Proteome-wide reverse vaccinology to identify potential vaccine candidates against Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of infections, both in the community and in healthcare settings, ranging from mild to severe cases that can often be life-threatening. Previous attempts to develop effective vaccines against S. aureus have been somewhat unsuccessful, emphasizing the need to explore its proteome and identify potential targets for vaccine development. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the S. aureus proteome using network-based interactomics and high-throughput reverse screening techniques to identify promising vaccine candidates. We employed a computational proteome screening platform that integrated data from various sources, including experimental findings from a thorough literature review. By combining these datasets, we identified eighteen protein vaccine targets that demonstrated strong potential in eliciting an immune response against S. aureus. This approach is significant as it sheds light on the crucial pathways involved in the survival and pathogenesis of S. aureus while identifying key proteins within these pathways involved in its pathogenesis. This study serves as a proof-of-principle, demonstrating the potential of a customized platform designed specifically to discover vaccine candidates against S. aureus and tackle its canonical infections.