This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Fernández-Santana, V. Articles by Verez-Bencomo, V. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Fernández-Santana, V. Articles by Verez-Bencomo, V.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, December 2004, p. 7115-7123, Vol. 72, No. 12
0019-9567/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.72.12.7115-7123.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Antigenicity and Immunogenicity of a Synthetic Oligosaccharide-Protein Conjugate Vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae Type b

Center for the Study of Synthetic Antigens, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la Habana,¹ Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Cubanacan, Playa,² Institute for Tropical Medicine "Pedro Kouri," Autopista Novia del Mediodía, La Lisa, Havana, Cuba,⁴ National Institute for Biological Standard and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, United Kingdom,³ Department of Chemistry, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada⁵

Received 6 April 2004/ Returned for modification 1 June 2004/ Accepted 6 July 2004

Polysaccharide-protein conjugates as vaccines have proven to be very effective in preventing Haemophilus influenzae type b infections in industrialized countries. However, cost-effective technologies need to be developed for increasing the availability of anti-H. influenzae type b vaccines in countries from the developing world. Consequently, vaccine production with partially synthetic antigens is a desirable goal for many reasons. They may be rigidly controlled for purity and effectiveness while at the same time being cheap enough that they may be made universally available. We describe here the antigenicity and immunogenicity of several H. influenzae type b synthetic oligosaccharide-protein conjugates in laboratory animals. The serum of H. influenzae type b-immunized animals recognized our synthetic H. influenzae type b antigens to the same extent as the native bacterial capsular polysaccharide. Compared to the anti-H. influenzae type b vaccine employed, these synthetic versions induced similar antibody response patterns in terms of titer, specificity, and functional capacity. The further development of synthetic vaccines will meet urgent needs in the less prosperous parts of the world and remains our major goal.

Editor: D. L. Burns

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Safari, D., Dekker, H. A. T., Joosten, J. A. F., Michalik, D., de Souza, A. C., Adamo, R., Lahmann, M., Sundgren, A., Oscarson, S., Kamerling, J. P., Snippe, H. (2008). Identification of the Smallest Structure Capable of Evoking Opsonophagocytic Antibodies against Streptococcus pneumoniae Type 14. Infect. Immun. 76: 4615-4623 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Torano, G., Toledo, M. E., Baly, A., Fernandez-Santana, V., Rodriguez, F., Alvarez, Y., Serrano, T., Musachio, A., Hernandez, I., Hardy, E., Rodriguez, A., Hernandez, H., Aguilar, A., Sanchez, R., Diaz, M., Muzio, V., Dfana, J., Rodriguez, M. C., Heynngnezz, L., Verez-Bencomo, V. (2006). Phase I Clinical Evaluation of a Synthetic Oligosaccharide-Protein Conjugate Vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae Type b in Human Adult Volunteers.. CVI 13: 1052-1056 [Abstract] [Full Text]