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. 2025 Jan 2;20(1):e0316184.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0316184. eCollection 2025.

A systematic review to identify research gaps in studies modeling MenB vaccinations against Neisseria infections

Soeren Metelmann  1 , Alexander Thompson  2 , Anna Donten  2 , Segun Oke  3 , Suzy Sun  4 , Ray Borrow  5 , Feng Xu  3 , Roberto Vivancos  1 , Valerie Decraene  1 , Lorenzo Pellis  3 , Ian Hall  3
Affiliations

A systematic review to identify research gaps in studies modeling MenB vaccinations against Neisseria infections

Soeren Metelmann et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

The genus Neisseria includes two major human pathogens: N. meningitidis causing bacterial meningitis/septicemia and N. gonorrhoeae causing gonorrhoea. Mathematical models have been used to simulate their transmission and control strategies, and the recent observation of a meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine being partially effective against gonorrhoea has led to an increased modeling interest. Here we conducted a systematic review of the literature, focusing on studies that model vaccination strategies with MenB vaccines against Neisseria incidence and antimicrobial resistance. Using journal, preprint, and grey literature repositories, we identified 52 studies that we reviewed for validity, model approaches and assumptions. Most studies showed a good quality of evidence, and the variety of approaches along with their different modeling angles, was assuring especially for gonorrhoea studies. We identified options for future research, including the combination of both meningococcal and gonococcal infections in studies to have better estimates for vaccine benefits, and the spill over of gonorrhoea infections from the heterosexual to the MSM community and vice versa. Cost-effectiveness studies looking at at-risk and the wider populations can then be used to inform vaccine policies on gonorrhoea, as they have for meningococcal disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

RB performs contract research on behalf of UKHSA for GSK, Pfizer, and Sanofi. RV has received research funding on behalf of Public Health England from GSK and Gilead Sciences in the past. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. All other authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. PRISMA flowchart.
Literature search, screening, and inclusion process. *medRxiv searched via google scholar using “source:medRxiv”.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Publication history.
Timeline of publications matching our inclusion criteria, underlying data available in S3 Table (S1 File).
Fig 3
Fig 3
Phylogeny of N. gonorrhoeae (top) and N. meningitidis (bottom) models, indicated by first author. The colors denote the different model types: ODE (orange), PDE (red), Network (yellow), Population-based Markov (blue), Individual-based Markov (green). Studies in grey are not included in this review.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Petousis-Harris, Paytner Morgan, et al.. Effectiveness of a group B outer membrane vesicle meningococcal vaccine against gonorrhoea in New Zealand: a retrospective case-control study. Lancet. 2017. - PubMed
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