Peptide analysis of the T cell response to the malaria circumsporozoite (CS) protein

The T cell response to the circumsporozoite (CS) protein is still not well understood. There is still not agreement on the degree of immunological nonresponsiveness or even on the basic question of whether the response to native CS protein requires T cells at all. Recombinant proteins and synthetic peptides are tools that are helping us learn the basics of the immune response to this protein. Here, the human and murine responses to the protein are probed using these valuable research tools. Then, the possibility of using peptide vaccines is discussed.