Development of a novel oral vaccine against Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis and Johne disease: a patho-biotechnological approach

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the etiological agent of Johne disease, a granulomatous enteritis of cattle and other domesticated and wild ruminant species. Johne disease is prevalent worldwide and has a significant impact on the global agricultural economy. Current vaccines against Johne are insufficient in stemming its spread, and associated side-effects prevent their widespread use in control programs. Effective and safe vaccine strategies are needed. The main purpose of this paper is to propose and evaluate the development of a novel oral subunit-vaccine using a patho-biotechnological approach. This novel strategy, which harnesses patho-genetic elements from the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, may provide a realistic route towards developing an effective next generation subunit vaccine against Johne disease and paratuberculosis.

Patho-biotechnology; using bad bugs to make good bugs better

Given the increasing commercial and clinical relevance of probiotic cultures, improving their stress tolerance profile and ability to overcome the physiochemical defences of the host is an important biological goal. Pathogenic bacteria have evolved sophisticated strategies to overcome host defences, interact with the immune system and interfere with essential host systems. We coin the term 'patho-biotechnology' to describe the exploitation of these valuable traits in biotechnology and biomedicine. This approach shows promise for the design of more technologically robust and effective probiotic cultures with improved biotechnological and clinical applications as well as the development of novel vaccine and drug delivery platforms.