ScienceDaily (Dec. 21, 2008) — In a new study researchers from the University of Chicago, Illinois and the Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico developed a vaccine incorporating the protein V10 and found that it protected macaques from lethal pneumonic plague and may have implications for use in humans. 

Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of pneumonic plague infections in humans. Recent wildlife studies indicate that plague is rampant among rodent populations in the southwestern United States, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, central and southern Africa as well as South America where humans are highly susceptible to infection. The potential for large-scale human infections as well as continuously emerging antibiotic-resistant strains of Y. pestis reinforces the need for an effective vaccine.

Currently, antiplague subunit vaccines in development for human use contain recombinant low-calcium-response V antigens (rLcrV) and recombinant F1 (rF1) antigens either in equal amounts or as a fusion protein (rF1-rLcrV). In the study the researchers immunized cynomolgus macaques with an aerosol vaccine incorporating a variant of the rLcrV protein, recombinant V10 (rV10) and challenged them with a lethal dose of pneumonic plague. Results showed that rV10 prevented infection and displayed equally protective immunity to vaccines containing rLcrV or rLcrV plus rF1. Further studies showed that some antibodies of macaques immunized with rLcrV, rV10, or rF1, either alone or in combination, conferred protection in mice challenged with bubonic plague.

"Here, we show that immunization with either purified rLerV (a protein at the tip of type III needles) or a variant of this protein, recombinant V10 (rV10) (lacking amino acid residues 271 to 300), alone or in combination with rF1, prevented pneumonic lesions and disease pathogenesis," say the researchers.

Journal reference:

1. C.A. Cornelius, L.E. Quenee, K.A. Overheim, F. Koster, T.L. Brasel, D. Elli, N.A. Ciletti, O. Schneewind. Immunization with recombinant V10 protects cynomolgus macaques from lethal pneumonic plague. Infection and Immunity,. Infection and Immunity, 76. 12: 5588-5597

Related Stories

Working On A Vaccine For The Plague (Feb. 24, 2009) — Scientists have proposed brown Norway rats as a new model for plague vaccine ...  > read more

New Oral Vaccine May Protect Against Bubonic Plague (Aug. 27, 2008) — Researchers have used a less virulent ancestor to the highly infectious bubonic plague to develop a potentially safe, efficient and inexpensive live oral ...  > read more

Disabling Key Protein May Give Physicians Time To Treat Pneumonic Plague (Jan. 27, 2007) — The deadly attack of the bacterium that causes pneumonic plague is significantly slowed when it can't make use of a key protein, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis ...  > read more

Mimic Molecules To Protect Against Plague (July 7, 2008) — Bacteria that cause pneumonic plague can evade our first-line defenses, making it difficult for the body to fight infection. In fact, a signature of the plague is the lack of an inflammatory ...  > read more

Search ScienceDaily

Vaccine For Ear Infections