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Professor J S Kroll1 The aim of this project has been to explore the possibility that the bacterial protein could be useful in a vaccine to prevent group B meningococcal disease – the major form of life-threatening infection caused by meningococcus, for which there is no available vaccine. Background SodC is an enzyme that helps the meningococcus resist human host defences, and contributes to its virulence. Before the start of our project we had identified a monoclonal antibody, HD1, which was highly effective at preventing disease when given passively in a model system of meningococcal infection. This bound strongly and specifically to meningococcal SodC, suggesting that SodC itself could be used as a vaccine to elicit active protection. We started to explore this before the start of the project, and data encouraged us to apply for resources from the Trust to develop the project. The project The purification of SodC free of other bacterial products proved much more challenging than we ever expected. However, we eventually succeeded – on the way gaining valuable experience in protein purification which we share with our colleagues and collaborators – and produced a substantial sample of pure protein to test as an experimental vaccination. However, unlike our earlier sample, in initial assays this no longer behaved in our experimental system in a way that could encourage the hope that it would work as a protective vaccine. This disappointing result led us to examine in fine detail the molecular structure of SodC, to work out which part of the molecule bound HD1. We have identified the binding site, and we are now working on a new approach to preparing SodC that should optimise it as a potential vaccine. Contacts 14th July 2006
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