One of the major problems associated with cystic fibrosis is frequent bacterial infections. In particular, Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes infections that are difficult to treat due to the bacterium’s resistance to antibiotics. The development of an effective vaccine could represent an alternative and safe strategy for preventing infections caused by P. aeruginosa or reducing the damage it causes to the respiratory tract.
A crucial stage of the infection is the bacterium’s adhesion to cells in the respiratory tract. This process is mediated by pili, thin filaments found on the bacterium’s surface, consisting mainly of the PilA protein. PilA is an ideal target for a vaccine. However, developing such a vaccine is not easy because the part of the protein recognised by the immune system, once produced in the laboratory, tends not to retain the same shape it has on the surface of P. aeruginosa. For this reason, attempts made so far have yielded limited results.

In the previous project (FFC#13/2023), the researchers overcame this obstacle by designing molecules in the laboratory that faithfully mimic this portion of PilA and used them to create an experimental vaccine which, in animal models, stimulated a protective immune response.
In this new project, the research team aims to optimise and extend this protection by developing a vaccine consisting of a cocktail of molecules representative of the six main variants of PilA.
The aim is to elicit a broader immune response, capable of recognising a greater number of P. aeruginosa variants.

The vaccine will undergo a series of laboratory tests to verify whether it is capable of stimulating an effective immune response against different variants of P. aeruginosa and of preventing the bacterium from adhering to cells in the respiratory tract. To this end, bronchial cells obtained through the FFC Ricerca Primary Culture Facility will also be used. Finally, in vivo tests will be carried out on animal models.
If proven effective, this vaccine could provide a new tool for preventing chronic infections caused by P. aeruginosa.