WEHI PhD Completion Seminar hosted by Professor Wai-Hong Tham               

Frankie Lyons

PhD Student – Tham Laboratory, Infection and Global Health division, WEHI

Nanobodies and mRNA vaccines targeting Plasmodium falciparum fertilisation antigens to reduce malaria transmission

 

Davis Auditorium

Join via TEAMS

Including Q&A session

Followed by refreshments in tapestry area

Malaria parasite fertilisation occurs within the Anopheles mosquito midgut. Stopping parasite fertilisation prevents transmission from mosquitoes to humans and supports malaria elimination efforts. Pfs48/45 is essential for Plasmodium falciparum fertilisation and is a key transmission-blocking target. In this work, I explored novel transmission-blocking approaches to target Pfs48/45 using nanobodies, bispecific nanobodies and mRNA vaccines. Nanobodies and bispecific nanobodies against Pfs48/45 potently reduced transmission. Pfs48/45 mRNA-LNP vaccines elicited strong antibody responses in mice, with transmission-blocking activity varying depending on whether Pfs48/45 was secreted or membrane-bound. This work demonstrates the potential of these novel approaches to target Pfs48/45 and reduce malaria transmission.

All welcome!