HMN 2026: Why a potential vaccine for neonatal sepsis faces challenges ahead

A major international study has assessed key bacterial targets that could form the basis of a new maternal vaccine to protect newborns from life-threatening infections. The University of Strathclyde contributed analytical expertise to the global project, as part of a long-standing collaboration with leading clinical scientists from the U.K. and Malawi.

Neonatal sepsis

The study, published in PLOS Medicine, focused on Klebsiella pneumoniae, a leading cause of neonatal sepsis in low- and middle-income countries. The bacterium is responsible for around one in five neonatal sepsis cases and is often resistant to antibiotics. Newly developed antimicrobials are often not available in low-income settings, which means an increasing number of infections are effectively untreatable.

The team analyzed 1,930 bacterial genomes from bloodstream infection isolates of newborns in 13 countries across Africa and South Asia. Using advanced genomic and statistical techniques, they analyzed how much the main components of the Klebsiella bacterial envelope vary, which scientists hope to use as vaccine targets.

The researchers found that the bacteria are very varied, and that a vaccine covering 20 types would be needed to prevent about 70% of infections in newborns in these areas.

Vaccine challenge

The study builds on earlier work by Dr. Eva Heinz and colleagues from the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences that described a large genomic collection of K. pneumoniae isolates, including many from neonates. Research on the long-term data from Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, highlighted the changing nature of these infections over time and the challenges in designing vaccines to keep pace with bacterial evolution.

This global study, building on the work of the team analyzing the data from Malawi and many others, was undertaken to ensure local disease patterns are taken into account, informing global vaccine plans.

Dr. Heinz said, “By understanding which types are most common in different regions, we can move closer to vaccines that protect newborns in the global regions where they are most at risk, from some of the most dangerous and preventable infections worldwide.”

The research was a collaborative effort of 85 scientists from across Africa, Australia, the U.S., Southeast Asia, and Europe, working together to reduce preventable newborn deaths through science-driven solutions.

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