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Updated: Jun 4, 2026
Experimental Human Pneumococcal Carriage
Published on: February 15, 2013
T(H)17-based vaccine design for prevention of Streptococcus pneumoniae colonization
Kristin L Moffitt1, Todd M Gierahn, Ying-jie Lu
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, MA 02115, USA.
Insights
Researchers identified key pneumococcal antigens for a new protein-based vaccine. This T helper 17 cell-mediated approach could prevent childhood pneumonia, especially in developing countries.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Vaccinology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae causes significant childhood mortality globally.
- Current conjugate polysaccharide vaccines are effective but costly.
- A serotype-independent, protein-based vaccine is needed, particularly for developing nations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify pneumococcal antigens recognized by T helper 17 (T(H)17) cells.
- To evaluate the potential of these antigens for a novel subunit vaccine.
- To leverage T(H)17-mediated immunity against S. pneumoniae.
Main Methods:
- Screening of a pneumococcal protein expression library.
- Identification of antigens recognized by T(H)17 cells in mice.
- Assessment of antigen-induced IL-17A secretion from mouse and human cells.
- Evaluation of vaccine efficacy in mouse models using antibody blockade.
Main Results:
- Identified specific pneumococcal antigens recognized by T(H)17 cells.
- Confirmed that these antigens elicit IL-17A responses in both mice and humans.
- Demonstrated that immunization with identified antigens protects mice against pneumococcal colonization.
- Showed that protection is dependent on CD4+ T cells and IL-17A.
Conclusions:
- Proteomic screening is effective for identifying vaccine antigens.
- Harnessing T(H)17 immunity offers a promising strategy for pneumococcal vaccine development.
- Identified antigens represent potential candidates for a next-generation, serotype-independent pneumococcal vaccine.
Abstract:
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of mortality in young children. While successful conjugate polysaccharide vaccines exist, a less expensive serotype-independent protein-based pneumococcal vaccine offers a major advancement for preventing life-threatening pneumococcal infections, particularly in developing nations. IL-17A-secreting CD4+ T cells (T(H)17) mediate resistance to mucosal colonization by multiple pathogens including S. pneumoniae. Screening an expression library containing >96% of predicted pneumococcal proteins, we identified antigens recognized by T(H)17 cells from mice immune to pneumococcal colonization. The identified antigens also elicited IL-17A secretion from colonized mouse splenocytes and human PBMCs suggesting that similar responses are primed during natural exposure. Immunization of two mouse strains with identified antigens provided protection from pneumococcal colonization that was significantly diminished in animals treated with blocking CD4 or IL-17A antibodies. This work demonstrates the potential of proteomic screening approaches to identify specific antigens for the design of subunit vaccines against mucosal pathogens via harnessing T(H)17-mediated immunity.
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