Development of a broad spectrum glycoconjugate vaccine to prevent wound and disseminated infections with Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

PLoS One. 2018 Sep 6;13(9):e0203143. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203143. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) are important human pathogens that are associated with a range of infection types, including wound and disseminated infections. Treatment has been complicated by rising rates of antimicrobial resistance. Immunoprophylactic strategies are not constrained by antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. Vaccines against these organisms would be important public health tools, yet they are not available. KP surface O polysaccharides (OPS) are protective antigens in animal models of infection. Similarly, PA flagellin (Fla), the major subunit of the flagellar filament, is required for virulence and is a target of protective antibodies in animal models. We report herein the development of a combined KP and PA glycoconjugate vaccine comprised of the four most common KP OPS types associated with human infections (O1, O2, O3, O5), chemically linked to the two Fla types of PA (FlaA, FlaB). Conjugation of KP OPS to PA Fla enhanced anti-polysaccharide immune responses and produced a formulation that generated antibody titers to the four KP OPS types and both PA Fla antigens in rabbits. Passive transfer of vaccine-induced rabbit antisera reduced the bacterial burden and protected mice against fatal intravenous KP infection. Mice passively transferred with conjugate-induced antisera were also protected against PA infection after thermal injury with a FlaB-expressing isolate, but not a FlaA isolate. Taken together, these promising preclinical results provide important proof-of-concept for a broad spectrum human vaccine to prevent KP and PA infections.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / metabolism
  • Bacterial Proteins / immunology
  • Bacterial Vaccines*
  • Female
  • Glycoconjugates / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Humoral
  • Immunization
  • Klebsiella Infections / prevention & control*
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / immunology
  • Mice
  • Proof of Concept Study
  • Pseudomonas Infections / prevention & control*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / immunology
  • Rabbits
  • Wound Infection / prevention & control*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Bacterial Vaccines
  • Glycoconjugates

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs grant DM140249 (PI:RS). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The funder provided support in the form of salaries for the authors [NH, MC, MOS, BC, RSL, MFP, AL, SMT, ASC, RS], but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.