XIX - A TRANSPHYLETIC ANTIINFECTIOUS CONTROL STRATEGY BASED ON THE KILLER PHENOMENON

A strategy for the prevention and control of candidiasis, pneumocystos is, and tuberculosis, based on the idiotypic network of the yeast kill er effect has been envisaged. Anti-idiotypic antibodies representing t he internal image of a candidacidal, pneumocysticidal, and mycobacteri cidal killer toxin from Pichia anomala and idiotypes of killer toxin-n eutralizing monoclonal antibodies mimicking the specific cell wall rec eptor of sensitive microorganisms might provide a unique approach for engineering innovative antibiotics and vaccines active against taxonom ically unrelated pathogenic microorganisms. The rationale of the strat egy relies on a phenomenon of microbial competition which has been mut ated by the immune system in the response to natural infections. (C) 1 998 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Els evier Science B.V. All rights reserved.