PNEUMOCOCCAL REFERENCE LABORATORY

自B型流感嗜血杆菌（HiB）结合物获得许可以来 对于年幼婴儿的疫苗，有强有力的证据表明Hib侵入性 疾病正在消失。 肺炎链球菌（肺炎球菌） 因此在侵袭性疾病的发病率中扮演了更重要的角色 在婴儿和幼儿中，并且还与耳炎有关 媒体 因此，肺炎球菌需要重点开发疫苗 努力 该合同将支持一个参考和资源实验室 用于肺炎球菌多糖结合疫苗的研究。 这些 疫苗比Hib结合疫苗复杂得多： 有许多致病血清型，疫苗需要 是多价的;与某些血清型结合的化学反应是 技术上具有挑战性;并且可能需要多个运营商。 测定 将是复杂的，没有标准化的测定，努力诊断 疾病，并评估疫苗的免疫原性和有效性将是 暴露了 肺炎球菌参考实验室将：1） 发展和优化标准化的肺炎球菌 抗体测定，2）作为参考中心，通过该中心，测定将 为疫苗界标准化，3）制备抗原， 试剂，和4）进行血清学测定。 该合同还将 继续为Hib检测提供抗原和关键试剂。

Since licensure of the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate vaccines for young infants, there is strong evidence that Hib invasive disease is disappearing. Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) has accordingly assumed a bigger role in the incidence of invasive disease in infants and young children, and has also been implicated in otitis media. Consequently, pneumococcus warrants a focused vaccine development effort. This contract will support a reference and resource laboratory for studies of pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccines. These vaccines are considerably more complex that the Hib conjugate vaccines: there are numerous disease-causing serotypes and a vaccine will need to be multivalent; the chemistry of conjugation to some of the serotypes is technically challenging; and multiple carriers may be needed. Assays will be complex and without a standardized assay, efforts to diagnose disease, and to evaluate vaccine immunogenicity and efficacy will be compromised. The pneumococcal reference laboratory will: 1) contribute to the development and optimization of a standardized pneumococcal antibody assay, 2) serve as a reference center through which assays will be standardized for the vaccine community, 3) prepare antigens and reagents, and 4) perform serological assays. This contract will also continue to make available antigens and critical reagents for Hib assays.