Comparison of the immune responses induced by soluble and particulate Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite vaccine candidates formulated in AS01 in rhesus macaques

Yannick Vanloubbeeck*, Sathit Pichyangkul, Babak Bayat, Kosol Yongvanitchit, Jason W. Bennett, Jetsumon Sattabongkot, Kurt Schaecher, Christian F. Ockenhouse, Joe Cohen, Anjali Yadava, Marie Noëlle Donner, Virginie Garzé, Michael Ska, Nora Ajhir, Martine Marchand, Lisa A. Ware, Cysha Hall

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

34 Scopus citations

Abstract

We have designed a pre-erythrocytic vaccine candidate based on the Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite (CSV) protein, which includes its N- and C-terminal parts and a truncated region containing repeat sequences from both the VK210 and the VK247 P. vivax subtypes. Two versions of this vaccine candidate were made: a soluble recombinant protein expressed in Escherichia coli, designated VMP001 and a particulate antigen expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, designated CSV-S,S. The latter is composed of CSV-S, a fusion protein between VMP001 and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and free HBsAg co-expressed in yeast and self-assembling into mixed particles. Both antigen versions, adjuvanted with AS01, were shown to be immunogenic in rhesus monkeys. CSV-S,S/AS01 induced higher levels of VMP001-specific antibodies than did VMP001/AS01. Antibody responses against the N- and C-terminal regions of CSV and the VK210 repeat motif were of a similar magnitude following immunization with either the soluble or the particulate antigen. However, antibodies against the AGDR region, a potentially protective B cell epitope, were only detected after immunization with CSV-S,S. Analysis of the induced CD4+ T cells highlighted different cytokine profiles depending on the antigen form. These results warrant further clinical evaluation of these two vaccine candidates to assess the added value of a particulate versus soluble form of CSV, in terms of both immunogenicity and protective efficacy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)6216-6224
Number of pages9
JournalVaccine
Volume31
Issue number52
DOIs
StatePublished - 16 Dec 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • AS01
  • CSV-S,S
  • Immune response
  • Malaria
  • Plasmodium vivax
  • VMP001

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