Universal T‑cell malaria vaccine using HLA‑E presentation
A universal malaria T cell vaccine based on HLA-E presentation
This project is developing a vaccine that teaches immune T cells to find and kill malaria‑infected cells across different malaria species for people at risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Health & Science University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11319756 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers discovered that pieces of the malaria parasite are shown to the immune system on a molecule called HLA‑E that is very similar across people. They will map the parasite fragments presented on HLA‑E, then use cytomegalovirus (CMV)‑based vaccine vectors designed to program CD8+ T cells to recognize those fragments. The work combines laboratory assays, analysis of blood samples from donors, and animal model testing to check immune responses and safety. The long‑term aim is a single vaccine that protects against multiple Plasmodium species by targeting conserved parasite proteins.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People at risk for malaria, such as residents of or travelers to malaria‑endemic regions, would be the intended participants in future vaccine trials.
Not a fit: People not exposed to malaria or those with severely weakened immune systems may not receive benefit from this vaccine approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could produce a broadly protective malaria vaccine that works against many parasite species by training T cells to target conserved parasite proteins.
How similar studies have performed: CMV‑vector vaccines have produced strong CD8+ T cell responses in animal studies and shown promise in other infectious disease models, but using HLA‑E to create a universal malaria vaccine is a novel approach that has not yet been tested in humans.
Where this research is happening
Portland, United States
- Oregon Health & Science University — Portland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wilder, Brandon Keith — Oregon Health & Science University
- Study coordinator: Wilder, Brandon Keith
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.