Current Scientific Advances in Vaccines Against UTIs: Challenges and Prospects

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), the second most common infectious disease globally, poses a particularly significant threat to adult female populations. Epidemiological data show that Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is responsible for approximately 75% to 90% of UTI cases. Currently, antibiotic therapy constitutes the primary treatment for UTIs. However, the rising prevalence of antimicrobial resistance, particularly among Escherichia coli strains, is increasingly compromising treatment efficacy and elevating the risk of therapeutic failure and complications. Considering this serious challenge, the urgent exploration and development of alternative therapies for UTIs, particularly vaccine therapies, to supplement or replace antibiotic use is crucial. Polysaccharide conjugate vaccines represent a highly successful strategy in bacterial vaccine development, playing a pivotal role in the prevention and control of human infectious diseases. This article aims to review the research progress on UTI vaccines and focus on the preparation methods of polysaccharide conjugate vaccines, encompassing traditional chemical conjugation techniques and emerging biosynthetic methods. Through an in-depth analysis of biosynthetic methods, this article identifies the key steps and proposes insights for further optimization strategies for polysaccharide conjugate vaccines. It is hoped that this study will provide a more comprehensive and in-depth reference for the development of UTI vaccines.