Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A, B, C, W, and Y antigens (MenABCWY antigens)

Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A, B, C, W, and Y antigens are a collection of bacterial components used as targets in pentavalent vaccines to prevent invasive meningococcal disease. This target set includes the capsular polysaccharides of serogroups A, C, W, and Y, which are typically conjugated to carrier proteins to enhance their immunogenicity in infants and adolescents. For serogroup B, the target consists of conserved surface proteins—such as factor H-binding protein (fHbp), Neisserial adhesin A (NadA), and Neisserial heparin-binding antigen (NHBA)—because the serogroup B capsule is poorly immunogenic and mimics human neural cell adhesion molecules. These antigens are critical for the pathogen's survival and virulence; for instance, fHbp binds human factor H to downregulate the alternative complement pathway, allowing the bacteria to evade the host's innate immune response. Vaccines targeting these antigens, such as Penbraya and Penmenvy, elicit the production of bactericidal antibodies that facilitate complement-mediated killing of the bacteria. This comprehensive antigenic approach provides broad protection against the five most common serogroups responsible for life-threatening meningitis and sepsis worldwide.

Other names

Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A/C/W/Y capsular polysaccharides and serogroup B surface proteinsMenABCWY vaccine antigensPentavalent meningococcal vaccine antigensMeningococcal group A, B, C, W, and Y antigensMeningococcal groups A, B, C, W, and Y vaccine antigens

Induction of serum bactericidal antibodies (SBA) that mediate complement-dependent killing of Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, B, C, W, and Y.