Gastrointestinal Vaccines

Vaccines are largely able to protect humans, pets and production animals against infectious diseases. However, it is still a major vaccine challenge to obtain protection against infections in the gastrointestinal tract, and only a few oral vaccines are available. This is because the antibodies after ordinary vaccinations are not transported to the mucosal surface, and oral vaccines are more likely to be perceived as harmless food than as a vaccine, and they do not induce an immune response. In 2019, around 1.5 million people died from diarrheal diseases, which was more than all violent deaths combined. About half of the world's population is chronically infected by H. pylori, the main cause of gastric cancer, with more than 750,000 cancer deaths in 2020. Gastrointestinal infections thus lead to a high usage of antibiotics which is associated with high risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Effective gastrointestinal vaccines are effective tools to prevent major global health threats such as diarrheal diseases, gastric ulcer, cancer and AMR.

Updated 8 April 2024

Gastrointestinal (GI) vaccine research at SSI

The research group on GI vaccine research works from a One Health mindset, where human and veterinary vaccines are rethought on a foundation of well-established R&D vaccine experience and an increased immunologic understanding of how mucosal immunity is acquired in man and animals.

We work with delivery of vaccines to the mucosal surface in such a form that the local immune defense is activated and with new vaccine technologies that activates a protective immune response in the gut after ordinary vaccination in the arm.

In parallel to the development of new vaccine technologies, we strive to tailor the vaccine antigens to neutralize the ability of the pathogenic bacteria to attack the epithelial cells in the mucosal lining. To reduce the use of experimental animals, we use relevant cell cultures to optimally define these antigens before they are tested in animal models.

Our goal is to deliver safe and effective vaccines that protect humans or animals against GI infections and prevent treatment-demanding disease and use of antimicrobials, thereby, reducing the development of AMR.

Research projects

Vax2Muc

Title: Next generation vaccines against moderate inflammation gastrointestinal mucosal pathogens, using Helicobacter pylori as model pathogen

Objective: Vax2Muc will develop next generation vaccines to overcome the antimicrobial resistance of gastrointestinal mucosal pathogens compromising global public health. Vax2Muc will develop, as a proof-of-concept, a prophylactic H. pylori vaccine candidate that will be evaluated in a phase I clinical trial. Our role is to test the vaccine candidates in a pre-clinical mouse model and to enhance the mucosal immunogenicity of future vaccine candidates by innovative molecular antigen design.

Partners: The project is a collaboration between 10 partners in eight countries with Technische Universität München as project lead.

Funded by: EU Horizon Europe

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Contact: Gregers Jungersen, grju@ssi.dk

SigAVAC

Title: SIgAVAC - Prevention of E. coli-induced post-weaning diarrea by vaccine-induced secretory IgA

Objective: Newborn piglets are passively protected against E. coli infections by antibodies in the sow's milk, but this suddenly stops when the piglets are weaned, and they do not produce their own antibodies in the gut. Traditional vaccines induce systemic antibodies circulating in the bloodstream, but these antibodies do not pass the mucosal barrier of the gut and are therefore not able to protect against infection on the mucosal surface. Oral live vaccines induce the appropriate mucosal secretory IgA (SIgA) antibodies, but are hindered by antimicrobials and antibodies in the milk. We will take advantage of the longstanding research in adjuvant formulations at SSI to develop a unique and revolutionary vaccine with induction of SIgA antibodies in the gut after injection of piglets.

Partners: University of Aarhus and SEGES

Funded by: Grønt Udviklings og Demonstrationsprogram (GUDP) under Miljø- og Fødevareministeriet

Contact: Gregers Jungersen, grju@ssi.dk

Contact

Gregers Jungersen , Infektionsimmunologi / Veterinær vaccine
T. +45 32688592 @. grju@ssi.dk View profile