Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39018754›Full record

ArticleEBioMedicine2024

Diversity and selection analyses identify transmission-blocking antigens as the optimal vaccine candidates in Plasmodium falciparum.

Ilinca I Ciubotariu, Bradley K Broyles, Shaojun Xie, Jyothi Thimmapuram, Mulenga C Mwenda, Brenda Mambwe, Conceptor Mulube, Japhet Matoba, Jessica L Schue, William J Moss and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in EBioMedicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
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  5. The N-terminal region of malaria vaccine candidatebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Molecular Characterization ofTropical medicine and infectious disease · 2025
    Article
  8. Review
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Genetic diversity and haplotype structure of theFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025
    Article
  12. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Ilinca I CiubotariuDepartment of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Bradley K BroylesDepartment of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Shaojun XieBioinformatics Core, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Jyothi ThimmapuramBioinformatics Core, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Mulenga C MwendaPATH-Malaria Control and Elimination Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), National Malaria Elimination Centre, Lusaka, Zambia.
Brenda MambwePATH-Malaria Control and Elimination Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), National Malaria Elimination Centre, Lusaka, Zambia.
Conceptor MulubePATH-Malaria Control and Elimination Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), National Malaria Elimination Centre, Lusaka, Zambia.
Japhet MatobaMacha Research Trust, Choma, Zambia.
Jessica L SchueDepartment of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
William J MossThe W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Daniel J BridgesPATH, Lusaka, Zambia.
Qixin HeDepartment of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA. Electronic address: heqixin@purdue.edu.
Giovanna CarpiDepartment of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, West Lafayette, IN, USA. Electronic address: gcarpi@purdue.edu.

Funding

TransmissionU19AI089680 · NIAID · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI WILLIAM J MOSS · 2010 to 2026
$25.6M
NIAID NIH HHS U19 AI089680
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA highly effective vaccine for malaria remains an elusive target, at least in part due to the under-appreciated natural parasite variation. This study aimed to investigate genetic and structural variation, and immune selection of leading malaria vaccine candidates across the Plasmodium falciparum's life cycle.

methodsWe analysed 325 P. falciparum whole genome sequences from Zambia, in addition to 791 genomes from five other African countries available in the MalariaGEN Pf3k Database. Ten vaccine antigens spanning three life-history stages were examined for genetic and structural variations, using population genetics measures, haplotype network analysis, and 3D structure selection analysis.

findingsAmong the ten antigens analysed, only three in the transmission-blocking vaccine category display P. falciparum 3D7 as the dominant haplotype. The antigens AMA1, CSP, MSP1

interpretationThese findings offer valuable insights into the selection of optimal vaccine candidates against P. falciparum. Based on our results, we recommend prioritising conserved merozoite antigens and transmission-blocking antigens. Combining these antigens in multi-stage approaches may be particularly promising for malaria vaccine development initiatives.

fundingPurdue Department of Biological Sciences; Puskas Memorial Fellowship; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U19AI089680).

Indexed as

Antigens, ProtozoanMalaria, FalciparumMalaria VaccinesPlasmodium falciparumEpitopesGenetic VariationHaplotypesHumansProtozoan ProteinsAntigens, ProtozoanEpitopesMalaria VaccinesProtozoan ProteinsGenomicsMalariaPolymorphic epitopesStructural analysesTransmission-blocking antigensVaccine

Identifiers

PMID39018754
PMCPMC11663769

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.