About
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the main cause of respiratory infections, leading to the death of 400.000 children under the age of 5, per year, worldwide. More than 90 pneumococcal serotypes, with differences in capsular polysaccharides (PS), were described to date. Available vaccines are composed of PS from prevalent serotypes and protect against invasive disease caused by them. However, an increase in disease caused by serotypes not included in these vaccines has been observed in several countries. Our group is studying the development of protein-based vaccines as alternatives for broad-coverage protection. Particularly, formulations composed by the Pneumococcal Surface Protein A (PspA) are being tested in animal models. In addition, innate and adaptive immune responses in mice that display high susceptibility to pneumococcal infection are being characterized.
Location
Building: Lwoff
Address: Institut Pasteur, Paris, France