Neisseria meningitidis outer membrane proteins and capsular polysaccharides (N. meningitidis OMPs and CPS)

Neisseria meningitidis outer membrane proteins (OMPs) and capsular polysaccharides are the primary antigenic components used in the development of vaccines against meningococcal disease. The capsular polysaccharides define the major serogroups (A, B, C, W, Y, and X) and serve as the basis for conjugate vaccines that provide protection against most invasive strains by inducing serogroup-specific antibodies (CDC, 2023). However, because the serogroup B capsule mimics human neural cell adhesion molecules, vaccines for this strain instead target OMPs such as factor H binding protein (fHbp), Neisserial adhesin A (NadA), and Neisserial heparin-binding antigen (NHBA) (Nature Reviews Microbiology, 2014). These surface structures are critical for the bacterium's survival within the host, facilitating adhesion to mucosal surfaces, nutrient acquisition, and evasion of the host's innate immune system (StatPearls, 2023). Therapeutic intervention via vaccination induces the production of bactericidal antibodies that trigger complement-mediated killing and opsonophagocytosis of the pathogen. Monitoring the efficacy of these interventions typically involves measuring serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) titers, which are the established correlates of protection for meningococcal vaccines (PubMed, 2018).

Other names

Meningococcal antigensMeningococcal surface antigensN. meningitidis surface structures

Induction of active immunity through the production of bactericidal antibodies that facilitate complement-mediated lysis and opsonophagocytosis of the bacteria (CDC, 2023).