Serum antibodies induced by intranasal immunization of mice with Plasmodium vivax Pvs25 co-administered with cholera toxin completely block parasite transmission to mosquitoes

Vaccine. 2003 Jul 4;21(23):3143-8. doi: 10.1016/s0264-410x(03)00258-5.

Abstract

Transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs) targeting ookinete surface proteins expressed on sexual-stage malaria parasites are considered one promising strategy for malaria control. To evaluate the prospect of developing non-invasive and easy-to-administer mucosal malaria transmission-blocking vaccines, mice were immunized intranasally with a Plasmodium vivax ookinete surface protein, Pvs25 with a mucosal adjuvant cholera toxin (CT). Immunization induced significant serum IgG with high IgG1/IgG2a ratio (indicative of Th-2 type immune response). Feeding Anopheles dirus mosquitoes with mixtures of immune sera and gametocytemic blood derived from vivax-infected volunteer patients in Thailand significantly reduced both the number of midgut oocysts as well as the percentage of infected mosquitoes. The observed transmission-blocking effect was dependent on immune sera dilution. This study demonstrates for the first time that the mucosally induced mouse immune sera against a human malaria ookinete surface protein can completely block parasite transmission to vector mosquitoes, suggesting the possibility of non-invasive mucosal vaccines against mucosa-unrelated important pathogens like malaria.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / pharmacology*
  • Administration, Intranasal
  • Animals
  • Anopheles / parasitology*
  • Antibodies, Protozoan / analysis
  • Antibodies, Protozoan / biosynthesis*
  • Antigens, Protozoan / immunology*
  • Antigens, Surface / immunology*
  • Cholera Toxin / administration & dosage
  • Cholera Toxin / pharmacology*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Mucosal / immunology
  • Malaria Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Malaria Vaccines / immunology*
  • Malaria, Vivax / immunology*
  • Malaria, Vivax / prevention & control
  • Malaria, Vivax / transmission*
  • Mice
  • Oocysts / growth & development
  • Plasmodium vivax / immunology*

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Antibodies, Protozoan
  • Antigens, Protozoan
  • Antigens, Surface
  • Malaria Vaccines
  • Pvs25 protein, P vivax
  • Cholera Toxin