Abstract: Outer-membrane vesicles, Class 1 outer membrane proteins of Neisseria meningitidis, fragments or oligopeptides containing epitopes of the Class I OMP can be used to immunize against meningococcal disease.

Abstract: The subject invention lies in the field of vaccines. Specifically new compounds that can be used as adjuvants are provided. Recombinant LPS having a reduced number of secondary acyl chains per molecule of LPS vis a vis the corresponding non modified LPS molecule, said secondary acyl chains being bound to primary acyl chains, said primary acyl chains being bound to the glucosamine of said recombinant LPS molecule, said recombinant LPS being homogenous in acylation pattern is an example of such a compound. Also recombinant LPS having a phosphate group attached to the glucosamine at the non reducing end of the LPS molecule and a phosphate group attached to the glucosamine at the reducing end of the molecule per recombinant LPS molecule provides a further example.

Abstract: A novel method of covalently coupling polysaccharides to other biopolymers is provided, using an amino-thiol linker represented by formula (1): H2N—[(CH2)m—CHR1—CR2R3—A]q—CHR4—(CHR5)p—CHR6—S—R7 wherein A is a direct bond or a group having the formula —{Z—(CH2)m—CHR1—CHR2R3}nZ—, m is an integer form 0 to 5; n is an integer form 0 to 3; p is an integer from 0 to 2; q is the integer 0 or 1; R1 is hydrogen or C1-C6 alkyl, optionally substituted by amino, hydroxyl, carboxyl, C1-C4 alkoxycarbonyl, carbamoyl, mono- or di(C1-C4alkyl)carbamoyl or N-(&agr;-carboxyalkyl)carbamoyl, or, if m ≠0, R1 is hydroxyl, amino or peptidylamino; R2 and R3 are independently hydrogen or C1-C4 alkyl, or together from an oxo group; R4 is hydrogen, C1-C4 alkyl, carboxyl, C1-C4 alkoxycarbonyl, carbamoly, mono-or di(C1-C4 alkyl)carbamoyl or N-(&agr;-carboxyalkyl) carbamoyl; R5 is hydrogen, methyl, hydroxy or C1-C7 acyloxy; R6 is hydro

Abstract: The invention is directed to an immunity providing B cell activating molecule derived from a meningococcal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) having at least one epitope, said molecule comprising at least the communal part of the oligosaccharide part (core region) of lipopolysaccharides specific for at least two meningococcal immunotypes, preferably immunotypes L2 and L3 and wherein in galactose is absent in the B cell activating part, as well as derivatives of the molecules with immuno reaction inducing capacity. The invention is also directed at an outer membrane vesicle provided with a group of polypeptides having at least the immunoactivity of outer membrane proteins (OMP's) bound to a membrane, a polypeptide from the group of said outer membrane vesicles being a membrane anchored OMP or OMP fragment with a mutation in one of the surface loops, preferably in a 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 or 8-loop of a class I OMP.

Abstract: A polypeptide having amino acid sequence 172-192 of a Mycobacterium bovis BCG 64 kD polypeptide, said sequence having the formula ##STR1## as well as polypeptides derived therefrom, in the amino acid sequence of which sequence 172-179 and/or sequence 189-192 is (are) entirely or partially absent, were found to be useful as immunogens inducing resistance to auto-immune arthritis and similar auto-immune diseases.The invention relates to these polypeptides, to polypeptides showing sequential homology with these polypeptides, and to derivatives and multimers thereof. Also, microorganisms expressing the polypeptides either as such or as part of a fusion protein or as a multimer form part of the invention.Finally, the invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions, diagnostic compositions and test kits comprising a compound according to the invention.