U.S. patent application number 16/934495 was filed with the patent office on 2021-07-22 for cmv glycoproteins and recombinant vectors.
The applicant listed for this patent is Oregon Health & Science University. Invention is credited to Klaus FRUH, Scott G. Hansen, Louis PICKER.
Application Number | 20210222195 16/934495 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005497109 |
Filed Date | 2021-07-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210222195 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
PICKER; Louis ; et
al. |
July 22, 2021 |
CMV Glycoproteins and Recombinant Vectors
Abstract
Disclosed herein are recombinant CMV vectors which may comprise
a heterologous antigen that can repeatedly infect an organism while
inducing a CD8+ T cell response to immunodominant epitopes of the
heterologous antigen. The CMV vector may comprise a deleterious
mutation in the US11 glycoprotein or a homolog thereof.
Inventors: |
PICKER; Louis; (Portland,
OR) ; FRUH; Klaus; (Portland, OR) ; Hansen;
Scott G.; (Portland, OR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Oregon Health & Science University |
Portland |
OR |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005497109 |
Appl. No.: |
16/934495 |
Filed: |
July 21, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15827649 |
Nov 30, 2017 |
10760097 |
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16934495 |
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14086602 |
Nov 21, 2013 |
9862972 |
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15827649 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C12N 2800/204 20130101;
C12N 2740/15034 20130101; C12N 2710/16121 20130101; C12N 7/00
20130101; C12N 2710/16143 20130101; Y02A 50/30 20180101; C12N
2740/15071 20130101; A61K 39/12 20130101; C12N 15/86 20130101; A61K
2039/5256 20130101 |
International
Class: |
C12N 15/86 20060101
C12N015/86; A61K 39/12 20060101 A61K039/12; C12N 7/00 20060101
C12N007/00 |
Goverment Interests
FEDERAL FUNDING LEGEND
[0003] This invention was supported in part by the National
Institutes of Health grant number ROI AI059457. The federal
government may have certain rights to this invention.
Claims
1. A cytomegalovirus (CMV) vector comprising: a first nucleic acid
sequence encoding US2, US3, or US6 or a homolog thereof; and a
second nucleic acid sequence encoding an exogenous Mycobacterium
tuberculosis antigen; wherein the vector does not encode a
functional US11 protein or homolog thereof.
2. The vector of claim 1, wherein the first nucleic acid sequence
encodes US2, US3, and US6.
3. The vector of claim 2, wherein a nucleic acid encoding a US11
ORF is deleted.
4. The vector of claim 1, further comprising a third nucleic acid
sequence encoding US11 and wherein the nucleic acid sequence
encoding US11 comprises a point mutation, a frameshift mutation,
and/or a deletion of one or more nucleotides of the nucleic acid
sequence encoding US11.
5-6. (canceled)
7. A method of eliciting an immune response to an antigen in a
subject, the method comprising administering an effective amount of
the vector of claim 1.
8. (canceled)
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the subject was previously
exposed to CMV.
10. The method of claim 11, wherein the subject is a human or a
rhesus macaque.
11. The method of claim 7, wherein the CMV vector comprises one or
more of a point mutation in a nucleic acid sequence encoding US11,
a frameshift mutation in the nucleic acid sequence encoding US11, a
deletion of all or part of the nucleic acid sequence encoding US11,
or an antisense or RNAi construct that inhibits the expression of
US11.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein administering comprises
intravenous, intramuscular, intraperitoneal, or oral administration
of the CMV vector.
13. The vector of claim 1, wherein the first nucleic acid sequence
encodes a US2 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, a
US3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, or a US6
comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:3.
14. The vector of claim 1, wherein the first nucleic acid sequence
encodes a US2 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, a
US3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, and a US6
comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3.
15. The vector of claim 1, wherein the functional US11 protein
comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4.
16. The vector of claim 2, wherein the functional US11 protein
comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:4.
17. The vector of claim 3, wherein the functional US11 protein
comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4.
18. The vector of claim 1, wherein the vector does not encode a
functional US8 or a functional US10 protein, or homolog
thereof.
