title: [A new vaccine concept: polysaccharide conjugate vaccines].
abstract: Polysaccharide-based vaccines such as the vaccines against Neisseiria meningitidis group A and C or Streptococcus pneumoniae have proved their efficacy in children and adults. Nevertheless they induce B cell mediated immunological response and therefore fail to protect infants. In the eighties appeared a new concept of Polysaccharide based vaccine for infants: Polysaccharide conjugate vaccines. Coupling polysaccharide to carrier protein transforms the T-independent antigen into T-dependant antigen. The first conjugate vaccines for the prevention of infections caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b were a success, with a 95% efficacy. A worldwide vaccination program might lead to the eradication of that bacterial disease. New vaccines are currently under development, the next conjugate vaccine should be one against Streptococcus pneumoniae. First published clinical data are very promising and confirmed the potential of the polysaccharide conjugate vaccine approach against bacterial infections.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoires Pasteur Mérieux Connaught, Marcy l'Etoile, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moreau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000276:immunology*; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D011134:Polysaccharides; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate
vernacular_title: Un nouveau concept vaccinal: les vaccins polyosides conjugués.