Improving Pulmonary Immunity to Bacterial Pathogens through Streptococcus pneumoniae Colonization of the Nasopharynx

Abstract

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common cause of bacterial pneumonia especially in the elderly or those with significant comorbidities, and is also frequently associated with exacerbations of COPD (1, 2). Existing S. pneumoniae vaccines have partial strain coverage, may lack efficacy in high risk groups, and generally seem to have poorer efficacy against pulmonary compared to systemic infection (3,4). Hence alternative strategies to conventional vaccines maybe required to prevent the persisting high morbidity and mortality caused by S. pneumoniae lung infections.