Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the meninges, the protective membrane that covers the spinal cord and brain. Children, elderly patients and immunocompromised patients are at a higher risk for the development of severe bacterial meningitis. Recently, researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia sought to identify new vaccine targets in Streptococcus pneumoniae , which is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in the world. Led by Dr. Abiodun Ogunniyi, the research team developed a new method of screening for bacterial genes that are expressed during meningitis in brain tissue.
Using a mouse model system, the researchers examined mice infected with two different strains of S. pneumoniae . They identified a protein known as glycerophosphate oxidase, and showed that this protein was critical for the progression of bacteria from blood to brain in mice. They went on to show that a vaccine against glycerophosphate oxidase protected mice from invasive pneumococcal disease. Their results not only suggest a new strategy for immunizing against Streptococcus pneumoniae , but also provide a blueprint for discovering additional genes from other pathogens contribute to meningitis.
TITLE:
Identification of a novel pneumococcal vaccine antigen preferentially expressed during meningitis in mice
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Abiodun Ogunniyi
Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, Adelaide, SA, AUS
Phone: +61 8 8303 7550; Fax: +61 8 8303 7532; E-mail: david.ogunniyi@adelaide.edu.au
Journal of Clinical Investigation