Development of molecular adjuvants for design of malaria vaccines

我们已经开发了一种新的策略，通过创建由三个物理连接的分子实体组成的遗传蛋白融合复合物来增加免疫应答：（i）疫苗抗原，（ii）α-螺旋卷曲螺旋，和（iii）抗原呈递细胞靶向配体。使用间日疟原虫的动合子表面蛋白和约氏疟原虫的裂殖子表面蛋白评价三组分复合物的疫苗效力。小鼠的免疫赋予实质水平的间日疟原虫传播阻断以及保护小鼠免于致死性约氏疟原虫感染。该系统，命名为三组分免疫增强系统（TIPS），其上可以加载任何重组抗原，可能是一个有前途的策略，在设计亚单位疫苗抗疟疾。

We have developed a novel strategy to increase immune responses by creating genetic protein fusion complex composed of three physically linked molecular entities : (i) a vaccine antigen, (ii) an α-helical coiled-coil, and (iii) an antigen-presenting cell-targeting ligand. Vaccine efficacy of the tricomponent complex was evaluated using an ookinete surface protein of Plasmodium vivax and a merozoite surface protein of Plasmodium yoelii. Immunization of mice conferred substantial levels of P. vivax transmission blockade as well as protection from lethal P. yoelii infection in mice. This system, designated as the tricomponent immunopotentiating system (TIPS), onto which any recombinant antigens could be loaded, may be a promising strategy in devising subunit vaccines against malaria.