Comparative molecular and three-dimensional analysis of the peptide-MHC II binding region in both human and Aotus MHC-DRB molecules confirms their usefulness in antimalarial vaccine development.

A vaccine against malaria is desperately needed, and Aotus monkeys are highly susceptible to experimental infection with malarial parasites. A thorough analysis of this monkey's immune system molecules was thus undertaken in our institute. Cloning and sequencing, followed by three-dimensional analysis, has revealed high homology with some HLA-DRB1 molecules in terms of their peptide binding region pockets. Molecules such as HLA-DRB1*03, 11, 08, and HLA-DRB1*04 are so similar to Aotus MHC-DRB molecules that peptides identified as binding to these molecules and inducing protective immunity in these monkeys could be used in humans without further refinement, while small modifications seem to be needed for those binding to HLA-DRB1*07, HLA-DRB1*15, 16, and HLA-DRB1*10-like molecules, making this New World monkey an excellent model for tailor-made vaccine development, especially against malaria.