The present invention refers to a method for the production of live attenuated bacterial strains, suitable as vaccine candidates, comprising the steps of: A. providing a bacterial strain capable of expressing glutamate racemase and possibly D-amino acid transaminase and comprising a peptidoglycan cell wall, and B. inactivating the gene or genes encoding for the glutamate racemase enzyme and, if needed, the gene or genes encoding for the enzyme D-amino acid transaminase in such way that the bacterial strain is no longer capable of expressing a functional glutamate racemase and/or a functional D-amino acid transaminase;
wherein the inactivation of said genes causes said bacterial strain to be auxotrophic for D-glutamate.

This invention relates to recombinant human antibody molecules for use in a method of treatment of Acinetobacter infection. The antibodies bind Acinetobacter antigens, for example from Acinetobacter spp. Human antibody encoding genes targeting clinically relevant Candida epitopes have been isolated from single B cells from carefully selected donors and screened with specified types of protein or cell wall extract. The panel of purified, fully human recombinant IgG1 mAbs generated displayed a diverse range of specific binding profiles and demonstrated efficacy in a disease model. The fully human mAbs and derivatives thereof have utility in the generation of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.

In one aspect, the invention relates to a composition including a factor H binding protein (fHBP) and a Neisseria meningitidis non-serogroup B capsular polysaccharide. The invention further relates to uses of a composition that includes fHBP, such as, for example, uses to elicit an immune response against N. meningitidis serogroup B strains and non-serogroup B strains. The compositions and methods described herein are directed to administration in humans, including adults, adolescents, toddlers, and infants.

The invention uses ELISA or similar assays for analysing a meningococcal vaccine. The assay uses antibodies which bind to meningococcal proteins within the vaccine, and in particular monoclonal antibodies which are bactericidal for meningococcus and/or which recognise conformational epitopes within the meningococcal proteins. By performing the assay on a series of dilutions of a test vaccine, and by comparing the results with those obtained using a reference vaccine of known potency, it is possible to determine the relative potency of the test vaccine. This value can be used as a parameter for determining whether a manufactured batch of a vaccine is suitable for release to the public, or whether it has experienced a production failure and so should not be used.

Presented herein, in certain embodiments, are compositions comprising antibody binding agents that specifically bind to A. baumannii and inhibit and/or block A. baumannii infection, and uses thereof.

Synthetic binding agents for reducing the fraction of targets that can permeate through mucus and/or freely divide, and methods of reducing mucosal permeation and/or free division of a target using these synthetic binding agents.

The invention provides improved non-human vertebrates and non-vertebrate cells capable of expressing antibodies comprising human variable region sequences. The present invention is directed to the provision of long HCDR3s from non-human vertebrates and cells. The present invention is also directed to the provision of novel V, D and J pairings in immunoglobulin heavy and light chain loci. Novel, biased antibody diversities and potentially expanded diversities are provided. The invention also provides for novel and potentially expanded diversity or diversity that is biased towards variable gene usage common to antibodies useful for treating and/or preventing certain diseases or conditions, such as infectious diseases. The invention also provides methods of generating antibodies using such vertebrates, as well as the antibodies per se, therapeutic compositions thereof and uses.

Monoclonal antibodies against bacterial proteins that confer resistance to the antibiotic colistin and hybridomas that produce such monoclonal antibodies are described. The monoclonal antibodies have a strong affinity for MCR proteins and may be used in detection methods and kits to detect the presence of MCR proteins including variants thereof in a sample.

The present invention relates to compositions including an isolated non-pyruvylated non-lipidated ORF2086 polypeptide, and methods thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the compositions described herein are immunogenic. The present invention further relates to compositions that elicit a bactericidal immune response in a mammal against an ORF2086 subfamily B polypeptide from serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis, and methods related thereto.

The invention provides improved non-human vertebrates and non-vertebrate cells capable of expressing antibodies comprising human variable region sequences. The present invention is directed to the provision of long HCDR3s from non-human vertebrates and cells. The present invention is also directed to the provision of novel V, D and J pairings in immunoglobulin heavy and light chain loci. Novel, biased antibody diversities and potentially expanded diversities are provided. The invention also provides for novel and potentially expanded diversity or diversity that is biased towards variable gene usage common to antibodies useful for treating and/or preventing certain diseases or conditions, such as infectious diseases. The invention also provides methods of generating antibodies using such vertebrates, as well as the antibodies per se, therapeutic compositions thereof and uses.