| Canadians know first-hand the dangers
of E. coli infection and the devastation an outbreak can
cause. In May 2000, in the small town of Walkerton, Ontario, seven
people died and more than 2,000 became ill when runoff from nearby
cattle operations contaminated the town's drinking water supply.
More recent outbreaks in Calgary, Sudbury, and the Maritimes and
frequent occurrences in the USA highlight the broad impact of the
threat to human health.
Doctors Brett Finlay and Andrew Potter, researchers with the Canadian
Bacterial Diseases Network (CBDN), have developed a vaccine that
reduces the chance of humans being exposed to the same dangerous
strain of E. coli that has hit Walkerton and other communities
across Canada. The vaccine significantly reduces shedding of the
Escherichia coli 0157:H7 bacterium in cattle.
|
How it works
E. coli 0157:H7 was discovered in 1975. A
relatively new strain of the bacterium, it's a powerful
toxin in humans. While it can affect the health of young
calves, it's harmless in older animals. Dr. Finlay made
the initial critical discovery that led to the creation
of this vaccine. He determined how this strain of E.
coli attaches itself to intestinal cells. The vaccine
works by preventing this attachment. Without it, the
bacteria can't multiply and create more bacteria.
Early studies confirmed the proof-of-concept, and recent
large-scale controlled-challenge field studies show
the vaccine to be very effective in achieving its goal
– to reduce the amount of E. coli shed by cattle
in their manure. In the latest tests, there was a 99.56 percent
reduction in the amount of bacteria shed and a 70 percent
reduction in the number of animals that shed bacteria.
|
|
Creating a vaccine for cattle to deal with a human health issue may
seem a little odd. But because the primary source of human infection
is cattle, "An E. coli vaccine for cattle is the best
solution, because it deals with the problem at the source," says
Dr. Finlay. The vaccine is in the final stages of testing and
approval and should be commercially available in the near future.
Developing this vaccine and working toward commercialization has
been a team effort from the beginning. Dr. Finlay, who comes
at the problem from a human health perspective, teamed up with Dr.
Andrew Potter, the Associate Director (Research) of the Vaccine
and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO). He is also a member
of CBDN. Dr. Potter's area of expertise is animal health and
vaccine development.
"It was a natural fit," he says. He credits CBDN with
providing them with the framework to work together. "Without
CBDN there to act as a catalyst, it never would have started, plain
and simple."
While the Walkerton tragedy certainly brought the E. coli
problem to public light, research into ways to prevent human infection
was well under way before that event. The Alberta Research Council
(ARC) of Edmonton and Bioniche Life Sciences Inc., a human and animal
health biopharmaceutical company located in Belleville, Ontario,
were involved almost from the beginning. In 1999, Dr. Dragan
Rogan, Vice-President of Research and Development in Bioniche's
Animal Health Division, reviewed some data generated by Doctors
Potter and Finlay. "I felt that it was promising and that there
was a real opportunity here," he says. He contacted CBDN and
ARC and that's how it started.
The business and market expertise provided by Bioniche to the researchers
was vital. "It's very important with products of this type
to make sure that there is a commercial pathway identified up front,"
says Dr. Potter. "Having private sector input into the
process is invaluable. We can still do good science, but with their
help, we can do it in a way that is compatible with commercial development."
Because of their upfront support, Bioniche can look forward to
reaping economic benefits by manufacturing and marketing an effective
product.
By working together, the transfer of this technology from the lab
to market has been swift and effective. In fact, all of the partners
in the project strongly believe that this team approach streamlined
the process and compressed the usual timeline of developing and
getting this kind of product to market. It's a simple equation.
"We were able to do certain things simultaneously," says
Martin Warmelink, President of Bioniche's Food Safety Division.
"For example, the licensing and regulatory work was done at
the same time as the scale-of-manufacturing work, by different parties
within the partnership. When we complete this in four to five years,
I'd say we will have achieved a record for this kind of product."
Working under the umbrella of CBDN had additional benefits. The
Network helped connect the multiple areas of research expertise
needed to create a product like this. It also provided researchers
with a framework that allowed them to concentrate on the science
and not worry about some of the other issues.
"For example, intellectual property issues can sometimes get
in the way of doing research, especially if you have more than one
institution involved," Dr. Potter explains. "In our
case, we had a single institution, CBDN, dealing with that."
Training the next generation of research scientists and biotech
workers has been a major part of CBDN's work over the past 15 years.
Dr. Potter believes that students, with opportunities created
by being part of the Network, gain an insight into the way the world
works.
"They do excellent science, but as part of a network, they
have that translational viewpoint to the real world." For him,
talent development is one of the most positive aspects of the network
model. "I'm actually collaborating with former students of
CBDN members. That's three generations within that 15-year span.
It's absolutely phenomenal."
www.cbdn.ca
|
