The Antibody Response to Plasmodium falciparum: Cues for Vaccine Design and the Discovery of Receptor-Based Antibodies

Abstract

Plasmodium falciparum remains a serious public health problem and a continuous challenge for the immune system due to the complexity and diversity of the pathogen. Recent advances from several laboratories in the characterization of the antibody response to the parasite have led to the identification of critical targets for protection and revealed a new mechanism of diversification based on the insertion of host receptors into immunoglobulin genes, leading to the production of receptor-based antibodies. These advances have opened new possibilities for vaccine design and passive antibody therapies to provide sterilizing immunity and control blood-stage parasites.

Keywords: antibody diversification; malaria; monoclonal antibodies; receptor-based antibodies; sporozoites; vaccines.