Attenuated PfSPZ Vaccine induces strain-transcending T cells and durable protection against heterologous controlled human malaria infection
Kirsten E Lyke, Andrew S Ishizuka, Andrea A Berry, Sumana Chakravarty, Adam DeZure, Mary E Enama, Eric R James, Peter F Billingsley, Anusha Gunasekera, Anita Manoj, Minglin Li, Adam J Ruben, Tao Li, Abraham G Eappen, Richard E Stafford, Natasha Kc, Tooba Murshedkar, Floreliz H Mendoza, Ingelise J Gordon, Kathryn L Zephir, LaSonji A Holman, Sarah H Plummer, Cynthia S Hendel, Laura Novik, Pamela J M Costner, Jamie G Saunders, Nina M Berkowitz, Barbara J Flynn, Martha C Nason, Lindsay S Garver, Matthew B Laurens, Christopher V Plowe, Thomas L Richie, Barney S Graham, Mario Roederer, B Kim Lee Sim, Julie E Ledgerwood, Stephen L Hoffman, Robert A Seder, Kirsten E Lyke, Andrew S Ishizuka, Andrea A Berry, Sumana Chakravarty, Adam DeZure, Mary E Enama, Eric R James, Peter F Billingsley, Anusha Gunasekera, Anita Manoj, Minglin Li, Adam J Ruben, Tao Li, Abraham G Eappen, Richard E Stafford, Natasha Kc, Tooba Murshedkar, Floreliz H Mendoza, Ingelise J Gordon, Kathryn L Zephir, LaSonji A Holman, Sarah H Plummer, Cynthia S Hendel, Laura Novik, Pamela J M Costner, Jamie G Saunders, Nina M Berkowitz, Barbara J Flynn, Martha C Nason, Lindsay S Garver, Matthew B Laurens, Christopher V Plowe, Thomas L Richie, Barney S Graham, Mario Roederer, B Kim Lee Sim, Julie E Ledgerwood, Stephen L Hoffman, Robert A Seder
Abstract
A live-attenuated malaria vaccine, Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite vaccine (PfSPZ Vaccine), confers sterile protection against controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) with Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) parasites homologous to the vaccine strain up to 14 mo after final vaccination. No injectable malaria vaccine has demonstrated long-term protection against CHMI using Pf parasites heterologous to the vaccine strain. Here, we conducted an open-label trial with PfSPZ Vaccine at a dose of 9.0 × 105 PfSPZ administered i.v. three times at 8-wk intervals to 15 malaria-naive adults. After CHMI with homologous Pf parasites 19 wk after final immunization, nine (64%) of 14 (95% CI, 35-87%) vaccinated volunteers remained without parasitemia compared with none of six nonvaccinated controls (P = 0.012). Of the nine nonparasitemic subjects, six underwent repeat CHMI with heterologous Pf7G8 parasites 33 wk after final immunization. Five (83%) of six (95% CI, 36-99%) remained without parasitemia compared with none of six nonvaccinated controls. PfSPZ-specific T-cell and antibody responses were detected in all vaccine recipients. Cytokine production by T cells from vaccinated subjects after in vitro stimulation with homologous (NF54) or heterologous (7G8) PfSPZ were highly correlated. Interestingly, PfSPZ-specific T-cell responses in the blood peaked after the first immunization and were not enhanced by subsequent immunizations. Collectively, these data suggest durable protection against homologous and heterologous Pf parasites can be achieved with PfSPZ Vaccine. Ongoing studies will determine whether protective efficacy can be enhanced by additional alterations in the vaccine dose and number of immunizations.
Keywords: T-cell immunology; live-attenuated vaccine; malaria; plasmodium; sporozoite.
Conflict of interest statement
Conflict of interest statement: S.C., E.R.J., P.F.B., A.G., A.M., M.L., A.J.R., T.L., A.G.E., R.E.S., N.K., T.M., T.L.R., B.K.L.S., and S.L.H. are salaried employees of Sanaria Inc., the developer and owner of PfSPZ Vaccine and the investigational new drug (IND) application sponsor of the clinical trials. S.L.H. and B.K.L.S. have a financial interest in Sanaria Inc. All other authors declare no conflict of interest.
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Source: PubMed