Neisseria meningitidis outer membrane vesicle surface antigens (Nm OMV antigens) (Nm OMV antigens)

Neisseria meningitidis outer membrane vesicle (OMV) surface antigens are spherical, bilayered proteoliposomes naturally shed from the outer membrane of the Gram-negative bacterium during growth. These vesicles contain a complex array of immunogenic components, including major outer membrane proteins (OMPs) such as porins (PorA, PorB), adhesins (Opa, Opc), and various lipoproteins, which play critical roles in bacterial survival, nutrient acquisition, and host cell interaction (Holst et al., 2009, Vaccine). In clinical medicine, OMVs are primarily utilized as the antigenic basis for vaccines targeting Serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis, a leading cause of life-threatening meningitis and sepsis (Tan et al., 2010, Vaccine). Because the Serogroup B capsular polysaccharide mimics human neural cell adhesion molecules and is poorly immunogenic, OMV-based vaccines were developed to provide a safe and effective alternative by presenting protein antigens in their native membrane environment. These vaccines function by inducing serum bactericidal antibodies that activate the host complement system to eliminate the bacteria (Bexsero FDA Label). While highly effective against specific strains, the high variability of dominant antigens like PorA often requires the use of multi-component or strain-specific formulations to achieve broad protection.

Other names

Meningococcal outer membrane vesiclesOMVMenB OMVBacterial outer membrane vesiclesNative outer membrane vesicles (nOMV)Detergent-extracted outer membrane vesicles (dOMV)

Induction of a polyclonal immune response leading to the production of serum bactericidal antibodies (SBA) that facilitate complement-mediated killing of Neisseria meningitidis.