Developing an experimental mouse model for testing group B meningococcal vaccines
Research archive
- University Medical Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Researchers:
Van den Dobbelsteen, Vidarsson G
- Project Number: 0201.0
- Category: Prevention
- Duration: 36 months
- Start Date: 01 January 2002
- Type: Lay summary
- View scientific version
Despite the success of the Men C vaccine, there is still no effective vaccine against the type of meningococcal bacteria which causes most disease, Group B.
The search for a Group B vaccine has been held back by the absence of reliable laboratory methods that can measure how well a candidate vaccine will protect against Group B meningococcal disease.
Meningococcal bacteria only live in humans and so only humans can get meningococcal disease. This is because of a very specific interaction between proteins on the surface of the bacteria and receptors found only on human cells. If animals were susceptible to meningococcal disease as humans are, testing potential Group B vaccines would be much simpler.
In this project, researchers are using genetic techniques to develop a mouse model which has specific human - type receptors at the back of the nose and throat that meningococcal bacteria can latch on to. They will then refine this model as a tool for vaccine evaluation and study the process of meningococcal infection.
Results from this study have been published in a scientific journal as follows:
Vidarsson G, Overbeeke N, Stemerding AM, Van den Dobbelsteen GP, van Ulsen P, van der Ley P, Kilian M, van de Winkel JG.
Working mechanism of immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) protease: cleavage of IgA1 antibody to Neisseria meningitidis PorA requires de novo synthesis of IgA1 Protease.
Infect Immun 2005 Oct;73(10):6721-6.
http://iai.asm.org/cgi/reprint/73/10/6721.pdf