Intranasal delivery of group B meningococcal native outer membrane vesicle vaccine induces local mucosal and serum bactericidal antibody responses in rabbits.

We have previously shown that intranasal immunization of mice with meningococcal native outer membrane vesicles (NOMV) induces both a good local mucosal antibody response and a good systemic bactericidal antibody response. However, in the intranasal mouse model, some of the NOMV entered the lung and caused an acute granulocytic response. We therefore developed an alternate animal model using the rabbit.