This federal Project Grant award of $837,644 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (CFDA 93.855 - Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) is supporting research to develop novel vaccines targeting poly-β-(1-6)-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG), a key virulence factor present on many non-viral pathogens. The interdisciplinary research team is synthesizing a comprehensive library of PNAG oligosaccharides with systematically varied amine/acetylation patterns to probe the structural features critical for effective PNAG-targeting vaccines. The PNAG glycans will be conjugated to a mutant bacteriophage Qβ carrier and evaluated for immunogenicity in mice and rabbits to identify optimal vaccine candidates. The effectiveness of the lead vaccine formulations will then be assessed against Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant strains, as well as Neisseria gonorrhoeae in animal challenge models. The sub-award to Brigham & Women's Hospital will support comparator vaccine studies, antibody analysis, and in vivo protection assays for the Neisseria gonorrhoeae component of the project.
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