Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Recent Advances in Vaccine Development

Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic human pathogen. Using its arsenal of virulence factors and its intrinsic ability to adapt to new environments, P. aeruginosa causes a range of complicated acute and chronic infections in immunocompromised individuals. Of particular importance are burn wound infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and chronic infections in people with cystic fibrosis. Antibiotic resistance has rendered many of these infections challenging to treat and novel therapeutic strategies are limited. Multiple clinical studies using well-characterised virulence factors as vaccine antigens over the last 50 years have fallen short, resulting in no effective vaccination being available for clinical use. Nonetheless, progress has been made in preclinical research, namely, in the realms of antigen discovery, adjuvant use, and novel delivery systems. Herein, we briefly review the scope of P. aeruginosa clinical infections and its major important virulence factors.

Keywords: Pseudomonas aeruginosa; antibiotic resistance; cystic fibrosis; mucosal immunity; vaccines.

Figure 1

Key virulence factors important in the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa infections.

Figure 2

The many sites of P. aeruginosa infection throughout the body. Labels in bold and starred (*) are those infections associated with healthcare or healthcare devices.

Figure 3

A summary of the key aspects of the host immune response against P. aeruginosa infection.