Malaria still kills 0.8 million people a year, mostly children in sub-Saharan
Africa. Vaccine work has entered a very hopeful stage, but very little is known
about the factors determining immunity to this parasitic disease. Work in our
laboratory focuses on the immunology and pathology of malaria infection. CD4+
Memory T and B cells are essential for effective immunity, however there are
many aspects of their development and maintenance that are not yet understood.
Our aim is to understand the mechanisms of protection and maintenance of these cells.
Research Interests
- CD4+ T cell memory to blood stages of Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi (AS),
mouse malaria
- Effector function (Th1, Tfh) commitment in memory cells in malaria
- Vaccine strategies to generate protective effector memory T cells
- B cell memory and splenic microenvironment
- T cell memory and cytokines in P. falciparum infection in collaboration with
field laboratories
- Techniques: Multi-color flow cytometry, microchip analysis, in vivo studies
Selected References:
The contribution of Plasmodium chabaudi to our understanding of malaria.
Stephens R, Culleton RL, Lamb TJ. Trends in parasitology. 2012; 28(2):73-82.
PMID: 22100995
Early Decision: Effector and Effector Memory T Cell Differentiation in
Chronic Infection. Opata MM, Stephens R. Current immunology reviews. 2013;
9(3):190-206. PMID: 24790593
INF-γand IL-21 Double Producing T Cells Are Bcl6-Independent and Survive
into the Memory Phase in Plasmodium chabaudi Infection. Carpio VH, Opata MM,
Montañez ME, Banerjee PP, Dent AL, Stephens R. PloS one. 2015; 10(12):e0144654.
PMID: 26646149
Early effector cells survive the contraction phase in malaria infection and
generate both central and effector memory T cells. Opata MM, Carpio VH, Ibitokou
SA, Dillon BE, Obiero JM, Stephens R. Journal of immunology . 2015;
194(11):5346-54. PMID: 25911759
Effector memory Th1 CD4 T cells are maintained in a mouse model of chronic
malaria. Stephens R, Langhorne J. PLoS pathogens. 2010; 6(11):e1001208. PMID:
21124875
Search PubMed for Dr. Stephen's publications.