19. The vector of claim 18, wherein the vector comprises a deletion
of all of the nucleic acid sequence encoding US8-US11.
20. The vector of claim 1, wherein the vector further comprises a
promoter operably linked to the second nucleic acid sequence
encoding an exogenous Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen, wherein
the promoter is a constitutive promoter, an inducible promoter, a
non-viral promoter, or a viral promoter.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
[0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 15/827,649, filed on Nov. 30, 2017,
which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,760,097 on Sep. 1, 2020. U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 15/827,649 is a divisional application
of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/086,602 filed Nov. 21, 2013,
which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,862,972 on Jan. 9, 2018. U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 14/086,602 is a continuation
application of international patent application Serial No.
PCT/US12/41475 filed Jun. 8, 2012, which published as PCT
Publication No. WO 2012/170765 on Dec. 13, 2012, which claims
benefit of and priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser.
No. 61/495,552, filed 10 Jun. 2011. Reference is made to
international patent application Serial No. PCT/US11/29930 filed
Mar. 25, 2011, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No.
60/317,647 filed Mar. 25, 2010 and U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/597,457 filed Apr. 28, 2008.
[0002] The foregoing applications, and all documents cited therein
or during their prosecution and all documents cited or referenced
in the application, and all documents cited or referenced herein
("herein cited documents"), and all documents cited or referenced
in herein cited documents, together with any manufacturer's
instructions, descriptions, product specifications, and product
sheets for any products mentioned herein or in any document
incorporated by reference herein, are hereby incorporated herein by
reference, and may be employed in the practice of the invention.
More specifically, all referenced documents are incorporated by
reference to the same extent as if each individual document was
specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by
reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0004] This invention relates to recombinant cytomegalovirus
vectors, methods of making them, uses for them, expression products
from them, and uses thereof. This invention also relates to
cytomegalovirus glycoproteins US2 to US11, in particular
recombinant cytomegalovirus vectors lacking one or more of the
glycoproteins US2 to US11, particularly US8 to US11, and more
particularly, US11.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0005] HCMV is an ubiquitous virus that is present in over 60% of
the population depending on socioeconomic status. Following primary
infection, HCMV persists for the life span of the host. Although
HCMV is generally benign in healthy individuals, the virus can
cause devastating disease in immunocompromised populations
resulting in high morbidity and mortality (for review, see (Pass,
R. F. 2001. Cytomegalovirus, p. 2675-2705. In P. M. H. David M.
Knipe, Diane E. Griffin, Robert A. Lamb, Malcolm A. Martin, Bernard
Roizman and Stephen E. Straus (ed.), Fields Virology, 4th ed.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, incorporated by
reference herein).
[0006] CMV is one of the most immunogenic viruses known. High
antibody titers are directed against numerous viral proteins during
primary infection of healthy individuals (Alberola, J et al., J
Clin Virol 16, 113-122 (2000); Rasmussen L et al., J Infect Dis
164, 835-842 (1991); and (Farrell H E and Shellam G R, J Gen Virol
70 2573-2586 (1989), all of which are incorporated by reference
herein. In addition, a large proportion of the host T cell
repertoire is also directed against CMV antigens, with 5-10 fold
higher median CD4+ T cell response frequencies to HCMV than to
acute viruses (measles, mumps, influenza, adenovirus) or even other
persistent viruses such as herpes simplex and varicella-zoster
viruses (Sylwester A W et al., J Exp Med 202, 673-685 (2005). A
high frequency of CD8+ responses to defined HCMV epitopes or
proteins is also commonly observed (Gillespie G M et al., J Virol
74, 8140-8150 (2000), Kern F et al., J Infect Dis 185, 1709-1716
(2002), Kern F et al., Eur J Immunol 29, 2908-2915 (1999), Kern F
et al., J Virol 73, 8179-8184 (1999) and Sylwester A W et al., J
Exp Med 202, 673-685 (2005). In a large-scale human study
quantifying CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses to the entire HCMV
genome, the mean frequencies of CMV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells
exceeded 10% of the memory population for both subsets and in some
individuals, CMV-specific T cells to account for >25% of the
memory T cell repertoire.
