Leptospira with increased antigenic mass

Abstract

The antigenic mass of Leptospira cultures can be significantly increased, independent from any increase in biomass, by supplementing Leptospira cultures with a specific fatty acid: linoleic acid. This provides advantages in the production Leptospira antigens. Also this enables the production of improved Leptospirosis vaccines, that are safer and more effective.

1 . A method for increasing the antigenic mass of a  Leptospira  culture, the method comprising the step of supplementing said  Leptospira  culture with linoleic acid. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , the method comprising the step of incubating a  Leptospira  culture under conditions in which at least 15 μg linoleic acid/ml was made available to said culture. 
     
     
         3 . The  Leptospira  culture obtainable by a method according to  claim 1 , wherein said  Leptospira  culture has an increased antigenic mass. 
     
     
         4 . The  Leptospira  culture according to  claim 3 , or a preparation of said culture, for use in a vaccine against Leptospirosis. 
     
     
         5 . A vaccine against Leptospirosis comprising a  Leptospira  culture according to  claim 3 , or a preparation of said culture. 
     
     
         6 . A method for producing a vaccine against Leptospirosis, said method comprising the steps of:
 a. proliferating a  Leptospira  culture in an in vitro system,   b. supplementing said  Leptospira  culture with linoleic acid,   c. inactivating and harvesting said supplemented  Leptospira  culture, and   d. admixing the inactivated  Leptospira  culture with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein between steps a. and b. there is an additional step comprising harvesting, storage and/or purification, of the  Leptospira  culture.