IMMUNIZATION AGAINST CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE DISEASE

摘要

The invention provides active and passive immunization methods for preventing and treating Clostridium difficile infection, which involve percutaneous administration of C. difficile toxin-neutralizing polyclonal immune globulin, C. difficile toxoids, or combinations thereof. Also provided by the invention are C. difficile toxoids, C. difficile toxin-neutralizing polyclonal immune globulin, and methods of identifying subjects that produce C. difficile toxin-neutralizing polyclonal immune globulin.

主权项

1. A method of producing a Clostridium difficile toxoid, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a Clostridium difficile bacterium; culturing said bacterium in medium lacking animal products to generate a culture; purifying clostridial toxin A and clostridial toxin B from said culture to generate a mixture of purified toxins A and B; and inactivating said purified toxins A and B by incubation in formaldehyde at a temperature of 25° C. or less to generate said clostridial toxoid.