Past And Current Vaccine Development Effort of Gonorrhea

Abstract

Neisseria gonorrhea causes gonorrhoea, which is one of the sexually transmitted infections (STI) diseases that can affect the health of women, men, and neonates. Reflecting on its history of treatment, the development and distribution of a vaccine hold significant potential for mitigating the impact of this disease, especially in vulnerable populations. However, developing a novel vaccine for Neisseria gonorrhoeae has posed considerable challenges. This is primarily due to the Gonorrhea's antigenic variation, rendering it difficult for the human immune system to identify. Neisseria Gonorrhea is currently exhibiting significant antimicrobial resistance, raising concerns about the potential for it to evolve into a superbug in the future. This escalating antimicrobial resistance has led to a diminishing effectiveness of antibiotics in treating Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections. Consequently, there is an increased risk of reinfection, potentially necessitating higher antibiotic doses during treatment. This, in turn, contributes to elevated treatment costs. Thus, the development of a new vaccine against Neisseria gonorrhoeae becomes imperative. This urgency is particularly pronounced for safeguarding the health of women and newborns. In this review, I explored the progress and efficacy of both historical and contemporary vaccines designed to address Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections.