Human studies with synthetic peptide sporozoite vaccine (NANP)3-TT and immunization with irradiated sporozoites.

The synthetic peptide Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite (CS) protein conjugate vaccine (NANP)3-TT was safe when given parenterally to 202 volunteers. However, with a few notable exceptions, antibody responses were low and could not be boosted. Vaccinees' lymphocytes did not proliferate when exposed in vitro to (NANP)3. The tetanus toxoid (TT) carrier immunomodulated the response to the CS peptide in that both epitopic suppression and immune enhancement were demonstrated during the course of the clinical trials. During efficacy challenge studies, 1 of 7 vaccinees was protected against sporozoite challenge and in other vaccinees the prepatent period was significantly delayed. P. falciparum-infected mosquitos were irradiated with 20,000 rad (200 Gy). Five volunteers were immunized with 54, 55, 224, 663, and 715 total infective bites of irradiated mosquitos in an attempt to immunize with attenuated sporozoites. Four of these volunteers had significant humoral and cellular immune responses. Two volunteers (who received the largest immunizing doses) were challenged by the bites of infective mosquitos and both developed parasitaemia. In the volunteer with the highest antibody titre there was a marked delay in patency as determined by serial plasmodial cultures. T-cell clones are being obtained and characterized.