New Pathways in Syphilis Vaccine Development

Abstract

Abstract The New Pathways in Syphilis Vaccine Development meeting was held prior to the start of the STI & HIV 2023 World Congress as a pre-meeting symposium to highlight recent advances in the development of an effective syphilis vaccine and discuss the challenges still faced by investigators. Internationally renowned public health officials, clinical investigators, and basic researchers from academia, government, and community-based organizations met on the 24 th of July 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Four speakers discussed key research findings in syphilis vaccine development, which included antigen selection, identification of epitopes associated with protective immunity, and delivery platforms, with great emphasis on development of chimeric antigens. Significant progress was also shown on the elucidation of Treponema pallidum genomes from virtually all continents to assess the diversity in vaccine candidates of the syphilis spirochete.