<b>Data Sources for the research publication: </b><b><i>Shigella</i></b><b> outer membrane protein OmpC is a protective antigen and vaccine candidate against bacterial dysentery</b>

Anti-<i>Shigella </i>vaccine is one of the WHO’s top priorities. The disease kills more than 200,000 people worldwide every year and poses a serious threat to children under 5 years of age and the elderly. Increasing antibiotic resistance and limitations in diagnostics emphasize the need to develop an effective vaccine against<i> Shigella</i>. Recent research and clinical trials report multiple approaches used in vaccine development. However, despite the efforts of researchers, pharmaceutical companies and health care organizations, there is no licensed vaccine against shigellosis available to the community. The development of lipopolysaccharides-based antibacterial vaccines has always been challenging in terms of their specificity, targeting the most exposed surface antigens identified for certain <i>Shigella</i> serotypes. Here, we expressed, broadly characterized and demonstrated the protective properties of outer membrane protein C as an effective molecule to serve as a universal antigen in <i>Shigella</i> vaccine development.