This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (CFDA 93.855 - Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) supports research to develop new malaria vaccine candidates based on the Pf Glutamic Acid Rich Protein (PFGARP) antigen. The $412,500 award will be used by the University of South Florida to evaluate immunodominant fragments of PFGARP for potential inclusion in a malaria vaccine, with a focus on improving efficacy against the deadly Plasmodium falciparum parasite in children. The research aims to develop recombinant protein and lipid nanoparticle mRNA-based platforms for the PFGARP-B and PFGARP-C antigens, testing them through in vitro assays and a humanized mouse model. These efforts seek to identify lower-cost PFGARP-based vaccine candidates that could be combined with other blood-stage proteins to create an efficacious malaria vaccine for human use, particularly for protecting vulnerable children in endemic regions.
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