BioWorld Science Antifungal Immunity Helps Out Antibacterial Vaccine Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 05 November 2020 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles BioWorld Science Antifungal Immunity Helps Out Antibacterial Vaccine The bacterium that causes Staph infections, Staphylococcus aureus (shown here in purple), is becoming more drug-resistant, according to Cedars-Sinai experts. Image courtesy of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. In a recent interview with BioWorld Science, David Underhill, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Cedars-Sinai, discussed how Cedars-Sinai investigators have been able to evoke in mice an effective immune response against the bacterium that causes staph infections. The findings, published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, potentially could enable development of a vaccine, which is "desperately" sought by the medical field, Underhill told writer Anette Breindl. Staph infections are increasingly common, and the bacterium that causes it, Staphylococcus aureus, is becoming more drug-resistant, he explained. For their study, Underhill and his colleagues developed a vaccine that included a shell made from a component of yeast cells, known as beta-glucan, that they loaded with Staphylococcus aureus. They administered this vaccine to mice, which then developed both an antibody and a T-cell (white blood cell) response. The vaccine was effective for up to eight weeks. Underhill said staph is challenging, in part, because after being infected with the bacterium, the body's immune system does not retain the immune memory that leads to lasting protection. How staph manages to evade long-term immunity is not completely understood, he told Breindl. "Staph seems to trick the immune system into not caring," he said. "I think it actively induces a suppressive immune response to its antigens." But exactly how it does so is unknown. For their next step, Underhill and his team plan to investigate the molecular details of the immune response in more detail, in particular to understand why the vaccine evokes a strong T-cell response. Click here to read the complete story from BioWorld Science. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Contact Share this release BioWorld Science Antifungal Immunity Helps Out Antibacterial Vaccine Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home