Immunology Treatment for Biofilms

Abstract

The invention provides a composition for use in raising an immune response to P. gingivalis in a subject, the composition comprising an amount effective to raise an immune response of at least one polypeptide having an amino acid sequence substantially identical to at least 50 amino acids, or an antigenic or immunogenic portion, of one of the polypeptides corresponding to accession numbers selected from the group consisting of AAQ65462, AAQ65742, AAQ66991, AAQ65561, AAQ66831, AAQ66797, AAQ66469, AAQ66587, AAQ66654, AAQ66977, AAQ65797, AAQ65867, AAQ65868, AAQ65416, AAQ65449, AAQ66051, AAQ66377, AAQ66444, AAQ66538, AAQ67117 and AAQ67118. The invention also provides a method of preventing or treating a subject for P. gingivalis infection comprising administering to the subject a composition of the invention

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to compositions and methods for preventing or altering bacterial biofilm formation and / or development such as those containing Porphyromonas gingivalis. In particular the present invention relates to the use and inhibition of polypeptides which are regulated during growth as a biofilm or under haem-limitation, to modulate biofilm formation and / or development. The present invention relates to the identification of polypeptides which may be used as the basis for an antibacterial vaccine or an immunotherapeutic / immunoprophylactic.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Many bacterial treatments are directed to bacteria in a planktonic state. However, bacterial pathologies include bacteria in a biofilm state. For example, Porphyromonas gingivalis is considered to be the major causative agent of chronic periodontal disease. Tissue damage associated with the disease is caused by a dysregulated host immune response to P. gingivalis growing...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]This invention is illustrated by reference to a sample system whereby P. gingivalis W50 is grown in continuous culture and a mature biofilm developed on the vertical surfaces in the chemostat vessel over an extended period of time. The final biofilm is similar to that which would be seen under conditions of disease progression, thus allowing a direct comparison between biofilm and planktonic cells. 16O / 18O proteolytic labelling using a reverse labelling strategy was carried out after SDS-PAGE prefractionation of the P. gingivalis cell envelope fraction followed by coupling to off-line LC MALDI TOF-MS / MS for identification and quantification. Of the 116 proteins identified, 81 were consistently found in two independent continuous culture studies. 47 proteins with a variety of functions were found to consistently increase or decrease in abundance in the biofilm cells providing potential targets for biofilm control strategies. Of these 47 proteins the present inventors have selected 24 proteins which they believe are particular useful as targets in treatment and / or prevention of P. gingivalis infection.

Problems solved by technology

Biofilms often complicate treatment of chronic infections by protecting bacteria from the immune system, decreasing antibiotic efficacy and dispersing planktonic cells to distant sites that can aid reinfection (2,3).

Images