Summary:

Progress in genomic sequencing and bioinformatic analysis has opened a new era in vaccine design enabling the discovery of many novel vaccine antigens. This approach has been successfully applied to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MenB), a life-threatening disease with a high case-fatality rate and an unpredictable epidemiology due to strain evolution and outbreak potential. 4CMenB is currently the only licensed MenB vaccine for infants and adolescents and is now approved in over 50 countries. It includes Neisseria adhesin A (NadA), factor H binding protein (fHbp), Neisserial Heparin Binding Antigen (NHBA), and outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) expressing PorA P1.4. These components elicit broad and synergistic bactericidal antibody responses. Interestingly, some of these antigens are also conserved in non-B meningococcal strains and in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, offering potential for cross-protection. To further elucidate the protective mechanism induced by the antibodies targeting the 4CMenB antigens, we isolated and characterized human monoclonal antibodies (HumAbs) from vaccinated individuals. This study allowed the identification of the most protective epitopes and the identification of the OMV antigens contributing to protection. In conclusion, by integrating genome-driven antigen discovery with monoclonal antibody characterization, we can accelerate the development of next-generation vaccines against complex bacterial pathogens and transform the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

Biography:

Mariagrazia Pizza is Professor of Microbiology and Co-Director of the Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology (CBRB) at Imperial College London. She holds a degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies from the University of Naples, Italy. After a fellowship at the EMBO laboratories in Heidelberg, she spent over 30 years in Siena, Italy, where she led the development of several bacterial vaccines. Until December 2022, she was Senior Scientific Director for Bacterial Vaccines at GSK and Head of Preclinical at GVGH. Her many awards include the IVI-SK Bioscience Park MahnHoon Award 2023 and she is an elected member of EMBO, the European Academy of Microbiology and the American Academy of Microbiology and member of the WHO Product Development for Vaccines Advisory Committee (PDVAC). She has authored more than 250 publications and 70 patents.