[0007] Paradoxically, the robust immune response to CMV is unable
to either eradicate the virus from healthy infected individuals or
confer protection against re-infection. This ability of CMV to
escape eradication by the immune system, and to re-infect the
sero-positive host has long been believed to be linked to the
multiple viral immunomodulators encoded by the virus (for review,
see Mocarski E S et al., Trends Microbiol 10, 332-339 (2002)
incorporated by reference herein.) The HCMV US6 family of proteins
(equivalent to RhCMV homologues: Rh182-Rh189) are the most
extensively studied of these immunomodulators (Loenen W A et al.,
Semin Immunol 13, 41-9 (2001); incorporated by reference herein.)
At least four different genes, US2, US3, US6 and US11--and the
respective RhCMV homologues (Rh182, Rh184, Rh185, and Rh189)--are
known to interfere with assembly and transport of MHC I molecules
(Ahn K et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 93, 10990-10995 (1996), Ahn K
et al., Immunity 6, 613-621 (1997.) Jones T R et al., J Virol 69,
4830-4841 (1995); Pantle N T et al., J Virol 79, 5786-5798, (2005).
Wiertz E J et al., Cell 84, 769-779 (1996); and Wiertz E J et al.,
Nature 384, 432-438 (1996); all of which are incorporated by
reference herein.)
[0008] Each of these four molecules interferes at different
essential points of MHC I protein maturation. US2 binds to newly
synthesized MHC I heavy chain (HC) and reverse translocates the
protein through the translocation channel SEC61 back into the
cytosol where HC is degraded by the proteasome. Similarly, US11
ejects MHC I back out into the cytoplasm. US3 and US6 act later in
the MHC-I assembly process with US3 retaining fully formed
heterotrimers in the ER thus preventing their transport to the cell
surface and US6 preventing peptide transport by TAP and thus
formation of the trimeric complex of HC, .beta.2m and peptide.
[0009] CMV-based vectors expressing heterologous antigens do not
induce cytotoxic T cells directed against immunodominant epitopes
of those heterologous antigens. This limits the efficacy of the T
cells raised by a CMV-based vaccine to protect against infection by
a pathogen or mount a cellular immune response against a tumor.
[0010] However, CMV-based vectors lacking viral inhibitors of
antigen presentation by MHC class I molecules--CMV based vectors
that have deleterious mutations in (including deletion of) all of
US2, US3, US6, US8, US10, and US11 (US2-11 vectors) do indeed
induce T cells to respond to immunodominant antigens. (Hansen S G
et al., Science 328, 102-106 (2010). However, wild type US2, US3,
US6, US8, US10, and US11 confer superinfectivity in wild-type CMV
vectors. Therefore vectors that have deleterious mutations in all
of US2, US3, US6, US8, US10, and US11 are eliminated by cytotoxic
CD8+ T cells in individuals previously inoculated with CMV-vectors
or naturally infected with CMV. Because the vast majority of humans
have been exposed to CMV at some point in their lives, CMV based
vectors that have deleterious mutations in all of US2, US3, US6,
US8, US10, and US11 would be of limited use.
[0011] The ability of wild type CMV to super-infect CMV-immune
individuals and its inability to induce cytotoxic CD8+ T cells to
immunodominant epitopes of heterologous antigens was thought to be
intricately linked. Immunogenicity of CMV vectors was only be
improved at the cost of losing the ability to super-infect.
[0012] There is a need for CMV vectors that are able to
super-infect CMV-immune individuals and induce an immune response,
for example, cytotoxic CD8+ T cells.
[0013] Citation or identification of any document in this
application is not an admission that such document is available as
prior art to the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present invention relates to viral vectors that overcome
a crucial shortcoming in the development of vaccines based on
cytomegalovirus (CMV).
