Identification of novel vaccine candidates against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

Danilo G Moriel; Scott A Beatson; Daniël J Wurpel; Jeffrey Lipman; Graeme R Nimmo; David L Paterson; Mark A Schembri

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0077631

Identification of novel vaccine candidates against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

PLoS One. 2013 Oct 8;8(10):e77631. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077631. eCollection 2013.

Authors

Danilo G Moriel¹, Scott A Beatson, Daniël J Wurpel, Jeffrey Lipman, Graeme R Nimmo, David L Paterson, Mark A Schembri

Affiliation

¹ Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia ; School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii is an emerging opportunistic bacterium associated with nosocomial infections in intensive care units. The alarming increase in infections caused by A. baumannii is strongly associated with enhanced resistance to antibiotics, in particular carbapenems. This, together with the lack of a licensed vaccine, has translated into significant economic, logistic and health impacts to health care facilities. In this study, we combined reverse vaccinology and proteomics to identify surface-exposed and secreted antigens from A. baumannii. Using in silico prediction tools and comparative genome analysis in combination with in vitro proteomic approaches, we identified 42 antigens that could be used as potential vaccine targets. Considering the paucity of effective antibiotics available to treat multidrug-resistant A. baumannii infections, these vaccine targets may serve as a framework for the development of a broadly protective multi-component vaccine, an outcome that would have a major impact on the burden of A. baumannii infections in intensive care units across the globe.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acinetobacter Infections / immunology
Acinetobacter Infections / microbiology*
Acinetobacter Infections / prevention & control*
Acinetobacter baumannii / genetics
Acinetobacter baumannii / immunology*
Antigens, Bacterial / analysis
Antigens, Bacterial / immunology
Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / analysis
Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / immunology
Bacterial Vaccines / analysis
Bacterial Vaccines / immunology*
Computer Simulation
Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial
Genome, Bacterial
Humans
Proteomics

Substances

Antigens, Bacterial
Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
Bacterial Vaccines

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, The University of Queensland, the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, and the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Foundation. MAS is supported by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship (FT100100662). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.