Review ArticleOpen Access

A Vaccine for Syphilis

Volume 7 - Issue 2

Stewart Sell MD*

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- Department of Health, Wadsworth Laboratory, USA
*Corresponding author: Stewart Sell, Department of Health, Wadsworth Laboratory, USA, Empire State Plaza Albany

Received: July 23, 2018; Published: July 27, 2018

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.07.001486

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Abstract

Design and application of a vaccine for syphilis is proposed. Syphilis, once a widespread and crippling disease, has decreased in prevalence and significance due to public health education and the use of penicillin, which is extremely effective in curing the disease. This decline has reduced the urgency for a vaccine for syphilis. However, in recent years the incidence of syphilis has been increasing. A persistent reservoir remains in highly impacted groups such as sex workers and men who have sex with men. It is proposed that the critical application of a vaccine for syphilis to these groups could eventually eliminate this disease. Evidence is presented that the most effective immune response to syphilis infection is delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH). In this review a design for a vaccine for syphilis directed to the induction of DTH is described.

Abbreviations: DTH: Delayed Type Hypersensitivity; TPRK: Treponema Pallidum Repeat Protein K; BCG: Bacille-Calmette-Guerin; APH: Aminoglycoside Phosphotransferase; ORIE: Origin of Replication; AATP: Attachment Site and the Gene Encoding the Integrase Protein