Stomach ulcers could one day be a pain of the past thanks to research into a potential preventive vaccine.
This is the goal of scientists from the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines, who are on the way to finding a vaccine to fight off the ulcer—and stomach cancer—-causing common bacterium called Helicobacter pylori, thanks to a cutting-edge new approach.
“Helicobacter pylori infects approximately half of the global population, leading to gastric and duodenal ulcers. Despite the availability of antibiotics, challenges such as patient reluctance, high treatment costs and antibiotic resistance limit their effectiveness, making vaccination a promising alternative,” the study authors wrote in the paper.
In the U.S., about 5 to 10 percent of people will develop a peptic ulcer—that develops in the lining of the stomach (gastric) or the upper part of the small intestine (duodenal)—at some point in their lives.
In the new study, the team used an approach called "immunoinformatics"—also known as computational immunology—that combines computer science with immunology to scan the genetic makeup of disease-causing pathogens and predict which parts can trigger a strong immune response.
By analyzing thousands of gene sequences, researchers are able to narrow down the most promising vaccine targets with more speed and less cost than typical trial-and-error lab work.
While stomach ulcers were once thought to be caused by certain foods, H. pylori bacterium is now known as the real reason behind most cases. Other causes include regular use of anti-inflammatory painkillers, while they have also been associated with smokers and those of a higher age (though anyone can get them).
This study has now identified key proteins produced by H. pylori that help it survive stomach acid, stick to the stomach lining and evade the body’s natural immune system, according to the team.
The biologists also identified parts of these proteins that are most likely to be “safe, nonallergenic and capable of activating protective immune cells.”
With these findings preliminary and based on computer simulations, next steps will include laboratory testing to confirm their predictions and get closer to a vaccine that can spare people from painful stomach ulcers.
“Building on the current findings, future work should focus on the rational development of a full-length, multiepitope subunit vaccine incorporating the prioritized immunogenic regions identified through computational analyses,” the team wrote.
Newsweek has reached out to the researchers for additional comment.
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References
Chacon, D. V., Co, K. A., Enriquez, D. N., Labarda, A. L., Manongsong, R. E., & Bragais, E. K. (2025). In silico prediction of cytotoxic T-cell epitopes from Helicobacter pylori virulence factors using an immunoinformatics approach. BioTechnologia, 106(3), 241–258. https://doi.org/10.5114/bta/208778
