Capsular saccharides derived from serogroups W135 and Y of Neisseria meningitidis have altered levels of O-acetylation at the 7 and 9 positions of their sialic acid residues, and can be used to make immunogenic compositions. Relative to unmodified native saccharides, derivatives of the invention are preferentially selected during conjugation to carrier proteins, and conjugates of the derivatives show improved immunogenicity compared to native polysaccharides.

An enriched population of modified lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecular species being: devoid of phosphate group at position C1 of the reducing end of their lipid A domain; and substituted at position C6′ of the non-reducing end of their lipid A domain by a hydrophilic moiety, with the proviso that the hydrophilic moiety is not a hydroxyl group. Also, compositions that include the enriched population of modified LPS and uses of naturally-occurring LPS molecular species and/or enriched population of modified LPS molecular species for treating and/or preventing cancer, inflammatory diseases or infectious diseases, and for stimulating an immune response or vaccinating a subject.

An enriched population of modified lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecular species being: devoid of phosphate group at position C1 of the reducing end of their lipid A domain; and substituted at position C6′ of the non-reducing end of their lipid A domain by a hydrophilic moiety, with the proviso that the hydrophilic moiety is not a hydroxyl group. Also, compositions that include the enriched population of modified LPS and uses of naturally-occurring LPS molecular species and/or enriched population of modified LPS molecular species for treating and/or preventing cancer, inflammatory diseases or infectious diseases, and for stimulating an immune response or vaccinating a subject.

A Fim3-producing BPZE1 derivative with sufficiently stable fim3 expression to provide improved protection in mice against Fim3-only producing clinical B. pertussis isolates was developed. The fim3 expression in BPZE1f3 did not alter the protective efficacy against Fim2+ strains, nor against strains that produce neither Fim2 nor Fim3.

Formulations of lyophilized Bordetella bacteria which are stable for at least two years when stored at temperatures between -20° and 22.5° C., and which exhibit sufficient homogeneity (no bacterial clumping) bacterial viability and potency to be used as a live vaccine are made by harvesting Bordetella bacteria from a culture at an OD600 between 0.4 and 1.6; mixing the harvested Bordetella bacteria with a lyophilization buffer comprising 5-65% by weight a cryoprotectant sugar and having a temperature between 2-3 5° C., wherein the ratio of harvested Bordetella bacteria to lyophilization buffer is between 5:1 and 1:5 by volume; lyophilizing the mixture of the Bordetella bacteria and the lyophilization buffer; wherein the hold time between the harvesting and lyophilization steps is less than 48 hours; and collecting the lyophilized Bordetella bacteria.

Bordetella pertussis iron receptor proteins or portions thereof (e.g., one or more extracellular domains), alone or spliced into B. pertussis scaffold proteins (e.g., fimbrial or flagellin), are provided and can be used in acellular vaccines to protect against pertussis or other Bordetella diseases in humans and non-human mammals. In addition, Bordetella species grown under iron-starved conditions are provided and can be used in whole cell vaccines to protect against pertussis or other Bordetella diseases in humans and non-human mammals.

The invention relates to the use of a polypeptide derived from the adenylate cyclase of a Bordetella sp. (CyaA-derived polypeptide) by deletion of a segment of at least 93 amino acid residues, in particular a polypeptide derived from CyaA of Bordetella pertussis, as an immunomodifying antigen of the TH1/TH17-oriented immune response in an immunogenic composition. The invention relates to a vaccine candidate comprising such CyaA-derived polypeptide, either in an acellular immunogenic composition for active immunization against a condition causally related to the infection of a host by Bordetella sp. or in a combination composition encompassing said acellular immunogenic composition.

The present disclosure is directed to a modified acellular pertussis booster vaccine comprising a TLR agonist and methods of using the same for inducing an immune response.

The present invention provides attenuated, aroA mutant B. bronchiseptica strains that are effective to elicit an immune response in an animal against B. bronchiseptica. Also provided are immunogenic compositions and vaccines which include the attenuated, aroA mutant B. bronchiseptica strains. Also provided are kits for use with such compositions and vaccines. Also provided are methods of orally administering attenuated, aroA mutant B. bronchiseptica strains, compositions, and vaccines to animals.

A method of reducing or preventing the development of airway inflammation in a subject includes the step of infecting the respiratory tract of a subject an amount of a composition including a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and live attenuated pertactin-deficient Bordetella bacteria sufficient to colonize the respiratory tract of the subject. The step of infecting the subject with the live attenuated pertactin-deficient Bordetella bacteria results in reduction or prevention of the development of airway inflammation in the subject.