Why some vivax malaria parasites copy a vaccine target to escape immunity
Official title: Extent, dynamics and mechanisms of Plasmodium vivax immune evasion caused by PvDBP gene amplification
Funded at Institut Pasteur Du Cambodge · NIH-11121901 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether extra copies of the PvDBP gene allow Plasmodium vivax parasites to dodge antibodies and reduce protection from blood-stage vaccines for people in areas with vivax malaria.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Institut Pasteur Du Cambodge NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA) |
| Project start | July 17, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $538,388 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI173171-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11121901 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people in vivax-endemic areas (for example Cambodia) who have had recent P. vivax infections and are willing to provide blood samples for parasite and human genetic testing.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not exposed to vivax malaria or who need immediate clinical treatment for acute severe malaria are unlikely to benefit directly from participation in this research.
What this research studies
From the patient perspective, researchers will compare P. vivax parasites with different numbers of the PvDBP gene collected in Cambodia and other regions and test how well human anti-PvDBP antibodies stop those parasites in the lab. They will sequence parasite genes to detect amplifications and analyze human Duffy receptor variants from blood samples to see if human genetics interact with parasite changes. Laboratory neutralization assays using human monoclonal antibodies and parasite isolates will show whether gene amplification helps parasites survive antibody attack. Findings will guide whether current PvDBP-based vaccine approaches need modification to work across diverse parasite populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal whether PvDBP-based vaccines will protect people broadly and inform vaccine design to better prevent vivax malaria.
How similar studies have gone: PvDBP-targeting vaccines and human monoclonal antibodies have shown promise in trials and lab studies, but recent findings that PvDBP gene amplification can blunt antibody neutralization are new and raise concern.
Where this research is happening
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Institut Pasteur Du Cambodge
Phnom Penh, Cambodia Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Popovici, Jean — Institut Pasteur Du Cambodge
- Study coordinator: Popovici, Jean
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.