An antigen specific to the liver stage of rodent malaria recognized by a monoclonal antibody.

Vaccines currently being evaluated against malaria are based on proteins derived from the blood, sporozoite and sexual stages. Antigens from the liver stage, which is now recognized as the major target of protective sporozoite induced immunity, have received comparatively little attention. This paper describes the generation of a monoclonal antibody (MoAb), which recognizes an antigen specific to the liver stage of the rodent malaria Plasmodium berghei. The antigen is expressed throughout liver stage development and appears to be localized to the parasitophorous vacuole membrane. The MoAb did not affect the growth of liver stages cultured in vitro nor could protection be demonstrated in vivo following passive transfer of the antibody.