title: Use of VacA as a Vaccine Antigen.
abstract: One of the major toxins secreted by H. pylori is the Vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) named after its ability to induce the formation of "vacuole"-like membrane vesicles in the cytoplasm of gastric cells. VacA has been associated with the disruption of mitochondrial functions, stimulation of apoptosis, blockade of T cell proliferation and promotion of regulatory T cells, thereby making it a promising vaccine target. Immunity to bacterial virulence factors is well known to protect humans against bacterial infections; hence, detoxified VacA has been evaluated as a vaccine antigen. Our short review summarizes the pre-clinical and clinical data that have been published on the use of VacA in the development of the H. pylori vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Service of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, CLE D203, CHUV, 155 Chemin des Boveresses, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland. mati.moyat@epfl.ch.
authors.forename: Mati
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moyat
authors.affiliation: Service of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, CLE D203, CHUV, 155 Chemin des Boveresses, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland. dominique.velin@chuv.ch.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Velin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D014612:Vaccines
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori; D014612:Vaccines
keywords: H. pylori; VacA; vaccine