How the Knowledge of Interactions between Meningococcus and the Human Immune System Has Been Used to Prepare Effective Neisseria meningitidis Vaccines

In the last decades, tremendous advancement in dissecting the mechanisms of pathogenicity of Neisseria meningitidis at a molecular level has been achieved, exploiting converging approaches of different disciplines, ranging from pathology to microbiology, immunology, and omics sciences (such as genom...

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Main Authors: R. Gasparini, D. Panatto, N. L. Bragazzi, P. L. Lai, A. Bechini, M. Levi, P. Durando, D. Amicizia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2015-01-01
Series:Journal of Immunology Research
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/189153
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author R. Gasparini
D. Panatto
N. L. Bragazzi
P. L. Lai
A. Bechini
M. Levi
P. Durando
D. Amicizia
author_facet R. Gasparini
D. Panatto
N. L. Bragazzi
P. L. Lai
A. Bechini
M. Levi
P. Durando
D. Amicizia
author_sort R. Gasparini
collection DOAJ
description In the last decades, tremendous advancement in dissecting the mechanisms of pathogenicity of Neisseria meningitidis at a molecular level has been achieved, exploiting converging approaches of different disciplines, ranging from pathology to microbiology, immunology, and omics sciences (such as genomics and proteomics). Here, we review the molecular biology of the infectious agent and, in particular, its interactions with the immune system, focusing on both the innate and the adaptive responses. Meningococci exploit different mechanisms and complex machineries in order to subvert the immune system and to avoid being killed. Capsular polysaccharide and lipooligosaccharide glycan composition, in particular, play a major role in circumventing immune response. The understanding of these mechanisms has opened new horizons in the field of vaccinology. Nowadays different licensed meningococcal vaccines are available and used: conjugate meningococcal C vaccines, tetravalent conjugate vaccines, an affordable conjugate vaccine against the N. menigitidis serogroup A, and universal vaccines based on multiple antigens each one with a different and peculiar function against meningococcal group B strains.
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institution Kabale University
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publishDate 2015-01-01
publisher Wiley
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series Journal of Immunology Research
spelling doaj-art-b8d3c1872bdf4ee190b9952e80319ec02025-02-03T01:07:24ZengWileyJournal of Immunology Research2314-88612314-71562015-01-01201510.1155/2015/189153189153How the Knowledge of Interactions between Meningococcus and the Human Immune System Has Been Used to Prepare Effective Neisseria meningitidis VaccinesR. Gasparini0D. Panatto1N. L. Bragazzi2P. L. Lai3A. Bechini4M. Levi5P. Durando6D. Amicizia7Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Via Pastore 1, 16132 Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Via Pastore 1, 16132 Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Via Pastore 1, 16132 Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Via Pastore 1, 16132 Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Via Pastore 1, 16132 Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Via Pastore 1, 16132 Genoa, ItalyIn the last decades, tremendous advancement in dissecting the mechanisms of pathogenicity of Neisseria meningitidis at a molecular level has been achieved, exploiting converging approaches of different disciplines, ranging from pathology to microbiology, immunology, and omics sciences (such as genomics and proteomics). Here, we review the molecular biology of the infectious agent and, in particular, its interactions with the immune system, focusing on both the innate and the adaptive responses. Meningococci exploit different mechanisms and complex machineries in order to subvert the immune system and to avoid being killed. Capsular polysaccharide and lipooligosaccharide glycan composition, in particular, play a major role in circumventing immune response. The understanding of these mechanisms has opened new horizons in the field of vaccinology. Nowadays different licensed meningococcal vaccines are available and used: conjugate meningococcal C vaccines, tetravalent conjugate vaccines, an affordable conjugate vaccine against the N. menigitidis serogroup A, and universal vaccines based on multiple antigens each one with a different and peculiar function against meningococcal group B strains.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/189153
spellingShingle R. Gasparini
D. Panatto
N. L. Bragazzi
P. L. Lai
A. Bechini
M. Levi
P. Durando
D. Amicizia
How the Knowledge of Interactions between Meningococcus and the Human Immune System Has Been Used to Prepare Effective Neisseria meningitidis Vaccines
Journal of Immunology Research
title How the Knowledge of Interactions between Meningococcus and the Human Immune System Has Been Used to Prepare Effective Neisseria meningitidis Vaccines
title_full How the Knowledge of Interactions between Meningococcus and the Human Immune System Has Been Used to Prepare Effective Neisseria meningitidis Vaccines
title_fullStr How the Knowledge of Interactions between Meningococcus and the Human Immune System Has Been Used to Prepare Effective Neisseria meningitidis Vaccines
title_full_unstemmed How the Knowledge of Interactions between Meningococcus and the Human Immune System Has Been Used to Prepare Effective Neisseria meningitidis Vaccines
title_short How the Knowledge of Interactions between Meningococcus and the Human Immune System Has Been Used to Prepare Effective Neisseria meningitidis Vaccines
title_sort how the knowledge of interactions between meningococcus and the human immune system has been used to prepare effective neisseria meningitidis vaccines
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/189153
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