Mucosal vaccination protects mice against Brucella infection

Researchers at the University of Florida have demonstrated the efficacy of a novel vaccine for the protection of mice against Brucella melitensis infection. Their findings are published in Frontiers in Immunology.

David Pascual and colleagues found that a live, attenuated vaccine delivered orally followed by an intranasal boost induced robust production of T cells in the lungs and spleen, conferring protective immunity against B. melitensis.

Brucellosis is recognized as a re-emerging zoonotic disease. The researchers are aiming to develop a better brucellosis vaccine for animals and ultimately to develop a vaccine for humans as well.

With some of the existing livestock vaccines, it is difficult to distinguish naturally infected from vaccinated animals. The vaccine being developed at the University of Florida addresses this challenge and also demonstrates good protection in mice when compared with other vaccines. The researchers now plan to test the vaccine in a natural host.

For more information: University of Florida

Article: Goodwin, Z. I., Yang, X., Hoffman, C., Pascual, D. W., 2022. Live mucosal vaccination stimulates potent protection via varied CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets against wild-type Brucella melitensis 16M challenge. Frontiers in Immunology, 13, 995327, doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.995327

[SOURCE: University of Florida]