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Using proteins derived from the malaria Plasmodium falciparum parasite, NIAID has developed three different nanoparticle platforms to serve as scaffolds for displaying multiple copies of malaria antigens in an organized, repetitive manner to enhance vaccine effectiveness. The first platform uses the pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (PLP) synthase protein to form a nanoparticle displaying 48 copies of up to 4 different proteins. The second platform uses the chaperone 60 (Cpn60), which can display 28 copies of up to 2 different proteins.

       Antibody therapies that target human B cells are a promising way to treat diseases like B-cell cancers and autoimmune conditions like lupus and multiple sclerosis. Traditionally, these antibodies are made in animals and modified to resemble human antibodies to reduce immune rejection.

Rotavirus is a major cause of severe diarrhea and dehydration in infants and young children. Vaccines that cover the most important rotavirus serotypes could help reduce serious illness worldwide.

Researchers at NIAID’s Laboratory of Infectious Diseases developed a multivalent human-bovine reassortant rotavirus vaccine using vaccine strains created by combining selected genes from human and bovine (cow) rotaviruses. This approach targets the most important rotavirus serotypes at once, including G1, G2, G3, and G4, with the potential to expand coverage to G5, G9, and G10.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are immune cells that keep the immune system balanced and prevent autoimmunity. Tregs depend on a protein called Eos (Ikzf4) that helps turn genes on and off for their development and function, but until now, antibodies used to detect and study Eos were unreliable.