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Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Intratracheal Inoculation of Fischer 344 Rats with Francisella tularensis
Published on: September 30, 2017
A novel vaccine platform using glucan particles for induction of protective responses against Francisella tularensis
A Abraham1, G Ostroff1, S M Levitz1
1University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
Abstract:
Vaccines are considered the bedrock of preventive medicine. However, for many pathogens, it has been challenging to develop vaccines that stimulate protective, long-lasting immunity. We have developed a novel approach using β-1,3-D-glucans (BGs), natural polysaccharides abundantly present in fungal cell walls, as a biomaterial platform for vaccine delivery. BGs simultaneously provide for receptor-targeted antigen delivery to specialized antigen-presenting cells together with adjuvant properties to stimulate antigen-specific and trained non-specific immune responses. This review focuses on various approaches of using BG particles (GPs) to develop bacterial and fungal vaccine candidates. A special case history for the development of an effective GP tularaemia vaccine candidate is highlighted.
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