A composite subunit vaccine confers full protection against Buruli ulcer disease in the mouse footpad model of Mycobacterium ulcerans infection.

ABSTRACT: Buruli ulcer (BU) disease, a neglected necrotizing tropical skin infection caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, is the third most common mycobacterial disease after tuberculosis and leprosy. Infections mostly occur in remote, rural areas of Central and West Africa, but also in Australia, Japan and Papua New Guinea. There is currently no vaccine against Buruli ulcer disease and all previous attempts using closely related bacteria and subunit proteins have been partially successful only. Here, we tested in mice a composite subunit formulation incorporating the Mycobacterium ulcerans toxin mycolactone as the immunomodulator, and the antigens Ag85A and Polyketide Synthase Enzyme Ketoreductase A (KRA), formulated with Quil-A adjuvant ('Burulivac'). Burulivac induced Ag85A and KRA antigen-specific

SUBMITTER: Boakye-Appiah JK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11918321 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature