Conjugate vaccine for group B streptococcus
AssigneesThe General Hospital Corporation, The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.
InventorsJames L. Michel, Dennis L. Kasper, Frederick M. Ausubel, Lawrence C. Madoff
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Abstract
A vaccine capable of protecting a recipient from infection caused by group B Streptococcus. The vaccine provides polysaccharide-protein moieties and contain (a) a group B Streptococcus polysaccharide conjugated to (b) a functional derivative of a group B Streptococcus C protein alpha antigen that retains the ability to elicit protective antibodies against group B Streptococcus. The vaccine may contain only one type of such polysaccharide-protein unit or may contain a mixture of more than one type of unit.
Claims19
A method for preventing or attenuating infection in a mammal caused by a group B Streptococcus which comprises administering to a female an effective amount of a passive vaccine, said passive vaccine conferring in utero, immunity to said infection to an offspring of said female wherein said passive vaccine:
- a) confers passive protective immunity against an infection by the C protein alpha or beta antigen positive group B Streptococcus, and
- b) comprises a therapeutically effective amount of antibodies raised in another host against a conjugate vaccine, and
- c) is in a pharmacologically acceptable composition;
- wherein said conjugate vaccine is a composition comprising:
- (a) a capsular polysaccharide that elicits antibodies to group B Streptococcus;
- conjugated to
- (b) a C protein alpha antigen or beta antigen of said group B Streptococcus, wherein said alpha antigen is a group B Streptococcus protein of at least 40,000 daltons that is recognized by antiserum to the C protein encoded by pJMS23, and wherein said beta antigen is a group B Streptococcus protein of at least 50,000 daltons that is recognized by antiserum to the protein encoded by pJMS1;
- and wherein said conjugate vaccine is substantially free of streptococcal proteins other than said C protein alpha antigen or said C protein beta antigen, and wherein both said capsular polysaccharide and said C protein contributes to the development of said protective host immunity to said infection.
A method for preventing or attenuating infection in a mammal caused by a group B Streptococcus which comprises administering to a female an effective amount of a passive vaccine, said passive vaccine conferring in utero, immunity to said infection to an offspring of said female wherein said passive vaccine:
- a) confers passive protective immunity against an infection by the C protein alpha or beta antigen positive group B Streptococcus, and
- b) comprises a therapeutically effective amount of antibodies raised in another host against a conjugate vaccine, and
- c) is in a pharmacologically acceptable composition;
- wherein said conjugate vaccine is a composition comprising:
- (a) a group B Streptococcus capsular polysaccharide that elicits antibodies to group B Streptococcus;
- conjugated to (b) a functional derivative of a group B Streptococcus C protein, said C protein selected from the group consisting of an alpha antigen, a beta antigen, fragments of said alpha antigen, fragments of said beta antigen and combinations of at least two of the alpha antigen, beta antigen or fragments thereof, wherein said derivative elicits protective antibodies against said group B Streptococcus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.