Glaxosmithkline Biologicals Sa

Novartis Ag

Maria Aricò

Mariagrazia Pizza

Maurizio Comanducci

Vega Masignani

Marzia Monica Giuliani

Cesira Galeotti

Maria Scarselli

Davide Serruto

Silvana Savino

Brunella Brunelli

The M01573 sequence of meningococcal fHbp offers poor coverage in a vaccine. The invention addresses this poor coverage in two ways. In a first aspect, a fHbp-based vaccine includes two family I fHbp sequences, one which is more closely related to MC58 than to M01573, and vice versa. In a second aspect, a multi-family fHbp-based vaccine uses a family I fHbp sequence which is more closely related to MC58 than to M01573, in combination with a family III fHbp sequence.

Combinations of meningococcal factor H binding proteins

Two or more Neisserial proteins (e.g. A and B) are expressed as a single hybrid protein which can be represented simply by the formula NH-A-B&#x2014;COOH.

Hybrid expression of neisserial proteins

Alternative and improved approaches to the heterologous expression of the proteins ofandare disclosed. These approaches typically affect the level of expression, the ease of purification, the cellular localization, and/or the immunological properties of the expressed protein.

Heterologous expression of Neisserial proteins

Meningococcal antigens are cleaved by human lactoferrin. The invention is based on the identification of the cleavage products of this reaction, and provides a method for cleaving a neisserial polypeptide, comprising the step of mixing the polypeptide with a lactoferrin enzyme. The invention also provides polypeptides obtainable by this process (i.e. the cleavage products of the lactoferrin digestion). Proteins of particular interest are meningococcal proteins 287 and App.

Lactoferrin cleavage of neisserial proteins

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Siena, Italy

Maria Aricò