Chlamydia Vaccine Research
Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the industrialized world and more than 90 million people are infected with this bacteria each year. The disease can be treated with antibiotics but early symptoms are often overlooked and can have very serious long-term consequences such as infertility. A vaccine is therefore an international priority but has been complicated by the complex lifestyle of the pathogen. SSI has developed a unique vaccine strategy to combat this challenging infection
Why do we need a vaccine?
Sexually transmitted Chlamydia is a major global health problem and untreated infections can cause permanent damage and lead to infertility and ectopic pregnancy in women. Chlamydia is primarily a disease in young adults after their sexual debut. Classical control measures such as diagnosis, screening programs and treatment have been intensified in recent years but numbers of Chlamydia infections are still increasing. There is therefore a need for an effective vaccine against Chlamydia.
The picture illustrates immune fluorescence photomicrograph of C. trachomatis bacteria (green) within a host derived vacuole, termed an inclusion (host cell nucleus is red).
Chlamydia trachomatis a pathogen with a complex lifestyle
Chlamydia is caused by an infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, a bacterium found in two developmental forms: a small (0.3 microns) non-replicating infectious form which after attachment is internalized into the host cell and instantly reorganizes into a metabolically active and replicating form of almost triple the size.
After completion of a replicative cycle it reorganizes into the infectious form again and is released by host cell lysis. If the bacteria is not controlled by the immune system they may ascend to infect the fallopian tubes and here the bacterium can cause major damage leading to pelvic inflammatory disease, scarring and occlusion.
Chlamydia vaccine research at the SSI
At SSI our strategy has been to develop a vaccine that targets the bacterium very early eg. immediately after it enters the genital tract. The vaccines which we are current studied promotes the full spectrum of immunity and induce both antibodies and T cells at the mucosal surface that lines the genital tract. We have tested almost half the genome of the Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium (350-400 different proteins) in the search for vaccine candidates. We use state-of-the-art research techniques to study the bacterium and promising vaccines are being tested in animal models. A key question addressed in our research is the immunological mechanism underlying protection from both infection and disease.
Facts on Chlamydia
- Chlamydia is a “silent epidemic”, up to 75% experience no symptoms when infected
- If untreated, Chlamydia can cause permanent damage and lead to infertility
- There is currently no vaccine against Chlamydia
Last revised 31 October 2011