2/24/03

Bruce Smith

AU SCIENTISTS DEVELOP PROMISING TREATMENT FOR ULCERS

AUBURN -- In their quest to protect cats against a bacterium similar to the one that causes peptic ulcers in humans, Auburn University researchers have developed a promising method of nasal vaccination that may be adapted for human use.

The Journal of Infection and Immunity reported the findings of Bruce Smith, associate professor of pathobiology, and his team of researchers at AU's Scott-Ritchey Research Center, in its January issue.

"The idea behind this research was to determine if we could enhance mucosal (the tissue lining of the nose) vaccines," Smith said. "In many cases the mucosa is the first tissue that detects a foreign invader, so it makes sense that a vaccine might work at that level to protect you, rather than being introduced in the bloodstream."

In their experiments, the Auburn researchers vaccinated mice with different combinations of adjuvants -- vaccine additives that alert the body to a foreign invader -- and exposed the mice to a bacterium similar to the one that causes peptic ulcers. Next, they studied the stomach lining to determine which mice had been protected from the bacterium

According to Smith, the vaccination that was administered intranasally and combined cholera toxin (CT) and CpG -- a type of DNA that has been identified as a possible mucosal adjuvant -- completely protected the mice from the bacterium.

"It worked even better than what was considered state-of-the-art up until then," Smith said. "That's what everyone is excited about." Smith says peptic ulcers are now treated with intensive antibiotics, but some scientists worry that the bacteria could become resistant to the drugs. If the nasal vaccination is developed, it could prevent infection altogether.

"The idea is to keep the invader out completely, as opposed to letting it in and then trying to kill it," said Smith, who is director of the Molecular Medicine Program at Scott-Ritchey.

Smith stressed that the vaccine is not ready for human use, but is currently an experimental mouse vaccine that is promising for the future development of human vaccinations.

"I think where it's really promising is in the broad implications that CpG works for mucosal vaccines," Smith said. "It might be used for an HIV vaccine, or to treat diseases like cholera or salmonella and, even more wildly speculating, things as simple as the common cold."

Smith said he hopes that in the future, biotech companies will move the research forward to develop a human vaccine.

Meanwhile, the Auburn team is focused on how the findings can benefit the animal world, particularly cats. With this focus, the researchers are currently applying the CpG technology to innovative feline contraception methods.

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feb03:AU-ulcers

CONTACT: Bruce Smith, 334/844-5587.