2015_01_09_MED_instituto_salud_tropical_descubre
University's Tropical Health high school discovers a way to improve brucellosis vaccines
According to the researchers, the core topic is in knowing how the microorganisms use the erythritol molecule.
PHOTO: Manuel Castells
Understanding how bacteria, specifically Brucella bacteria, use erythritol, a molecule present in some living organisms, could play an important role in the eradication of brucellosis. According to the work of Amaia Zúñiga and Ignacio Moriyón, researchers at the high school of Tropical Health of the University of Navarra, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), this finding could be used to improve current vaccines against this infectious disease.
"It has been suggested that the ability of Brucella to use erythritol is related to abortions caused by current vaccines, so this finding could help develop safer ones," said Navarre researcher Amaia Zúñiga.
Brucellosis, an animal disease, can affect humans in what are known as"Malta fevers". Its presence causes serious economic and social losses, especially in places with fewer resources, which is why the World Health Organization considers it one of the main "neglected diseases".
This study, carried out at partnership with the University of Namur (Belgium), the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) and the University of Saarland (Germany), arose during a stay of researcher Amaia Zúñiga at the Belgian academic center.