Characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus infections to consider in designing an effective vaccine

• Published in: Nature precedings
• Main Authors: Romero-Pastrana, Francisco, Hernández-Jáuregui, Pablo, Baca, Beatriz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 30.06.2010
• ISSN: 1756-0357; 1756-0357
• DOI: 10.1038/npre.2010.4598.1

Abstract Staphylococcus aureus is a very versatile and adaptable microorganism. It can potentially infect virtually any host tissue. Given the appropriate conditions it can become a life-threatening pathogen, or a commensal colonizer of the nose. Extensive antibiotic use for infection control facilitated the rise of antibiotic resistance, stressing the need for alternate forms of control. Vaccine efforts in other pathogens have proved successful, but so far S. aureus candidate vaccines have not been as effective. Here we review S. aureus factors involved in pathogenesis that could help develop a successful vaccine, like host nasal colonization and immune evasion factors. An effective multicomponent vaccine could incorporate antigenic fragments from several S. aureus proteins, preferably involved in colonization, immune evasion and/or toxicity.