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Research and Clinical Interests

We are working in the biology of the pre-erythrocyctic stages (sporozoite and liver stages) of the malaria parasite, and in developing a malaria vaccine. Because those stages are symptomless, but essential for the continuation of the life cycle, an effective pre-erythrocytic vaccine will prevent malaria pathology and symptomatology.

Selected Publications

Kumar KA, Garcia CR, Chandran VR, Van Rooijen N, Zhou Y, Winzeler E, Nussenzweig V. Exposure of Plasmodium to the intracellular concentration of potassium enhances infectivity and reduces cell passage activity. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 2007 Nov;156(1):32-40. Epub 2007 Jul 13. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 17714805. doi: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2007.07.004.

Bosch J, Buscaglia CA, Krumm B, Ingason BP, Lucas R, Roach C, Cardozo T, Nussenzweig V, Hol WGI. Aldolase provides an unusual binding site for TRAP in the invasion machinery of the malaria parasite. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Apr 24;104(17):7015–20. Epub 2007 Apr 10. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 17426153.

Buscaglia CA, Hol WGJ, Nussenzweig V, Cardozo T. Modeling the interaction between aldolase and the thromobospondin-related anonymous protein, a key connection of the malaria parasite invasion machinery. Proteins. 2007 Feb 15;66(3):528-37. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 17154157.

Singh AP, Buscaglia CA, Wang Q, Levay A, Nussenzweig DR, Walker JR, Winzeler EA, Fujii H, Fontoura BMA, Nussenzweig V. Plasmodium circumsporozoite protein promotes the development of the liver stages of the parasite. Cell. 2007;131:492-504. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 17981117.

Kumar KA, Sano G, Boscardin S, Nussenzweig RS, Nussenzweig MC, Zavala F, Nussenzweig V. The circumsporozoite protein is an immunodominant protective antigen in irradiated sporozoites. Nature. 2006 Dec 14;444(7121):937-40. Epub 2006 Dec 6. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 17151604.

Buscaglia CA, Penesetti D, Tao M, Nussenzweig V. Characterization of an aldolase-binding site in the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein. J Biol Chem. 2006 Jan 20;281(3):1324-31. Epub 2005 Nov 8. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 16278221.

Wang Q, Fujioka H, Nussenzweig V. Mutational analysis of the GPI anchor addition sequence from the circumsporozoite protein at Plasmodium. Cell Microbiol. 2005 Nov;7(11):1616-26. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 16207248.

Wang Q, Fujioka H, Nussenzweig V. Exit of Plasmodium sporozoites from oocysts is an active process that involves the circumsporozoite protein. PLoS Pathog. 2005 Sep;1(1):e9. Epub 2005 Sep 30. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 16201021.

Bhanot P, Schauer K, Coppens I, Nussenzweig V. A surface phospholipase is involved in the migration of Plasmodium sporozoites through cells. J Biol Chem. 2005 Feb 25;280:6752-60. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 15590623.

Deng T, Barba-Spaeth G, Rai U, Nussenzweig V, Rice CM, Nussenzweig RS. Yellow fever 17D as a vaccine vector for microbial CTL epitopes: Protection in a rodent malaria model. J Exp Med. 2005 Jan;201:201-9.

Wang Q, Brown S, Roos DS, Nussenzweig V, Bhanot P. Transcriptome of early liver stages of Plasmodium. Mol Biochem Parasit. 2004 Sep;137(1):161-8. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 15279962.

Quantitative Plasmodium sporozoite neutralization assay (TSNA). J Immunol Methods. 2004 Sep;292(1-2):157-64. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 15350520.

Kappe SH, Buscaglia CA, Bergman LW, Coppens I, Nussenzweig V. Apicomplexan gliding motility and host cell invasion: Overhauling the motor model. Trends Parasitol. 2004 Jan;20(1):13-16. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 14700584.

Kappe SH, Buscaglia CA, Nussenzweig V. Plasmodium Sporozoite Molecular Cell Biology. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 2004;20:29-59. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 15473834.

Selected Books

Saul A, Nussenzweig V, Nussenzweig RS. Rationale for Malaria Vaccine Development. In: Kaufmann SHE, editor. Novel Vaccination Strategies. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH Verlag; 2004. pp. 479-503.

Organizational Associations

American Academy of Microbiology; American Academy of Arts and Sciences; National Academy of Medicine, Argentina; Ordem Nacional do Mérito Científico, Brazilian Academy of Sciences; Brazilian Academy of Sciences; Doctorate Honoris Causa, University of Chile