Development of antistaphylococcal vaccines

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is frequently isolated from both hospital-acquired and community-acquired infections, and the emergence of antibiotic resistance among clinical isolates has made treatment of staphylococcal infections difficult. This scenario has sparked renewed interest in the development of a vaccine for individuals at high risk for staphylococcal infections. As part of the effort to develop a multicomponent vaccine against S. aureus, several vaccine candidates are currently being evaluated in animal models of staphylococcal infection or in human clinical trials. The most promising candidates to date include adhesins (fibronectinbinding protein, collagen-binding protein, and fibrinogenbinding protein [clumping factor]), a nontoxic alpha toxin mutant, and capsular polysaccharides type 5 and 8.