# Protein microarray antibody responses to P. falciparum in a human challenge model

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · 2021 · $183,004

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
This K23 application is submitted by Andrea A. Berry, M.D., an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the
University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Berry's long term goal is to become an independent investigator
in the field of malaria translational research. Towards this goal, she proposes a mentored career development
plan that provides training in microarray analysis, biostatistics, and epidemiology.
An effective Plasmodium falciparum malaria vaccine will boost prospects for the control and eventual
eradication of malaria. However, the field is only beginning to understand the requirements and characteristics
of malaria protective immunity, which is key to vaccine development. A promising approach is serological
profiling on high-throughput protein microarrays, which can elucidate antibody responses to hundreds of P.
falciparum antigen variants simultaneously. The investigator's group uses protein microarrays containing
diverse variants of key P. falciparum antigens so that they can study antigen variants associated with cross-
reactive and cross-protective immune responses. However, a gap in knowledge is the ability to differentiate
between antibody binding due to cross-reactivity and antibody binding due to accumulated exposure to malaria
– on protein microarrays, both responses manifest as reactivity to multiple antigen variants. Differentiating
these two patterns of antibody binding is difficult in field studies because only limited data is available on
participants' previous exposure, and even for ongoing infections one cannot always know the exact genetic
makeup of the parasite or the exact timing of exposure. Elucidating the characteristics of cross-reactivity and
accumulated exposure is nonetheless critical to gaining a better understanding of the development of
protective immunity from malaria.
Controlled Human Malaria Infections, in which volunteers are exposed to malaria through the bites of infectious
mosquitoes, are an opportunity to study the effect of single-clone malaria infections on the immune response.
This proposed work will evaluate immune responses in malaria naïve volunteers who experience single and
repeated P. falciparum infections in order to inform the interpretation of immune responses in individuals living
in malaria endemic regions. Protein and peptide microarrays will be used to probe sera from initially naïve
volunteers after they have recovered from P. falciparum challenge.
Aim 1: Evaluate the effect of single infections on the immune response by comparing two groups of volunteers
 after infection with two different P. falciparum strains.
Aim 2: Evaluate the effect of repeated infection on the immune response by following a group of volunteers
 who experience four P. falciparum infections over two years.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10092899
- **Project number:** 5K23AI125720-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- **Principal Investigator:** Andrea Berry
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $183,004
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-02-06 → 2024-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10092899

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10092899, Protein microarray antibody responses to P. falciparum in a human challenge model (5K23AI125720-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10092899. Licensed CC0.

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