ArticlePLoS pathogens2023
A conformational epitope in placental malaria vaccine antigen VAR2CSA: What does it teach us?
Article in PLoS pathogens, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Beyond VAR2CSA: redefining the antigenic landscape of placental malaria vaccines.Open research Africa · 2026Review
- Fc-Afucosylation of VAR2CSA-Specific Immunoglobulin G and Clinical Immunity to Placental Plasmodium falciparum Malaria.The Journal of infectious diseases · 2025Article
- The Need for Novel Asexual Blood-Stage Malaria Vaccine Candidates forBiomolecules · 2024Review
- Correction: A conformational epitope in placental malaria vaccine antigen VAR2CSA: What does it teach us?PLoS pathogens · 2024Article
- PfEMP1 and var genes - Still of key importance in Plasmodium falciparum malaria pathogenesis and immunity.Advances in parasitology · 2024Review
- Hiding in plain sight: an epitope-based strategy for a subunit malaria vaccine.Trends in parasitology · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
VAR2CSA is the Plasmodium falciparum variant surface antigen that mediates binding of infected erythrocytes to chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) and their sequestration in intervillous spaces of the placenta, leading to placental malaria (PM). Relatively high polymorphism in VAR2CSA sequences has hindered development of a vaccine that induces broadly neutralizing immunity. Recent research has highlighted that a broadly reactive human monoclonal antibody, called PAM1.4, binds to multiple conserved residues of different subfragments of VAR2CSA, forming a conformational epitope. In this short perspective, we describe evidence that residues located in the interdomain-1 fragment of VAR2CSA within the PAM1.4 binding epitope might be critical to broad reactivity of the antibody. Future investigation into broadly reactive anti-VAR2CSA antibodies may be important for the following: (1) identification of similar conformation epitopes targeted by broadly neutralizing antibodies; and (2) understanding different immune evasion mechanisms used by placenta-binding parasites through VAR2CSA polymorphism in critical epitopes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.