Targeted immunity:
Dr. Jun Wang pioneers needle-free Chlamydia vaccine
Not only is Dr. Jun Wang developing the first-ever vaccine against Chlamydia, she is designing it in the form of a nasal spray. “Taking the vaccine through the nose generates immunity in areas of the body where mucous is found,” she explains. “These are the areas that the bacteria attack, so specific immunity in those areas gives the strongest protection.”
There are several strains of the Chlamydia bacteria. “In Western nations, we are most familiar with Chlamydia as a sexually transmitted disease that infects the genital tract,” notes Dr. Wang. “There are other strains, however, that infect the eyes and lungs.” All forms of Chlamydia can go undetected, and untreated, for long periods of time.
“Chlamydia is insidious… there may be no symptoms, but serious damage is taking place,” Dr. Wang says. Genital Chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. It increases the risk of contracting of HIV and human papillomavirus (HPV) – a known cause of cervical cancer. Chlamydial eye infections, a major public health problem in developing nations, can lead to blindness. The airborne strain can lead to ‘Chlamydia pneumonia,’ chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) – and even atherosclerosis and multiple sclerosis.
Dr. Wang is conducting ‘proof-of-principle’ studies in the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology at the IWK Health Centre, with equipment support from the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation. “I have planted genes from three strains of Chlamydia into a modified cold virus to create a nasal vaccine formula,” she says. “If it proves to generate long-term immunity in vulnerable mucosal sites, I can take it to the next step.”
In Canada, Dr. Wang expects the vaccine would be targeted to young people, before they become sexually active. “Needle-free delivery offers many advantages,” she says. “It provides targeted immunity, it’s less expensive and, of particular importance in developing nations, giving the vaccine doesn’t require highly trained health professionals or sterilized needles.”