Recent news
July 2011
Scientists closer to developing new meningitis vaccine
July 19, 2011 -- New research could bring scientists one step closer to developing a vaccine that protects against hundreds of strains of meningococcus B, the most common cause of bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, can cause brain damage and death. Existing vaccines cover four of five types of bacteria that cause the disease, but developing a vaccine against meningococcus B has been challenging because more than 300 strains exist.
For the new study, researchers with the pharmaceutical company Novartis and the University of Florence bioengineered 54 immunogens, or substances that can elicit an immune response. They tested these immunogens in mice to see which ones encouraged the development of antibodies when exposed to diverse strains of meningococcus B. From there, they tested eight particular immunogens that triggered the best antibody response in a mouse model against a larger, more diverse group of meningococcus B strains. This experiment allowed them to pinpoint the most effective candidate. See the links for more information.
