Cellular Responses to Disease and Vaccination
Our work strives to understand malaria infection and vaccination.
Group Heads
About
Our group aims to understand the key cellular mechanisms that lead to protective immunity in response to malaria infection and vaccination and to discover why these cells are less responsive in children and in those with prior malaria infection.
Long term, our research aims to develop novel therapeutics that can boost protective immunity during malaria infection or vaccination.
Current projects
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Germinal centre organoids to investigate human immune response to infection and vaccination
We're using germinal centre organoid models to investigate human immune development to malaria parasites and malaria vaccines.
Host directed therapy to boost protective immunity to malaria
Understanding immune development in this unique clinical trial will help us develop approaches to boost protective immunity to malaria, leading to novel therapeutics.
Impact of malaria and other host factors on COVID-19 immune responses following infection and vaccination
Understanding immune development to the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) in areas of high malaria transmission will inform future COVID-19 control strategies and underlying immune development.
News and features
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Burnet researcher developing first human organoid structure to study malaria
Dr Mayimuna Nalubega’s work is hoped to accelerate progress toward more effective vaccines and transform how scientists understand malaria immunity.
Damian Oyong could save millions of lives. We almost lost him to the US
Paywall. Published in The Australian Financial Review.
Eliminating malaria requires new solutions
Featured publications
Heterogeneity of the human immune response to malaria infection and vaccination driven by latent cytomegalovirus infection
EBioMedicine
Reena Mukhiya et al
The impact of Plasmodium-driven immunoregulatory networks on immunity to malaria
Nature reviews. Immunology
Michelle J. Boyle, Christian Engwerda, Prasanna Jagannathan
Single cell transcriptomics shows that malaria promotes unique regulatory responses across multiple immune cell subsets
Nature Communications
Julianne Hamelink
Age-dependent changes in circulating Tfh cells influence development of functional malaria antibodies in children
Nature Communications
Jo-Anne Chan et al
Adults with Plasmodium falciparum malaria have higher magnitude and quality of circulating T-follicular helper cells compared to children
EBioMedicine
Damian A. Oyong et al
Th2-like T Follicular Helper Cells Promote Functional Antibody Production during Plasmodium falciparum Infection
Cell Reports Medicine
Jo-Anne Chan et al
IgM in human immunity to Plasmodium falciparum malaria
Science Advances
Michelle J. Boyle et al
Loss of complement regulatory proteins on uninfected erythrocytes in vivax and falciparum malaria anemia
JCI Insight
Damian A. Oyong et al
Induction and Kinetics of Complement-Fixing Antibodies Against Plasmodium vivax Merozoite Surface Protein 3α and Relationship With Immunoglobulin G Subclasses and Immunoglobulin M
The Journal of Infectious Diseases
Damian A. Oyong et al
Identification of Heparin Modifications and Polysaccharide Inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum Merozoite Invasion That Have Potential for Novel Drug Development
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
Michelle J. Boyle et al
The Development of Plasmodium falciparum-Specific IL10 CD4 T Cells and Protection from Malaria in Children in an Area of High Malaria Transmission
Frontiers in Immunology
Michelle J. Boyle et al
Effector Phenotype ofPlasmodium falciparum–Specific CD4+T Cells Is Influenced by Both Age and Transmission Intensity in Naturally Exposed Populations
The Journal of Infectious Diseases
Michelle J. Boyle et al
Decline of FoxP3+ Regulatory CD4 T Cells in Peripheral Blood of Children Heavily Exposed to Malaria
PLoS Pathogens
Michelle J. Boyle et al
Human Antibodies Fix Complement to Inhibit Plasmodium falciparum Invasion of Erythrocytes and Are Associated with Protection against Malaria
Immunity
Michelle J. Boyle et al
Sequential Processing of Merozoite Surface Proteins during and after Erythrocyte Invasion by Plasmodium falciparum
Infection and Immunity
Michelle J. Boyle et al
Isolation of viable Plasmodium falciparum merozoites
Research Square (Research Square)
Michelle J. Boyle, Danny W. Wilson, James G. Beeson
Interactions with heparin-like molecules during erythrocyte invasion by Plasmodium falciparum merozoites
Blood
Michelle J. Boyle et al
Reviews
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T-follicular helper cells in malaria infection and roles in antibody induction
Oxford Open Immmunology 2021 [PDF 394.5 kB] -
Challenges and strategies for developing efficacious and long-lasting malaria vaccines
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2019 [PDF 333.4 kB] -
Recent insights into humoral immunity targeting Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria
Int J Parasitol 2017 [PDF 61.4 kB]
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New approaches to studying Plasmodium falciparum merozoite invasion and insights into invasion biology
Int J Parasitol 2013 [PDF 650.6 kB]
Commentary and editorials
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Livening up pertussis vaccine development
Science Translational Medicine 5 Feb 2020 Vol 12, Issue 529 -
Broadening vaccine strategies to induce HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies
Science Translational Medicine 14 Aug 2019 Vol 11, Issue 505 -
The right adjuvant gives T follicular helper cells a boost
Science Translational Medicine 19 Jun 2019 Vol 11, Issue 497
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A vaccine to kiss EBV goodbye
Science Translational Medicine 24 Apr 2019 Vol 11, Issue 489 -
Evaluating Complement-mediated Humoral Immunity to P. falciparum Blood stages
eBioMedicine Volume 14 p9-10 December 2016
Patents and methods chapters
Isolation of viable P. falciparum merozoites by membrane filtration
Michelle Boyle, David Wilson, James Beeson
6th edition, 2013, EVIMalaR Glasgow, UK, edited by Moll K, Kaneko A, Scherf A, Wahlgren M.
