Despite humans encountering if for millennia, pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae remains one of the deadliest microbiological threats facing humanity today. S. pneumoniae is a Gram positive, diplococcus bacteria with ore than 90 serotypes1. Along with pneumococcus pneumonia, S. pneumonia can cause meningitis, sepsis, bacteremia, and otitis media1,2. It is the leading cause of community acquired pneumonia, as well as fatal respiratory infections globally, across all age ranges; severe pneumonia carries a greater than 20% mortality rate3.
Structurally, S. pneumoniae has a capsule to protect it from host-mediated immunity, consisting of chains of repeating oligosaccharides3. S. pneumoniae has several virulence factors, including pneumolysin, …show more content…
pneumoniae has naturally led to a need for strategies to combat this. Aside from reduces inappropriate usage and de-escalation of antibiotic use overall, improved vaccination methods remain among the most promising strategies1. Currently, two main S. pneumoniae vaccines exist: PPV23 and PCV13. PPV23 (pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine) introduces the body to a pneumococcal polysaccharide antigen, covers 23 serotypes, reduces pneumonia severity, and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD).2,3
PPV is usually administered to people >64 years old, or those with long term health conditions (ex. Chronic liver, lung, renal, cardiac, neurological diseases). Unfortunately, PPV is ineffective against lung infections, and cannot prevent pneumonia.3
PCV13 exists in several forms, varying by the carrier proteins used, which can include Haemophilus influenzae protein D, tetanus toxoid, or diphtheria toxoid3. It confers higher immunogenicity, effectiveness against pneumonia and IPD than PPV, but covers only 13 serotypes, and is more expensive.2 Evidently, new vaccination options could be extremely useful in combatting S. pneumoniae infections. Current pneumococcal vaccine candidates comprise a variety of vaccine types. Live attenuated, and inactivated forms of whole cell vaccines, trivalent conjugation protein fusions, and recombinant protein vaccines of pneumococcal surface proteins and other protein virulence factors are but a few of the potential S. pneumoniae vaccines2. Ideally, advances in S. pneumoniae vaccines lead to reduces infection and mortality
Structurally, S. pneumoniae has a capsule to protect it from host-mediated immunity, consisting of chains of repeating oligosaccharides3. S. pneumoniae has several virulence factors, including pneumolysin, …show more content…
pneumoniae has naturally led to a need for strategies to combat this. Aside from reduces inappropriate usage and de-escalation of antibiotic use overall, improved vaccination methods remain among the most promising strategies1. Currently, two main S. pneumoniae vaccines exist: PPV23 and PCV13. PPV23 (pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine) introduces the body to a pneumococcal polysaccharide antigen, covers 23 serotypes, reduces pneumonia severity, and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD).2,3
PPV is usually administered to people >64 years old, or those with long term health conditions (ex. Chronic liver, lung, renal, cardiac, neurological diseases). Unfortunately, PPV is ineffective against lung infections, and cannot prevent pneumonia.3
PCV13 exists in several forms, varying by the carrier proteins used, which can include Haemophilus influenzae protein D, tetanus toxoid, or diphtheria toxoid3. It confers higher immunogenicity, effectiveness against pneumonia and IPD than PPV, but covers only 13 serotypes, and is more expensive.2 Evidently, new vaccination options could be extremely useful in combatting S. pneumoniae infections. Current pneumococcal vaccine candidates comprise a variety of vaccine types. Live attenuated, and inactivated forms of whole cell vaccines, trivalent conjugation protein fusions, and recombinant protein vaccines of pneumococcal surface proteins and other protein virulence factors are but a few of the potential S. pneumoniae vaccines2. Ideally, advances in S. pneumoniae vaccines lead to reduces infection and mortality