Licensing Opportunity: Blocking Plasmodium Transmission

 Licensing Opportunity:

Blocking Plasmodium Transmission

Scanning electron micrograph of Plasmodium gallinaceum, a parasite which can cause malaria, invading the mosquito midgut. Credit: NIAID

Malaria parasites infect mosquitoes as part of its natural life cycle. Infected Anopheles mosquitoes can then transmit malaria to humans. One particular parasite protein, called P47, helps some species of malaria parasites to evade the mosquito immune system.

NIAID researchers have discovered the region of P47 protein responsible for the immune evasion. Specific sequences of P47 protein fragments have proven to be both highly antigenic and shown to be responsible in allowing malaria parasites to evade the mosquito immune system. Immunization using specific P47 protein fragments provides a candidate for a potential transmission-blocking malaria vaccine against malaria parasites and has successfully blocked malaria in mouse models. Read more about this exciting licensing opportunity: https://www.ott.nih.gov/technology/e-294-2016-0.