The future role of vaccination in prevention of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Bing Wang; Kate L. Seib; Helen Marshall

doi:10.1071/MA24034

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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The future role of vaccination in prevention of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Bing Wang ^A ^B ^* , Kate L. Seib ^C and Helen Marshall ^A ^B

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Vaccinology and Immunology Research Trials Unit, Women’s and Children’s Health Network, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

^B Robinson Research Institute and Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

^C Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Qld, Australia.

Dr Bing Wang completed a PhD at The University of Adelaide in 2019. She received a MPhil degree in 2014 from The University of Adelaide and a bachelor’s degree in medicine from the Capital Medical University (Beijing, China). She has been working with her supervisor, Prof. Helen Marshall, on projects that require complex statistical analyses and have a health economic focus. She worked in the clinical research area for more than 10 years in GlaxoSmithKline (Beijing, China), PPD (Melbourne), CMAX (Adelaide) and CPR (Adelaide).

Prof. Kate Seib is a principal research leader, associate director and acting deputy director at the Institute for Glycomics at Griffith University. Her expertise is in the field of molecular microbiology, with a focus on understanding virulence mechanisms and characterising vaccine antigens of human mucosal pathogens such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis. Her recent research includes the discovery and characterisation of gonococcal vaccine candidates, and health-impact modelling of gonococcal vaccines. She was involved in the development of the 4CMenB meningococcal vaccine and is currently leading clinical trials to evaluate the cross protection of 4CMenB against gonorrhoea.

Prof. Helen Marshall AM is a consultant and professor in vaccinology at the Adelaide Medical School and the research director of the Women’s and Children’s Health Network. She is the director of the Vaccinology and Immunology Research Trials Unit, and is the leader of the Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Group in the Robinson Research Institute. She has previously been a member of ATAGI, and was awarded the South Australia Science Award (2019) and a Member of the Order of Australia (2022). She is a Fellow of the Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. She is the 2023 South Australian Scientist of the Year and South Australia’s 2022 Australian of the Year and Woman of the Year.

^* Correspondence to: bing.wang@adelaide.edu.au

Microbiology Australia https://doi.org/10.1071/MA24034

Submitted: 17 June 2024 Accepted: 25 July 2024 Published: 8 August 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the ASM. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY).

Abstract

Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection presents a significant public health concern, with an increasing incidence and an escalating trend of antimicrobial resistance. The considerable morbidity of gonococcal infections primarily affects the reproductive and neonatal health of women and infants. This paper aims to consolidate the existing evidence concerning development and availability of N. gonorrhoeae vaccines and their potential to address the associated burden of disease. Furthermore, the review highlights the research gaps in discovery science and vaccine programs.

Keywords: cross protection, gonococcal infection, meningococcal vaccine, vaccine effectiveness.

Biographies

Dr Bing Wang completed a PhD at The University of Adelaide in 2019. She received a MPhil degree in 2014 from The University of Adelaide and a bachelor’s degree in medicine from the Capital Medical University (Beijing, China). She has been working with her supervisor, Prof. Helen Marshall, on projects that require complex statistical analyses and have a health economic focus. She worked in the clinical research area for more than 10 years in GlaxoSmithKline (Beijing, China), PPD (Melbourne), CMAX (Adelaide) and CPR (Adelaide).

Prof. Kate Seib is a principal research leader, associate director and acting deputy director at the Institute for Glycomics at Griffith University. Her expertise is in the field of molecular microbiology, with a focus on understanding virulence mechanisms and characterising vaccine antigens of human mucosal pathogens such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis. Her recent research includes the discovery and characterisation of gonococcal vaccine candidates, and health-impact modelling of gonococcal vaccines. She was involved in the development of the 4CMenB meningococcal vaccine and is currently leading clinical trials to evaluate the cross protection of 4CMenB against gonorrhoea.

Prof. Helen Marshall AM is a consultant and professor in vaccinology at the Adelaide Medical School and the research director of the Women’s and Children’s Health Network. She is the director of the Vaccinology and Immunology Research Trials Unit, and is the leader of the Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Group in the Robinson Research Institute. She has previously been a member of ATAGI, and was awarded the South Australia Science Award (2019) and a Member of the Order of Australia (2022). She is a Fellow of the Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. She is the 2023 South Australian Scientist of the Year and South Australia’s 2022 Australian of the Year and Woman of the Year.

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