Vaccine design reaches the atomic level.

Kwong, Peter D; Shapiro, Lawrence · Sci Transl Med · 2011

editorial · Level V

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Abstract

The genetic diversity of pathogens presents a challenge to the development of broadly effective vaccines. In this issue, Scarselli et al. combine atomic-level structural information with genomics and classical vaccinology to design a single immunogen that elicits protective immunity against more than 300 natural variants of the bacterial pathogen meningococcus B. This accomplishment provides a glimpse of the power of structure-based vaccine design to create immunogens capable of eliciting protective responses against genetically diverse pathogens.

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