Malaria immunology - BRI

The SP will be implemented by the Biomedical Research Institute (BRI). The SP will have two main components, the first of which consists of basic research on the vaccine potential of the hepatic stages of human malaria, an area which has been largely neglected. This component will consist of three activities: (1) study of the biochemical synthesis of EE antigens that may be involved in initial invasion of red blood cells; (2) studies of sporozoite ligand-hepatic receptor interactions; and (3) immunoelectron microscopic and biochemical characterization of sporozoite invasion of hepatocytes and EE development. Component two consists of support for current or future vaccine trials involving sporozoite challenge and serum characterization. To this end, BRI will: (1) produce and maintain a colony of Plasmodium falciparum-infected Anopheline mosquitoes for use in the natural challenge component of human volunteer clinical trials; and (2) complete the development of the ISI assay for direct use in A.I.D. and U.S. Army human clinical trials as well as in endemic area field trials against P. falciparum and P. vivax. Among the institutions with which BRI will collaborate in the above activities are the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Case Western and New York Universities, the Scripps Institute, and the Universities of Nijmegen, Utrecht, Hawaii, and Maryland.