Vaccination against Helicobacter pylori.

Given the high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori, vaccination has been suggested as a better strategy than widespread use of antibiotics. Despite the fact that natural immunity is not protective, different antigen preparations made from whole cell sonicates, or recombinant proteins have been shown to induce protective immunity when they are delivered with the appropriate adjuvant. Alternative strategies involving antigen delivery by live, attenuated vaccine carriers are also being considered. However, there is still no clear understanding on the mechanisms underlying the vaccine and the need to define reliable immunological markers is now a prerequisite to improving vaccination strategies.