Abstract:
Knockout of the meningococcal mltA homolog gives bacteria that spontaneously release vesicles that are rich in immunogenic outer membrane proteins and that can elicit cross-protective antibody responses with higher bactericidal titres than OMVs prepared by normal production processes. Thus the invention provides a bacterium having a knockout mutation of its mltA gene. The invention also provides a bacterium, wherein the bacterium: (i) has a cell wall that includes peptidoglycan; and (ii) does not express a protein having the lytic transglycosylase activity MltA protein. The invention also provides compositions comprising vesicles that, during culture of bacteria of the invention, are released into the culture medium.
Abstract:
Meningococcal protein NMB 1870 has been described in the prior art. The inventors have found that NMB 1870 is an effective antigen for eliciting anti-meningococcal antibody responses, and that it is expressed across all meningococcal serogroups. Forty-two different NMB 1870 sequences have been identified, and these group into three variants. Serum raised against a given variant is bactericidal within the same variant group, but is not active against strains which express one of the other two variants i.e. there is intra-variant cross-protection, but not inter-variant cross-protection. For maximum cross-strain efficacy, therefore, the invention uses mixture comprising different variants of NMB 1870.
Abstract:
The invention provides an immunogenic composition comprising OMVs and (a) acellular pertussis antigen, (b) a tetanus toxoid and (c) a diphtheria toxoid, wherein the OMVs are derived from Bordetella pertussis. The invention also provides compositions for use in a method for raising an immune response in a patient, comprising the step of administering to the patient a composition of the invention.
Abstract:
The present invention is direct to isolated polypeptides comprising or consisting of: an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 or 48; or (a) a variant and/or fragment of (a), for example: (i) a variant of (a); (ii) a fragment of (a); or (iii) a variant of a fragment of (a); together with corresponding isolated nucleic acid molecules, vectors, host cells, methods of production, vesicles, binding moieties, pharmaceutical compositions, kits, methods of treatment and medical uses.
Abstract:
Disclosed herein are various open reading frames from a strain of E. coli responsible for neonatal meningitis (MNEC), and a subset of these that is of particular interest for preparing compositions for immunising against MNEC infections.
Abstract:
Compositions comprising a first biological molecule from a Neisseria bacterium and a second biological molecule from a Neisseria bacterium. The term “biological molecule” includes proteins and nucleic acids. Preferred Neisseria species are N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae.
Abstract:
This invention provides, among other things, proteins, polypeptides, and fragments thereof, derived from the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis B. Also provided are nucleic acids encoding for such proteins, polypeptides, and/or fragments, as well as nucleic acids complementary thereto e.g., antisense nucleic acids). Additionally, this invention provides antibodies which bind to the proteins, polypeptides, and/or fragments. This invention further provides expression vectors useful for making the proteins, polypeptides, and/or fragments, as well as host cells transformed with such vectors. This invention also provides compositions of the proteins, polypeptides, fragments, and/or nucleic acids, for use as vaccines, diagnostic reagents, immunogenic compositions, and the like. Methods of making the compositions and methods of treatment with the compositions are also provided. This invention also provides methods of detecting the proteins, polypeptides, fragments, and/or nucleic acids.
Abstract:
Two or more Neisserial proteins are joined such that they are translated as a single polypeptide chain. Hybrid proteins are represented by the formula NH2-A-[—X-L-]n—B—COOH where X is an amino acid sequence, L is an optional linker amino acid sequence, A is an optional N-terminal amino acid sequence, B is an optional C-terminal amino acid sequence, and n is an integer greater than 1. Proteins where each of the n —X— moieties shares sequence identity to each other —X— moiety, the protein is a ‘tandem protein’.
Abstract:
A method for immunizing a subject in need thereof against Neisseria gonorrhoeaeby administering an immunogenic composition comprising meningococcal outer membrane vesicles (OMVs).