Neisserial heparin-binding antigen (NHBA) (NHBA)

Neisserial heparin-binding antigen (NHBA) is a surface-exposed lipoprotein found in all strains of Neisseria meningitidis and is a critical component of the multicomponent meningococcal serogroup B vaccine, Bexsero (PubMed, Wikipedia). Originally identified through reverse vaccinology as GNA2132, NHBA plays a multifaceted role in meningococcal pathogenesis, including mediating bacterial adhesion to host epithelial cells and promoting survival in human serum by binding to heparin and other glycosaminoglycans (UniProt, PubMed). The protein is characterized by a conserved arginine-rich region that is susceptible to cleavage by both the meningococcal protease NalP and human host proteases like lactoferrin (PubMed, PLOS One). This proteolytic processing can release C-terminal fragments that have been implicated in increasing vascular permeability, potentially contributing to the severity of sepsis (PubMed). As a vaccine target, NHBA induces a robust immune response, generating bactericidal antibodies that facilitate complement-mediated killing of the bacteria (PubMed). Its high prevalence across different meningococcal serogroups makes it a valuable target for broad-spectrum protection against invasive meningococcal disease (Wikipedia). Furthermore, antibodies targeting NHBA have been shown to inhibit bacterial adhesion to epithelial cells, potentially reducing nasopharyngeal colonization (PubMed).

Other names

GNA2132Genome-derived Neisseria antigen 2132

Induction of bactericidal antibodies that mediate complement-dependent killing and block bacterial adhesion to host tissues.