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Group A and group B streptococcal vaccine development. A round table presentation
J B Dale1, P P Cleary, V A Fischetti
1University of Tennessee, Memphis, USA.
Insights
Developing vaccines against streptococcal infections shows promise. Conjugate vaccines for group B streptococcus are effective in infants, and group A vaccine strategies are encouraging, paving the way for future prevention.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Vaccine Development
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Group A and group B streptococcal infections pose significant health risks, particularly in vulnerable populations like newborn infants.
- Current prevention methods for these infections are limited, necessitating the development of effective vaccines.
Abstract:
The data presented above provide a broad overview of ongoing work to develop vaccines against group A and group B streptococcal infections. The encouraging results of human trials with conjugate group B polysaccharide vaccines suggest that this approach will lead to a safe and effective method for preventing these devastating infections in newborn infants. The results of preclinical studies of the various strategies to develop group A streptococcal vaccines are also encouraging. Whether one approach will be more advantageous or efficacious than another will need to await clinical trials. Nevertheless, we predict that in the next decade we will make significant strides in preventing streptococcal infections and their complications.