Lithgow, Karen V.Hof, RebeccaWetherell, CharmainePhillips, DrewHouston, SimonCameron, Caroline E.2018-07-302018-07-3020172017-02Lithgow, K. V.; Hof, R.; Wetherell, C.; Phillips, D.; Houston, S.; & Cameron, C. E. (2017). A defined syphilis vaccine candidate inhibits dissemination of Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. Nature Communications, 8(14273). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms14273https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms14273http://hdl.handle.net/1828/9790Syphilis is a prominent disease in low- and middle-income countries, and a re-emerging public health threat in high- income countries. Syphilis elimination will require development of an effective vaccine that has thus far remained elusive. Here we assess the vaccine potential of Tp0751, a vascular adhesin from the causative agent of syphilis, Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum. Tp0751-immunized animals exhibit a significantly reduced bacterial organ burden upon T. pallidum challenge compared with unimmunized animals. Introduction of lymph nodes from Tp0751-immunized, T. pallidum-challenged animals to naive animals fails to induce infection, confirming sterile protection. These findings provide evidence that Tp0751 is a promising syphilis vaccine candidate.enArticleDepartment of Biochemistry and Microbiology