Sugar-based multicomponent whooping cough vaccine

Carbohydrate based multi-component vaccine against Bordetella pertussis

NIH-funded research Michigan State University · NIH-11330442

Developing a new sugar-based vaccine to better protect babies and young children from whooping cough.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionMichigan State University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (East Lansing, United States)
Project IDNIH-11330442 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Researchers will make lab-built sugar pieces from the whooping cough bacterium and attach them to a harmless virus shell (Qβ) to create vaccine candidates. The team will develop chemical methods to assemble these sugars, link them to the carrier, and identify which combinations trigger strong, bacteria-killing antibodies. Experiments will use laboratory and animal models to study immune responses and pick lead vaccine candidates. Promising candidates would be advanced toward future safety and effectiveness testing in people.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Infants and young children who need improved protection from pertussis would be the likely candidates for future vaccine trials.

Not a fit: People not at risk for pertussis or those who cannot receive vaccines because of serious allergies may not benefit from this work.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Could produce a more effective and longer-lasting whooping cough vaccine for infants and children.

How similar studies have performed: Conjugate vaccines and bacteriophage carriers have worked for other infections, but using synthetic pertussis sugars on a Qβ carrier is a novel approach for whooping cough.

Where this research is happening

East Lansing, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Airway infections
Last reviewed 2026-06-09 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.