| abstract |
An antigenic material having a molecular weight of 3800-4500, and useful in the preparation of an anticaries vaccine is produced from a known antigenic material, antigen I/II of molecular weight 185,000 daltons obtained from the culture supernatant of Streptococcus mutans. The smaller molecular weight fraction of the invention contains the same antigenic determinants as the known 185,000 dalton material but the lower molecular weight material can be used with less side effects. The antigenic material can be used for the production of vaccine preparations that could be administered parentally or by topical application to the gums. |