Genus-Wide Chlamydia Peptide Vaccine Candidates
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- Categories
- Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals
- Summary
- Chlamydia trachomatis is the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease (STD) worldwide; approximately 60 million new cases of C. trachomatis cases occur annually. The actual numbers may be higher, since many cases are asymptomatic. The Institute of Medicine estimates that the U.S. total annual healthcare costs related to these STDs exceeds $2billion. It is estimated that by the age of 30, half of all sexually active women have been infected. Chlamydia genital infection occurs in 5-15% of pregnant women, and 50% of their babies will develop inclusion conjunctivitis or respiratory infections making C. trachomatis the most common ocular pathogen in infants. If women are left untreated, 40% of these infections will progress to pelvic inflammatory disease with permanent damage, resulting in chronic pain, infertility, and potentially fetal death.
Wayne State University inventors have developed several peptide vaccine candidates that are genus specific; conformational; and easy to manufacture. These benefits overcome several of the prior impediments to the development of a Chlamydia vaccine: antigenically diverse surface proteins; enhanced survival within host cells; biphasic development cycle; reduced inflammatory responses; and the ability to persist. Research results include antibody responses of peptide-immunized mice against individual peptides; adoptive transfer of spleen cells from immunized mice to SCID which was subsequently challenged with C. trachomatis. Additional challenge studies are being done.
- File number
- 08-907
- Publications
- WSU seeks an exclusive licensee for this technology. A provisional patent application in pending; foreign filing rights are available.
- Contact
- Anne DiSante
Director, Technology Transfer Office
Phone: 313-577-5541
Fax : 313-577-2814
anne.disante@wayne.edu