Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B outer membrane vesicle antigens (MenB OMV antigens)

Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B outer membrane vesicle (OMV) antigens are complex, spherical proteoliposomes naturally shed by the bacteria or detergent-extracted during vaccine manufacturing. These vesicles contain a variety of surface-exposed proteins, including Porin A (PorA), and lipopolysaccharides that are critical for the bacterium's interaction with the host immune system and its pathogenicity. Unlike other meningococcal serogroups, the capsular polysaccharide of serogroup B is poorly immunogenic due to its structural similarity to human neural cell adhesion molecules, necessitating the use of protein-based targets like OMVs for vaccine development. In a clinical context, OMV antigens serve as the primary component or a synergistic adjuvant in vaccines such as Bexsero to elicit a robust, protective immune response. Upon administration, these antigens stimulate the production of bactericidal antibodies that recognize and bind to the bacterial surface, triggering the complement cascade and promoting opsonophagocytosis. While highly effective against specific strains, the high variability of OMV proteins like PorA often requires the inclusion of multiple recombinant proteins to ensure broad coverage across diverse MenB strains. Safety profiles generally show manageable reactogenicity, though fever is a common observation in pediatric populations.

Other names

Meningococcal serogroup B outer membrane vesiclesMenB OMVOuter membrane vesicles of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup BOMV-based antigens

Induction of serum bactericidal antibodies (SBA) that facilitate complement-mediated killing and opsonophagocytosis of Neisseria meningitidis bacteria.