IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Antigen Discovery Inc. (ADI), a proteomics-based technology-driven company, has published results today in the scientific journal Nature on their recent discovery of Plasmodium falciparum proteins potentially critical to the success of a human malaria vaccine developed by Sanaria Inc., and assessed by a clinical team at the University of Tübingen. To identify these critical proteins, ADI developed a malaria protein microarray containing approximately 90% of the proteins produced by the malaria parasite (covering 4,805 genes) using its proprietary microarray fabrication and screening technology.
ADI's technology allowed an unprecedented detailed analysis of antimalarial immunity. For this clinical trial, ADI produced high quality protein microarrays and performed proteomic antibody profiling of serum samples collected during the trial. In the highest dose group, nine of nine (100%) vaccinated volunteers were protected against controlled human malaria infection at 10 weeks after last dose of vaccine. ADI identified a group of 22 malaria proteins displayed on the microarrays that were targeted by antibodies in the vaccinated volunteers that were completely protected from subsequent malaria challenge. Among the 22 proteins were the well-known Liver Stage Antigen 1 (LSA1) and Circumsporozoite Protein (CSP), both of which have been targets of earlier malaria vaccine development efforts. ADI also identified novel proteins that are expressed during the liver stage of the malaria parasite's development, including Liver Specific Protein 2 (LISP2) and several previously uncharacterized proteins. "This exciting discovery advances our understanding of protective immunity against malaria and gives us new candidates to investigate for future subunit vaccine development," states Dr. Joseph J. Campo, Director of Operations and lead data analyst of the biomarker study at ADI.
The ADI malaria proteome microarray developed and used in this study is part of a project supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The trial itself was supported by the German Centre for Infection Research and Sanaria.
"We are pleased and privileged to work with Sanaria and the University of Tübingen teams on this exciting project and grateful for continued support from NIAID and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We intend to take these discoveries further for the development of a diagnostic test that can predict vaccine mediated protection, and to identify antigens that may be used to produce an effective subunit vaccine," said Dr. Xiaowu Liang, Co-founder and CEO of ADI.
The paper published today is a demonstration of the importance to the scientific community of an effective malaria vaccine that would greatly benefit the billions at risk throughout the world. "Achieving such high level protection for 10 weeks and protection with a 10 day immunization regimen are important next steps in our efforts to develop PfSPZ-CVac to be used to prevent malaria in individuals and in mass vaccination campaigns to eliminate malaria from geographically defined regions," according to Dr. Stephen L. Hoffman, Sanaria's Founder and CEO. "These results will guide us for rapid development of a malaria vaccine in travelers and in a next step in endemic areas, especially Africa," states Prof. Peter Kremsner, the Director of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Germany, where the clinical trial took place.
About Antigen Discovery, Inc.Antigen Discovery, Inc. is a privately owned biotechnology company located in Irvine, California. ADI has developed a proprietary high throughput proteomics platform technology for biomarker discovery. The company uses and commercializes its innovative proteome microarrays to facilitate the development of new diagnostic tests, therapeutics and vaccines for infectious disease, autoimmunity, cancer and more. For more information about ADI see antigendiscovery.com.
Contact:
Angela Yee[email protected]
About Sanaria Inc. and PfSPZ-CVac
See http://www.sanaria.com, or contact Alexander Hoffman, [email protected], 301-339-0092.
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ADI's technology allowed an unprecedented detailed analysis of antimalarial immunity. For this clinical trial, ADI produced high quality protein microarrays and performed proteomic antibody profiling of serum samples collected during the trial. In the highest dose group, nine of nine (100%) vaccinated volunteers were protected against controlled human malaria infection at 10 weeks after last dose of vaccine. ADI identified a group of 22 malaria proteins displayed on the microarrays that were targeted by antibodies in the vaccinated volunteers that were completely protected from subsequent malaria challenge. Among the 22 proteins were the well-known Liver Stage Antigen 1 (LSA1) and Circumsporozoite Protein (CSP), both of which have been targets of earlier malaria vaccine development efforts. ADI also identified novel proteins that are expressed during the liver stage of the malaria parasite's development, including Liver Specific Protein 2 (LISP2) and several previously uncharacterized proteins. "This exciting discovery advances our understanding of protective immunity against malaria and gives us new candidates to investigate for future subunit vaccine development," states Dr. Joseph J. Campo, Director of Operations and lead data analyst of the biomarker study at ADI.
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The ADI malaria proteome microarray developed and used in this study is part of a project supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The trial itself was supported by the German Centre for Infection Research and Sanaria.
"We are pleased and privileged to work with Sanaria and the University of Tübingen teams on this exciting project and grateful for continued support from NIAID and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We intend to take these discoveries further for the development of a diagnostic test that can predict vaccine mediated protection, and to identify antigens that may be used to produce an effective subunit vaccine," said Dr. Xiaowu Liang, Co-founder and CEO of ADI.
The paper published today is a demonstration of the importance to the scientific community of an effective malaria vaccine that would greatly benefit the billions at risk throughout the world. "Achieving such high level protection for 10 weeks and protection with a 10 day immunization regimen are important next steps in our efforts to develop PfSPZ-CVac to be used to prevent malaria in individuals and in mass vaccination campaigns to eliminate malaria from geographically defined regions," according to Dr. Stephen L. Hoffman, Sanaria's Founder and CEO. "These results will guide us for rapid development of a malaria vaccine in travelers and in a next step in endemic areas, especially Africa," states Prof. Peter Kremsner, the Director of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Germany, where the clinical trial took place.
About Antigen Discovery, Inc.Antigen Discovery, Inc. is a privately owned biotechnology company located in Irvine, California. ADI has developed a proprietary high throughput proteomics platform technology for biomarker discovery. The company uses and commercializes its innovative proteome microarrays to facilitate the development of new diagnostic tests, therapeutics and vaccines for infectious disease, autoimmunity, cancer and more. For more information about ADI see antigendiscovery.com.
Contact:
Angela Yee[email protected]
About Sanaria Inc. and PfSPZ-CVac
See http://www.sanaria.com, or contact Alexander Hoffman, [email protected], 301-339-0092.
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/discovery-of-biomarkers-associated-with-100-protection-by-pfspz-cvac-against-malaria-published-in-nature-300405214.html
SOURCE Antigen Discovery Inc.
