Cellular immunity to Streptococcus pneumoniae : implications for vaccine-mediated prevention

INTRODUCTION: asymptomatically colonizes the nasopharynx but can also cause mucosal infections or invasive pneumococcal disease. Despite the significant positive impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, the burden of pneumococcal disease persists, reflecting the inherent limitations of a strategy that elicits serotype-dependent humoral immunity against a pathogen with > 100 known serotypes. AREAS COVERED: and provide an overview of the cellular immune responses induced by candidate pneumococcal vaccines (whole-cell vaccines, protein-based vaccines, and vaccines using MAPS technology). EXPERT OPINION: will require future pneumococcal vaccines to induce a broad, multipronged immune response. This strategy implies identifying new immunological benchmarks beyond capsular antibodies. Therefore, defining protective cellular responses represents a critical research priority.