英國研究人員日前開發(fā)出一種可同時(shí)對(duì)多種瘧原蟲起作用的廣譜瘧疾疫苗,，它已經(jīng)在人類血液樣本實(shí)驗(yàn)和動(dòng)物實(shí)驗(yàn)中驗(yàn)證有效。
英國愛丁堡大學(xué)等機(jī)構(gòu)研究人員在新一期《科學(xué)公共圖書館—綜合》雜志上報(bào)告說,，這種疫苗可以引起人體內(nèi)多種抗體的反應(yīng),，能夠同時(shí)對(duì)付一系列的瘧原蟲。瘧原蟲是引發(fā)瘧疾的罪魁禍?zhǔn)?，但由于瘧原蟲有許多種類,，現(xiàn)有疫苗往往只能對(duì)付部分種類的瘧原蟲，效果不是很理想。
本次研究發(fā)現(xiàn),，所有種類的瘧原蟲都含有一種關(guān)鍵的蛋白質(zhì),，只是這種蛋白質(zhì)會(huì)在不同瘧原蟲中表現(xiàn)出不同類型。因此,，研究人員以這種蛋白質(zhì)作為突破口,，把不同類型的蛋白質(zhì)聯(lián)合到一起進(jìn)行研究，在此基礎(chǔ)上開發(fā)出的疫苗就可以同時(shí)對(duì)多種瘧原蟲都產(chǎn)生效果,。
研究人員在瘧疾多發(fā)的非洲地區(qū)提取了人類血液樣本進(jìn)行實(shí)驗(yàn),，表明這種廣譜疫苗能夠有效預(yù)防瘧疾。此外,，這種疫苗在動(dòng)物實(shí)驗(yàn)中也顯示有效,。研究人員接下來計(jì)劃進(jìn)行人類臨床試驗(yàn)。（生物谷 Bioon.com)
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0026616
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A Malaria Vaccine Based on the Polymorphic Block 2 Region of MSP-1 that Elicits a Broad Serotype-Spanning Immune Response
Graeme J. M. Cowan1, Alison M. Creasey1, Kelwalin Dhansarnsombut1, Alan W. Thomas2, Edmond J. Remarque2, David R. Cavanagh1*
Polymorphic parasite antigens are known targets of protective immunity to malaria, but this antigenic variation poses challenges to vaccine development. A synthetic MSP-1 Block 2 construct, based on all polymorphic variants found in natural Plasmodium falciparum isolates has been designed, combined with the relatively conserved Block 1 sequence of MSP-1 and expressed in E.coli. The MSP-1 Hybrid antigen has been produced with high yield by fed-batch fermentation and purified without the aid of affinity tags resulting in a pure and extremely thermostable antigen preparation. MSP-1 hybrid is immunogenic in experimental animals using adjuvants suitable for human use, eliciting antibodies against epitopes from all three Block 2 serotypes. Human serum antibodies from Africans naturally exposed to malaria reacted to the MSP-1 hybrid as strongly as, or better than the same serum reactivities to individual MSP-1 Block 2 antigens, and these antibody responses showed clear associations with reduced incidence of malaria episodes. The MSP-1 hybrid is designed to induce a protective antibody response to the highly polymorphic Block 2 region of MSP-1, enhancing the repertoire of MSP-1 Block 2 antibody responses found among immune and semi-immune individuals in malaria endemic areas. The target population for such a vaccine is young children and vulnerable adults, to accelerate the acquisition of a full range of malaria protective antibodies against this polymorphic parasite antigen.
