Carbohydrate epitope discovery via chemical synthesis

摘要 人类的免疫系统几乎能够消除任何类型的感染性病原体；然而，在许多情况下 必须“指导”它如何识别特定的病原体。细菌进化出了逃避某些方面的方法 通过将自己包裹在多聚糖(多糖)中而产生的免疫力，以及细菌之间的第一次相互作用 免疫系统牵涉到这些糖链。虽然这种隐形机制可以保护细菌免受 除了免疫反应，它也可能是一个可利用的弱点。我们的协作小组，借用来自 许多开拓性的科学家已经开发出利用这种隐形机制来“指示”免疫系统的方法。 系统选择性地针对特定类型的细菌。在这个项目中，我们正在准备具体的说明 对于获得性免疫，这将导致产生针对目标细菌的高度特异性抗体。这个 目标细菌包括一些最普遍和最危险的人类病原体，包括抗药性 金黄色葡萄球菌、肺炎克雷伯菌和淋球菌。在这个项目中，我们正在调查 抗体如何识别细菌产生的聚糖链的特定部分。这项调查 包括制备由两糖、三糖或四糖组成的多聚糖的各个部分。从这些 部分，将产生疫苗，将触发每个人的高亲和力抗体的产生 一节。这些抗体将被评估它们与多聚糖和完整细菌的结合情况。 以及这些抗体在促进免疫系统消除目标细菌方面的作用如何。 根据研究产生的抗体对特定节段产生的抗体所产生的信息 多聚多糖，我们将了解到多聚糖的哪些部分可以被抗体结合，以及多大的部分。 提供最强、最具选择性的绑定。这项研究的成果包括对规模的理解 细菌多糖的性质，可用于疫苗的产生和高亲和力的开发 抗体将提供一种治疗细菌感染的方法。

Abstract The human immune system is capable of eliminating nearly any type of infectious agent; however, in many cases it must be “instructed” how to recognize specific pathogens. Bacteria have evolved means of evading aspects of immunity by cloaking themselves in polymeric sugars (glycans), and the first interactions between bacteria and the immune system involve these glycans. While this cloaking mechanism can protect bacteria from potent immune responses, it can also be an exploitable weakness. Our collaborative group, borrowing on work from many pioneering scientists, has developed means of using this cloaking mechanism to “instruct” the immune system to selectively target specific types of bacteria. In this Project, we are preparing the specific instructions for adaptive immunity, which will result in production of highly specific antibodies for the targeted bacteria. The targeted bacteria include some of the most prevalent and dangerous human pathogens, including drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In this project, we are investigating how antibodies recognize specific sections of the polymeric glycans produced by bacteria. This investigation involves preparation of individual sections of the glycans, comprised of two, three or four sugars. From these sections, vaccines will be generated that will trigger production of high-affinity antibodies for each individual section. These antibodies will be evaluated for how well they bind to the polymeric glycan and to intact bacteria and how well these antibodies function in promoting elimination the targeted bacteria by the immune system. From information generated by the study of the performance of antibodies generated to specific sections of the polymeric glycan, we will learn which portions of the glycan can be bound by antibodies and how large of section provides the strongest and most selective binding. Outcomes of this research include an understanding the size and nature of bacterial glycans that can be used for vaccine generation and for the development of high-affinity antibodies that will provide a means of treating bacterial infections.