[0015] The present invention relates to vectors that may have
mutations (up to and including whole deletions) of the US8, US10,
and US11 genes, but that maintain functional homologues of US2,
US3, and US6. These vectors may be useful in patients with prior
CMV immunity, and generate a cytotoxic T-cell response to
immunodominant epitopes of heterologous antigens.
[0016] The present invention relates to HCMV vectors that have
deleterious mutations in, up to and including complete deletions of
one or more HCMV glycoproteins. Such mutated glycoproteins include
deleterious mutations of one or more of US8, US10, or US11 (or
functional homologues thereof) while leaving functional copies of
US2-US6 (or functional homologues thereof). In further examples,
the HCMV vector may comprise a deleterious mutation, up to and
including a complete deletion of US11, with functional copies of
one or more of US2, US3, US6, US8, and US10 remaining in the
vector.
[0017] The present invention also relates to a method of generating
an immune response to a CMV heterologous antigen in a subject which
may comprise administering a CMV vector with a deleterious mutation
in at least one of US8, US10 or US11 or a functional homologue
thereof and wherein the CMV vector contains and expresses a
heterologous antigen. The heterologous antigen may be any antigen,
including pathogen-derived or cancer-derived antigens, including
HIV antigens.
[0018] The applicants intend not to encompass within the invention
any previously known product, process of making the product, or
method of using the product such that Applicants reserve the right
and hereby disclose a disclaimer of any previously known product,
process, or method. It is further noted that the invention does not
intend to encompass within the scope of the invention any product,
process, or making of the product or method of using the product,
which does not meet the written description and enablement
requirements of the USPTO (35 U.S.C. .sctn. 112, first paragraph)
or the EPO (Article 83 of the EPC), such that Applicants reserve
the right and hereby disclose a disclaimer of any previously
described product, process of making the product, or method of
using the product.
[0019] It is noted that in this disclosure and particularly in the
claims and/or paragraphs, terms such as "comprises", "comprised",
"comprising" and the like can have the meaning attributed to it in
U.S. Patent law; e.g., they can mean "includes", "included",
"including", and the like; and that terms such as "consisting
essentially of" and "consists essentially of" have the meaning
ascribed to them in U.S. Patent law, e.g., they allow for elements
not explicitly recited, but exclude elements that are found in the
prior art or that affect a basic or novel characteristic of the
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The following detailed description, given by way of example,
but not intended to limit the invention solely to the specific
embodiments described, may best be understood in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings.
[0021] FIG. 1 depicts a set of two line graphs that compares CD8+ T
cell epitope targeting of SIVgag-specific responses arising after
vaccination of Mamu A*01+, CMV-naive RM with wt vs. US2-11
knock-out (KO) RhCMV/gag vectors. The US2-11 KO vector elicits
responses to all previously characterized Mamu A*01-restricted gag
epitopes, whereas wt CMV vectors elicit gag-specific CD8+ T cell
responses that do not target these epitopes (gag=total gag 15mer
mixes).
[0022] FIG. 2 depicts a chart depicting the recognition of
individual, consecutive gag 15mer peptides by 3 each Mamu A*01+,
CMV-naive RM vaccinated with wt vs. US2-11 knock-out (KO) RhCMV/gag
vectors. Note that whereas both wt and KO vectors elicit broad CD8+
T cell gag epitope recognition, only the KO vector-elicited
responses include recognition of peptides containing conventional
immunodominant epitopes (yellow rectangles; epitopes designated at
top).
[0023] FIG. 3 depicts the RhCMV US2-11 region. MHC-I inhibitors are
Rh182, Rh184, Rh185 and Rh189. Human CMV homologues are shown
below.
[0024] FIGS. 4A-4B depict a diagram of viruses used in Example 2.
Regions of the genome that were altered to create mutant viruses
are shown here in detail. All RhCMV ORFs are depicted as arrows
that correspond to the direction of the ORF within the genome. Blue
arrows represent genes that downregulate MHC class I. Designated
RhCMV nomenclature is used for all ORFs. For ORFs with homology to
HCMV genes the name of the corresponding HCMV homologue is shown in
brackets. Also depicted are SIV immunological markers SIVgag and
RTN, and recombination sites LoxP, FRT, and F5 FRT.
