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Chimeric P. falciparum parasites expressing P. vivax

circumsporozoite protein fail to produce salivary gland sporozoites
The ability to infect immunized volunteers in Controlled Human Malaria Infection
(CHMI) studies with the human malaria parasite P. falciparum has transformed
research into malaria vaccines. However, the ability to do so for the second most
important malaria parasite, P. vivax is extremely limited. In our study we created
two chimeric P. falciparum parasites where the P. falciparum csp gene was
replaced with one of the two major P. vivax csp alleles. While the combined
parasites produced sporozoite-containing oocysts in mosquitoes, most oocysts
degenerated before full maturation and no sporozoites were found in their
salivary glands.