Chlamydia Vaccine

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen that colonizes and infects oculogenital mucosal surfaces. The organism exists as multiple serovariants that infect millions of people worldwide. Ocular infections cause trachoma, a chronic follicular conjunctivitis that results in scarring and blindness. The World Health Organization estimates that 300–500 million people are afflicted by trachoma, making it the most prevalent form of infectious preventable blindness. Urogenital infections are the leading cause of bacterial sexually transmitted disease in both industrialized and developing nations. Moreover, sexually transmitted diseases are risk factors for infertility, the transmission of HIV, and human papilloma virus-induced cervical neoplasia. Control of C. trachomatis infections is an important public health goal. Unexpectedly, however, aggressive infection control measures based on early detection and antibiotic treatment have resulted in an increase in infection rates, most likely by interfering with natural immunity, a concept suggested by studies performed in experimental infection models. Effective management of chlamydial disease will likely require the development of an efficacious vaccine.

This technology claims vaccine compositions that comprise an immunologically effective amount of PmpD protein from C. trachomatis. Also claimed in the application are methods of immunizing individuals against C. trachomatis. PmpD is an antigenically stable pan-neutralizing target that, in theory, would provide protection against all human strains, thus allowing the development of a univalent vaccine that is efficacious against both blinding trachoma and sexually transmitted disease.