BACKGROUND:  The Bordetella species are a group of pathogenic bacteria that infect both humans and animals such as pigs, dogs and other mammals. Bordetella bronchiseptica causes kennel cough in dogs and atrophic rhinitis in pigs. The human pathogens Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis cause whooping cough (pertussis), and annually there are 30-50 million cases worldwide, and 300,000 pertussis-related deaths. Despite broad vaccination coverage in the United States and other industrialized nations, the incidence of pertussis is increasing. In fact, pertussis is the only vaccine-preventable disease on the rise. The decreased efficency of current Bordetella vaccines (composed of bacterial proteins) has led to renewed interest in identifying new vaccine targets. Current methods for the detection of Bordetella species have shortcomings: bacterial cultures usually take days to complete and the assay sensitivity is poor; on the other hand, PCR-based assays are easily compromised by genetic variations and mutations within Bordetella species. In addition, current antibiotic treatments and vaccines against pertussis are at risk of being ineffective in the future as new mutants emerge. Therefore, there is a need to develop new detection methods and to improve current treatments and vaccines.

INNOVATION:  Researchers at UCLA have identified a bacterial protein that could be used in a novel diagnostic method for identifying Bordetella infection, and used as a therapeutic and immunogenic target in treatment and vaccination against pertussis or kennel cough. The factor Bsp22 is crucial for the infectivity and cytotoxicity of Bordetella. Bsp22 is abundantly secreted and displayed on the surface of Bordetella species, and is highly conserved among the different Bordetella species. Specific antibodies against Bsp22 are able to protect cells from cytotoxicity in vitro and protect mice from Bordetella infection. Therefore, Bsp22 and its homologues have great potentials in diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccination against pertussis.

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS 

• Diagnostic assay reagents and kits for Bordetella species.
• Pertussis treatments.
• Vaccines against Bordetella species (including B. bronchiseptica for use in animals and B. pertussis for use in humans).

ADVANTAGES

• Rapid and sensitive diagnostic methods for Bordetella spp.
• Supplementary to current antibiotics in severe pertussis cases.
• A novel vaccine target that is required for disease which will have lasting and broad protection against Bordetella spp.

DEVELOPMENT-TO-DATE:  The protection against Bordetella infection has been tested in vitro and in vivo.

Related Papers (Selected)

• Bordetella Bsp22 forms a filamentous type III secretion system tip complex and is immunoprotective in vitro and in vivo [more]