Plasmodium vivax pre-erythrocytic antigens (PvPE antigens)

Plasmodium vivax pre-erythrocytic antigens are a group of proteins expressed by the P. vivax parasite during the sporozoite and liver stages of its life cycle (NIH, 2012; NIH, 2023). These antigens, which include the circumsporozoite protein (CSP), thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP), and cell-traversal protein for ookinetes and sporozoites (CelTOS), are essential for the parasite's ability to migrate from the mosquito bite site, traverse host tissues, and invade hepatocytes (Reyes-Sandoval, 2021; NIH, 2023). They are considered primary targets for vaccine development because the pre-erythrocytic stage represents a critical biological bottleneck where the parasite population is small and vulnerable to immune clearance (NIH, 2012; Reyes-Sandoval, 2021). Neutralizing these antigens can prevent the development of the symptomatic blood stage and the formation of dormant hypnozoites, which are responsible for clinical relapses (Reyes-Sandoval, 2021; NIH, 2015). Current therapeutic strategies focus on subunit vaccines, such as VMP001 and various virus-like particles, designed to elicit high-titer neutralizing antibodies and robust T-cell responses (Reyes-Sandoval, 2021; Dias, 2024). However, the high genetic diversity of P. vivax strains and the lack of a continuous in vitro culture system present significant challenges to the development of a broadly effective vaccine (Reyes-Sandoval, 2021; NIH, 2023).

Other names

P. vivax pre-erythrocytic antigensSporozoite and liver-stage antigensCircumsporozoite proteinThrombospondin-related anonymous proteinCell-traversal protein for ookinetes and sporozoites

Induction of neutralizing antibodies to block sporozoite invasion of hepatocytes and activation of T-cell responses to eliminate infected liver-stage parasites.