Induction of protective polyclonal antibodies by immunization with a Plasmodium yoelii circumsporozoite protein multiple antigen peptide vaccine.

Monoclonal Abs against the repeat region of the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) completely protect mice against Plasmodium yoelii (Py), but synthetic peptide and recombinant protein vaccines designed to produce only Abs to the PyCSP repeat region have never been reported to consistently provide protection. This lack of protection in the rodent model system has predicted the poor protection achieved in humans after immunization with synthetic peptide and recombinant protein P. falciparum CSP vaccines and has raised serious questions regarding the capacity for vaccine-induced polyclonal Abs against the CSP to consistently protect humans. We now report immunization studies with a multiple Ag peptide vaccine designed to rely on "universal" T epitopes from tetanus toxin to produce T cell help for induction of protective Abs against the repeat region of the PyCSP. When delivered with a nonionic block co-polymer adjuvant, the vaccine protected 78 to 100% of three inbred strains of mice, and 100% of outbred mice against P. yoelii sporozoite challenge. Protection was associated with Ab titer, and passive transfer of purified IgG from immune mice protected naive recipients. Similar protection was achieved when the peptide was encapsulated in liposomes with lipid A and mixed with aluminum hydroxide. By demonstrating for the first time solid protection against P. yoelii by polyclonal Abs against the CSP, these data provide the rationale for assessment of a similarly constructed and formulated P. falciparum CSP multiple Ag peptide vaccine in humans.