A bivalent vaccine confers immunogenicity and protection against Shigella flexneri and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections in mice

NPJ Vaccines. 2020 Mar 27;5(1):30. doi: 10.1038/s41541-020-0180-y. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Vaccine studies for Shigella flexneri and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli have been impaired by the lack of optimal animal models. We used two murine models to show that a S. flexneri 2a bivalent vaccine (CVD 1208S-122) expressing enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli colonization factor antigen-I (CFA/I) and the binding subunits A2 and B of heat labile-enterotoxin (LTb) is immunogenic and protects against weight loss and diarrhea. These findings document the immunogenicity and pre-clinical efficacy effects of CVD 1208S-122 vaccine and suggest that further work can help elucidate relevant immune responses and ultimately its clinical efficacy in humans.

Keywords: Bacterial infection; Experimental models of disease; Live attenuated vaccines; Preclinical research.