Context: Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has partnered with GSK (a British multinational pharma company) for the ongoing development and potential use of the Shigella vaccine candidate, altSonflex1-2-3.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Basic idea about how vaccines work; Antigens; Generalised Modules for Membrane Antigens; Shigella.
About Shigella
- Shigella is a group of bacteria that causes shigellosis, a type of food poisoning.
- Transmission: swallowing material contaminated by faeces, contaminated food and water.
- Symptoms: stomach pain, fever, and watery or bloody diarrhoea.
- Shigella has the distinction of being one of the first bacterial pathogens to be reported to be resistant to multiple antibiotics.
Shigella Vaccine
- The Shigella vaccine utilises GMMA technology, a platform developed by GSK’s Global Health team. The technology employs outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) from bacteria to deliver antigens that activate the immune system.
- The aim is to advance the development and potential distribution of the vaccine in low- and middle-income countries, where Shigella is a leading cause of diarrhoea among children under five.
Generalised Modules for Membrane Antigens (GMMA) Technology
- GMMA is a technology platform to produce Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMV)-based vaccines.
- OMVs are naturally produced sub-units of bacterial pathogens with multiple surface-exposed antigens.
- OMVs can be used as a vehicle for delivering specific antigens of interest in therapeutic applications, such as vaccines, to induce immune response.
- GMMA are OMVs derived from gram-negative bacteria modified through genetic engineering.
- GMMA-based vaccines present a variety of bacterial antigens (resembling a natural bacterial infection) to the immune system. It stimulates a strong immune response, often without requiring adjuvants, and can target various bacterial diseases, such as Shigella.
Significance:
- GMMA technology is low-cost and scalable, making it ideal for producing affordable vaccines for low-income countries.
- It could help reduce illness and mortality rates while indirectly decreasing antibiotic use and addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR).