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Ábrahám E, Bajusz C, Marton A, Borics A, Mdluli T, Pardi N, Lipinszki Z. Expression and purification of the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in mammalian cells for immunological assays. FEBS Open Bio 2024; 14:380-389. [PMID: 38129177 PMCID: PMC10909970 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 virus mediates the interaction with the host cell and is required for virus internalization. It is, therefore, the primary target of neutralizing antibodies. The receptor-binding domain soon became the major target for COVID-19 research and the development of diagnostic tools and new-generation vaccines. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for high-yield expression and one-step affinity purification of recombinant RBD from transiently transfected Expi293F cells. Expi293F mammalian cells can be grown to extremely high densities in a specially formulated serum-free medium in suspension cultures, which makes them an excellent tool for secreted protein production. The highly purified RBD is glycosylated, structurally intact, and forms homomeric complexes. With this quick and easy method, we are able to produce large quantities of RBD (80 mg·L-1 culture) that we have successfully used in immunological assays to examine antibody titers and seroconversion after mRNA-based vaccination of mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edit Ábrahám
- MTA SZBK Lendület Laboratory of Cell Cycle Regulation, Institute of BiochemistryHUN‐REN Biological Research CentreSzegedHungary
- National Laboratory for Biotechnology, Institute of GeneticsHUN‐REN Biological Research CentreSzegedHungary
| | - Csaba Bajusz
- National Laboratory for Biotechnology, Institute of GeneticsHUN‐REN Biological Research CentreSzegedHungary
| | - Annamária Marton
- National Laboratory for Biotechnology, Institute of GeneticsHUN‐REN Biological Research CentreSzegedHungary
| | - Attila Borics
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Institute of BiochemistryHUN‐REN Biological Research CentreSzegedHungary
| | - Thandiswa Mdluli
- Department of MicrobiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Norbert Pardi
- Department of MicrobiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Zoltán Lipinszki
- MTA SZBK Lendület Laboratory of Cell Cycle Regulation, Institute of BiochemistryHUN‐REN Biological Research CentreSzegedHungary
- National Laboratory for Biotechnology, Institute of GeneticsHUN‐REN Biological Research CentreSzegedHungary
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2
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Wang Z, Zhang B, Ou L, Qiu Q, Wang L, Bylund T, Kong WP, Shi W, Tsybovsky Y, Wu L, Zhou Q, Chaudhary R, Choe M, Dickey TH, El Anbari M, Olia AS, Rawi R, Teng IT, Wang D, Wang S, Tolia NH, Zhou T, Kwong PD. Extraordinary Titer and Broad Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Induced by Stabilized RBD Nanoparticles from Strain BA.5. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 12:37. [PMID: 38250850 PMCID: PMC10821209 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12010037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike is a primary target of neutralizing antibodies and a key component of licensed vaccines. Substantial mutations in RBD, however, enable current variants to escape immunogenicity generated by vaccination with the ancestral (WA1) strain. Here, we produce and assess self-assembling nanoparticles displaying RBDs from WA1 and BA.5 strains by using the SpyTag:SpyCatcher system for coupling. We observed both WA1- and BA.5-RBD nanoparticles to degrade substantially after a few days at 37 °C. Incorporation of nine RBD-stabilizing mutations, however, increased yield ~five-fold and stability such that more than 50% of either the WA1- or BA.5-RBD nanoparticle was retained after one week at 37 °C. Murine immunizations revealed that the stabilized RBD-nanoparticles induced ~100-fold higher autologous neutralization titers than the prefusion-stabilized (S2P) spike at a 2 μg dose. Even at a 25-fold lower dose where S2P-induced neutralization titers were below the detection limit, the stabilized BA.5-RBD nanoparticle induced homologous titers of 12,795 ID50 and heterologous titers against WA1 of 1767 ID50. Assessment against a panel of β-coronavirus variants revealed both the stabilized BA.5-RBD nanoparticle and the stabilized WA1-BA.5-(mosaic)-RBD nanoparticle to elicit much higher neutralization breadth than the stabilized WA1-RBD nanoparticle. The extraordinary titer and high neutralization breadth elicited by stabilized RBD nanoparticles from strain BA.5 make them strong candidates for next-generation COVID-19 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhantong Wang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Baoshan Zhang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Li Ou
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Qi Qiu
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Lingshu Wang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Tatsiana Bylund
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Wing-Pui Kong
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Wei Shi
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Yaroslav Tsybovsky
- Vaccine Research Center Electron Microscopy Unit, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 20701, USA
| | - Lingyuan Wu
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Qiong Zhou
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Ridhi Chaudhary
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Misook Choe
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Thayne H. Dickey
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (T.H.D.)
| | - Mohammed El Anbari
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Adam S. Olia
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Reda Rawi
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - I-Ting Teng
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Danyi Wang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Shuishu Wang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Niraj H. Tolia
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (T.H.D.)
| | - Tongqing Zhou
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Peter D. Kwong
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (Z.W.); (Q.Q.); (T.B.); (L.W.); (M.C.); (D.W.); (S.W.)
