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
Topic(s)
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Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
79108 Freiburg
Germany
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Participants (5)
Cotonou
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NW7 1AA London
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2280 GH Rijswijk
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SE1 7EH London
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Cotonou
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