The first-ever vaccine to protect primates from melioidosis has been developed, offering hope against the disease that has been spreading to new regions.

Melioidosis is a lethal disease often resistant to treatment. It is caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, which is often found in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. However, B. pseudomallei has already recently been detected in the Gulf Coast, the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. 

Lisa Morici, PhD, a microbiologist and immunologist at Tulane University School of Medicine and the corresponding author of the study, said:

“This bacteria can cause an aggressive form of pneumonia within 72 hours that can obliterate the lung. Our study found that the animals protected by this vaccine showed no damage; their lungs were completely normal. It’s an incredible result and we hope to advance the vaccine soon to human clinical trials.”

In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers from Tulane University reported that the vaccine they developed has been effective against the bacteria in a macaque model.

The vaccine uses a new class of immune-stimulating triggers, based on outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). These OMVs are nanoparticles produced by bacteria as they grow. They are recognized by the human immune system, prompting an immune response as soon as OMVs are detected. 

Although human clinical trials are pending, the vaccine has been tested on human immune cell samples. Incorporating OMVs into the vaccine yields the same effect, providing the human body with the protection it needs against the lethal disease.

Morici added:

“Our vaccine was effective against aerosolized bacteria, the most lethal and difficult to protect against. This has been a massive undertaking that we hope will be able to protect people from a very dangerous disease.”

To date, about 165,000 cases of melioidosis happen every year across the world, with a mortality rate ranging from 20% to 50%. With this new vaccine, Morici and her fellow researchers hope it can help prevent the further spread of the disease. 

Read the full article here to learn more about the breakthrough vaccine against melioidosis.

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