Vaccine

Abstract

The present invention relates to compositions comprising at least one purified PorA protein antigen and at least one purified FetA protein antigen. In particular, said PorA/FetA antigens are antigenically variable antigens comprising the variable regions of PorA/FetA. Specific combinations of PorA/FetA epitopes are presented for example in Table 3. The invention also relates to methods of immunisation comprising administering said compositions, and to methods for producing compositions. Preferably the compositions are purified protein compositions. Preferably the compositions are vaccine compositions.

1 . A composition comprising at least one purified PorA protein antigen and at least one purified FetA protein antigen. 
     
     
         2 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein said PorA/FetA antigens are antigenically variable antigens comprising the variable regions of PorA/FetA. 
     
     
         3 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises at least one PorA VR1 epitope and at least one PorA VR2 epitope, wherein said epitopes are selected from the list presented in Table 3. 
     
     
         4 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises at least one FetA epitope selected from the list presented in Table 3. 
     
     
         5 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises PorA epitopes P1.5-2, P1.10, P1.7 and P1.13-1 and FetA epitopes F5-1 and F1-5. 
     
     
         6 . The composition according to  claim 5  wherein the composition further comprises PorA epitopes P1-20 and P1.9, and FetA epitope F3-1. 
     
     
         7 . The composition according to  claim 5  wherein the composition comprises PorA epitopes P1.5-1, P1.2-2, P1.5-2, P1.16, P1.5, P1.10, P1.7, P1.7-2 and P1.4, and FetA epitopes F1-5, F5-1 and F3-9. 
     
     
         8 . The composition according to  claim 7  wherein the composition further comprises PorA epitopes P1.13-1, P1-20 and P1.9, and FetA epitopes F3-1 and F5-5. 
     
     
         9 . The composition according to  claim 8  wherein the composition further comprises PorA epitopes P1.19 and P1.15. 
     
     
         10 . The composition according to  claim 7  wherein the composition further comprises PorA epitopes P1.2, P1,19 and P1.15, and FetA epitope F1-7. 
     
     
         11 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises PorA epitopes P1.5 and P1.2, and FetA epitopes F3-6 and F5-1. 
     
     
         12 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises PorA epitopes P1.7, P1.16, P1.19 and P1.15, and FetA epitope F3-1. 
     
     
         13 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises PorA epitopes P1.7-2 and P1.4, and FetA epitopes F1-5 and F1-7. 
     
     
         14 . The composition according to  claim 1  further comprising one or more components selected from the group consisting of transferrin binding proteins, PorB, Opa, and NspA. 
     
     
         15 . The composition according to  claim 14  wherein said further component is selected from the group consisting of transferrin binding protein, PorB and Opa. 
     
     
         16 . The composition according to  claim 15  wherein said further component is Opa. 
     
     
         17 . A method of immunizing a subject against  Neisseria meningitidis  infection comprising administering to said subject an effective amount of a vaccine composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . A method of inducing an immune response against  Neisseria meningitidis  infection comprising administering to said subject an effective amount of a vaccine composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         19 . A method of producing a vaccine composition against an organism comprising the steps of:
 (i) providing surface protein sequences for said organism;   (ii) selecting from said surface proteins those which are antigenically variable;   (iii) determining the incidence of each of said antigenically variable proteins in clinical occurrences of said organism;   (iv) selecting a sub-group of antigens from said antigenically variable surface proteins to provide optimal representation of different isolate(s) of the organism whilst including the minimum number of individual antigens; and   (v) providing the antigens selected in step four in a vaccine composition.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19  wherein the individual antigens for inclusion in the composition are further selected as inducing equivalent immune responses. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 19  wherein said antigens are further selected to be representative of variation between multiple disease associated strains of said organism. 
     
     
         22 . A composition comprising a combination of PorA and FetA epitopes as set out in Table 3. 
     
     
         23 . A purified protein composition comprising a combination of PorA and FetA epitopes selected from the group consisting of P1.2, P1.2-2, P1.4, P1.5, P1.5-1, P1.5-2, P1.7, P1.7-2, P1.9, P1.10, P1.16, P1.13-1, P1.15, P1.19, and P1-20 and FetA epitopes F1-5, F1-7, F3-1, F3-6, F3-9, F5-1, and F5-5. 
     
     
         24 . The composition according to  claim 1  which is a vaccine composition. 
     
     
         25 . The composition according to  claim 24  wherein said composition is an outer membrane vesicle vaccine. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein a predetermined number of antigens is included in said vaccine composition.
 27, The method of  claim 19 , wherein step (iv) is used to select a sub-group of antigens from said antigenically variable surface proteins to provide maximal representation of different isolate(s) of the organism while including a predetermined number of individual antigens.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the coverage of the composition is predetermined to a geographical spread of isolates. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the coverage of the composition is predetermined to a particular clone or collection of isolates. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein step (iv) is used to select a sub-group of antigens from said antigenically variable surface proteins to provide a desired coverage by choosing a single antigen that provides the greatest possible increase in coverage and adding this to the sub-group of selected antigens until addition of a further antigen would not further increase the coverage of isolate(s) of the organism. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the subgroup of antigens of step (iv) includes multiple antigens present on a single isolate of said organism. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the subgroup of antigens of step (iv) includes only antigens each of which is present on a separate isolate of said organism. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the organism is  Neisseria meningitidis.