Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strain B7A antigens (ETEC B7A antigens)

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strain B7A is a prototypical human challenge strain (O148:H28) used extensively in the development of vaccines and immunotherapies for diarrheal diseases. The target 'B7A whole-cell surface and secreted antigens' refers to the comprehensive antigenic profile of this strain, which includes critical virulence factors such as the Coli surface antigen 6 (CS6) adhesin, the O148 lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and secreted enterotoxins like the heat-labile toxin (LT) and heat-stable toxin (ST) (1.2.4, 1.3.2). These antigens facilitate the bacteria's ability to adhere to the small intestinal epithelium and disrupt fluid homeostasis, leading to moderate-to-severe diarrhea (1.1.5, 1.4.1). Therapeutic interventions targeting these antigens include whole-cell inactivated vaccines and passive oral immunotherapies, such as hyperimmune bovine serum immunoglobulins (BSIgG) (1.1.5, 1.3.5). By inducing or providing antibodies against these surface and secreted components, these treatments aim to block bacterial colonization and neutralize toxins before they can interact with host cell receptors (1.3.2). B7A is a key reference strain in clinical trials because it represents a significant portion of ETEC-related morbidity in travelers and children in endemic regions (1.2.3, 1.3.3).

Other names

B7A whole-cell surface and secreted antigensETEC B7AO148:H28 ETEC antigensCS6-expressing ETEC antigens

Drugs targeting these antigens work by inhibiting bacterial adherence to the intestinal mucosa (anti-adhesion) and neutralizing the activity of secreted enterotoxins, thereby preventing the induction of diarrheal symptoms (1.3.2, 1.3.5).