Melan-A- carrier conjugates
First Claim
1. A composition comprising:
- (a) a virus-like particle;
(b) at least one immunostimulatory substance;
(i) wherein said immunostimulatory substance is an immunostimulatory nucleic acid; and
(ii) wherein said immunostimulatory substance is packaged into said virus-like particle; and
(c) at least one antigen or antigenic determinant;
(i) wherein said antigen or antigenic determinant is bound to said virus-like particle; and
(ii) wherein said antigen or antigenic determinant comprises a human melanoma MelanA peptide analogue that comprises an amino acid sequence derived from the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;
78 or SEQ ID NO;
79 by alteration of one or two amino acid(s) or amino acid derivative(s) in said amino acid sequence, wherein said alteration comprises an amino acid substitution, deletion or insertion or a combination thereof.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is related to the fields of molecular biology, virology, immunology and medicine. The invention provides a modified virus-like particle (VLP) comprising a VLP which can be loaded with immunostimulatory substances, in particular with DNA oligonucleotides containing non-methylated C and G (CpGs), and particular peptides derived from MelanA linked thereto. Such CpGVLPs are dramatically more immunogenic than their CpG-free counterparts and induce enhanced B and T cell responses. The immune response against MelanA peptide analogues optionally coupled, fused or attached otherwise to the VLPs is similarly enhanced as the immune response against the VLP itself. In addition, the T cell responses against the MelanA peptide analogues are especially directed to the Thl type. Antigens attached to CpG-loaded VLPs may therefore be ideal vaccines for prophylactic or therapeutic vaccination against allergies, tumors and other self-molecules and chronic viral diseases.
73 Citations
58 Claims
-
1. A composition comprising:
-
(a) a virus-like particle; (b) at least one immunostimulatory substance; (i) wherein said immunostimulatory substance is an immunostimulatory nucleic acid; and (ii) wherein said immunostimulatory substance is packaged into said virus-like particle; and (c) at least one antigen or antigenic determinant; (i) wherein said antigen or antigenic determinant is bound to said virus-like particle; and (ii) wherein said antigen or antigenic determinant comprises a human melanoma MelanA peptide analogue that comprises an amino acid sequence derived from the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;
78 or SEQ ID NO;
79 by alteration of one or two amino acid(s) or amino acid derivative(s) in said amino acid sequence, wherein said alteration comprises an amino acid substitution, deletion or insertion or a combination thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
-
Specification