An experimental vaccine that targets staphylococcal virulence

• Published in: Trends in microbiology (Regular ed.) Vol. 6; no. 12; pp. 461 - 463
• Main Author: Lee, Jean C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.12.1998
• Subjects: agr; animal infection model; Animals; Humans; Oligopeptides - immunology; regulation; RNA, Antisense - immunology; RNA, Bacterial - immunology; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcal Infections - prevention & control; Staphylococcal Vaccines - immunology; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus - immunology; Staphylococcus aureus - pathogenicity; Vaccination; vaccine; Vaccines, Synthetic - immunology; virulence; vaccine; virulence; animal infection model; regulation; agr; Staphylococcus aureus
• ISSN: 0966-842X; 1878-4380
• DOI: 10.1016/S0966-842X(98)01404-8

Staphylococcus aureus is an important community- and hospital-acquired bacterial pathogen. Although S. aureus rarely causes problems in otherwise healthy people, it is commonly associated with infections of prosthetic devices and surgical wounds, bacteremia, endocarditis and pneumonia in hospitalized patients. Because there is currently no licensed vaccine for use in humans to prevent staphylococcal disease, clinicians treat these infections with antibiotics. However, in many large hospitals, 40-60% of staphylococcal isolates are resistant to multiple antibiotics, including methicillin. Glycopeptide antibiotics, such as vancomycin, remain the only drugs effective against these multidrug-resistant staphylococci. Recent reports of S. aureus isolates with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin underscore the importance of identifying new therapeutics to target the staphylococcus. As a supplement to antimicrobial therapy, immunization with staphylococcal antigens would be another option to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with staphylococcal infections, particularly those provoked by antibiotic-resistant strains.