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Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Constructing Mutants in Serotype 1 Streptococcus pneumoniae strain 519/43
Published on: September 11, 2020
The transforming Streptococcus pneumoniae in the 21st century
Yu-Chia Hsieh1, Wen-Sen Lee, Pei-Lan Shao
1Section of Infection, Department of Medicine, Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Abstract:
Streptococcus pneumoniae, an important pathogen causing sepsis, sinusitis, otitis media, bacterial meningitis and bacterial pneumonia, results in global morbidity and mortality each year. The burden of pneumococcal disease is highest in children and the elderly. Treatment of pneumococcal infection has been hampered by the complexity of the host immune response. In recent decades, the increase of S. pneumoniae strains' resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and other classes of antimicrobials has made treatment even more complicated. Fortunately, the advent of heptavalent conjugate vaccine confers a high degree of protection against pneumococcal disease and colonization caused by vaccine serotype strains. After the introduction of conjugate pneumococcal vaccine, invasive pneumococcal disease caused by vaccine serotypes and antibiotic-resistant isolates has been reduced. However, naturally transformable pneumococci may escape vaccine-induced immunity by switching their capsular genes to non-vaccine serotypes. Development of cheaper, serotype-independent vaccines based on a combination of protein antigens should be pursued.
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