Novel Strategies to Enhance the Protective Ability of Tpr-based Syphilis Vaccines

Over the last two decades, our efforts to develop a syphilis vaccine have allowed identification of two antigens that confer high but not complete protection to syphilis in immunization/challenge experiments in the rabbit model. These two vaccine candidates were derived from conserved regions of selected members of the Treponema pallidum repeat (Tpr) antigens TprC/D2 and TprK. Immunity to these antigens has been shown to enhance pathogen clearance by opsonophagocytosis and provide substantial protection from chancre development at challenge sites compared to controls. In these early vaccine designs, however, several predicted surface epitopes of the TprC and TprD2 proteins were omitted because they showed a limited degree of antigenic variation, even though we demonstrated that they could provide additional targets for pathogen opsonization and phagocytosis by activated macrophages if used in combination with adjuvants inducing a Th1-type response. TBC

Faculty Supervisor:

Caroline Cameron

Student:

Partner:

University of Washington

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Victoria

Program: