A startup tackling work developed by a group of scientists from the University of Chicago, ImmunArtes LLC is addressing development of vaccine products against Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that colonizes one-third of the world's population. By taking the form of MRSA -- a dangerous superbug resistant to antibiotic treatment -- Staph poses a world-health crisis estimated currently be taking some 19,000 lives per year. No successful vaccine against it has so far been developed. ImmunArtes' founders have discovered that a mechanism called Protein A allows the bacterium to evade the human immune system. Thus, the vaccine created by ImmunArtes is designed specifically targets Protein A, the first technology of its kind.
