MENB ANTIBODIES IN INFANT BABOONS

本子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的众多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能已经从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是中心的，不一定是研究者的机构。目前正在研制一种疫苗，以预防脑膜炎奈瑟菌B群（MenB）引起的脑膜炎和败血症（血液感染）。6个月至2岁的婴儿和儿童患这种高致命性疾病的风险最大，目前在美国或欧洲没有批准的疫苗。先前针对b型流感嗜血杆菌疫苗临床前开发的经验表明，婴儿狒狒是一种疫苗是否对人类婴儿有效的良好预测指标。因此，我们的长期目标是在婴儿狒狒模型中测试实验性疫苗，以选择最佳的抗原-佐剂配方，用于从婴儿到成人的人类。人体临床研究表明，血液中存在一种特殊类型的抗体，称为血清杀菌抗体（SBA），与预防细菌性脑膜炎有关。在我们对狒狒和人类婴儿的研究中，我们将使用SBA作为预测疫苗效力的标记物。有些人甚至在接种疫苗之前就患有SBA，因为脑膜炎奈瑟菌和一种类似的细菌可以在正常人体内定植。虽然随着年龄的增长，定植的可能性增加，但定植率低，而且是季节性的。在易感个体中诱导SBA需要接种疫苗。

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.