Review of meningococcal group B vaccines.
No broadly effective vaccines are available for prevention of group B meningococcal disease, which accounts for >50% of all cases. The group B capsule is an autoantigen and is not a suitable vaccine target. Outer-membrane vesicle vaccines appear to be safe and effective, but serum bactericidal responses in infants are specific for a porin protein, PorA, which is antigenically variable. To broaden protection, outer-membrane vesicle vaccines have been prepared from >1 strain, from mutants with >1 PorA, or from mutants with genetically detoxified endotoxin and overexpressed desirable antigens, such as factor H binding protein. Also, recombinant protein vaccines such as factor H binding protein, given alone or in combination with other antigens, are in late-stage clinical development and may be effective against the majority of group B strains. Thus, the prospects have never been better for developing vaccines for prevention of meningococcal disease, including that caused by group B strains.
Center for Immunobiology and Vaccine Development, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California, USA. dgranoff@chori.org
Dan M
DM
Granoff
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000639:trends; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D038541:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / Q000276:immunology*; D018272:Porins / Q000276:immunology; D022142:Secretory Vesicles / Q000276:immunology
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004731:Endotoxins; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D018272:Porins; C484699:factor H-binding protein, Neisseria meningitidis; C057699:porin protein, Neisseria