Protective immunity induced by an intranasal multivalent vaccine comprising 10 Lactococcus lactis strains expressing highly prevalent M-protein antigens derived from Group A Streptococcus

摘要

Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus) causes diseases ranging from mild pharyngitis to severe invasive infections. The N-terminal fragment of Streptococcal M protein elicits protective antibodies and is an attractive vaccine target. However, this N- terminal fragment is hypervariable and there are more than 200 different M types. We are developing an intranasal live bacterial vaccine comprised of 10 strains of Lactococcus lactis, each expressing one N-terminal fagment of M protein. Live bacterial-vectored vaccines have lower associated costs because of its less complex manufacturing processes compared to protein subunit vaccines. Moreover, intranasal administration does not require syringe or specilized personnel. The evaluation of individual vaccine types (M1, M2, M3, M4, M6, M9, M12, M22, M28 and M77) showed that most of them protected mice against challenge with virulent S. pyogenes. All of the 10 strains combined in a 10-valent vaccine (Mx10) induced serum and bronchoalveolar lavages IgG titers that ranged from 3 to 10-fold those of unimmunized mice. Survival of Mx10-immunized mice after intranasal challenge with M28 streptococci is significantly higher than unimmunized mice. In contrast, when mice were challenged with M75 streptococci, survival of Mx10-immunized mice was not significantly different from unimmunized mice. Mx-10 immunized mice were significantly less colonized with S. pyogenes in oropharyngeal washes and developed less severe disease symptoms after challenge compared to unimmunized mice. Our L. lactis-based vaccine may provide an alternative solution to the development of broadly protective group A streptococcal vaccines.