Jerome Vanderberg
Jerome Vanderberg, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Medical Parasitology
Old Public Health Building, Rm 301E
341 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010
Tel: (212) 263-6761
Email: Jerome.Vanderberg@nyumc.org
Lab website
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Research Interests
Parasite-Host Cell Interactions in Invasion and Immunity
Research Summary
We study the biology and invasiveness of the sporozoite, malaria's infectious agent. Because malaria is the most critically infectious disease in the world, the sporozoite can well be considered the most important infectious cell. Mosquitoes introduce sporozoites into a host by injecting them into nonvascular skin tissue as they secrete saliva while probing for a blood source. To infect the host, these sporozoites must then reach a blood vessel. We are interested in how sporozoites move through the tissue to recognize and invade a blood vessel. The mosquito's saliva is necessary for it to take a blood meal. Therefore, we investigate whether host immunity to mosquito saliva affects the mosquito's ability to take a blood meal or the sporozoite's ability to migrate through the bite region to a blood vessel. We also study the role of anti-sporozoite antibodies in protection against malaria. Based on what we have learned about this from our studies on mosquito deposition of sporozoites and the fate of these sporozoites, we are investigating ways of effective immunization with syringe-injected attenuated sporozoites.
Selected Publications
Vanderberg, J.P. and U. Frevert. 2004. Intravital microscopy demonstrating antibody-mediated immobilisation of Plasmodium berghei sporozoites injected into skin by mosquitoes. Int. J. Parasitol. 34: 991-996. PDF
Kebaier, C. and J. P. Vanderberg. 2006. Re-ingestion of Plasmodium berghei sporozoites after delivery into the host by mosquitoes. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 75: 1200-1204.
Vanderberg, JP et al. Assessment of antibody protection against malaria sporozoites must be done by mosquito injection of sporozoites. Am J Path. 2007 Oct, 171: 1405. PDF
Jin Y, C Kebaier, and J P Vanderberg. Direct microscopic quantification of transmission dynamics of Plasmodium sporozoites from mosquitoes to mice. Infect Immun. 2007 Nov 75(11): 5532-5539. PDF
Vanderberg, JP. Reflections on early malaria vaccine studies, the first successful human malaria vaccination, and beyond. Vaccine. 2008 27:2-9. Word format
Kebaier, C., T. Voza and J. P. Vanderberg. 2009. Kinetics of mosquito-injected Plasmodium berghei sporozoites in immunized vs. non-immunized mice. PLoS Pathog 5, e1000399. http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.ppat.1000399
Kebaier, C., and J. P. Vanderberg. 2009. Initiation of Plasmodium sporozoite motility by albumin is associated with induction of intracellular signaling. Int. J. Parasitol. Online doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2009.06.011
