Abdelrahman Sedeek

Conference 2024 Poster

Poster Title

A Literature Review: Harnessing Genome-Based Reverse Vaccinology to Combat Streptococcus pneumoniae

Authors and Affiliations

Abdelrahman M. Sedeek1, Nada Soliman2
1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sinai University, Egypt.
2. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sinai University, Egypt.

Abstract

Background

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a prevalent bacterium responsible for a range of infections, including pneumonia, meningitis, and bacteremia. These infections pose a significant global health burden, particularly among children and the elderly. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant S. pneumoniae strains has further complicated treatment, necessitating the development of novel preventive strategies.
Current S. pneumoniae vaccines, such as the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), have significantly reduced the incidence of pneumococcal diseases. However, their effectiveness is limited by their inability to cover all S. pneumoniae serotypes, leading to the emergence of non-vaccine serotypes. This phenomenon, known as serotype replacement, underscores the need for more comprehensive vaccination strategies.

Methods

A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed database. The search strategy employed a combination of keywords and Medical Subject Headings terms to retrieve relevant articles. The primary search terms included “Streptococcus pneumoniae,” “reverse vaccinology,” “vaccine,” and “genome-based vaccine.” Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) were used to refine the search and narrow down the results.The search results were then carefully screened for relevance and appropriateness to the review’s topic. Articles were initially reviewed based on their titles and abstracts, and those deemed relevant were retrieved for full-text analysis. The full-text articles were then thoroughly evaluated for their methodological rigor, scientific validity, and contribution to the understanding of reverse vaccinology and its applications in developing vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Results

Reverse vaccinology employs the pathogen’s genomic information and bioinformatics to identify potential vaccine candidates, accelerating the vaccine development process. Research has demonstrated the existence of widely distributed and highly conserved proteins among various clinical strains and serotypes of S. pneumoniae, making them promising targets for a broad-spectrum vaccine.

Conclusions

The application of reverse vaccinology holds immense potential for addressing the challenges posed by S. pneumoniae infections. By developing broad-spectrum vaccines that target conserved bacterial components, reverse vaccinology can help to overcome serotype replacement and provide long-lasting protection against a wide range of pneumococcal strains.