Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Vaccine: Novel Flagellin-based Vaccine
Serious Pseudomonas infections usually occur in people in the hospital and/or with weakened immune systems. Infections of the blood, pneumonia, and infections following surgery can lead to severe illness and death in these people. An effective vaccine will address the challenge of Pseudomonas based nosocomial infections and an aging baby-boomer population that is susceptible. Additionally, a vaccine will address the growing problem of antibiotic resistance to Pseudomonas infection in this population.
Technology Overview
A researcher at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and collaborators have developed a novel vaccine against Pseudomonas aeruginosa that is based on a fusion protein that combines flagellin with OprI and OprF antigens of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The use of flagellin as an adjuvant results in a robust immune response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa against the key surface antigens in proven animal models, including mice and nonhuman primates, demonstrating effectiveness of the vaccine.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are a major cause of illness and death in patients with respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and ventilator-associated pneumonia. Currently, there is no approved vaccine against Pseudomonas aeruginosa The Centers for Disease control has listed Pseudomonas infections as one of the 18 urgent drug resistance threats in the United States.
Researchers have established preclinical proof of concept in animal models. In published studies, protective immune response was documented in non-human primates and enhanced bacterial clearance without lung damage was established in mouse models.
- Steven Mizel, PhD, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
- Daniel J. Wozniak, PhD, Ohio State University Medical Center
- Eric T. Weimer, PhD, Duke University Medical Center