Antibodies Against the Amino Terminus Region of Circumsporozoite Protein Prevent the Onset of Malaria
Description of Invention:
Malaria is one of the 5 major diseases of the world and a leading cause of childhood death in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, the economic devastation of the disease is measured in the billions of dollars of lost wages and lowered productivity for the endemic areas of the world. In the US, it is a concern of travelers as well the military having to serve in those parts of the world. To date, there is no vaccine and one is not expected for another decade.
The invention presented here focuses on the ability of the malarial sporozoite to infect liver cells. Previous vaccines have focused on the carboxyl end of the circumsporozoite (CSP) protein and have few successes to show. This invention utilizes the finding that the amino terminal portion of the CSP protein is required for hepatic entry. The invention includes several CSP polypeptides and constructs encoding such polypeptides that have been shown to be required for hepatic entry for vaccine development, prevention and treatment are also claimed. Methods and kit claims are included for the detection of the CSP protein in biological samples as well as for the detection of circulating antibodies of the CSP protein are also included.
Inventors:
Dharmendar Rathore and Thomas McCutchan (NIAID)
Patent Status:
DHHS Reference No. E-176-2003/0 --
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/532,676 filed 23 Dec 2003
PCT Application No. PCT/US04/43269 filed 20 Dec 2004 Licensing Status:
In addition to licensing, the technology is available for further development through collaborative research opportunities with the inventors.
For Additional Information Please Contact: Robert M. Joynes J.D.
NIH Office of Technology Transfer
6011 Executive Blvd, Suite 325
Rockville, MD 20852-3804
Phone: (301)594-6565
Email: joynesr@mail.nih.gov
Fax: (301) 402-0220
