The Problem:
Staphylococcus pseudintermedius causes canine pyoderma (skin infection) and is frequently resistant to almost all antibiotics. Pyoderma represents nearly 500 million dollars in annual veterinary care, with an average visit cost of $175. S. pseudintermedius produces proteins that inhibit the ability of dogs to mount an effective immune response or clear the bacteria.
The Solution:
Researchers at the University of Tennessee have developed a safe vaccine that stimulates the dog’s ability to produce antibodies capable of neutralizing the major toxic and immunosuppressive proteins of S.pseudintermedius, effectively disabling the bacteria.
Benefits:
- Mouse studies have demonstrated a 20x increase in immune response over the natural proteins
- The attenuated recombinant proteins are efficiently expressed in constructs designed for maximal immunogenicity and ease of production
- A vaccine may diminish disease and serve as an adjunct to other therapies in the treatment of pyoderma and other S.pseudintermedius infections
The Inventor
Dr. Stephen A Kania is a Professor in the Department of Comparative Medicine at UTK. He received his Ph.D. degree in Molecular Microbiology from the University of Florida. His research interest is the characterization of methicillin resistant S. Pseudintermedius. He studies S. pseudintermedius genomics, molecular epidemiology, immunology and proteomics.