A universal vaccine for serogroup B meningococcus

TLDR

Meningitis and sepsis caused by serogroup B meningococcus remain severe diseases with significant mortality, and no universal vaccine currently exists. The study aims to develop a universal vaccine for serogroup B meningococcus by expressing five reverse‑vaccinology antigens in a manufacturable form. The vaccine was produced by combining these antigens with human‑suitable adjuvants, such as aluminum hydroxide, CpG oligonucleotides, or MF59, for large‑scale manufacturing. In mice, the aluminum‑hydroxide adjuvanted vaccine induced bactericidal antibodies against 78 % of 85 strains, and coverage rose to ≥90 % with CpG or MF59, indicating potential to combat a major childhood disease.

Abstract

Meningitis and sepsis caused by serogroup B meningococcus are two severe diseases that still cause significant mortality. To date there is no universal vaccine that prevents these diseases. In this work, five antigens discovered by reverse vaccinology were expressed in a form suitable for large-scale manufacturing and formulated with adjuvants suitable for human use. The vaccine adjuvanted by aluminum hydroxide induced bactericidal antibodies in mice against 78% of a panel of 85 meningococcal strains representative of the global population diversity. The strain coverage could be increased to 90% and above by the addition of CpG oligonucleotides or by using MF59 as adjuvant. The vaccine has the potential to conquer one of the most devastating diseases of childhood.