title: Vaccine targets against Moraxella catarrhalis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Moraxella catarrhalis is a prominent pathogen that causes acute otitis media in children and lower respiratory tract infections in adults, resulting in a significant socioeconomic burden on healthcare systems globally. No vaccine is currently available for M. catarrhalis. Promising M. catarrhalis target antigens have been characterized in animal models and should soon enter human clinical trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review discusses the detailed features and research status of current candidate target antigens for an M. catarrhalis vaccine. The approaches for assessing M. catarrhalis vaccine efficacy are also discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Targeting the key molecules contributing to serum resistance may be a viable strategy to identify effective vaccine targets among M. catarrhalis antigens. Elucidating the role and mechanisms of the serum and mucosal immune responses to M. catarrhalis is significant for vaccine target selection, testing and evaluation. Developing animal models closely simulating M. catarrhalis-caused human respiratory diseases is of great benefit in better understanding pathogenesis and evaluating vaccine efficacy. Carrying out clinical trials will be a landmark in the progress of M. catarrhalis vaccine research. Combined multicomponent vaccines will be a focus of future M. catarrhalis vaccine studies.
authors.affiliation: a 1 Research Institute, Rochester General Hospital , 1425 Portland Avenue, Rochester, NY, USA +1 585 922 3706 ; dabin.ren@rochesterregional.org.
authors.forename: Dabin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: b 2 Research Institute, Rochester General Hospital , 1425 Portland Avenue, Rochester, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pichichero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D001936:Moraxella catarrhalis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D045828:Moraxellaceae Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines
keywords: adhesin; adjuvant; antigen; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; clinical trial; conserved; epitope; immunogenicity; mucosal immune response; nasopharyngeal colonization; nutrient acquisition; opsonophagocytosis; otitis media; outer membrane protein; serum resistance; virulence