Streptococcus pneumoniae, a common cause of bacterial pneumonia, generally enters the body through the nose. While the current intramuscular immunizations are effective in fighting the disease, their ability to protect against bacterial carriage in the nasal passages is only fifty to sixty percent.
In the study, mice were immunized intranasally, treated with interleukin-12 to enhance mucosal immune response and then challenged with varying strains of S. pneumoniae. The researchers found a seventy-five percent survival rate of vaccinated mice as opposed to a rate of zero percent in those not vaccinated. Additionally, vaccinated mice showed fewer bacterial colonies in the upper respiratory tract.
"The nasal mucosa is the first point of contact for inhaled antigens, and as a consequence, intranasal immunization has emerged as potentially the most effective route of vaccination for both peripheral and mucosal immunity," say the researchers. "Intranasal vaccination may be a new approach that could be combined with standard vaccination strategies to give optimal protection both systemically and at mucosal surfaces."
(J.M. Lynch, D.E. Briles, D.W. Metzger. 2003. Increased protection against pneumococcal disease by mucosal administration of conjugate vaccine plus interleukin-12. Infection and Immunity, 71. 8: 4780-4788.)
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED PLANTS PRODUCE CERVICAL CANCER VACCINE COMPONENTS
Researchers from Germany have genetically engineered plants to produce particles of human papillomavirus (HPV) that could be used in the creation of vaccines or as edible vaccines themselves. They report their findings in the September 2003 issue of the Journal of Virology.
"Cervical cancer is linked to infection with HPV and is the third most common cancer among women worldwide. There is a strong demand for the development of an HPV preventive vaccine," say the re
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Contact: Jim Sliwa
jsliwa@asmusa.org
202-942-9297
American Society for Microbiology
15-Aug-2003