Development of nano-particle PNAG-DNA vaccine for prevention of severe bacterial pneumonia

• Project/Area Number: 17K17950
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Infectious disease medicine; Respiratory organ internal medicine
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: KAKU Norihito 長崎大学, 病院(医学系), 助教 (40770491)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
• Keywords: 重症感染症 / 肺炎 / ワクチン / 予防

Outline of Final Research Achievements

PNAG-DNA was generated from cDNA extracted from Staphylococcus aureus ATCC strain and plasmid-vector. PNAG-DNA vaccine was generated by using the plasmid-vector and lung-targeted nanoparticle. An efficacy of PNAG-DNA vaccine was evaluated in a pneumonia mouse model caused by ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-Kpn). A mean survival time in the BALB/c and C57BL/6 treated with the PNAG-DNA vaccine was longer than those in control mice.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ワクチンについては、これまでに特定の菌種を対象としたワクチンしか存在していない。今回の研究成果によって、肺炎を発症する細菌で広く発現している遺伝子を抗原として用いれば、一種類のみで多くの肺炎の発症もしくは重症化を予防できるワクチンを開発できる可能性が示唆された。

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] University of Michigan(米国)