Inactivated staphylococcal whole-cell vaccine

Abstract

The vaccine that is protective against pathogenic bacterial species, typically staphylococcal species, and including methods to prepare said vaccine and to culture pathogenic bacteria.

1 . A composition comprising an inactivated staphylococcal cell wherein said composition is prepared using a staphylococcal cell characterised in that said cell:
 i) is a gram positive cocci;   ii) expresses at least the enzyme catalase;   iii) induces an immune response that produces antibodies that bind at least staphylococcal collagen-binding protein; and   iv) is resistant to the antibiotic penicillin.   
     
     
         2 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein said staphylococcal cell also expresses the enzymes coagulase and/or DNase. 
     
     
         3 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein said staphylococcal cell induces an immune response that produces antibodies that bind collagen binding protein 
     
     
         4 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein said inactivated staphylococcal cell induces an immune response that produces antibodies that cross react with methicillin resistant, vancomycin resistant and vancomycin intermediate resistant staphylococcal species. 
     
     
         5 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein said staphylococcal cell is sensitive to the antibiotics cloxacillin, erythromycin, tetracycline or gentamicin 
     
     
         6 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein said staphylococcal cell is selected from the group consisting of:  S. epidermidis, S. aureus, S. hominis, S. haemolyticus, S. warneri, S. capitis, S. saccharolyticus, S. auricularis, S. simulans, S. saprophyticus, S. cohnii, S. xylosus, S. cohnii, S. warneri, S. hyicus, S. caprae, S. gallinarum, S. intermedius, S. hominis.    
     
     
         7 . The composition according to  claim 6  wherein said staphylococcal cell is  S. aureus  or  S. epidermidis.    
     
     
         8 . The composition according to  claim 6  wherein said  S. aureus  or  S. epidermidis  is antibiotic resistant. 
     
     
         9 . The composition according to  claim 8  wherein said antibiotic resistance is a methicillin resistant staphylococcal cell (MRSA). 
     
     
         10 . The composition according to  claim 8  wherein said antibiotic resistance staphylococcal species is a vancomycin resistant staphylococcal cell (VRSA). 
     
     
         11 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein said vaccine comprises an adjuvant and/or excipient. 
     
     
         12 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein said composition includes at least one additional anti-bacterial agent. 
     
     
         13 . The composition according to  claim 12  wherein said additional anti-bacterial agent is a vaccine and/or immunogenic agent. 
     
     
         14 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein said composition is formulated as a nasal spray. 
     
     
         15 . A method for preparing a hybridoma cell-line producing monoclonal antibodies that bind staphylococcal bacterial polypeptides comprising the steps of:
 i) vaccinating an immunocompetent mammal with the composition according to  claim 1 ;   ii) fusing lymphocytes of the vaccinated immunocompetent mammal with myeloma cells to form hybridoma cells;   iii) screening monoclonal antibodies produced by the hybridoma cells of step (ii) for binding to staphylococcal bacterial polypeptides;   i) cloning the hybridoma cells and culturing the cells to proliferate and to secrete said monoclonal antibody; and   ii) recovering the monoclonal antibody from the culture supernatant.   
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein said immunocompetent mammal is a mouse or rat. 
     
     
         17 . A hybridoma cell line formed by the method according to any of  claims 15 . 
     
     
         18 . A monoclonal antibody produced by the hybridoma cell-line according to  claim 15 . 
     
     
         19 . A monoclonal antibody according to  claim 18  wherein said monoclonal antibody is an opsonic antibody. 
     
     
         20 . A monoclonal antibody according to  claim 18  wherein said monoclonal antibody is a chimeric, humanized or human antibody. 
     
     
         21 . The human antibody according to  claim 20  wherein said antibody is an isotype selected from the group consisting of: IgA, IgM, IgD, IgE and IgG.