Malaria asexual blood stages: a European network. The characterization and immunogenicity of plasmodium falciparum asexual blood stage antigens

Objective

THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMMUNITY TO THE ERYTHROCYTIC STAGES OF THE MALARIA PARASITE, PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM, WITHIN A DEFINED ENDEMIC AREA IN BENIN, WEST AFRICA. THE SPECIFICITY AND FUNCTION OF RESPONDING T CELLS WILL BE STUDIED WITH REFERENCE TO RESPONSES WHICH CORRELATE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT EITHER OF THE PATHOLOGY OF THIS DISEASE OR WITH PROTECTIVE IMMUNITY. THE PHERNOTYPE AND FUNCTION OF T CELLS RESPONDING TO ENTIGENS OF P. FALCIPARUM WILL BE COMPARED AMONGST INDIVIDUALS OF DIFFERING AGE, DISEASE AND IMMUNE STATUS. THESE INDIVIDUALS WILL ALSO BE STUDIED FOR THEIR RESPONSES TO SELECTED DEFINED ANTIGENS (MSA-1, MSA-2, AMA-1 AND S-ANTIGENS) AND TO OTHER PROTEINS OF THE PARASITES. THE EFFECTS OF IMMUNE PRESSURE ON VARIABILITY ON THESE ANTIGENS WILL BE INVESTIGATED TOGETHER WITH A STUDY OF THE PEPTIDES WHICH ARE PREESENTED TO T CELLS. THIS WILL DETERMINE WHETHER THE PEPTIDES RECOGNISED BY IMMUNE CELLS ARE THOSE AFFECTED BY IMMUNE PRESSURE AND WHETHER THESE ANTIGENS ARE SUITABLE CANDIDATES FOR INCORPORATION IN A MALARIA VACCINE.

Fields of science

• medical and health sciences › health sciences › infectious diseases › malaria
• natural sciences › biological sciences › biochemistry › biomolecules › proteins
• medical and health sciences › basic medicine › pharmacology and pharmacy › pharmaceutical drugs › vaccines
• medical and health sciences › basic medicine › pathology

Programme(s)

• FP3-STD 3 - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of the life sciences and technologies for developing countries, 1990-1994

Topic(s)

Data not available

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Forderungder Wissenschaften e.V.

Address

Stübeweg 51
79108 Freiburg
Germany

Participants (5)

Centre National Hospitalier et Universitaire Cotonou

Benin

Address

Cotonou

MRC National Institute for Medical Research

United Kingdom

Address

The Ridgeway Mill Hil
NW7 1AA London

Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek

Netherlands

Address

157,lange Kleiweg
2280 GH Rijswijk

United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas's Hospitals

United Kingdom

Address

London Bridge
SE1 7EH London

Université Nationale de Bénin

Benin

Address

Cotonou