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3
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Dickey TH, Tolia NH. Designing an effective malaria vaccine targeting Plasmodium vivax Duffy-binding protein. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:850-858. [PMID: 37481347 PMCID: PMC11099547 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Malaria caused by the Plasmodium vivax parasite is a major global health burden. Immunity against blood-stage infection reduces parasitemia and disease severity. Duffy-binding protein (DBP) is the primary parasite protein responsible for the invasion of red blood cells and it is a leading subunit vaccine candidate. An effective vaccine, however, is still lacking despite decades of interest in DBP as a vaccine candidate. This review discusses the reasons for targeting DBP, the challenges associated with developing a vaccine, and modern structural vaccinology methods that could be used to create an effective DBP vaccine. Next-generation DBP vaccines have the potential to elicit a broadly protective immune response and provide durable and potent protection from P. vivax malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thayne H Dickey
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Niraj H Tolia
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA.
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4
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Patel PN, Dickey TH, Diouf A, Salinas ND, McAleese H, Ouahes T, Long CA, Miura K, Lambert LE, Tolia NH. Structure-based design of a strain transcending AMA1-RON2L malaria vaccine. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5345. [PMID: 37660103 PMCID: PMC10475129 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40878-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) is a key malaria vaccine candidate and target of neutralizing antibodies. AMA1 binds to a loop in rhoptry neck protein 2 (RON2L) to form the moving junction during parasite invasion of host cells, and this complex is conserved among apicomplexan parasites. AMA1-RON2L complex immunization achieves higher growth inhibitory activity than AMA1 alone and protects mice against Plasmodium yoelii challenge. Here, three single-component AMA1-RON2L immunogens were designed that retain the structure of the two-component AMA1-RON2L complex: one structure-based design (SBD1) and two insertion fusions. All immunogens elicited high antibody titers with potent growth inhibitory activity, yet these antibodies did not block RON2L binding to AMA1. The SBD1 immunogen induced significantly more potent strain-transcending neutralizing antibody responses against diverse strains of Plasmodium falciparum than AMA1 or AMA1-RON2L complex vaccination. This indicates that SBD1 directs neutralizing antibody responses to strain-transcending epitopes in AMA1 that are independent of RON2L binding. This work underscores the importance of neutralization mechanisms that are distinct from RON2 blockade. The stable single-component SBD1 immunogen elicits potent strain-transcending protection that may drive the development of next-generation vaccines for improved malaria and apicomplexan parasite control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palak N Patel
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thayne H Dickey
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ababacar Diouf
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Nichole D Salinas
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Holly McAleese
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tarik Ouahes
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Carole A Long
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Kazutoyo Miura
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Lynn E Lambert
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Niraj H Tolia
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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5
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Salinas ND, Ma R, Dickey TH, McAleese H, Ouahes T, Long CA, Miura K, Lambert LE, Tolia NH. A potent and durable malaria transmission-blocking vaccine designed from a single-component 60-copy Pfs230D1 nanoparticle. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:124. [PMID: 37596283 PMCID: PMC10439124 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00709-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs) reduce disease transmission by breaking the continuous cycle of infection between the human host and the mosquito vector. Domain 1 (D1) of Pfs230 is a leading TBV candidate and comprises the majority of transmission-reducing activity (TRA) elicited by Pfs230. Here we show that the fusion of Pfs230D1 to a 60-copy multimer of the catalytic domain of dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase protein (E2p) results in a single-component nanoparticle composed of 60 copies of the fusion protein with high stability, homogeneity, and production yields. The nanoparticle presents a potent human transmission-blocking epitope within Pfs230D1, indicating the antigen is correctly oriented on the surface of the nanoparticle. Two vaccinations of New Zealand White rabbits with the Pfs230D1 nanoparticle elicited a potent and durable antibody response with high TRA when formulated in two distinct adjuvants suitable for translation to human use. This single-component nanoparticle vaccine may play a key role in malaria control and has the potential to improve production pipelines and the cost of manufacturing of a potent and durable TBV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nichole D Salinas
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rui Ma
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thayne H Dickey
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Holly McAleese
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tarik Ouahes
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Carole A Long
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Kazutoyo Miura
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Lynn E Lambert
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Niraj H Tolia
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Shukla N, Tang WK, Coelho CH, Long CA, Healy SA, Sagara I, Miura K, Duffy PE, Tolia NH. A human antibody epitope map of the malaria vaccine antigen Pfs25. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:108. [PMID: 37542029 PMCID: PMC10403551 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00712-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pfs25 is a leading antigen for a malaria transmission-blocking vaccine and shows moderate transmission-blocking activity and induction of rapidly decreasing antibody titers in clinical trials. A comprehensive definition of all transmission-reducing epitopes of Pfs25 will inform structure-guided design to enhance Pfs25-based vaccines, leading to potent transmission-blocking activity. Here, we compiled a detailed human antibody epitope map comprising epitope binning data and structures of multiple human monoclonal antibodies, including three new crystal structures of Pfs25 in complex with transmission-reducing antibodies from Malian volunteers immunized with Pfs25 conjugated to EPA and adjuvanted with AS01. These structures revealed additional epitopes in Pfs25 capable of reducing transmission and expanded this characterization to malaria-exposed humans. This work informs immunogen design to focus the antibody response to transmission-reducing epitopes of Pfs25, enabling development of more potent transmission-blocking vaccines for malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niharika Shukla
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Wai Kwan Tang
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Camila H Coelho
- Pathogenesis and Immunity Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
- Center for Vaccine Research and Pandemic Preparedness (C-VARPP), Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carole A Long
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Sara A Healy
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Issaka Sagara
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technology, Bamako, Mali
| | - Kazutoyo Miura
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Patrick E Duffy
- Pathogenesis and Immunity Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Niraj H Tolia
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA.
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