Campylobacter is the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide and has recently been added to the WHO list of bacteria whose potential antibiotic resistance pose a global threat to human health.
Considered as a leading zoonosis, Campylobacter is often associated with food-borne outbreaks from contaminated water or uncooked meat, particularly poultry (C. jejuni) and pig (C. coli). Its epidemiology differs between developed countries, where the bacteria is a significant cause of traveller’s diarrhea, and the developing world, where the infection is considered almost universal in early childhood and a major cause of potentially life-threatening acute watery diarrhea, which can lead to severe dehydration in children under the age of 2. While in most people gastroenteritis lasts for 2-10 days, persistent disease can occur and increased risk of autoimmune disorders such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and Guillain–Barre´ syndrome (GBS) have been associated with Campylobacter infections. Currently, there are no vaccines approved to prevent Campylobacter- associated illness. Rehydration is the main form of therapy, and although antibiotics have been shown to be beneficial in severe infections, they are often not recommended to avoid the rapid development of antibiotic resistance.
Aiming to address this global health challenge Humabs is using its proprietary Cellclone platform to discover, characterize and select human monoclonal antibodies for the prophylaxis of Campylobacter in developing countries.
