Anti-idiotypic antibody as a potential candidate vaccine for Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B

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In Ho Park1, Ju Ho Youn, In-Hong Choi

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul.

Infection and Immunity
|September 24, 2005
PubMed

Insights

A novel vaccine candidate, Naid60, shows promise against Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (NMGB) infections. This antibody elicits a protective immune response without causing harmful autoimmunity, offering hope for a new NMGB vaccine.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Vaccinology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (NMGB) causes severe infant and young adult diseases, with no current vaccine.
  • NMGB's capsular polysaccharide (PS) is poorly immunogenic and shares similarities with neuronal polysialic acid (PSA), risking autoimmunity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel vaccine candidate against NMGB by targeting its capsular polysaccharide.
  • To create an anti-idiotypic antibody mimicking NMGB PS and assess its immunogenicity and safety.

Main Methods:

  • Generated monoclonal antibodies (MAbs): HmenB3 (anti-NMGB PS), Naid60 (anti-idiotypic to HmenB3), and MoB34 (anti-anti-idiotypic to Naid60).
  • Tested MoB34 for complement-mediated killing of NMGB and binding to PSA-expressing cells and tissues.
  • Evaluated Naid60-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) immunization in a mouse model of NMGB infection.

Main Results:

  • MoB34 induced complement-mediated killing of NMGB strains and showed no binding to PSA.
  • Naid60-KLH immunization protected mice against live NMGB challenge, preventing bacteremia.
  • The immunogenic site on Naid60 elicits bactericidal antibodies against NMGB without PSA autoimmunity.

Conclusions:

  • The immunogenic region of Naid60 is a potential candidate for a new NMGB vaccine.
  • This approach offers a strategy to overcome the poor immunogenicity and potential autoimmunity associated with NMGB PS vaccines.

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