METHOD FOR SELECTING AND PRODUCING VACCINE COMPONENTS AND VACCINES BASED THEREON

摘要

The invention relates to the field of biology, more specifically to the fiel d of immunology and microbiology. The invention further relates to the field o f vaccines against microbial infections and especially bacterial vaccines, in particular to pneumococcal vaccines. More in particular, the invention relat es to means and methods to identify, select and isolate a vaccine component for passive and/or active immunisation against a microorganism that can be kille d by opsonophagocytic cells. The invention relates to a method to identify an opsonophagocytosis inducing antigen as a vaccine component for immunisation against a microorganism. The invention describes three pneumococcal proteins SlrA, IgA1 proteinase, and PsaA, and their use as a vaccine component with o r without PpmA. The invention also discloses the use of antibodies against sai d proteins for passive immunization and diagnosis.