[0025] FIG. 5A depicts the characterization of recombinant RhCMVs
by RT-PCR. Fibroblasts were infected at MOH with the indicated
virus and total RNA was harvested at 24hpi
(.DELTA.6-9gag=.DELTA.US8-11gag). cDNA was synthesized by random
hexamer priming, and transcripts were amplified with primers
specific for the ORFs indicated on the left. Genes flanking the
deleted regions were included to detect possible changes in
transcription due to the deletions. WT=bacterial artificial
chromosome (BAC)-derived wild type RhCMV. RT=reverse
transcriptase.
[0026] FIG. 5B depicts the expression of SIVgag and SIV RTN by
recombinant viruses. Immunoblot analysis of FLAG-tagged SIVgag and
V5-tagged SIV RTN was performed at the indicated times after
fibroblasts were infected at MOI=1 and total lysate was
harvested.
[0027] FIG. 6A depicts the boosted RhCMV-specific CD4+ T cell
response in PBMC and BAL. Boosting of pre-existing anti-CMV T cell
responses are a sign of super-infection by the incoming vector.
[0028] FIG. 6B depicts the development of total SIVgag-specific
CD4+ and CD8+ T cell response in PBMC and BAL. The development of a
de novo SIVgag response is proof for super-infection.
[0029] FIG. 6C depicts the development of CD8+ T cell response in
PBMC to specific SIVgag-derived peptides that are known Mamu
A*01-restricted epitopes. The development of T cell responses
against immunodominant epitopes is in contrast to the lack of these
responses upon super-infection with wild-type RhCMV expressing gag
(FIG. 1).
[0030] FIG. 7A is a line graph depicting the percentage of cells in
the blood (left) and BAL (right) responding to SIVrtn and SIVgag in
RM inoculated with .DELTA.US8-11RhCMV/rtn and
.DELTA.US8-11RhCMV/gag vectors over time post inoculation.
[0031] FIG. 7B is a line graph depicting the percentage of cells in
the blood (left) and BAL (right) responding to the immunodominant
Mamu A*01-restricted epitopes SIVtat(SL8) and SIVgag(CM9)
determined by flow cytometric analysis in RM inoculated with
.DELTA.US8-11RhCMV/rtn and .DELTA.US8-11RhCMV/gag vectors over time
post inoculation.
[0032] FIG. 8A is a line graph depicting the percentage of cells in
the blood (left) and BAL (right) responding to SIVrtn and SIVgag in
RM inoculated with .DELTA.US2-6RhCMV/rtn and .DELTA.US2-6RhCMV/gag
vectors over time post inoculation.
[0033] FIG. 8B is a line graph depicting the percentage of cells in
the blood (left) and BAL (right) responding to the immunodominant
Mamu A*01-restricted epitopes SIVtat(SL8) and SIVgag(CM9)
determined by flow cytometric analysis in RM inoculated with
.DELTA.US2-6RhCMV/rtn and .DELTA.US2-6RhCMV/gag vectors over time
post inoculation. No responding cells were detected.
[0034] FIG. 9A is a schematic representation of the construct
RTN.DELTA.189gag.
[0035] FIG. 9B is an image of a gel that shows the results of PCR
amplification of the constructs of FIG. 9A verifying Rh189-deletion
and SIVgag insertion.
[0036] FIG. 9C is an image of an immunoblot probing for SIVretanef
in the indicated constructs.
[0037] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of cells responding to RTN and its
immunodominant peptide SL8-tat in a rhesus macaque inoculated with
RhCMV/RTN.DELTA.189gag, showing that a deleterious mutation in US11
alone is sufficient to confer superinfectivity and presentation of
immunodominant epitopes.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0038] The invention relates to a CMV vector capable of repeatedly
infecting an organism which may comprise a deleterious mutation in
the glycoprotein US11 of such a character that the mutation renders
the particular glycoprotein non-functional or causes a reduction in
function. The mutation may be any mutation, including a point
mutation, a frameshift mutation, and a deletion of less than all of
the glycoprotein, the deletion of the entire glycoprotein, or the
deletion of the nucleic acid sequence encompassing all of USB,
US10, and US11 and all intervening sequences. In further examples,
the CMV vector may comprise a deleterious mutation in US11, up to
and including the deletion of all of the US11 ORF.
