The evaluation of novel GBS conjugates prepared from GBS capsular polysaccharides and GBS conserved surface proteins

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacterial infection is a major health concern and a leading cause of sepsis and meningitis in infants, particularly in Africa. A promising prevention for GBS infection in newborns is maternal immunization with a GBS vaccine. Currently no vaccine for GBS is available. Several conjugate GBS vaccines using GBS surface-expressed polysaccharides linked to carrier proteins are under development. We are proposing a novel vaccine design using GBS polysaccharides conjugated to GBS conserved surface proteins which induce immune responses in infected individuals, making them potential candidates as carrier proteins for novel GBS vaccines. It combines two virulence factors of GBS with the potential to provide not only enhanced overall protection compared to traditional conjugate vaccines but also to potentially provide protection against those serotypes not included in the vaccine. It could lead to the development of an affordable and cost-effective vaccine that protects against all GBS serotypes.