Biotechnological approaches to the production of idiotypic vaccines and antiidiotypic antibiotics.

ABSTRACT

The potential therapeutic activity of a killer toxin produced by the yeast Pichia anomala (PaKT) characterized by its wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity has been exploited through the simulation of its interaction with the specific cell wall receptor (KTR) of PaKT-sensitive microorganisms by the idiotypic network. Killer antiidiotypes (PaKTantiId) produced by idiotypic vaccination with a PaKT-neutralizing monoclonal antibody have proven to confer active and passive immunoprotection in experimental models of systemic and vaginal candidiasis. PaKTantiId-like human anti-KTR antibodies are naturally produced in infections caused by PaKT-sensitive microorganisms. PaKTantiId in its monoclonal and recombinant formats as well as expressed on human commensal bacteria have shown microbicidal activity in vitro and a therapeutic effect in experimental models of infection caused by PaKT-sensitive microorganisms. New perspectives of idiotypic vaccination and antiidiotypic antibiotic therapy and biotechnological approaches to the production of trandisease idiotypic vaccines and wide-spectrum antiidiotypic antibiotics (killer mimotopes) will be discussed as effective tools to fight epidemiologically important mucosal and systemic microbial infections.