[Will a vaccine against Chlamydia trachomatis be available soon?]

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most prevalent cause of sexually transmitted bacterial infections worldwide, with more than 100 million estimated cases annually. This obligate intracellular pathogen is known to cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and chronic infections resulting in tubal factor infertility and ectopic pregnancy. However, the majority of the infections remains asymptomatic and thus untreated. For this reason, the ultimate goal for the prevention C. trachomatis infections is an effective vaccine. Here we review the major challenges and the different strategies associated with the development of an anti-Chlamydial vaccine. Even if an effective vaccine is not available yet, recent advances in the understanding of C. trachomatis pathogenesis and mucosal immune system are promising for its future development.