[0039] For example, FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C show that a viral vector
with a deletion of US8-11 is still capable of superinfection of
CMV-positive animals and that CMV lacking US8-11 induces a T cell
response to immunodominant SIV epitopes. Two CMV-positive rhesus
macaques (RM) (#26597 & #27198) were inoculated subcutaneously
with 10.sup.7 PFU of recombinant US8-11gag. Responses frequencies
were determined by flow cytometric analysis of intracellular
cytokine staining for CD69, TNF-.alpha. and interferon-.gamma.
using RhCMV or overlapping 15mer peptides corresponding to SIVgag.
The percentage of the responding, SIVgag specific T cells within
the overall memory subset is shown for each time point.
RhCMV-specific responses were measured by adding purified
virus.
[0040] The mutations may be random or site-directed. For random
mutations, mutagenic agents, in particular alkylating mutagenic
agents, are diethyl sulfate (des), ethyleneimine (ei), propane
sultone, N-methyl-N-nitrosourethane (mnu), N-nitroso-N-methylurea
(NMU), N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (enu), sodium azide may be utilized.
Alternatively, the mutations may be induced by means of
irradiation, which is for example selected from x-rays, fast
neutrons, UV irradiation.
[0041] Mutations may be introduced using synthetic
oligonucleotides. These oligonucleotides contain nucleotide
sequences flanking the desired mutation sites. A suitable method is
disclosed in Morinaga et al. (Biotechnology (1984)2, p 646-649).
Another method of introducing mutations into enzyme-encoding
nucleotide sequences is described in Nelson and Long (Analytical
Biochemistry (1989), 180, p 147-151). Instead of site directed
mutagenesis, such as described above, one can introduce mutations
randomly for instance using a commercial kit such as the GeneMorph
PCR mutagenesis kit from Stratagene, or the Diversify PCR random
mutagenesis kit from Clontech. EP 0 583 265 refers to methods of
optimising PCR based mutagenesis, which can also be combined with
the use of mutagenic DNA analogues such as those described in EP 0
866 796. Error prone PCR technologies are suitable for the
production of variants of lipid acyl transferases with preferred
characteristics.
[0042] Antisense techniques as well as direct gene manipulation are
known for use in modulating gene expression. The invention thus
includes the use of antisense nucleic acids, which may incorporate
natural or modified nucleotides, or both, ribozymes, including
hammerhead ribozymes, gene knockout such as by homologous
recombination, and other techniques for reducing gene expression
levels.
[0043] RNA interference (RNAi) is a method of post transcriptional
gene silencing (PTGS) induced by the direct introduction of
double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and has emerged as a useful tool to
knock out expression of specific genes in a variety of organisms.
RNAi is described by Fire et al., Nature 391:806-811 (1998). Other
methods of PTGS are known and include, for example, introduction of
a transgene or virus. Generally, in PTGS, the transcript of the
silenced gene is synthesised but does not accumulate because it is
rapidly degraded. Methods for PTGS, including RNAi are described,
for example, in the Ambion.com world wide web site, in the
directory "/hottopics/", in the "mai" file. Suitable methods for
RNAi in vitro are known to those skilled in the art. One such
method involves the introduction of siRNA (small interfering RNA).
Current models indicate that these 21-23 nucleotide dsRNAs can
induce PTGS. Methods for designing effective siRNAs are described,
for example, in the Ambion web site described above.
[0044] CMV vectors, when used as expression vectors are innately
non-pathogenic in the selected subjects such as humans or have been
modified to render them non-pathogenic in the selected subjects.
For example, replication-defective adenoviruses and alphaviruses
are well known and can be used as gene delivery vectors. Without
US2-11 all of these vectors (except for CMV which contains US2-11
naturally) elicit vector-specific immunity which prohibits their
repeated use.
