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Science 1 July 2005:
Vol. 309. no. 5731, pp. 148 - 150
DOI: 10.1126/science.1109869
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Reports

Identification of a Universal Group B Streptococcus Vaccine by Multiple Genome Screen

Domenico Maione,1* Immaculada Margarit,1* Cira D. Rinaudo,1 Vega Masignani,1 Marirosa Mora,1 Maria Scarselli,1 Hervé Tettelin,2 Cecilia Brettoni,1 Emilia T. Iacobini,1 Roberto Rosini,1 Nunzio D'Agostino,1 Lisa Miorin,1 Scilla Buccato,1 Massimo Mariani,1 Giuliano Galli,1 Renzo Nogarotto,1 Vincenzo Nardi Dei,1 Filipo Vegni,1 Claire Fraser,2 Giuseppe Mancuso,3 Giuseppe Teti,3 Lawrence C. Madoff,4 Lawrence C. Paoletti,4 Rino Rappuoli,1 Dennis L. Kasper,4 John L. Telford,1 Guido Grandi1{dagger}

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a multiserotype bacterial pathogen representing a major cause of life-threatening infections in newborns. To develop a broadly protective vaccine, we analyzed the genome sequences of eight GBS isolates and cloned and tested 312 surface proteins as vaccines. Four proteins elicited protection in mice, and their combination proved highly protective against a large panel of strains, including all circulating serotypes. Protection also correlated with antigen accessibility on the bacterial surface and with the induction of opsonophagocytic antibodies. Multigenome analysis and screening described here represent a powerful strategy for identifying potential vaccine candidates against highly variable pathogens.

1 Chiron srl, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy.
2 Institute for Genome Research, 9712 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
3 Department of Pathology and Experimental Microbiology, University of Messina Medical School, 98125 Messina, Italy.
4 Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02125, USA.

* These authors contributed equally to this work.

{dagger} To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: guido_grandi{at}chiron.com

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)