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Progress on plague vaccine development

Jason A Rosenzweig1, Olufisayo Jejelowo, Jian Sha

  • 1Department of Biology, Center for Bionanotechnology and Environmental Research (CBER), Texas Southern University, 3100 Cleburne Street, Houston, TX 77004, USA. rosenzweigja@tsu.edu

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
|June 15, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Yersinia pestis, the plague bacterium, poses a significant bioterrorism threat and remains endemic globally. Current vaccine development for Yersinia pestis is ongoing, with several candidates under evaluation to combat this deadly pathogen.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Yersinia pestis (YP) is a gram-negative bacterium responsible for the plague, a historically significant and deadly disease.
  • YP causes three forms of plague: bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic, with pneumonic plague being highly contagious and rapidly fatal.
  • Despite its threat, particularly in endemic areas and potential bioterrorism, an effective Yersinia pestis vaccine is still lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current vaccine candidates for Yersinia pestis.
  • To summarize the progress in developing an efficacious Yersinia pestis vaccine.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on Yersinia pestis vaccine research.
  • Evaluation of vaccine candidates in various model systems.

Main Results:

  • Several vaccine candidates are currently being evaluated.
  • Progress in Yersinia pestis vaccine development is summarized.

Conclusions:

  • An effective Yersinia pestis vaccine is crucial for public health and biodefense.
  • Continued research and evaluation of vaccine candidates are necessary to achieve immunoprotection against plague.

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