Antigen Cocktail Protects Mice from Staph Infection

Researchers have found that immunization with a mixture of four Staphylococcus aureus surface proteins protected a group of laboratory mice from infection by a lethal S aureus strain.

Investigators at the University of Chicago (Illinois, USA) used available genome sequencing and analysis of antigenic proteins from various S aureus strains to isolate 19 different surface proteins. The four most antigenically potent proteins were injected either singly or in combination into a population of laboratory mice.

Results published in the October 30, 2006, online edition of the Proceedings of the [U.S.] National Academy of Sciences revealed that vaccination with a mixture of the four proteins provided significant protection against challenge with a virulent strain of S aureus. Vaccination with only one of the S aureus proteins failed to trigger a protective immune response.

Senior author Dr. Olaf Schneewind, professor of microbiology at the University of Chicago, said, "When we challenged the immunized mice by exposing them to a human strain of S aureus, the combination vaccine provided complete protection, whereas the control group developed bacterial abscesses.”



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