Scavenger receptor CD163 detoxes #hemoglobin (Hb) via haptoglobin–Hb (Hp-Hb) uptake, but can also bind free Hb directly. Richard Zhou & @parasitematt.bsky.social solve the CD163-Hb structure to reveal that CD163 arms allow receptor promiscuity when Hp is absent @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4eOLuIv
Our latest study of the scavenger receptor CD163, led by Richard Zhou. This follows our previous study of how CD163 uses its remarkable molecular architecture to bind haptoglobin-haemoglobin. We now show how its flexible arms allow haemoglobin binding, revealing how ligand promiscuity works.
Introducing our new blood-stage malaria vaccine immunogen based on the essential invasion protein PfCyRPA. By understanding where on PfCyRPA the best antibodies bind, we used structure guided design to generate PfCyRPA-EM, which contains only the epitopes of the best antibodies.
Check out our latest study on the PfRIPR protein,
essential for the malaria parasite to get inside our blood cells. We show how antibodies block the function of PfRIPR by preventing its flexible hinges from bending, or by stopping it from compacting as part of its mechanism.
Read all about it here
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
We are very much looking forward to being @courbongautier.bsky.social’s new home!!
New vaccine immunogens coming next! This study was led by @brendanfarrell as part of a great collaboration with Joshua Tan and Andrew Cooper, who isolated the human antibodies. Read all about it:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
This immunogen is cheap and easy to produce and elicits a high quality antibody response. Project led by @nawsadalam. Read all about it:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Excited about parasites? Love watching movies? Come join our Wellcome-funded project! Parasitology friends, please do share far and wide.
Structure-guided design of a PfCyRPA-based #vaccine against blood-stage #malaria
➡️ doi.org/10.1038/s44321-026-00376-x
By N. Alam, @parasitematt.bsky.social and colleagues @ox.ac.uk @kavlioxford.bsky.social
PLOS Biology
The scavenger receptor CD163 detoxifies hemoglobin after erythrocyte lysis via haptoglobin–hemoglobin uptake, but can also bind free haemoglobin directly to prevent oxidative damage. This study solves...
The PfPCRCR complex is essential for invasion of human erythrocytes by the deadliest malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum . Antibodies against each subunit of PfPCRCR prevent erythrocyte invasion and the PfRH5 component is currently the most advanced blood-stage malaria vaccine. Central within PfPCRCR is PfRIPR. This complex molecule contains a core and a flexible tail and allows PfPCRCR to bridge the parasite and erythrocyte during invasion. In this study, we generated a small panel of human monoclonal antibodies against PfRIPR. We structurally characterised four PfRIPR tail-binding antibodies in complex with PfRIPR fragments. We show that growth-inhibitory antibody RP.012 induces a kink in the PfRIPR tail while non-inhibitory antibodies do not. Furthermore, we show that these four antibodies modulate each other, either through antagonism or by acting synergistically. These studies have implications for the design of PfRIPR-based vaccine immunogens and indicate that the tail of PfRIPR undergoes essential conformational changes during erythrocyte invasion. ### Competing Interest Statement J.T., A.C., and L.T.W. are coinventors on a provisional patent filed on the human mAbs described in this study (63/777,850). The other authors have no competing interests. Wellcome Trust, https://ror.org/029chgv08, 220797/Z/20/Z Medical Research Council, MR/Z505687/1 Gates Foundation, INV-078815
www.biorxiv.org
Effective vaccines against malaria are urgently required. All components of the PfPCRCR complex are essential for erythrocyte invasion by Plasmodium falciparum and are potential vaccine immunogens aga...
The HartLab is looking for a research assistant to support the exploration of red blood cell invasion by Plasmodium and Babesia parasites and the establishment of their distinct intracellular niches. For more information on this 4-year position follow the link below:
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQH098/r...
Congratulations to the new Doctor of Philosophy @courbongautier.bsky.social on a spectacular PhD defense following a groundbreaking PhD!
Thanks to external examiner Damian Ekiert from JHU and the rest of the examining committee.
Next stop, Oxford University for a postdoctoral fellowship.
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