Bacterial type III protein secretion systems (T3SSs) can present protein antigen to stimulate antigen-specific T cells, and so could be useful for vaccine development. However, current methods require live bacteria. This study engineered the T3SS of Salmonella enterica into non-replicating bacterial minicells, which result from aberrant cell division. The engineered system could deliver a specific antigen to the class I antigen presentation pathway, and in mice it primed CD8+ T cells and elicited a protective response against an infectious challenge, suggesting that the T3SS in minicells could be used for vaccine development without the need for live bacteria.
References
Carleton, H. A. et al. Engineering the type III secretion system in non-replicating bacterial minicells for antigen delivery. Nature Commun. 4, 1590 (2013)
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Charlotte, H. Bacterial minicells could offer safer vaccines. Nat Rev Drug Discov 12, 346 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd4021
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd4021