Abstract: Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies which are cross-reactive to both coagulase-positive staphylococcus bacteria, such as S. aureus and to coagulase-negative bacteria, such as S. epidermidis and S. hemolyticus, are provided which can recognize surface proteins from both coagulase-positive and coagulase negative staph bacteria. The antibodies may be generated from surface proteins that have been isolated on the basis of characteristics that may be common between S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci, and these recombinant surface proteins are used to generate the antibodies of the invention. There is also provided vaccines and methods which utilize these proteins and antibodies for the treatment or protection against a wide variety of staphylococcal infections.

Abstract: Multicomponent vaccines are provided which aid in the prevention and treatment of staphylococcal infections and which include certain selected combinations of bacterial binding proteins or fragments thereof, or antibodies to those proteins or fragments. By careful selection of the proteins, fragments, or antibodies, a vaccine is provided that imparts protection against a broad spectrum of Staphylococcus bacterial strains and against proteins that are expressed at different stages of the logarithmic growth curve. In one embodiment of the invention, a composition is provided that includes at least a collagen binding protein or peptide (or an appropriate site directed mutated sequence thereof) such as CNA, or a protein or fragment with sufficiently high homology thereto, in combination with a fibrinogen binding protein, preferably Clumping factor A (“ClfA”) or Clumping factor B (“ClfB”), or a useful fragment thereof or a protein or fragment with sufficiently high homology thereto.

Abstract: A method and composition for the passive immunization of patients infected with or susceptible to infection from Staphylococcus bacteria such as S. aureus and S. epidermidis infection is provided that includes the selection or preparation of a donor plasma pool with high antibody titers to carefully selected Staphylococcus adhesins or MSCRAMMs, or fragments or components thereof, or sequences with substantial homology thereto. The donor plasma pool can be prepared by combining individual blood or blood component samples which have higher than normal titers of antibodies to one or more of the selected adhesins or other proteins that bind to extracellular matrix proteins, or by administering carefully selected proteins or peptides to a host to induce the expression of desired antibodies, and subsequently recovering the enhanced high titer serum or plasma pool from the treated host.

Abstract: Isolated extracellular matrix-binding proteins, designated ClfB, SdrC, SdrD and SdrE, and their corresponding amino acid and nucleic acid sequences and motifs are described. The proteins, peptides, fragments thereof or antigenic portions thereof are useful for the prevention, inhibition, treatment and diagnosis of S. aureus infection and as scientific research tools. Further, antibodies or antibody fragments to the proteins, peptides, fragments thereof or antigenic portions thereof are also useful for the prevention, inhibition, treatment and diagnosis of S. aureus infection. In particular, the proteins or antibodies thereof may be administered to wounds or used to coat biomaterials to act as blocking agents to prevent or inhibit the binding of S. aureus to wounds or biomaterials. ClfB is a cell-wall associated protein having a predicted molecular weight of approximately 88 kDa and an apparent molecular weight of approximately 124 kDa, which binds both soluble and immobilized fibrinogen.