Combination of multiple antigens are essential for the development of a novel vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus infection

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a common pathogen found in the community and in hospitals. Most notably, Methicillin-resistant S. aureus is resistant to many antibiotics, which is a growing public health concern. The emergence of drug-resistant strains has prompted the search for alternative treatments such as immunotherapeutic approaches. Prophylactic vaccination is the best approach to combat against MRSA since it can provide protection without any concerns regarding antibiotic resistance. To date, most clinical trials of vaccines or passive immunization against S. aureus have ended in failure. In this study, we investigated multiple proteins as possible targets for a vaccine. Mice vaccinated with these purified proteins elicited high titers of specific antibodies as well as Th1- and Th17-biased immune responses in mice. Animal test indicated a protection rate over 90% in several animal models against multiple strains of S. aureus. Interestingly, gdT cells transferred from the vaccinated mice to naïve mice can confer protection to the naïve mice against S. aureus challenge in skin infection models. These findings raise the hope that the candidate antigens could be developed into multivalent and serotype-independent vaccines against S. aureus infection.
 
Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus, Th17, Gamma-Delta T cells, MRSA.

Abstract presented at the 3rd International Symposium on Alternatives to Antibiotics 2019.