Heat shock protein A of Helicobacter pylori: a promising vaccine candidate

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a spiral Gram-negative microaerophilic bacterium colonizing the human gastric mucosa. Infection with H. pylori has been recognized as the leading cause of specific gastroduodenal diseases. Because eradication requires treatment with multidrug regimens, controlling this global problem by vaccination is attractive. Extensive studies have demonstrated the feasibility of both prophylactic and therapeutic immunizations. However, most efforts have so far achieved limited success. This is partly due to the fact that neither an optimal composition of protective antigens nor the major protective immune mechanisms in humans have been identified. In this review, we describe the properties of heat shock protein A (HspA), such as its structural conservation and good immunogenicity, as one of the candidate antigens with most potential and its inclusion in an H. pylori vaccine. (C) 2010 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins