Development phase : Research
Potential Commercial Uses :
Prophylactic vaccines against intracellular microorganisms
Vaccination against pathogens that infect through mucosal surfaces
Immuno-therapy against (multidrug resistant) tuberculosis
Immune modulation in treatment of asthma.
Benefits :
Genetic flexibility of the vector
Ease of production and administration (oral)
Complete immune response
Vector sets the Th1/Th2 balance
References : J. Leukocyte Biol. 69 (2001) 583-589
Contact :
Dr. Alexandra Richardson
tel: +41-22-705-7258
fax: +41-22-329-4290
Unitec
Office of Technology Transfer
University of Geneva
24 rue du General Dufour
Ch-1211 Geneva 4/Switzerland
e-mail: alexandra.richardson@unige.ch
Live Salmonella vectors for vaccination and immune therapy
Many successful microbial pathogens have co-evolved with man to develop a complex immunological relationship favoring access to the human population while limiting morbidity and mortality. The food borne pathogen S. typhimurium induces mucosal and systemic immunities, activating both the cellular and the humoral branches of the immune system. This relationship can be exploited for immuno-therapy and vaccination by using genetically modified bacteria as vectors to install immunity against life threatening pathogens and cancer. The ability of these bacterial vectors to steer immunity may become a powerful tool in redressing the immune system in individuals prone to viral infection or asthma as well.
Thanks to major advances in our understanding of the molecular basis of the human immune system and a detailed knowledge of the infectious pathway of Salmonellae, we can now engineer innocuous bacterial vectors that efficiently deliver recombinant antigens into dendritic cells (DC). Antigen processing and presentation can be evaluated in detail using primary human DC and T-lymphocytes in vitro. This allows us to rapidly optimize the vector system with respect to intracellular replication, antigen production and induction of immunological stimuli. The outcome of the in vitro experiments is corroborated with animal experiments.
