Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41580424›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

A stabilized tandem antigen chimera that elicits potent malaria transmission-reducing activity.

Danton Ivanochko, Kazutoyo Miura, Sophia Hailemariam, Rashmi Ravichandran, Yiting Song, Wei-Chiao Huang, Rianne Stoter, Karina Teelen, Geert-Jan van Gemert, Elizabeth M Leaf and 10 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

20 authors.

Danton IvanochkoProgram in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Kazutoyo MiuraLaboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4455-2432
Sophia HailemariamProgram in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Rashmi RavichandranDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Yiting SongDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA.
Wei-Chiao HuangDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA.
Rianne StoterDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Karina TeelenDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Geert-Jan van GemertDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Elizabeth M LeafDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Sidney ChanDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Christine MenDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Anthony SemesiProgram in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Carol ShiuProgram in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Randall S MacGillCenter for Vaccine Innovation and Access, PATH, 455 Massachusetts Avenue NW Suite 1000, Washington, DC, 20001, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4566-1481
Carole A LongLaboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3835-5443
Matthijs M JoreDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0686-370X
Neil P KingDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2978-4692
Jonathan F LovellDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9052-884X
Jean-Philippe JulienProgram in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada. jean-philippe.julien@sickkids.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7602-3995

Funding

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) OPP1156262Gouvernement du Canada | Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Instituts de Recherche en Santé du Canada) 428410U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH) 1R01AI148557-01A1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Malaria parasite transmission remains a barrier to elimination since asymptomatic individuals sustain the infectious reservoir. Transmission-blocking vaccine (TBV) candidates targeting Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) gametocyte surface proteins Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 have shown promise in clinical trials. Several vaccine candidates have been developed for these antigens, yet it is unclear which elicit the most robust and durable transmission-blocking responses. From structure-function relationships of monoclonal antibodies in complex with both antigens, we report the development of a stabilized tandem antigen chimera (STAC), which presents the most potent epitopes from Pfs230 domain 1 (Pfs230-D1) and Pfs48/45 domain 3 (Pfs48/45-D3) in a single construct, while masking non-functional epitopes using an engineered pseudo-native domain disposition. Iterative structure-guided optimization improved antigen yields and stability, while nanoparticle-based multimerization enhanced the functional transmission-reducing activity elicited by the immunogen in female mice. Immunizations with STAC genetically conjugated to self-assembling protein nanoparticles elicited antibodies with potent transmission-reducing activity comparable or superior to the multimerized Pfs230-D1 and Pfs48/45-D3. These findings establish STAC as a promising next-generation TBV candidate to disrupt malaria transmission and accelerate elimination efforts. More broadly, our results support the engineering of highly ordered and stable multi-domain antigens in a single protein as a strategy for the cost-efficient development of multi-component vaccines.

Identifiers

PMID41580424
PMCPMC12936105

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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.