Investigation of the factors affecting catabolism of antibodies raised against a vaccine candidate based on the conserved region of the M-protein

A non-host reactive, conformationally constrained, minimal B-cell epitope from the conserved region of M-protein has been identified as a GAS vaccine candidate. The immunogenic potential of this chimeric peptide J8 conjugated to diphtheria toxoid (DT) has been demonstrated previously and the protection is believed to be mediated by J8-specific IgG. To expand further on these studies, we are interested in determining the protective potential of passively transferred serum. The present study aims to optimize conditions for passive transfer by investigating the influence of factors such as serum storage conditions, IgG aggregation and catabolism.