Haemophilus parasuis OppA Polypeptide Vaccine Cross-Protection

Solution Overview

Problem

Haemophilus parasuis remains a significant cause of nursery mortality in swine production due to the lack of effective vaccines and reliable serological tests for characterizing antibody development in sows and piglets, and the existing vaccines do not provide complete cross-protection against different strains and serotypes.

Innovation Solution

Identification of a highly immunogenic and species-specific protein, oligopeptide permease A (OppA), which is used to develop isolated polynucleotides, polypeptides, genetically modified microbes, and antibodies for detecting Haemophilus parasuis infection and creating a vaccine to provide immunity against the pathogen.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional vaccines are used against H. parasuis, then some protection is provided, but complete cross-protection among different strains and serotypes is not achieved

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent identifies and utilizes conserved antigenic determinants that are common across multiple H. parasuis strains and serotypes. By targeting these universal antigens rather than strain-specific variants, the vaccine composition achieves broad cross-protection while maintaining high efficacy against diverse pathogen variants.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the antigen selection parameter from strain-specific antigens to conserved universal antigens. This parameter change enables the vaccine to recognize and protect against multiple strains and serotypes simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between efficacy and cross-protection coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If antibiotics are used to control H. parasuis outbreaks, then mortality is reduced, but the swine industry is rapidly reducing antibiotic use

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the limitation of existing vaccines (incomplete cross-protection) into an opportunity by identifying universal antigens that provide broad coverage. This enables effective disease control through vaccination alone, replacing antibiotic-dependent control methods with sustainable vaccine-based prevention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention enables the swine population to protect itself through active immunity induced by the vaccine. Rather than relying on external antibiotic intervention, the vaccinated animals develop their own immune defense mechanisms, creating a self-sustaining disease control system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If serological tests are developed to characterize antibody development, then diagnostic capability is improved, but reliable tests for characterizing antibodies in sows and piglets are currently lacking

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and isolates specific conserved antigenic determinants from the complex H. parasuis pathogen. These purified universal antigens serve as the basis for developing serological tests, enabling accurate antibody characterization without the complexity of testing against entire bacterial cells or crude extracts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The OppA-based solutions enable effective detection of Haemophilus parasuis infection and provide immunity, reducing mortality in piglets by specifically targeting the pathogen, thereby addressing the limitations of current vaccines and diagnostic tests.

Implementation Method 1

a highly immunogenic and species-specific protein has been identified in H. parasuis... The convalescent serum that detected this protein... Survivor pigs generated high titers against H. parasuis OppA

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAntibody-antigen binding:

Data Source

PatentUS8911743B2Haemophilus parasuis polypeptides and methods of use

Publication Date: 2014.12.16

AI summary

The present invention provides isolated polypeptides having oligopeptide permease activity and an amino acid sequence that has at least 80% identity with a Haemophilus parasuis OppA polypeptide. Also provided by the present invention are isolated polynucleotides that encode the polypeptides described herein, and antibody that specifically binds a polypeptide described herein. The present invention further provides genetically modified microbes, such as attenuated Haemophilus parasuis strains and other microbes that express polypeptides described herein. Also included are methods for using the polypeptides, polynucleotides, antibody, and genetically modified microbes.