Candidate Neisseria meningitidis NspA vaccine

The highly conserved NspA protein has been found in the outer membrane of e very Neisseria meningitidis strain tested so far. Two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against this protein were used to demonstrate that biologi cally important epitopes of the NspA protein are exposed at the surface of serologically distinct meningococcal strains. Analysis of sera collected fr om mice that survived a deadly meningococcal challenge following immunizati on with recombinant NspA protein (rNspA) revealed the presence of cross-rea ctive antibodies which efficiently attached to and killed the four serogrou p B strains tested. These data are additional proof that the NspA protein i s exposed at the surface of intact meningococcal cells, which is an importa nt characteristic for a vaccine candidate. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. A ll rights reserved.