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Review
. 2024 Aug 28;12(9):974.
doi: 10.3390/vaccines12090974.

Implications of Cross-Reactivity and Cross-Protection for Pneumococcal Vaccine Development

Kristen Feemster  1 , William P Hausdorff  2   3 , Natalie Banniettis  1 , Heather Platt  1 , Priscilla Velentgas  1 , Alejandra Esteves-Jaramillo  1 , Robert L Burton  4 , Moon H Nahm  5 , Ulrike K Buchwald  1
Affiliations
Review

Implications of Cross-Reactivity and Cross-Protection for Pneumococcal Vaccine Development

Kristen Feemster et al. Vaccines (Basel). .

Erratum in

Abstract

Pneumococcal vaccines are a cornerstone for the prevention of pneumococcal diseases, reducing morbidity and mortality in children and adults worldwide. Pneumococcal vaccine composition is based on the polysaccharide capsule of Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is one of the most important identified contributors to the pathogen's virulence. Similarities in the structural composition of polysaccharides included in licensed pneumococcal vaccines may result in cross-reactivity of immune response against closely related serotypes, including serotypes not included in the vaccine. Therefore, it is important to understand whether cross-reactive antibodies offer clinical protection against pneumococcal disease. This review explores available evidence of cross-reactivity and cross-protection associated with pneumococcal vaccines, the challenges associated with the assessment of cross-reactivity and cross-protection, and implications for vaccine design and development.

Keywords: PCVs; Streptococcus pneumoniae; cross-protection; cross-reactivity; pneumococcal vaccines.

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Conflict of interest statement

K.F. received royalties for authorship of a book entitled “Vaccines: What Everyone Needs to Know” and is a member on a board of trustees for University Liggett School (Grosse Pointe, MI). K.F. is also an employee of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and may own stock and/or stock options in Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. N.B., H.P., P.V., A.E.-J., and U.B. are employees of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, and may own stock and/or stock options in Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. R.L.B. is an employee and co-founder of SunFire Biotechnologies LLC, which received funding from Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. M.H.N. is an employee of University of Alabama at Birmingham and a co-founder of SunFire Biotechnologies LLC, which received funding from Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. M.H.N. has received multiple government and foundation grants, including from NIH. M.H.N. has also received multiple royalties on intellectual properties created at University of Alabama at Birmingham. M.H.N has received consulting fees from SunFire Technologies, Sanofi Pasteur and the National Center for Pneumococcal Immunogenicity Evaluation (India). M.H.N. has received honoraria and travel expenses from several international congresses for his participation. W.P.H. has no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Polysaccharide structures of certain pneumococcal serotypes. * Predicted structure of serotype 15D.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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