# Development of a Vaccine for Staphylococcal Infections

> **NIH NIH R41** · IMMUNARTES LLC · 2021 · $257,842

## Abstract

Project Summary / abstract:
Staphylococcus aureus causes skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) that result in 14.2 million outpatient visits
per year and 850,000 hospital admissions. S. aureus infection is not associated with the development of
immunity and, even with surgical and antibiotic therapy, recurrent infections occur frequently. Infections with
antibiotic-resistant S. aureus strains, designated MRSA (methicillin-resistant S. aureus) are associated with
poor disease outcomes and are now identified in 22% of hospital isolates. In order to address the public health
crisis of MRSA, we are developing a vaccine to prevent invasive S. aureus infections. Key features of S.
aureus disease are the pathogen’s resistance to opsonophagocytic killing (OPK) and the suppression of the
host’s adaptive immune responses. Staphylococcal binding to immunoglobulin (Ig) is mediated by
staphylococcal protein A (SpA), a surface protein that associates with the Fc-domain of IgG and the heavy
chain of VH3 clan IgG and IgM. While the former activity provides protection from antibodies that induce OPK,
the latter, through the crosslinking of IgM receptors, triggers proliferation and B cells and secretion of non-
protective VH3 antibodies, thereby disrupting adaptive immune responses and the development of protective
immunity. We have developed SpA*, a vaccine that elicits SpA-neutralizing antibodies that effectively promote
OPK of the pathogen while also allowing the host to generate many different pathogen specific antibodies that
together eliminate S. aureus colonization and reduce the risk of invasive disease. This phase I STTR proposal
aims to establish the feasibility of generating the SpA* vaccine by establishing its preclinical safety and
biological efficacy.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10255984
- **Project number:** 1R41AI157087-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** IMMUNARTES LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Dominique Missiakas
- **Activity code:** R41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $257,842
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-04-16 → 2021-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10255984

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10255984, Development of a Vaccine for Staphylococcal Infections (1R41AI157087-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-01 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10255984. Licensed CC0.

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