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.
Claims20
A method for preventing or attenuating an infection in a mammal caused by a group B Streptococcus that comprises administering to an individual an effective amount of an antisera elicited by the exposure of a second individual to a conjugate vaccine that confers host immunity to said infection, said conjugate vaccine 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 pJMS 1;
- wherein said vaccine is substantially free of streptococcal proteins other than said C protein alpha antigen or said C protein beta antigen, said vaccine is in a pharmacologically acceptable composition and both said capsular polysaccharide and said C protein alpha antigen or beta antigen contribute to the development of said protective host immunity to said infection.
A method for preventing or attenuating an infection in a mammal caused by a group B Streptococcus that comprises administering to an individual an effective amount of an antisera elicited by the exposure of a second individual to a conjugate vaccine that confers host immunity to said infection, said conjugate vaccine comprising (a) a group B Streptococcus capsular polysaccharide that elicits antibodies to group B Streptococcus;
- conjugated to (b) a functional derivative selected from the group B Streptococcus C proteins consisting of an alpha antigen, a beta antigen, fragments of said alpha antigen, fragments of said beta antigen and combinations thereof, wherein said derivative elicits protective antibodies against said group B Streptococcus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.