HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE INNER-CORE OLIGOSACCHARIDE EPITOPES AS VACCINES FOR THE PREVENTION OF HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE INFECTIONS

摘要

The present invention relates to a lipopolysaccharide moiety comprising a conserved triheptosyl inner-core moiety of lipopolysaccharide substantially free of variable outer core oligosaccharide chain extension, and to vaccines obtaines therefrom which are cross-reactive for Haemophilus influenzae strains. The invention also relates to defined mutations in the biosynthetic machinery for lipopolysaccharide (LPS) expression in Haemophilus influenzae useful to obtain the abovementioned moiety. The invention also relates to using conjugates of the LPS from the mutant strains so obtained to elicit a heterologous immune response against a wide range of disease-causing H. influenzae strains. More specifically, the invention relates to vaccines for prevention of bacterial infections comprising core lipopolysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae. A lipopolysaccharide moiety comprising a conserved triheptosylinner-core moiety of lipopolysaccharide substantially free of variable outer core oligosaccharide chain extensions.