I am currently a third year PhD student in the Institute of Immunology
and Infection Research at the University
of Edinburgh. My research focuses on the human immune
response to malaria infection. Parasites
of the genus Plasmodium cause malaria, a devastating tropical disease estimated
to kill in excess of one million people every year. During the blood stages of Plasmodium
falciparum infection, the parasite undergoes repeated rounds of asexual
reproduction, resulting in increasing parasitaemia and the onset of clinical
symptoms. At this stage free-living merozoites present the host immune system
with a number of potential immunogens, termed merozoite surface antigens
(MSAs). Antibodies specific to these MSAs have been associated with acquired
protective immunity in endemic populations. My research aims to establish the
mechanisms by which MSA-specific antibodies bring about this immunity.
To this end, part of my PhD research involves a
collaborative project between the Centre for Medical Parasitology (CMP) at Copenhagen University
and the University
of Edinburgh. The aim of this project is to isolate human
monoclonal antibodies against MSAs. This
involves isolating the cells that produce antibodies (B cells) from individuals
with a clinical history of malaria, and modifying them so that they can be
grown indefinitely in the lab. These
‘immortalised’ B cells can then be screened in order to identify those that
react with MSAs.
During a previous research visit to CMP I had screened
samples of pooled immortalised B cells that researchers at CMP had
developed. This yielded some promising
results, and in November 2009 I returned to CMP for a second research visit,
with the support an Anglo-Danish Society Scholarship. This aim of this particular trip was to
acquire the knowledge and skills required to set up similar B cell technology
at the University
of Edinburgh. The visit also enabled invaluable discussions
regarding the research project between myself and researchers at CMP.
Since this research visit I have been able to set up the
technology learnt at CMP here in Edinburgh. I have used this to develop pools of
immortalised B cells from malaria-exposed individuals, from which I have
isolated MSA-specific human monoclonal antibodies. These human monoclonal antibodies are
valuable reagents which I am now using to investigate how MSA-specific
antibodies impede Plasmodium falciparum infection.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Anglo-Danish
Society for their generous Scholarship award.
It has been a great help to my PhD studies and I thoroughly enjoyed my
time at the University
of Copenhagen.
