Abstract
The increase in the incidence and antibiotic-resistant strains show a need for a broadly protective vaccine to prevent gonorrhea. OMVax has developed a combination vaccine based on native outer membrane vesicles (NOMVs) from two Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) and two Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) strains. The strains had the acyl transferase LpxL1 knocked out to increase safety, and the reduction-modifiable protein was also knocked out in the Ng strains. Factor H binding protein (FHbp) mutants with reduced Factor H (FH) binding from Subfamilies A and B, respectively, were overexpressed in the Nm strains. The Ng strains individually expressed porin outer membrane protein B 1a (PorB.1a) or PorB.1b. Antibodies elicited by the Nm-Ng NOMV vaccine had SBA with a human complement against diverse Nm and Ng strains grown in the presence of Cytidine-5'-monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-NANA), had no significant reduction in serum bactericidal activity (SBA) compared to the respective individual vaccines, inhibited the adhesion to human cervical and vaginal cells in five out of six Ng strains tested, and inhibited Nm and Ng colonization in a transgenic mouse model. In conclusion, the Nm-Ng NOMV vaccine has the potential to protect against disease and inhibit colonization by diverse Nm and Ng strains, which may be an advantage for controlling the disease through vaccination, particularly in the adolescent/young adult age group.