COMMENTARY

H pylori

Experimental Helicobacter pylori infection in humans: a multifaceted challenge

P Michetti

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor P Michetti
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, BH10N-545, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; pierre.michetti@hospvd.ch

---

Is there a scientific rationale for the use of an infection challenge model for Helicobacter pylori vaccine development in humans?

---

Keywords: Helicobacter pylori; challenge; vaccine; histology

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Challenge experiments have been an important method of studying the pathogenesis of many infectious diseases and of evaluating initial efficacy of vaccines before large scale field tests are conducted.^1,2 In challenge experiments, infections are deliberately induced under carefully controlled and monitored conditions to healthy research volunteers. Induced infections are usually either self limiting or can be fully treated within a short period of time. Because physicians should be dedicated to alleviating disease and avoiding harm to patients, this type of experiment may cause uncomfortable symptoms and evoke serious moral concerns. It should be appreciated however that clinical research commonly involves risks to subjects that are not outweighed by medical benefits but are justified by the potential to acquire new knowledge.³ In that regard, infection inducing challenges are not necessarily more ethically problematic than phase I trials aimed at determining maximum tolerated doses of medications. Like any clinical research, . . . [Full text of this article]

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Challenge model for Helicobacter pylori infection in human volunteers

D Y Graham, A R Opekun, M S Osato, H M T El-Zimaity, C K Lee, Y Yamaoka, W A Qureshi, M Cadoz, and T P Monath
Gut 2004 53: 1235-1243. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Aebischer, T, Bumann, D, Epple, H J, Metzger, W, Schneider, T, Cherepnev, G, Walduck, A K, Kunkel, D, Moos, V, Loddenkemper, C, Jiadze, I, Panasyuk, M, Stolte, M, Graham, D Y, Zeitz, M, Meyer, T F (2008). Correlation of T cell response and bacterial clearance in human volunteers challenged with Helicobacter pylori revealed by randomised controlled vaccination with Ty21a-based Salmonella vaccines. Gut 57: 1065-1072 [Abstract] [Full Text]