Attenuated Acinetobacter Baumannii Vaccine

Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen. There is evidence to suggest that gastrointestinal colonization of A. baumannii in humans precedes the onset of other clinical conditions such as septicemia, pneumonia and wound sepsis, with little known about the interaction of this pathogen with the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Researchers at UTSA have developed a new attenuated Acinetobacter baumanni mutant from a multi-drug resistant clinical isolate defient in thioredoxin-A (TrxA). This organism exhibits markedly reduced virulence in an I.p. sepsis model and has the potential for use as a live vaccine against A. baumannii infection. Robert Graham robert.graham@utsa.edu (210) 458-8139