U01AI165457

Integrating human and non-human primate data to understand the acquisition of pre-erythrocytic immunity in the face of previous malaria exposure - Abstract

Pre-erythrocytic (PE) malaria vaccines that completely prevent infection in malaria non-endemic regions have often failed to achieve equally high-level protection when tested in endemic regions. Data from animal models and humans has identified certain factors that may be contributing to this difference.

Active or previous Plasmodium infections rank highly amongst these factors because infection is known to significantly impact innate and adaptive immune responses to malaria vaccines. We hypothesize that previous malaria exposure is a key driver of the suboptimal immunity observed in clinical trials of PE vaccines in endemic areas.

However, a full assessment of how such conditions affect pre-erythrocytic immune responses is lacking in large part because much of the protective immune repertoire against PE malaria exists as tissue resident memory T cells in the liver, which is inaccessible in human clinical trials.

Here, we propose to address this question of malaria vaccine hyporesponsiveness in endemic regions by performing vaccine studies in previously-infected versus naïve non-human primates (NHP) where we can study the tissue-specific response down to the single cell level and integrate these with data from peripheral blood samples from similarly-vaccinated human clinical trial participants in endemic and non-endemic regions.

Our exhaustive studies in NHPs will be specifically guided by hypotheses derived directly from human data. The emerging high-density data will then be used to identify mechanisms, build models, and formulate concrete hypotheses that can then be validated across a number of clinical trial samples with the overall goal of elucidating patterns or biomarkers that map with protection/lack of protection and immunogenicity/lack of immunogenicity in malaria-naïve and -experienced volunteers.

Thus, we aim to:
1) Define protective liver-resident PE immunity at the single cell level;
2) Identify the mechanisms by which previous malaria exposure impacts baseline and innate immunity;
3) Build models of the complex interplay between baseline, innate, and adaptive immunity; and
4) Use these to identify strategies to overcome hyporesponsiveness to PE vaccines in endemic areas.

This U01 project combines an inter-institutional, interdisciplinary team of basic, translational, and clinical scientists from within and outside malaria whose unique expertise, resources, and collaborative style will create breakthrough insights about this highly complex yet critically important vaccine challenge.

Oregon Health & Science University

TO ASSIST PUBLIC AND PRIVATE NONPROFIT INSTITUTIONS AND INDIVIDUALS TO ESTABLISH, EXPAND AND IMPROVE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND RELATED AREAS, TO CONDUCT DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH, TO PRODUCE AND TEST RESEARCH MATERIALS. TO ASSIST PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO CONDUCT DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH, TO PRODUCE AND TEST RESEARCH MATERIALS, TO PROVIDE RESEARCH SERVICES AS REQUIRED BY THE AGENCY FOR PROGRAMS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES, AND CONTROLLING DISEASE CAUSED BY INFECTIOUS OR PARASITIC AGENTS, ALLERGIC AND IMMUNOLOGIC DISEASES AND RELATED AREAS. PROJECTS RANGE FROM STUDIES OF MICROBIAL PHYSIOLOGY AND ANTIGENIC STRUCTURE TO COLLABORATIVE TRIALS OF EXPERIMENTAL DRUGS AND VACCINES, MECHANISMS OF RESISTANCE TO ANTIBIOTICS AS WELL AS RESEARCH DEALING WITH EPIDEMIOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS OR COMMUNITY POPULATIONS AND PROGRESS IN ALLERGIC AND IMMUNOLOGIC DISEASES. BECAUSE OF THIS DUAL FOCUS, THE PROGRAM ENCOMPASSES BOTH BASIC RESEARCH AND CLINICAL RESEARCH. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM EXPANDS AND IMPROVES PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. THE SBIR PROGRAM INTENDS TO INCREASE AND FACILITATE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. THE SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM STIMULATES AND FOSTERS SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. RESEARCH CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARDS SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTISTS DURING THE FORMATIVE STAGES OF THEIR CAREERS. INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE AWARDS (NRSAS) ARE MADE DIRECTLY TO APPROVE APPLICANTS FOR RESEARCH TRAINING IN SPECIFIED BIOMEDICAL SHORTAGE AREAS. IN ADDITION, INSTITUTIONAL NATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE AWARDS ARE MADE TO ENABLE INSTITUTIONS TO SELECT AND MAKE AWARDS TO INDIVIDUALS TO RECEIVE TRAINING UNDER THE AEGIS OF THEIR INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAM.

93.855 - Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) [HHS - NIH]

Portland, Oregon 972393011 United States

Single Zip Code

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Study Vaccine-elicited Immunity and Efficacy against Malaria (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (RFA-AI-20-064)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 300% from $1,028,550 to $4,114,200.