Strain-specific immunity induced by immunization with pre-erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium chabaudi

One of the most promising approaches in the efforts to produce a malaria vaccine involves the use of attenuated whole sporozoite immunizations. Attenuation may be achieved by the use of genetic modification, irradiation, chemical attenuation, or by the contemporaneous administration of antimalarial drugs that target only the erythrocytic stages of the parasite. Most research to date has focused on the efficacy of these approaches upon challenge with parasites homologous to those used for the initial immunizations. We, as have others, have previously shown that a component of the immunity achieved against the erythrocytic stages of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi is strain-specific, with a stronger immune response targeting the immunizing strain than genetically distinct strains. Here, we show that the immunity induced by infection with the pre-erythrocytic stages of these parasites, achieved via inoculation of sporozoites contemporaneously with mefloquine, also has a strain-specific component.