MENB ANTIBODIES IN INFANT BABOONS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. A vaccine is being developed to prevent meningitis and sepsis (blood infection) caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis group B (MenB). Infants and children aged 6 months to 2 years are at greatest risk of this highly lethal disease and currently there is no vaccine approved in the US or Europe. Previous experience with preclinical development of vaccines against the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae type b showed that infant baboons are a good predictor of whether a vaccine will be effective in human infants. Therefore our long term goal is to test experimental vaccines in the infant baboon model to select the best antigen-adjuvant formulation for use in human infants through adults. Human clinical studies have shown that the presence of a particular type of antibodies in blood termed serum bactericidal antibodies (SBA), correlates with protection from bacterial meningitis. In our studies of baboon and human infants we will use SBA as a marker to predict the efficacy of the vaccine. Some individuals have SBA even before they are immunized, because non-virulent varieties of Neisseria meningitis and one similar bacteria can colonize normal humans. Although the probability of colonization increases with age, colonization rates are low and seasonal. Vaccination is required to induce SBA in susceptible individuals.