Experimental vaccination with nanoparticles containing Escherichia coli virulence factors

Pathogenic Escherichia coli strains are leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly among children in low- and middle-income countries. To overcome this challenge, the development of vaccines is extremely necessary. However, there exists a large variety of different pathotypes which differ in relation to their virulence factors and mechanism of colonization. Consequently, a common immunoprotective mechanism is unlikely to exist, making harder the search for E. coli vaccines. In the first part, this chapter reviews the main E. coli pathotypes virulence factors, in light of potential targets for vaccination, with special focus on Enterotoxigenic and Enterohemorrhagic E. coli strains. After that, we will describe studies performed to improve vaccine efficacy by using new adjuvants based on nanotechnology which might contribute to prevent this very serious global matter.