Salmonella OmpA antigen delivery via engineered outer membrane vesicles: a promising strategy for immunization

Abstract

Non-typhoidal Salmonellosis (NTS) poses a substantial and often underestimated public health challenge, predominantly attributed to strains of Salmonella enterica var Enteritidis and Salmonella enterica var Typhimurium. Conventional treatment strategies, notably oral rehydration therapy and antibiotics, are increasingly hampered by the emergence of multi-drug resistant strains. Consequently, there is growing interest in Outer membrane protein A (OmpA) as a potential vaccine candidate due to its notable antigenicity and surface presentation. This thesis tries to narrate the use of genetically engineered bacterial-derived outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) as a robust platform for antigen delivery. For that purpose, it has achieved till the development and biophysical testing of these membrane vesicles. It also explores the role of OmpA in inducing Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) expression, which triggers Somatic Hypermutation (SHM) in B-cells and enhances immune response.