Ivins B E, Welkos S L
Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland 21701-5011.
Eur J Epidemiol. 1988 Mar;4(1):12-9. doi: 10.1007/BF00152686.
Human anthrax vaccines currently licensed in the United States and Western Europe consist of alum-precipitated or aluminum hydroxide-adsorbed supernatant material from fermentor cultures of toxigenic, nonencapsulated strains of Bacillus anthracis. These vaccines have several drawbacks, including the need for frequent boosters, the apparent inability to protect adequately against certain strains of B. anthracis, and occasional local reactogenicity. Studies are being undertaken to develop an improved human anthrax vaccine which is safe and efficacious, and which provides long-lasting immunity. Aspects being studied include the identification of antigens and epitopes responsible for eliciting protective immunity, the mechanisms of resistance to anthrax infection, the role of specific antibody in resistance, the differences in immunity elicited by living and chemical vaccines, the potential of new adjuvants to augment immunity, and the feasibility of developing safe vaccine strains having mutationally altered toxin genes. Both living and non-living (chemical) prototype vaccines are being developed and tested.
目前在美国和西欧获得许可的人用炭疽疫苗，是由产毒的、无荚膜炭疽芽孢杆菌菌株发酵培养物的明矾沉淀或氢氧化铝吸附上清液制成的。这些疫苗有几个缺点，包括需要频繁加强接种、明显无法充分抵御某些炭疽芽孢杆菌菌株，以及偶尔出现的局部反应原性。目前正在开展研究，以开发一种改进的人用炭疽疫苗，该疫苗安全有效，并能提供持久免疫力。正在研究的方面包括确定引发保护性免疫的抗原和表位、抵抗炭疽感染的机制、特异性抗体在抵抗中的作用、活疫苗和化学疫苗引发的免疫差异、新型佐剂增强免疫的潜力，以及开发具有突变毒素基因的安全疫苗菌株的可行性。目前正在开发和测试活疫苗和非活（化学）原型疫苗。
