Toward the development of an antidisease, transmission-blocking intranasal vaccine for group a streptococcus

J Infect Dis. 2005 Oct 15;192(8):1450-5. doi: 10.1086/466528. Epub 2005 Sep 9.

Abstract

Infection with group A streptococcus (GAS) may result in a number of clinical conditions, including the potentially life-threatening postinfectious sequelae of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. As part of the search for a vaccine to prevent GAS infection, a conformationally constrained and minimally conserved peptide, J14, from the M protein of GAS has been defined. In the present study, J14 was formulated with bacterial outer membrane proteins (proteosomes) and then intranasally administered to outbred mice without additional adjuvant. Such immunization led to high titers of J14-specific serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G and mucosal IgA. After upper respiratory tract GAS challenge, immunized mice demonstrated increased survival and reduced GAS colonization of the throat.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Intranasal
  • Animals
  • Antigens, Bacterial / immunology*
  • Disease Transmission, Infectious / prevention & control
  • Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / immunology*
  • Feces
  • Immunoglobulin G / biosynthesis
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Mice
  • Nasal Mucosa / microbiology
  • Saliva
  • Streptococcal Infections / prevention & control*
  • Streptococcal Infections / transmission
  • Streptococcal Vaccines / administration & dosage*
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / immunology*
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / pathogenicity

Substances

  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Streptococcal Vaccines