Meningococcal vaccines. Current status and future possibilities

Drugs
H Peltola

Abstract

Meningococcal disease causes great emotion and anxiety in the families and caregivers of patients. Numbers of such patients are usually small in industrialised countries, unlike those in many regions--especially in subsahelian Africa. Vaccines have been tried for more than 80 years; at present there are available polysaccharide vaccines against groups A, C, Y and W135, and a protein-based vaccine against group B. A property common to all is their relative efficacy (75 to 100%) at school age and after, and an acceptably short persistence of antibodies. Small children pose the major challenge, in whom there is essentially evidence of clinical protection only against group A and C diseases. With vaccines against other serogroups protection is possible, but not yet proven in controlled clinical studies. The search is on for help from various modifications, including the conjugation technique, to transform the independent nature of polysaccharide response towards T cell dependence, as was done earlier in Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccines. First trials along this path are encouraging although, again, group B meningococci pose special problems. The next few years will probably see a new generation of meningococcal vaccines. Gener...Continue Reading

Citations

Feb 24, 2001·Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·F de ChabalierJ P Chippaux
Sep 15, 2004·FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology·Sonia GonzálezRicardo Silva
Oct 13, 2011·Advances in Preventive Medicine·Jacqueline M MillerYaela Baine
Oct 5, 2001·Clinical Microbiology Reviews·P H Dennehy
Apr 28, 2004·Emerging Infectious Diseases·Manuela CaniçaUNKNOWN Meningococci Study Group
Mar 19, 2003·The Journal of Experimental Medicine·Vega MasignaniMariagrazia Pizza
Feb 14, 2006·FEMS Microbiology Reviews·Peter van Ulsen, Jan Tommassen
Oct 1, 2008·Clinical & Developmental Immunology·Peter Klein Klouwenberg, Louis Bont
Jul 8, 2011·The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews·Lucieni O ConternoPaul T Heath
Apr 27, 2000·The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal·A J Pollard, M Levin
Feb 15, 2001·The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal·S A Plotkin
Jun 5, 2002·The Journal of Experimental Medicine·Maurizio ComanducciMarirosa Mora
Feb 27, 2008·Journal of Leukocyte Biology·Susanna FranzosoEmanuele Papini
Oct 26, 2002·The Annals of Pharmacotherapy·Julia A Kelleher, Marsha A Raebel
Jan 26, 2000·Comptes rendus de l'Académie des sciences. Série III, Sciences de la vie·A A Lindberg
Feb 13, 2001·Vaccine·A J Pollard, C Frasch
Oct 3, 1999·Vaccine·A A Lindberg
Dec 13, 2003·Carbohydrate Research·Andrej Weintraub

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.