Malaria

We posit that the structures of important vaccine targets will reveal both interesting biology, and enable rational development of vaccines. These vaccines will focus the immune response on conserved epitopes, and avoid masking by polymorphic epitopes that pathogens often use to evade immune responses. Proteins on sporozoites are candidates for vaccines that prevent infection. We are interested in determining the structure of the sheath that surrounds sporozoites, its main component the circumsporozoite protein, and the motility protein TRAP. Proteins on gametocytes are targets for vaccines that prevent Plasmodium fertilization and infection in mosquitoes, and prevent transmission to other humans. These proteins include a family unique to Apicomplexans with 6-Cys domains, and HAP2, a putative gamete fusogen conserved in many eukaryotic phyla.

Malaria Researchers

Chafen Lu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Research Associate, Boston Children's Hospital
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Jiabin Yan, PhD
Research Scientist, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
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Juan Feng, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
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Recent Publications

2018

Qin, Y. et al. A Milieu Molecule for TGF-β Required for Microglia Function in the Nervous System. Cell (2018) doi:10.1016/j.cell.2018.05.027.
Qin, Y. et al. A Milieu Molecule for TGF-β Required for Microglia Function in the Nervous System. Cell (2018) doi:10.1016/j.cell.2018.05.027.
Moore, T. I., Aaron, J., Chew, T.-L. & Springer, T. A. Measuring integrin conformational change on the cell surface with super-resolution microscopy. Cell Reports In Press, (2018).
Moore, T. I., Aaron, J., Chew, T.-L. & Springer, T. A. Measuring integrin conformational change on the cell surface with super-resolution microscopy. Cell Reports In Press, (2018).

2017

Nordenfelt, P. et al. Direction of actin flow dictates integrin LFA-1 orientation during leukocyte migration. Nat Commun 8, 2047 (2017).
Nordenfelt, P. et al. Direction of actin flow dictates integrin LFA-1 orientation during leukocyte migration. Nat Commun 8, 2047 (2017).
Fu, H. et al. Flow-induced elongation of von Willebrand factor precedes tension-dependent activation. Nat Commun 8, 324 (2017).
Fu, H. et al. Flow-induced elongation of von Willebrand factor precedes tension-dependent activation. Nat Commun 8, 324 (2017).
Li, J. & Springer, T. A. Integrin extension enables ultrasensitive regulation by cytoskeletal force. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2017) doi:10.1073/pnas.1704171114.
Li, J. & Springer, T. A. Integrin extension enables ultrasensitive regulation by cytoskeletal force. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2017) doi:10.1073/pnas.1704171114.
Dong, X. et al. Force interacts with macromolecular structure in activation of TGF-β. Nature 542, 55–59 (2017).
Dong, X. et al. Force interacts with macromolecular structure in activation of TGF-β. Nature 542, 55–59 (2017).
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