Erythrocyte invasion assays with isolated viable P. falciparum merozoites
Michelle Boyle, David Wilson, James Beeson
6th edition, 2013, EVIMalaR Glasgow, UK, edited by Moll K, Kaneko A, Scherf A, Wahlgren M
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
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Blood sample processing
This SOP describes processing blood samples from donors to isolate plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and fixed whole blood for storage. Blood samples can be from volunteer donors or buffy coat blood samples from Australian Red Cross Life Blood donors.
Boylelab SOP RA Blood Sample Processing 0 B -
Stimulation of PBMC/Spleen/Tonsil cells using Activation Induced Marker (AIM) assay
This SOP provides a guide for stimulating PBMC/Spleen/Tonsil cells and measuring activation-induced markers (AIMs) to determine antigen-specific response. PBMC/Spleen/Tonsil samples are stimulated with Plasmodium-parasitised red blood cells (pRBCs) to investigate malaria-specific cellular response.
Boylelab SOP AIM [PDF 315.4 kB] -
In vitro culturing of Plasmodium falciparum parasites
This SOP describes the process of the continuous in vitro culturing of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocytic stages in human red blood cells (RBCs).
Boylelab SOP Plasmodium Culture [PDF 325.8 kB]
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Cell Stimulation Assay
This SOP describes the process of stimulating human whole blood ex vivo, or cryopreserved PMBC, spleen, and/or tonsil cells.
Boylelab SOP PMA Stimulation [PDF 467.7 kB] -
Ex vivo cell staining
This SOP provides guide for ex vivo fluorescent cell staining of cryopreserved human PBMC/Spleen/Tonsil cells. The cell staining involves staining process for cell surface and intracellular markers labelled with fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies. Cell markers can be used to identify cell subsets based on lineage, differentiation state, and function.
Boylelab SOP RA Ex Vivo Cell Staining [PDF 137.3 kB] -
PBMC Thawing
Cryopreserved PBMC/Spleen/Tonsils cells are sensitive to the thawing processes. To ensure optimal cell recovery and viability, thaw protocols are optimised.
Boylelab SOP RA PBMC Thaw [PDF 131.0 kB] -
In vitro culture of Human Tonsil/Spleen Organoids from cell suspension
This SOP provides a guide for the generation of in vitro organoids using human tonsil/spleen cell suspensions. Here, tonsils or spleen organoids will be used as in vitro functional systems that mimic key features of the germinal centres in vivo.
Boylelab SOP Tonsil Organoids [PDF 184.4 kB] -
Create cell suspension from Human Tonsils
This SOP describes the process of isolating cells from tonsils, followed by storage in liquid nitrogen.
Boylelab SOP Tonsils Processing [PDF 144.3 kB]
Datasets
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Malaria drives unique regulatory responses across multiple immune cells during human infection
Zenodo GitHub Gene Expression Omnibus
Group contacts
Associate Professor Michelle Boyle
Head, Cellular Responses to Disease and Vaccination Group; Snow Medical Fellow
Group members
Associate Professor Michelle Boyle
Head, Cellular Responses to Disease and Vaccination Group; Snow Medical Fellow
Dr Damian Oyong
Research Officer
