| 摘要 |
Glucans having exclusively or mainly &bgr;-1,3 linkages are used as immunogens. These comprise &bgr;-1,3-linked glucose residues. Optionally, they may include &bgr;-1,6-linked glucose residues, provided that the ratio of &bgr;-1,3-linked residues to &bgr;-1,6-linked residues is at least 8:1 and/or there are one or more sequences of at least five adjacent non-terminal residues linked to other residues only by &bgr;-1,3 linkages. The glucans will usually be used in conjugated form. A preferred glucan source is curdlan, which may be hydrolysed to a suitable form prior to conjugation.
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