Characterization of the cysteine-rich small secreted (CSs) protein as a vaccine candidate against Plasmodium

• Grant number: 19/21507-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2020
• End date: August 14, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Youssef Bargieri
• Grantee: Xiomara Alexandra Gaitán
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 22/05918-5 - Characterization of the cysteine-rich small secreted (CSS) protein roll in the Plasmodium berghei sporozoite transmission, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Malaria is a preventable, diagnosable and treatable disease. Yet, the disease causes thousands of deaths every year, and millions of people are still endangered. Almost all Malaria cases worldwide are due to infection with Plasmodium vivax or P. falciparum. There is an urgent need to eliminate Malaria, since drug resistance is reappearing, and there seems to be a general agreement that elimination is not simply a matter of intensifying the use of available tools. New strategies, like efficient vaccines, will be required. Developing a Malaria vaccine is one of the greatest challenges in Biomedical Sciences. Vaccine development against P. vivax is even more challenging, because the parasite cannot be continuously cultured in laboratories. The lack of cultures has been an obstacle slowing pre-clinical tests of vaccine formulations against P. vivax based on known antigens, and also makes new antigen discovery particularly difficult.This project will test whether the Cysteine-rich Small Secreted (CSS) protein of Plasmodium can be used as a target in vaccine formulations against Malaria. The CSS protein was recently described to interact with RIPR in P. knowlesi, and our laboratory has found CSS interacting with RIPR in P. berghei. RIPR is part of protein complex on the membrane of P. falciparum, where it interacts with PfRh5 and PfCyRPA. Antibodies against members of this complex (RIPR-interacting proteins) inhibit parasite invasion into host cells, thus these proteins are all considered vaccine candidates. Since CSS interacts with RIPR and is essential for parasite survival, our hypothesis is that it is a good vaccine candidate against Plasmodium. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CALIT, JULIANA; ARAUJO, JESSICA E.; DENG, BINGBING; MIURA, KAZUTOYO; GAITAN, XIOMARA A.; ARAUJO, MAISA DA SILVA; MEDEIROS, JANSEN F.; LONG, CAROLE A.; SIMEONOV, ANTON; EASTMAN, RICHARD T.; et al. Novel Transmission-Blocking Antimalarials Identified by High-Throughput Screening of Plasmodium berghei Ookluc. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, v. 67, n. 4, p. 11-pg., 2023-03-01. (18/24878-9, 13/13119-6, 21/06769-0, 19/21507-2)

XIOMARA ALEXANDRA GAITÁN; JULIANA CALIT; IRINA DOBRESCU; MARISÉ SOLÓRZANO RAMOS; ALBA MARINA GIMENEZ; DANIEL YOUSSEF BARGIERI. Characterisation of the merozoite thrombospondin related anonymous protein (MTRAP) of Plasmodium berghei as a transmission-blocking antigen. Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, v. 119, 2024-03-22. (19/21507-2, 13/13119-6, 21/06769-0, 18/24878-9, 14/23083-1)