Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41044073›Full record

ArticleNPJ vaccines2025

Comparison of major, minor and junctional circumsporozoite protein epitopes for malaria vaccine design.

Emma Ryan, Dallas Brown, William Harrison, Shelby Foor, Kutub Ashraf, Jessica S Bolton, Yevel Flores-Garcia, Randall S MacGill, Emily Locke, Elke Bergmann-Leitner and 8 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in NPJ vaccines, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Emma Ryan *Structural Vaccinology Laboratory, Biologics Research and Development Branch, Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Dallas Brown *Structural Vaccinology Laboratory, Biologics Research and Development Branch, Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
William HarrisonStructural Vaccinology Laboratory, Biologics Research and Development Branch, Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Shelby FoorStructural Vaccinology Laboratory, Biologics Research and Development Branch, Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Kutub AshrafIntegrated Pathogen Therapeutics Department, Viral Disease Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Jessica S BoltonImmunology Core, Biologics Research and Development Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Yevel Flores-GarciaMolecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Randall S MacGillCenter for Vaccine Innovation and Access, PATH, Washington, DC, USA.
Emily LockeCenter for Vaccine Innovation and Access, PATH, Washington, DC, USA.
Elke Bergmann-LeitnerImmunology Core, Biologics Research and Development Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Alison E RothIntegrated Pathogen Therapeutics Department, Viral Disease Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Paul M RobbenBiologics Research and Development Branch, Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Gary MatyasAntigen and Adjuvant Research Branch, Military HIV Research Program, Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Lorraine SoissonUnited States Agency for International Development, Washington, DC, USA.
Robin MillerUnited States Agency for International Development, Washington, DC, USA.
Adrian H BatchelorStructural Vaccinology Laboratory, Biologics Research and Development Branch, Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Fidel ZavalaMolecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Sheetij DuttaStructural Vaccinology Laboratory, Biologics Research and Development Branch, Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA. sheetij.dutta.civ@health.mil.

Funding

CDMRP W81XWH-22-2-0028USAID AID-GHA-T-00-08-00007
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Currently approved malaria vaccines (RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M) contain the tetrapeptide major repeats (19x NPNA) and C-terminal domain of the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium falciparum. Incorporating the junctional (NPDP) and minor repeat (NPNV) epitope targeted by protective human monoclonal antibodies into immunogens is hypothesized to improve vaccine efficacy. However, comparisons of such candidates have yielded contradictory results due to inter-study differences. Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) capsid virus-like particles displaying the minor repeat, junctional, and major repeat epitopes were compared in an intravenous challenge model. Despite high cross-reactivity and in vitro inhibition, minor repeat candidates did not confer sterile protection in vivo. Constructs displaying major repeats NPNAx20, NPNAx5, and a junctional+minor repeat epitope induced sterile protection. Head-to-head comparisons of selected TMV vaccines and RTS,S revealed equivalent in vivo liver burden reduction. TMV-NPNAx20 was selected for clinical-grade antigen manufacture based on its equivalent reduction in parasite burden at lower antibody concentrations.

Identifiers

PMID41044073
PMCPMC12494720

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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.