Review of Meningococcal Group B Vaccines

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases Vol. 50; no. Supplement-2; pp. S54 - S65
• Main Author: Granoff, Dan M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The University of Chicago Press 01-03-2010; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Antibodies; Antigens; Antigens, Bacterial - immunology; Babies; Bacterial Proteins - immunology; Biomedical Research - trends; Carrier proteins; Disease prevention; Endotoxins; Endotoxins - immunology; Epidemiology; Humans; Immune response; Meningitis; Meningitis, Meningococcal - epidemiology; Meningitis, Meningococcal - microbiology; Meningitis, Meningococcal - prevention & control; Meningococcal vaccine; Meningococcal Vaccines - immunology; Neisseria; Neisseria meningitidis; Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B - immunology; Pediatrics; Porins - immunology; Proteins; Secretory Vesicles - immunology; Vaccination; Vaccines
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1086/648966

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.