Immunology and vaccines and nanovaccines for Helicobacter pylori infection

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori infection is very common worldwide and is an important cause of gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, and gastric adenocarcinoma. Since the eradication requires treatment with multidrug regimens, prevention of primary infection by a suitable vaccine is attractive. Developing vaccines on the spot when and where an infection is breaking out might be possible, thanks to engineered nanoparticles. In this review, the nature of the host immune response to H. pylori infection is considered. We explain recent candidate vaccines and prophylactic or therapeutic immunization strategies for use against H. pylori. We also describe identification of different types of immune responses that may be related to protection against H. pylori infection. Thus, it seems that there is still a strong need to clarify the main protective immune response against H. pylori.

Keywords:

• adenocarcinoma
• Helicobacter pylori
• immune response
• infection
• vaccines

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Science of Tabriz University for all the support provided.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work is funded by the 2013 Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Grant. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Despite advances in medical science and health care, half of the world’s population is infected with Helicobacter pylori.

• H. pylori has been identified as a strong risk factor for the development of gastric adenocarcinoma.

• The efficacy of antibiotic therapy has reported poor results because of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains.

• As an alternative therapeutic strategy, vaccination has been considered to be an efficient and effective means to combat most bacterial infections.

• It seems that the combination of multiple antigens or cellular components may stimulate and induce an active immune response, which should be considered in the preparation of an efficient and effective vaccine.

• Since research and development could take more than 5 years to manufacture a single type of vaccine, the consensus of investigators from many disciplines are needed to achieve huge progress in vaccine field for H. pylori.