Immune Response and Therapeutic Vaccination against Helicobacter pylori

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a gram-negative bacterium, considered one of the significant discoveries about 40 years ago, and was isolated and cultured from the human stomach. H. pylori has infected more than half of the human population, making it one of the most well-known human pathogens. The front line of immune response starts with innate recognition of H. pylori and its mediators and intracellular signaling by gastric epithelial cells in which they recognize and respond to bacterial products such as flagella, lipopolysaccharides, and peptidoglycan. The inflammatory response is followed by the recruitment of various cells of the innate and adaptive immune system. Cytokines including IL-12, IL-23, and TGF-& beta; direct the polarization of CD4+ T helper cells to Th1, Th17, and Treg, respectively. The clinical symptoms that may occur as a result of H. pylori infection linked to the virulence factors of the bacteria, the genetic factors of the host, and the immune responses. Specific antigens have been found as part of these crucial virulence factors. The specific antigens may play a role in the development of an effective vaccine to eradicate H. pylori infection. Innate and adaptive immunity and genetic factors have an important place in understanding the host response mechanisms, elucidating the pathogenesis of the disease, and developing new targetedtherapy approaches. Thus, the aim of this study is to understand immune responses and investigate the potential therapeutic vaccination against H. pylori.