Antibodies raise vaccine hopes for a bug that kills 500,000 a year
Scientists at the University of Sheffield and the Medical Research Council (MRC) have for the first time identified specific antibodies that protect against Strep A.
The common bacterium is mainly known for causing sore throats and flu-like symptoms, but in more invasive cases it can be deadly.
The bug kills hundreds of thousands of people each year in poor and middle-income countries, and a UK outbreak in 2022/23 caused more than 400 deaths.
Researchers tracked children in The Gambia, and discovered that while maternal protection faded, young children quickly mounted immune responses to parts of the bug.
Until now, a limited understanding of the body's natural defences against the bug, which is also called Streptococcus pyogenes, has hindered any vaccine development.
The findings of the peer-reviewed study, which are published in the Nature Medicine journal, are a potential breakthrough to develop a new jab.
Dr Alex Keeley, a Wellcome fellow in global health at the MRC's Gambia unit and Sheffield's Florey Institute of Infection, led the research.
He said: 'Our findings represent a significant step towards a safe and effective vaccine that could save around half a million lives here in the UK and around the world.'
'Now, for the first time in humans, we've been able to observe how antibodies that would be made following vaccination may be preventing infections and show how these antibodies may be working against Strep A.'
Fatouamta Camara, who worked on the research, said Strep A in the Gambia 'carries a devastating burden on children and adults in their prime years'.
She said: 'Beyond causing illness, its impact ripples through families and communities, perpetuating cycles of poverty and reducing quality of life.
'A vaccine offers hope as a powerful tool to prevent these infections, protect our communities, and improve health outcomes, enabling children and young people to thrive.'
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