Gonorrhea describes a sexually transmitted infection that is caused by the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacterium. In our case, we work towards this important goal by employing our unique skills, state of the art technologies and partners to help come up with advanced gonorrhea vaccines and therapeutics.
Introduction to Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is an exceptionally common sexually transmitted disease whose causative organism is the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This type of bacterium is a urogenital tract infecting gram negative diplococcus which can also infect the rectal or oropharyngeal mucosa. In males, gonorrhea presents itself as urethritis while in females, it generally manifests as asymptomatic cervicitis. The late effects of these gonorrheal infections in the untreated population are not benign and include pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility. Also reported as consequence of gonorrhea is an increased risk of HIV transmission and acquiring the infection as well.
Fig. 1 The infection, transmission, and host immune regulation process of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. (Haese E. C., et al., 2021)
Vaccine Development for Gonorrhea
As a result of Neisseria gonorrhoeae's amazing flexibility and adaptability, the microorganism has been able to overcome the immune mechanisms of the host and develop resistance against numerous types of antimicrobials. This has hindered the selection of proper vaccine targets and the elicitation of adequate protective immune responses. That said, scientists have made considerable progress over the past decades in elucidating the multifactorial pathogenesis of gonorrhea and in testing different vaccine approaches to the disease.
Table 1 Development status of current vaccine candidates. (Vincent Leah R., et al., 2019)
| Candidate Name/Identifier |
Description |
Status |
| 2C7 epitope mimetic with MAP1 adjuvant |
Decreased infection duration and bacterial load in murine models; triggered the production of bactericidal antibodies and Th1 responses; passive protection with anti-2C7 monoclonal antibodies. |
Preclinical |
| OMV given with IL-12 |
Decreased infection duration and bacterial load in murine models exposed to both similar and different strains; elicited Th1 responses, as well as IgG and IgA antibodies in serum and vaginal samples; protection contingent on INF-γ and B cells. |
Preclinical |
| rrPorB-VRP (viral replication particle vector) boosted with rrPorB + Ribi-700 |
Diminished infection duration in murine models and elicited a skewed Th1 immune response. |
Preclinical |
| TbpA, TbpB |
Triggered the production of bactericidal antibodies and antibodies that inhibit the growth of N. gonorrhoeae when utilizing human transferrin as the exclusive iron source. |
Preclinical |
| AniA |
Stimulated the production of bactericidal antibodies and antibodies that inhibit the activity of AniA nitrite reductase. |
Preclinical |
| MetQ |
Induced bactericidal antibodies and antibodies that block gonococcal adherence to epithelial cells |
Preclinical |
| MtrE |
Induced bactericidal antibodies |
Preclinical |
| MeNZB vaccine |
A prospective study in adolescents and adults 15-30 years old; predicts 33% efficacy against gonorrhea |
Clinical |
Therapeutics Development for Gonorrhea
Antimicrobial Resistance
The growing threat of N. gonorrhoeae that is multidrug resistant has increased the need for novel antibiotics. The first line agents of choice like ceftriaxone and azithromycin are becoming less useful so there is a search for other antimicrobials
Novel Antimicrobials
Currently, Solithromycin, Zoliflodacin, and Geopotidacin are new antimicrobials that are under research. These compounds act on different facets of bacterial metabolism and are likely to succeed in clinical trials. However, problems like cross resistance with existing drugs and variable efficacy in relation to the strain have been noticed.
Our Services
We have accumulated quite a lot of experience and that is why we offer specialized R&D services directed at nurturing the progress of gonorrhea vaccines as well as therapeutic solutions. Our team consists of professional scientists and specialists who implement the latest technologies and have a profound knowledge of diseases to enhance innovation while speeding up the rate of pharmaceutical R&D.
- Lower Reproductive Tract (LRT) Infection Murine Models
- Upper Reproductive Tract (URT) Infection Models
- Estradiol-treated Female Mouse Models
- Male Urethritis Models
- Female Cervicitis Models
We aim to collaborate with our customers simultaneously so as to change the course of this stubborn and changing ailment. Should our services attract your interest, we invite you to contact us at any time to obtain more information about us and our services, as well as a specific quote for your required services.
References
- Haese Ethan C., Van C. Thai, and Charlene M. Kahler. "Vaccine candidates for the control and prevention of the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea." Vaccines 9.7 (2021): 804.
- Vincent, Leah R., and Ann E. Jerse. "Biological feasibility and importance of a gonorrhea vaccine for global public health." Vaccine 37.50 (2019): 7419-7426.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use
only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
