15/10/2025
Ateneo Scientists to develop potential vaccine for stomach ulcers
Scientists from the Ateneo de Manila University are working on a potential vaccine to fight 'Helicobacter pylori' (H. pylori), the bacterium linked to stomach ulcers and stomach cancer.
Researchers from the Department of Biology at the Ateneo School of Science and Engineering used an advanced method called "immunoinformatics," that "combines computer science with immunology to scan the genetic makeup of pathogens and predict which parts of them can trigger a strong immune response."
โBy running thousands of gene sequences through these computational tools, researchers can narrow down the most promising vaccine targets much faster and at lower cost than through trial-and-error lab work alone,โ the researchers said on the universityโs website, published on October 14.
The team, composed of Demy Valerie Chacon, Kiana Alika Co, Daphne Noreen Enriquez, Aubrey Love Labarda, Reanne Eden Manongsong, and Edward Kevin Bragais, focused on identifying H. pylori proteins that help it survive stomach acid, attach to the stomach lining, and evade the immune system.
Their study found parts of these proteins that are "most likely to be safe, non-allergenic, and capable of activating protective immune cells."
The Ateneo team is now preparing for laboratory testing to validate their findings.
โHowever, if successful, the Ateneo research could pave the way for the first-ever H. pylori vaccine that could help guard against stomach ulcers and cancer,โ the statement added.
Courtesy: Ateneo de Manila University
