# Protection against Bordetella pertussis transmission conferred by established and novel vaccines

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA · 2021 · $226,500

## Abstract

SUMMARY:
The failures of current vaccines to prevent the ongoing transmission of Bordetella pertussis is
the central problem behind its resurgence and listing by both CDC and NIH as a priority re-
emerging pathogen. Clinical studies and baboon experiments have confirmed that current
acellular vaccines protect against disease but fail to prevent colonization, shedding and
transmission of B. pertussis. Unfortunately, these experimental systems are not practical, or
even available, for the necessary research to develop improved vaccines that can prevent
colonization, shedding and transmission. We recently discovered and have overcome prior
obstacles to allowing B. pertussis to efficiently colonize mice which has allowed us to develop
assays for colonization, shedding and transmission between mice. We have also developed
innovative outer membrane vesicle (OMV)- based vaccines and shown that they limit
colonization, a substantial improvement over current vaccines. Here we will use our newly
developed assays to define the effects of current and our novel vaccines on the ability of B.
pertussis to efficiently colonize animals, be shed into their environment and transmit to new
hosts. We will then define and compare the systemic immune responses associated with
protection from disease with the mucosal immune responses associated with blocking
colonization, shedding and transmission. Together these experiments will demonstrate the use
of these new assays that are likely to revolutionize approaches to develop and test new
vaccines and treatments. They are also likely to validate the improved efficacy of OMV-based
vaccines and present evidence that such new vaccines can overcome the major failure of
current vaccines by blocking its transmission, providing hope that we could actually eradicate
this NIH and CDC priority agent.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10194677
- **Project number:** 1R21AI159347-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Eric T Harvill
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $226,500
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-03-19 → 2023-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10194677

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10194677, Protection against Bordetella pertussis transmission conferred by established and novel vaccines (1R21AI159347-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10194677. Licensed CC0.

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