Neisseria meningitidis serogroup Y capsular polysaccharide–CRM197 conjugate (MenY-CRM197)

Neisseria meningitidis serogroup Y capsular polysaccharide–CRM197 conjugate is a vaccine antigen designed to prevent invasive meningococcal disease. It consists of the capsular polysaccharide of serogroup Y meningococci chemically linked to CRM197, a non-toxic mutant of diphtheria toxin (Pace et al., 2009). This conjugation converts the polysaccharide from a T-cell independent antigen into a T-cell dependent one, which is crucial for inducing a robust immune response in infants and ensuring long-term memory (CDC, 2022). The vaccine works by stimulating the production of bactericidal antibodies that target the bacterial capsule, leading to complement-mediated killing of the pathogen (FDA, 2023). It is a primary component of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccines used globally to reduce the incidence of meningitis and septicemia (StatPearls, 2023). The use of CRM197 as a carrier protein is a well-established method to enhance the immunogenicity of bacterial polysaccharides in various conjugate vaccines.

Other names

Meningococcal group Y oligosaccharide conjugateMenY-CRMSerogroup Y polysaccharide-CRM197 conjugateMenY-CRM197

The conjugate induces a T-cell dependent immune response; the CRM197 carrier protein is processed by antigen-presenting cells and presented to T-helper cells, which then provide signals for B-cells to produce high-affinity IgG antibodies and establish immunological memory against serogroup Y Neisseria meningitidis (Pace et al., 2009; FDA, 2023).