| abstract |
A peptide is described having a sequence corresponding to the C-terminal part of the pilin protein of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Said peptide has a cross-reaction with surface peptides present in certain fungal or bacterial microorganisms, and it exerts an effective activity of inhibiting the binding of such organisms to target epithelial cells. The peptide can also be used in vaccine compositions, which induce immunity against such cross-reacting microorganisms. Also disclosed are methods of preparing cross-reacting peptides with the pilin peptide of P. aeruginosa, as well as chimeric monoclonal antibodies immunoreactive with said pilin peptide. |