A vaccine against Salmonella may be one step closer, according to a research team led by a University of California, Davis immunologist.
In a study to be published this week in the early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers say they have paved the way toward an effective vaccine by identifying eight antigens — molecules in the invading bacteria that trigger an immune response — common in mice and human infections.
In working toward a vaccine, the UC Davis-led research team said it created an array, or collection, of 2,700 proteins — about 60 percent of all proteins produced by Salmonella bacteria. The researchers found that 117 of those proteins behaved as antigens when mixed with blood serum from Salmonella-infected mice, triggering an immune response to defend against the bacteria.
