Recombinant Helicobacter pylori Antigen

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic, spiral-shaped (helical) bacterium that colonizes the epithelial lining of the human stomach. It is a major etiological agent linked to chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric malignancies, including gastric adenocarcinoma and MALT lymphoma. The bacterium utilizes a highly specialized suite of virulence factors to survive the acidic gastric environment and establish persistent infection. Key targets for clinical diagnostics, molecular screening, and therapeutic development include the multi-subunit urease enzyme (which neutralizes stomach acid by producing ammonia), the Vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA), the Cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) oncoprotein, and outer membrane proteins such as BabA and SabA that mediate adherence to gastric mucosal cells.