Attenuated Bordetella pertussis BPZE1 as a live vehicle for heterologous vaccine antigens delivery through the nasal route.

Whereas the great majority of the current vaccines are delivered through the parenteral route, mucosal administration has been increasingly considered for controlling infection and preventing disease. Mucosal vaccination can trigger both humoral and cell-mediated protection, not only at the targeted mucosal surface, but also systemically. In this regard, nasal vaccination has shown great potential. The live attenuated strain of Bordetella pertussis, BPZE1, is particularly attractive and promising as a nasal vaccine delivery vector of heterologous antigen vaccine candidates. BPZE1 was originally developed as a live nasal pertussis vaccine candidate, and is currently undergoing phase I clinical trial in human (http://www.child-innovac.org). Highly adapted to the human respiratory tract and offering several potential protein carriers for presentation of the heterologous antigen vaccine candidates, BPZE1 represents an appealing platform for the development of live recombinant vaccines delivered via the nasal route that would confer simultaneous protection against pertussis and the targeted infectious disease(s).