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The development of a meningococcal disease vaccine based on Neisseria lactamica outer membrane vesicles

Andrew Gorringe1, Denise Halliwell, Mary Matheson

  • 1Health Protection Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK. andrew.gorringe@hpa.org.uk

Vaccine
|March 10, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Neisseria lactamica outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) show promise as a novel vaccine against Serogroup B meningococcal disease. Pre-clinical studies demonstrate protection against diverse strains, advancing to human trials.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Vaccinology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Serogroup B meningococcal disease poses a significant global health challenge with no currently available effective vaccine.
  • Natural immunity against meningococcal disease is linked to carriage of commensal Neisseria species, particularly Neisseria lactamica.
  • Neisseria lactamica shares surface structures with Neisseria meningitidis, suggesting its potential as a vaccine candidate.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the potential of Neisseria lactamica outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) as a vaccine against diverse meningococcal strains.
  • To assess the efficacy of N. lactamica OMVs in a pre-clinical model of meningococcal disease.
  • To prepare for a Phase I clinical trial investigating the safety and immunogenicity of the N. lactamica OMV vaccine.

Main Methods:

  • Production of Neisseria lactamica outer membrane vesicles (OMVs).
  • Evaluation of OMV efficacy in a mouse intraperitoneal challenge model against lethal doses of diverse meningococcal isolates.
  • Optimization of OMV processing, including sterile filtration improvements via zeta potential modification.
  • Development of validated ELISA protocols for serological response analysis.

Main Results:

  • Immunization with N. lactamica OMVs conferred protection against lethal challenge with various meningococcal isolates in a mouse model.
  • OMVs derived from bacteria grown under both iron-limited and iron-rich conditions demonstrated equivalent protective efficacy.
  • Improved sterile filtration techniques for N. lactamica OMVs were developed by optimizing buffer conditions to enhance surface zeta potential.

Conclusions:

  • Neisseria lactamica OMVs represent a promising vaccine candidate for protection against diverse Serogroup B meningococcal disease strains.
  • The vaccine candidate is advancing towards a Phase I human safety and immunogenicity study.
  • Manufacturing processes and analytical methods, including ELISA, are being validated for clinical progression.

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