Novel Vaccine Antigens for Moraxella Catarrhalis

Otitis media (OM), or middle ear infection, is one of the most common reasons for pediatric office visits. An estimated 30 million office visits can be attributed to OM every year. Eighty percent of American children will have at least one ear infection by three years of age and nearly 100% will have experienced an ear infection by age five. Although many patients can be treated with antibiotics, the frequency of antibiotic resistance is rising. In addition, hundreds of thousands of patients require surgical procedures to correct the problem. In severe cases the infections may lead to major medical complications such as deafness. The University at Buffalo has developed several vaccine targets to Moraxella catarrhalis to help alleviate patient suffering. Additionally, these antigens are applicable to both adult and pediatric respiratory infections such as frequently found in chronic pulmonary obstruction disease (COPD). COPD is a serious medical concern and is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.