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Authors: Christine E. Farrance, Jessica A. Chichester, Konstantin Musiychuk, Moneim Shamloul, Amy Rhee, Slobodanka D. Manceva, R. Mark Jones, Tarlan Mamedov, Satish Sharma, Vadim Mett, Stephen J. Streatfield, Will Roeffen, Marga van de Vegte-Bolmer, Robert W. Sauerwein, Yimin Wu, Olga Muratova, Louis Miller, Patrick Duffy, Robert Sinden and Vidadi Yusibov

Christine E. Farrance

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Newark, DE USA

Jessica A. Chichester

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Newark, DE USA

Konstantin Musiychuk

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Newark, DE USA

Moneim Shamloul

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Newark, DE USA

Amy Rhee

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Newark, DE USA

Slobodanka D. Manceva

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Newark, DE USA

R. Mark Jones

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Newark, DE USA

Tarlan Mamedov

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Newark, DE USA

Satish Sharma

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Newark, DE USA

Vadim Mett

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Newark, DE USA

Stephen J. Streatfield

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Newark, DE USA

Will Roeffen

Departments of Medical Microbiology, Nijmegen Center for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Marga van de Vegte-Bolmer

Departments of Medical Microbiology, Nijmegen Center for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Robert W. Sauerwein

Departments of Medical Microbiology, Nijmegen Center for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Yimin Wu

LMIV, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD USA

Olga Muratova

LMIV, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD USA

Louis Miller

LMIV, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD USA

Patrick Duffy

LMIV, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, MD USA

Robert Sinden

Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK

Vidadi Yusibov

Corresponding author: vyusibov@fraunhofer-cmb.org
Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Newark, DE USA

Abstract:
Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal mosquito-borne disease caused by a protozoan parasite. Each year, it is estimated that over one million people are killed by malaria, yet the disease is preventable and treatable. Developing vaccines against the parasite is a critical component in the fight against malaria and these vaccines can target different stages of the pathogen’s life cycle. We are targeting sexual stage proteins of P. falciparum which are found on the surface of the parasite reproductive cells present in the mosquito gut. Antibodies against these proteins block the progression of the parasite’s life cycle in the mosquito, and thus block transmission to the next human host. Transmission blocking vaccines are essential to the malaria eradication program to ease the disease burden at the population level. We have successfully produced multiple versions of the Pfs25 antigen in a plant virus-based transient expression system and have evaluated these vaccine candidates in an animal model. The targets are expressed in plants at a high level, are soluble and most importantly, generate strong transmission blocking activity as determined by a standard membrane feeding assay. These data demonstrate the feasibility of expressing Plasmodium antigens in a plant-based system for the economic production of a transmission blocking vaccine against malaria.

Received: November 16, 2010; Accepted: November 20, 2010

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