VAR2CSA-drug conjugates having biological activity are disclosed. Methods associated with preparation and use of such conjugates, as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising such conjugates, are also disclosed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a transmission-blocking vaccine using an immunogenic protein which is specifically expressed in the oocyst stage of malaria parasites or a peptide fragment thereof, and an oral transmission-blocking vaccine capable of immunizing various animals involved in the malaria infectious cycle with such a vaccine. The present invention relates to a malaria transmission-blocking vaccine for oral administration containing an immunogenic protein derived from malaria parasite which is specifically expressed in the oocyst stage of malaria parasites or a peptide fragment thereof, and a method of blocking the transmission of malaria using the same.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a transmission-blocking vaccine using an immunogenic protein which is specifically expressed in the oocyst stage of malaria parasites or a peptide fragment thereof, and an oral transmission-blocking vaccine capable of immunizing various animals involved in the malaria infectious cycle with such a vaccine. The present invention relates to a malaria transmission-blocking vaccine for oral administration containing an immunogenic protein derived from malaria parasite which is specifically expressed in the oocyst stage of malaria parasites or a peptide fragment thereof, and a method of blocking the transmission of malaria using the same.

The invention provides compositions and methods for preventing and treating infection by Plasmodium sporozoites.

The invention provides compositions and methods for preventing and treating infection by Plasmodium sporozoites.

The invention provides methods of treating or preventing malaria comprising administering to an animal an effective amount of a compound of formula I:
Q-Y—R.sup.1—R.sup.2  (I),
wherein Q, Y, R.sup.1, and R.sup.2 are as described herein. Methods of inhibiting a plasmodial surface anion channel of a parasite in an animal are also provided. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound represented by formula I in combination with any one or more compounds represented by formulas II, V, and VI. Use of the pharmaceutical compositions for treating or preventing malaria or for inhibiting a plasmodial surface anion channel in animals including humans are also provided. Also provided by the invention are clag3 amino acid sequences and related nucleic acids, vectors, host cells, populations of cells, antibodies, and pharmaceutical compositions.

The invention provides methods of treating or preventing malaria comprising administering to an animal an effective amount of a compound of formula I:
Q-Y—R.sup.1—R.sup.2  (I),
wherein Q, Y, R.sup.1, and R.sup.2 are as described herein. Methods of inhibiting a plasmodial surface anion channel of a parasite in an animal are also provided. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound represented by formula I in combination with any one or more compounds represented by formulas II, V, and VI. Use of the pharmaceutical compositions for treating or preventing malaria or for inhibiting a plasmodial surface anion channel in animals including humans are also provided. Also provided by the invention are clag3 amino acid sequences and related nucleic acids, vectors, host cells, populations of cells, antibodies, and pharmaceutical compositions.

The invention pertains to ligands that bind to CD81 and that inhibit or block Plasmodium attachment to CD81, compositions and methods for preventing, inhibiting or treating infection by Plasmodium and ligands that target a Plasmodium binding site on CD81 and methods of making and using them. A series of ligand binding sites on the large extracellular loop of the open conformation of CD81 have been identified. Several important sites were located in regions identified by mutational studies to be the site of Plasmodium binding. Ligands that recognize these sites were identified. Linking together two or three ligands that bind with low or moderate affinities to different structurally unique sites on a target protein were used to generate small molecule ligand conjugates that exhibit very high affinities to their CD81 targets. Hybrid ligand molecules were also designed using fragment-based drug design methods to generate analogs of the ligands that bind more tightly to the protein than the parent compounds. Identification and design of groups of compounds that bind to CD81 for use as therapeutics for treating patients infected by Plasmodium and pathogens that interact with CD81. By binding to CD81, these molecules can block 1) Plasmodium attachment and entry into cells (infection), especially hepatocytes; 2) block or inhibit inflammatory responses caused by Plasmodium, and 3) block or inhibit the induction of other pathologies associated with Plasmodium infection.

The technology provided herein relates to novel malaria vaccines composed of different recombinant proteins, in particular recombinant fusion proteins comprising several different Plasmodium falciparum antigens from the pre-erythrocytic, the blood, and the sexual parasite main stages. The proteins may be used in a mixture vaccine formulation to elicit protective immune responses in humans. Nucleic acid molecules encoding said recombinant proteins, vectors and host cells containing the nucleic acids and methods for preparation and producing such proteins are also disclosed, as well as antibodies induced or generated by the use of said malaria vaccines and the use of such antibodies or recombinant derivatives for passive immunotherapy.

The technology provided herein relates to novel malaria vaccines composed of different recombinant proteins, in particular recombinant fusion proteins comprising several different Plasmodium falciparum antigens from the pre-erythrocytic, the blood, and the sexual parasite main stages. The proteins may be used in a mixture vaccine formulation to elicit protective immune responses in humans. Nucleic acid molecules encoding said recombinant proteins, vectors and host cells containing the nucleic acids and methods for preparation and producing such proteins are also disclosed, as well as antibodies induced or generated by the use of said malaria vaccines and the use of such antibodies or recombinant derivatives for passive immunotherapy.