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AssigneeUniversity of Rochester
InventorsFrederick A. Klipstein, Richard E. Engert, John D. Clements
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There is disclosed a novel immunogen which can be used for immunological protection against acute diarrheal disease caused by enterotoxigenic strains of Escherichia coli. The novel immunogen is provided by cross-linking the E. coli heat-stable enterotoxin with the E. coli heat-labile enterotoxin (either the complete holotoxin or just the B subunit of this toxin) by a conjugation process in the presence of a conjugating agent, typically the water soluble carbodiimide, 1-ethyl-3-(3-diamethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide. This results in a unique new molecule in that the toxic properties of each individual toxin are greatly reduced, the heat-labile toxin (or its B subunit) retains its antigenicity, and the heat-stable toxin acquires immunogenicity as a function of the reaction. Immunization with the cross-linked immunogen provides immunological protection in mammals against water secretion induced by strains of E. coli which produce the heat-labile or heat-stable enterotoxins, either singly or together.
A composition for immunization of mammals against diarrheal disease comprising the product provided by the process which comprises reacting heat-stable (ST) enterotoxin of Escherichia coli with a reactant selected from the group consisting of heat-labile (LT) enterotoxin of Escherichia coli, the B subunit of said heat labile (LT) enterotoxin, cholera toxin (CT) holotoxin of Vibrio cholerae, and the B subunit of said cholera toxin (CT) holotoxin at a molar ratio of ST to reactant of at least 1 to 1 in the presence of a conjugating reagent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.