Development of vaccine for Clostridium difficile infection using membrane fraction

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25860327
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Bacteriology (including mycology)
• Research Institution: National Institute of Infectious Diseases
• Principal Investigator: Senoh Mitsutoshi 国立感染症研究所, その他部局等, 主任研究官 (20646624)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: Clostridium difficile / ワクチン / 定着因子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Diarrhea and pseudomembrane colitis caused by Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a global health concern because of the high recurrence rate after standard antibiotic therapy. Vaccination presents a powerful countermeasure against disease recurrence. In this study, mice vaccinated with the nontoxigenic C. difficile membrane fraction (ntCDMF) generated a marked immune response to the antigen, as demonstrated by the serum IgG and intestinal fluid IgA levels. Significantly, pretreatment with harvested IgG- and IgA-containing fluids was sufficient to prevent in vitro adhesion of C. difficile to Caco-2 cells. Furthermore, it was examined whether ntCDMF has an effect on in vivo situation. The number of C. difficile in feces of mice that were immunized by ntCDMF decreased than that of control mice. The survived number of hamsters that were immunized by ntCDMF was more than that of control hamsters. These results highlight the potential of ntCDMF as a vaccine candidate for CDI.

Free Research Field

細菌学