Pertussis toxin improves immune responses to a combined pneumococcal antigen and leads to enhanced protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae.

ABSTRACT: Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) is a candidate antigen for the composition of protein-based vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae. While searching for efficient adjuvants for PspA-based vaccines, our group has described the potential of combining PspA with the whole-cell pertussis vaccine (wP). When given to mice through the nasal route, a formulation composed of PspA from clade 5 (PspA5) and wP (PspA5-wP) induced high levels of antibodies and protection against challenges with different pneumococcal strains. PspA5-wP also induced the secretion of interleukin 17 (IL-17) by splenocytes and the infiltration of leukocytes in the lungs after challenge. Here, we show that protection against a pneumococcal invasive challenge was completely abrogated in μMT(-/-) mice, which are deficien

SUBMITTER: Salcedo-Rivillas C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4097443 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature