Selecting candidate Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains for oropharyngeal gonorrhoea human challenge: a genomics-based analysis of clinical isolates
The Lancet Microbe·
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.lanmic.2025.101105
- PMID
- 40652955
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W4412424383
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The work supports development of a controlled human infection model that could accelerate novel gonorrhoea prevention and therapeutic strategies, addressing a pathogen of major public health concern due to rising prevalence and antimicrobial resistance. The selection approach prioritizes participant safety and identifies strains relevant for evaluating current and future vaccines.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study aimed to develop a systematic genomics-based approach for selecting Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains suitable for a controlled human infection model of oropharyngeal gonorrhoea.
Study design
This was a genomics-based analysis that applied predefined selection criteria to clinical isolates collected in Victoria, Australia, during 2017 and 2019-2021. The selection strategy incorporated clinical, phenotypic, and genomic characteristics to identify candidate challenge strains.
Population and setting
The primary dataset included 5,881 N. gonorrhoeae clinical isolates obtained from adult patients in Victoria, Australia, collected between January 1 and December 31, 2017, and July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2021.
Main findings
Of 5,881 isolates, 5,795 (98.6%) were excluded primarily due to clinically significant antimicrobial resistance and poor contemporary global clinical relevance. The remaining 86 candidate strains comprised five multilocus sequence types and six multiantigen sequence types. Five isolates were ultimately selected to maximize phylogenetic coverage and representation across anatomical collection sites.
Public-health relevance
The work supports development of a controlled human infection model that could accelerate novel gonorrhoea prevention and therapeutic strategies, addressing a pathogen of major public health concern due to rising prevalence and antimicrobial resistance. The selection approach prioritizes participant safety and identifies strains relevant for evaluating current and future vaccines.
Important limitations
This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata. The full paper is required for decision-grade interpretation, including detailed methods, validation steps, and the rationale underlying specific selection threshold choices.
GIDS interpretation
This article would be discoverable through GIDS queries combining gonorrhoea with antimicrobial resistance, transmission dynamics, or treatment, and through geographic filters for Australia. The strain selection methodology described may inform future surveillance or experimental pathogen characterization work.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 8 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.