Multi-Component Salmonella Live Vaccines

The project 'Multi-component Salmonella live vaccines: Optimising molecular, cellular and immunological parameters to enhance vaccine safety and immunogenicity' (Acronym SalVac) is directed to the development and testing of a new generation of safe and highly immunogenic live carrier strains for efficient heterologous vaccination. The efficacy of the optimised vaccines will be analysed in preclinical studies for vaccination against the clinically important human pathogen Helicobacter pylori. The enteropathogenic response elicited by Salmonella strains used as vaccine carriers is a major criterion for the use of a strain for oral immunisation of humans. Even if other characteristics are optimal for a given strain, an enteropathogenic response can affect the vaccine safety and restrict the use of this strain. <P>
Objectives are: <OL> <LI> To perform a comparative analysis of different Salmonella strains (parental strains and cadidate strains identified in WP2 and WP3) with the intestinal mucosa in a calf ligated ileal loop model system. <LI>Evaluation of candidate strains for vaccine safety for mucosal immunisation. <LI>Understanding the role of Sops in the interaction of Salmonella with the mucosa.