Chlamydia is one of the stealthiest sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the world, showing no symptoms in most of those it infects and therefore often going undetected. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2.86 million people get chlamydia annually, but the numbers could be much more, the Tech Times reports.
The infection is relatively common and treatable, but it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infertility, ectopic pregnancies, genital tract infections and even trachoma, an eye infection that leads to blindness if not treated. The CDC has said that while medications can stop chlamydia, it is not enough to treat any permanent damage resulting from the disease.
There have been efforts to develop a vaccine for chlamydia, but so far, there are no vaccines that have been approved for human use.
That might change soon, as researchers from McMaster University in Canada appear to have discovered a new path towards creating a vaccine against this particular STI, which in turn might prevent damages resulting from chlamydia.
David Bulir and colleagues have proven that BD584, a chlamydial antigen, is a possible vaccine candidate that can be used to fight common species of the infection and can help stop health complications in people who don’t know they have chlamydia.
Bulir and the team found that BD584 is able to reduce symptoms of C. trachomatis by up to 95%. The antigen was also able to reduce hydrosalpinx, a condition that occurs when the fallopian tubes are obstructed by over 87% of serous fluids. The researchers wrote,
Results suggest that highly conserved proteins of the chlamydial T3SS may represent good candidates for a Chlamydia vaccine.
The vaccine, which will be administered through the nose, said Bulir, is easy and painless. Vaccination will not need highly trained health professionals, which would make this an inexpensive way to fight chlamydia, especially in developing nations.
The researchers intend to test BD584 against other strains of the infection, and are going to conduct tests on different formulations. They hope to create a vaccine that will be effective in all medical environments.
The study will be published in the journal Vaccine.
