA-binding and cross-react with geographically diverse placental isolates suggesting that surface molecule(s) expressed by PAM-infected erythrocytes have conserved epitopes and that a PAM vaccine may be possible. Recent evidence strongly suggests that var2CSA, a member of the P. falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) family, may have an important role in PAM and immunity. Although var2CSA and to some extent var1CSA are the main candidates for a pregnancy malaria vaccine, experimental evidence implies that antigenic polymorphism and the lack of a small animal in vivo experimental model may pose a challenge for vaccine development. To date, efforts to develop a truly prophylactic PAM vaccine have been hindered by the difficulty in identifying immunogens that elicit broadly neutralizing and adhesion-blocking antibodies. Accordingly, a small number of highly specialized and experienced malaria research groups from Europe (6 groups) and endemic countries (2 groups) have decided to give highest priority to decipher the molecular basis for the CSA binding to the parasite ligands in order to define the common features within the different CSA-binding domains and the cross-reactive epitopes that are likely to be the targets of natural protective antibodies. This knowledge will not only be very helpful in the design of novel PfEMP1-CSA based antigens capable of inducing broad and potent neutralising antibodies to a wide variety of strains, but also to identify molecules with inhibitory capacity that could be considered for therapeutic strategies as anti-adhesive drugs. Fields of science medical and health scienceshealth sciencesinfectious diseasesmalarianatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsmedical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsvaccinesmedical and health sciencesclinical medicineobstetrics Keywords CSA DBL chondroitin crystallography interaction malaria plasmodium pregnancy structure Programme(s) FP7-HEALTH - Specific Programme "Cooperation": Health Topic(s) HEALTH-2007-2.3.2-4 - Addressing knowledge gaps in pregnancy malaria Call for proposal FP7-HEALTH-2007-A See other projects for this call Funding Scheme CP-FP - Small or medium-scale focused research project Coordinator INSTITUT PASTEUR Address Rue du docteur roux 25-28 75724 Paris France See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Graham Bentley (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution No data Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR GENETIC ENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY Italy EU contribution € 345 510,00 Address Padriciano 99 34149 Trieste See on map Region Nord-Est Friuli-Venezia Giulia Trieste Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Shubha Narayanan (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET Denmark EU contribution € 334 264,00 Address Norregade 10 1165 Kobenhavn See on map Region Danmark Hovedstaden Byen København Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Ivan Kristoffersen (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data UNIVERSITATSKLINIKUM HEIDELBERG Germany EU contribution € 338 251,00 Address Im neuenheimer feld 672 69120 Heidelberg See on map Region Baden-Württemberg Karlsruhe Heidelberg, Stadtkreis Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Thorsten Brietz (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS LEIDEN Netherlands EU contribution € 334 473,00 Address Albinusdreef 2 2333 ZA Leiden See on map Region West-Nederland Zuid-Holland Agglomeratie Leiden en Bollenstreek Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Linda Ouwerkerk (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data 4 SC AG Germany EU contribution € 123 003,00 Address Fraunhoferstr. 22 82152 Planegg martinsried See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Landkreis Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Dagmar Schirm (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTE ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE France EU contribution € 81 000,00 Address Rue de tolbiac 101 75654 Paris See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Isabelle Pires (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data
