Development of new vaccines against meningococcal disease.
Meningococcal diseases continue to have a major public health impact in many countries. Five major groups of Neisseria meningitidis (A, B, C, Y and W135) are responsible for most meningoccocal diseases. Plain polysaccharides vaccines for Nelsseria meningitidis groups A, C, Y and W-135 have been in use for approximately 20 years, both to prevent invasive disease in high-risk population and to control disease outbreaks. However, these conventional meningococcal vaccines induce a relatively short-lasting T-cell independent immune response, are not effective in children under two years of age and can induce hyporesponsiveness. New meningococcal group C conjugate vaccines have since been developed, which offer solid advantages over the currently licensed plain polysaccharide vaccines. There is still no vaccine available against the serogroup B, which is a major cause of invasive disease. This report summarises the different approaches to the development of vaccines against the pathogenic meningococci.
Bröker
Michael
M
Chiron Vaccines, Chiron Behring GmbH & Co. KG, Post Box 1630, 35006 Marburg, Germany. Michael_Broeker@Chiron.com
D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000276:immunology
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D011134:Polysaccharides; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate