title: Recombinant Streptococcus gordonii for mucosal delivery of a scFv microbicidal antibody.
abstract: The gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus gordonii was engineered to express the microbicidal molecule H6, which is an antiidiotypic single chain antibody mimicking a yeast killer toxin. S. gordonii is a human commensal which we developed as a model system for mucosal delivery of heterologous proteins. The in vivo candidacidal activity of both H6-secreting and H6-surface-displaying streptococcal strains were assayed in a well-established rat model of vaginal candidiasis. At day 21 full clearance of Candida albicans infection was observed in 75% of animals treated with the H6-secreting strain, and in 37.5% of animals treated with the strain expressing H6 on the surface, while all animals treated with the control strain were still infected. The observed candidacidal effect was comparable with that observed with the antimycotic drug fluconazole. These data confirm the potential of H6 as a candidacidal agent and show how promising is the approach of using recombinant bacteria for mucosal delivery of biologically active molecules.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Molecolare/Microbiologia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Italy. oggioni@unisi.it
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Oggioni
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beninati
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boccanera
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Medaglini
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Spinosa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maggi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Magliani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Bernardis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Teti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cassone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pozzi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Polonelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics*; D007167:Immunotherapy; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D009183:Mycotoxins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins