Chemically programmable immunity

• US 8,236,321 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Centauri Therapeutics Limited
• Original Assignee: Altermune Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Mullis, Kary B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saunders, David A
• Application Number:
  US12/336,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20090142368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 424/193.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2039/6025 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 39/385 Haptens or antigens, bound to carriers
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 37/04 Immunostimulants
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/30 Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change

Abstract

The present invention is related to methods and compositions that are capable of immediately immunizing a human or animal against any molecule or compound. The present invention comprises an immunity linker molecule with at least two sites; (1) a first binding site that binds to an immune system molecule in a human or animal that has been preimmunized against the first binding site, and (2) one or more second binding sites that bind specifically to a desired compound or molecule. The first binding site and the second binding site(s) are linked by a linker portion of the molecule.

Claims

1. A method of establishing immediate immunity to a target in an individual comprising, administering to the individual an effective amount of a composition comprising an immunity linker, wherein the immunity linker comprises

a first binding site that binds to an antibody produced from a pre-existing immunity within said individual for a compound or molecule that is not the target compound or molecule, and

at least one second binding site, wherein the second binding site is an aptamer that is capable of binding to the target.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the individual is unable to mount an effective immune response to the target prior to administration of the immunity linker.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the immunity linker comprises more than one second binding site that differ in their specificity for different targets.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-existing immunity results from an immunizing molecule being administered in combination with an adjuvant and optionally with a booster.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the immunity linker has more than one second binding site to a target.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the aptamer comprises nucleic acids containing 2′

-fluoro or 2′

-amino-2′

-deoxypyrimidine.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the immunity linker is administered by intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, oral, or mucosal routes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the target is a pathogen.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the target is selected from bacteria, fungi, viruses, toxic substances, or drugs.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the target is anthrax, dengue virus, or Marburg virus.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the immunity linker further comprises a protein, a peptide, a nucleic acid, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the immunity linker further comprises a linking portion comprises a rigid or flexible spacer linking the first and second binding sites.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the spacer is double stranded nucleic acid.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the immunity linker comprises more than one second binding site to the target compound or molecule.