title: Bacterial spores as vaccine vehicles.
abstract: For the first time, bacterial spores have been evaluated as vaccine vehicles. Bacillus subtilis spores displaying the tetanus toxin fragment C (TTFC) antigen were used for oral and intranasal immunization and were shown to generate mucosal and systemic responses in a murine model. TTFC-specific immunoglobulin G titers in serum (determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) reached significant levels 33 days after oral dosing, while responses against the spore coat proteins were relatively low. Tetanus antitoxin levels were sufficient to protect against an otherwise lethal challenge of tetanus toxin (20 50% lethal doses). The robustness and long-term storage properties of bacterial spores, coupled with simplified genetic manipulation and cost-effective manufacturing, make them particularly attractive vehicles for oral and intranasal vaccination.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Le H
authors.initials: le H
authors.lastname: Duc
authors.forename: Huynh A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fairweather
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ricca
authors.forename: Simon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cutting
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000097:blood; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D013744:Tetanus Toxin / Q000276:immunology / Q000633:toxicity; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles; D013744:Tetanus Toxin; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; C040635:tetanus toxin fragment C