Meet Vax2Muc young scientists: Cora Mibus
The Vax2Muc consortium brings together ten partners, including five universities and three research organisations. From them, a group of accomplished scientists with a wide breadth of knowledge and expertise have come together to search for next-generation vaccines. In the "Meet Vax2Muc young scientists" series, we will introduce some of the bright minds working on the project, focusing on early-career academics.
First up is Cora Mibus from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), who recently held the first presentation of Vax2Muc results at an academic conference. TUM is her academic home, where she finished her bachelor's and master's degrees in biochemistry, discovering her interest in immunology along the way. She is now a doctoral student at TUM’s Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene and contributes to the Vax2Muc research as part of the network of international experts.
We spoke with her about the importance of the work she is involved in, the challenges along the way, and the project's outlook.
You are working on your PhD as part of the Vax2Muc project, which is focusing on developing next generation vaccines to overcome the antimicrobial resistance of gastrointestinal mucosal pathogens. Could you tell us a bit about your work and how it fits into the wider research on this project?
Our lab’s main research topic is the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, the globally prevalent gastrointestinal pathogen and a leading risk for gastric cancer. The common treatment is a combination of antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors, medicines that decrease stomach acid production. Continuous use of this approach to treatment, however, resulted in the development of antibiotic-resistant H. pylori strains. This means that in some cases, bacterium no longer responds to antibiotics.
Therefore, alternative treatment strategies are needed. We are particularly interested in developing a prophylactic vaccine, which can effectively prevent the infection in the first case. In this project, we work with a variety of experts on mucosal immunology, infectiology and vaccinology to develop novel technologies for mucosal vaccination. I started my PhD at the Technical University of Munich in late 2023 and so far, we already tested potential vaccine candidates in mice studies.
What is the importance of developing this specific vaccine?
The prevalence of H. pylori infections is as high as 70-90% in several countries in South America and Asia. The infection is usually acquired during early childhood and becomes chronic, which means the immune system is not able to clear it by itself. Almost every infected adult develops gastritis (mostly asymptomatic), which in turn favors the development of gastric cancer. Vaccination could be the key to reducing the gastric cancer incidence long-term, without the risk of antimicrobial resistance development.
What makes the development of this vaccine different or challenging?
Research on vaccines aimed at targeting or preventing H. pylori infections has been ongoing for decades. This bacterium has evolved numerous defense mechanisms to evade the immune system and adapt to the harsh conditions of the stomach. To prevent H. pylori colonization in the stomach, it is crucial to trigger a localized immune response, meaning the vaccine formulation must be able to withstand the stomach's degradative environment. In this project we will evaluate the potential of existing technologies but also advance the field by exploring novel strategies to address and overcome these hurdles.
Cora Mibus presenting at the 15th International Workshop on Pathogenesis & Host Response in Helicobacter Infections
You presented results of the ongoing research recently at the 15th International Workshop on Pathogenesis & Host Response in Helicobacter Infections – what is the current state of research?
We are currently testing various potential vaccine candidates in mouse studies and working on optimizing the ideal combination of systemic and mucosal administration. Once the preclinical studies are complete, we can progress to phase I clinical trials.
What’s next? What are you excited about when it comes to your/Vax2Muc research?
I truly enjoy being part of this international team! During my PhD, I plan to take the opportunity to spend some time abroad, visiting various labs to gain knowledge and experience in new methods and techniques. Collaborating with these diverse labs, each with their unique research focus, will significantly contribute to advancing this project.
