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Background Immunization with radiation-attenuated sporozoites (RAS) by mosquito bite provides >90% sterile protection against Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) malaria in humans. RAS invade hepatocytes but do not replicate. CD8+ T cells recognizing parasite-derived peptides on the surface of infected hepatocytes are likely the primary protective mechanism. We conducted a randomized clinical trial of RAS immunization to assess safety, to achieve 50% vaccine efficacy (VE) against controlled human malaria infection (CHMI), and to generate reagents from protected and non-protected subjects for future identification of protective immune mechanisms and antigens. Methods Two cohorts (Cohort 1 and Cohort 2) of healthy, malaria-naïve, non-pregnant adults age 18-50 received five monthly immunizations with infected (true-immunized, n = 21) or noninfected (mock-immunized, n = 5) mosquito bites and underwent homologous CHMI at 3

Background A live-attenuated Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) sporozoite (SPZ) vaccine (PfSPZ Vaccine) has shown up to 100% protection against controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) using homologous parasites (same Pf strain as in the vaccine). Using a more stringent CHMI, with heterologous parasites (different Pf strain), we assessed the impact of higher PfSPZ doses, a novel multi-dose prime regimen, and a delayed vaccine boost upon vaccine efficacy. Methods Four groups of 15 healthy, malaria-naïve adults were immunized. Group (Grp) 1 received five doses of 4.5x10 5 PfSPZ (days 1, 3, 5, 7; week 16). Grps 2, 3 and 4 received three doses (weeks 0, 8, 16) with Gp 2 receiving 9.0×10 5/dose, Grp 3 receiving 18.0×10 5/dose, and Grp 4 receiving 27.0×10 5 for dose 1 and 9.0×10 5 for doses 2 and 3. VE was assessed by heterologous CHMI after 12 or 24 weeks. Volunteers not protected at 12 weeks were boosted prior to repeat CHMI at 24 weeks. Results At 12-week CHMI, 6/15 (40%) Group 1 (P=0.04), 3/15 (20%) Group 2 vs. 0/8 controls remained aparasitemic. At 24-week CHMI, 3/13 (23%) Group 3, 3/14 (21%) Group 4 vs. 0/8 controls remained aparasitemic (Groups 2-4, VE not significant). Post-boost, 9/14 (64%) vs. 0/8 controls remained aparasitemic (3/6 Group 1, P=0.025; 6/8 Group 2, P=0.002). Conclusions Four stacked, priming injections (multi-dose priming) showed 40% VE against heterologous CHMI, while dose escalation of PfSPZ using single dose priming was not significantly protective. Boosting unprotected subjects improved VE at 24 weeks to 64%.

Schistosoma mansoni schistosomula recovered from the lungs of mice have previously been shown to express host-derived class I and class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens. To investigate the tissue origin of parasite-acquired MHC products, lung-stage schistosomula were obtained from a series of parent leads to F1 and F1 leads to parent bone marrow chimeras and the parasites typed by immunofluorescence for the presence of haplotype-specific K region and I region MHC determinants. The results of these experiments indicated that, despite their intravascular residence in the host, schistosomula derive all of their class I antigen from a nonhemapoietic tissue source. In contrast, the class II antigens expressed on the surface of schistosomula were found to originate from bone marrow-derived donor cells. These results support the hypothesis that MHC product acquisition by schistosomes involves selective and specific interactions with host tissue and, in the case of class I antigens, suggest that the endothelium may be a major site of host molecule uptake for the parasite.

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