ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Protein Potential, LLC was awarded three Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a malaria vaccine that protects against Plasmodium falciparum, the malaria parasite responsible for more than 95% of malaria associated deaths worldwide. The vaccine will target three different stages of the parasite life cycle, thereby preventing infection, disease, and transmission. In the first project, Protein Potential will collaborate with Aduro Inc. of Berkeley, California to engineer a dual component vaccine that disrupts the parasite’s asymptomatic liver stage by inducing antibodies and protective T cell responses and prevents infection (http://www.proteinpotential.com/press.html). The second project involves a collaboration with Dr. Louis H. Miller and his team at the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research at the NIH on a vaccine that elicits antibodies that block parasite invasion of red blood cells, thereby preventing illness. Protein Potential’s strategy is to attack multiple molecules that are used by the parasite when it invades red blood cells, a single critical step necessary for the parasite’s survival. In the third project, Protein Potential will produce recombinant protein-based vaccines against three different stages of the parasite to prevent both infection of liver cells and transmission from person to person by mosquitoes. “This triple punch at the parasite has not been explored before. We are now positioned to use powerful approaches that combine Protein Potential’s core capabilities in recombinant protein production and malariology with our collaborators’ novel discoveries. Our goal is to come up with a vaccine cocktail that the elusive malaria parasite will be unable to outsmart,” says the Founder and President of Protein Potential, B. Kim Lee Sim, Ph.D. “This is a very exciting opportunity to exploit multiple parasite targets for immune protection. A vaccine that simultaneously elicits protective immune responses against multiple parasite proteins has the potential to finally achieve high level protection against malaria,” states Dr. Louis H. Miller.
About Protein Potential
Protein Potential’s R&D program is focused on vaccine development for infectious diseases including Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax malaria, anthrax, plague, and shigellosis. Protein Potential combines expertise in protein expression, process development, and documentation with the technical know-how to transition candidate vaccines through large-scale cGMP manufacturing. In addition, the company develops and conducts assays required to release vaccines for clinical use and assess the immunogenicity of candidate vaccines in human subjects. Protein Potential’s Products and Services group provides high quality recombinant proteins and DNA constructs to corporate, government, and academic clients. The company’s administrative, laboratory, and production facilities are located in Rockville, Maryland. Additional information about Protein Potential is available at the company’s web site www.proteinpotential.com. Except for historical information, this news release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve known and unknown risk and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements made. These forward-looking statements are further qualified by important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. For further information contactAdam Richman, Ph.D., +301.770.3222; arichman@protpot.com.
SOURCE Protein Potential LLC
