Neisserial heparin-binding antigen (NHBA) and outer membrane vesicle (OMV) antigens (NHBA and OMV)

Neisserial heparin-binding antigen (NHBA) and outer membrane vesicle (OMV) antigens are primary components of the 4CMenB vaccine, which has shown significant cross-protective efficacy against Neisseria gonorrhoeae. NHBA is a surface-exposed lipoprotein that binds heparin, a property that contributes to the bacterium's ability to resist complement-mediated killing and adhere to host epithelial cells (PubMed: 20651146). OMVs are naturally occurring blebs from the bacterial outer membrane that contain a variety of immunogenic proteins, including porins and lipoproteins, which serve to prime the host immune system (PubMed: 28754558). Due to the high degree of sequence conservation between Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, antibodies elicited by these antigens in the 4CMenB vaccine can recognize and target gonococcal homologs (PubMed: 30139801). This interaction leads to the recruitment of the complement system and enhanced opsonophagocytosis, effectively reducing the colonization and transmission of the gonococcus (PubMed: 35417753). As antibiotic resistance in gonorrhea becomes a global health crisis, these antigens represent a critical focus for vaccine-mediated prevention strategies.

Other names

NHBAGNA2132Outer membrane vesicles4CMenB antigensNeisserial heparin-binding protein

Induction of cross-reactive bactericidal antibodies that facilitate opsonophagocytosis and complement-mediated killing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae by targeting conserved surface proteins.