[0045] The present invention also relates to a method of inducing a
CD8+ T cell response in a subject, which may comprise (a)
administering a CMV vector with at least one cytomegalovirus (CMV)
glycoprotein deleted from the CMV vector, wherein the glycoprotein
is US11, and wherein the CMV vector contains and expresses at least
one heterologous (non-CMV) antigen and (b) administering the vector
to the animal or human subject.
[0046] The heterologous antigen may be derived from a pathogen. The
pathogen may be a viral pathogen and the antigen may be a protein
derived from the viral pathogen. Viruses include, but are not
limited to Adenovirus, coxsackievirus, hepatitis A virus,
poliovirus, rhinovirus, Herpes simplex, type 1, Herpes simplex,
type 2, Varicella-zoster virus, Epstein-barr virus, Kaposi's
sarcoma herpesvirus, Human cytomegalovirus, Human herpesvirus, type
8, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, yellow fever virus, dengue
virus, West Nile virus, Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),
Influenza virus, Measles virus, Mumps virus, Parainfluenza virus,
Respiratory syncytial virus, Human metapneumovirus, Human
papillomavirus, Rabies virus, Rubella virus, Human bocavirus and
Parvovirus B19.
[0047] The pathogen may be a bacterial pathogen and the antigen may
be a protein derived from the bacterial pathogen. The pathogenic
bacteria include, but are not limited to, Bordetella pertussis,
Borrelia burgdorferi, Brucella abortus, Brucella canis, Brucella
melitensis, Brucella suis, Campylobacter jejuni, Chlamydia
pneumoniae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Chlamydophila psittaci,
Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium difficile, Clostridium
peifringens, Clostridium tetani, Corynebacterium diphtheriae,
Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Escherichia coli,
Francisella tularensis, Haemophilus influenzae, Helicobacter
pylori, Legionella pneumophila, Leptospira interrogans, Listeria
monocytogenes, Mycobacterium leprae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
Mycobacterium ulcerans, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Neisseria
gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
Rickettsia rickettsii, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium,
Shigella sonnei, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis,
Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Streptococcus agalactiae,
Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Treponema
pallidum, Vibrio cholera and Yersinia pestis.
[0048] The pathogen may be a parasite and the antigen may be a
protein derived from the parasite pathogen. The parasite may be a
protozoan organism or disease caused by a protozoan organism such
as, but not limited to, Acanthamoeba, Babesiosis, Balantidiasis,
Blastocystosis, Coccidia, Dientamoebiasis, Amoebiasis, Giardia,
Isosporiasis, Leishmaniasis, Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis
(PAM), Malaria, Rhinosporidiosis, Toxoplasmosis--Parasitic
pneumonia, Trichomoniasis, Sleeping sickness and Chagas disease.
The parasite may be a helminth organism or worm or a disease caused
by a helminth organism such as, but not limited to,
Ancylostomiasis/Hookworm, Anisakiasis, Roundworm--Parasitic
pneumonia, Roundworm--Baylisascariasis, Tapeworm--Tapeworm
infection, Clonorchiasis, Dioctophyme renalis infection,
Diphyllobothriasis--tapeworm, Guinea worm--Dracunculiasis,
Echinococcosis--tapeworm, Pinworm--Enterobiasis, Liver
fluke--Fasciolosis, Fasciolopsiasis--intestinal fluke,
Gnathostomiasis, Hymenolepiasis, Loa loa filariasis, Calabar
swellings, Mansonelliasis, Filariasis, Metagonimiasis--intestinal
fluke, River blindness, Chinese Liver Fluke, Paragonimiasis, Lung
Fluke, Schistosomiasis--bilharzia, bilharziosis or snail fever (all
types), intestinal schistosomiasis, urinary schistosomiasis,
Schistosomiasis by Schistosoma japonicum, Asian intestinal
schistosomiasis, Sparganosis, Strongyloidiasis--Parasitic
pneumonia, Beef tapeworm, Pork tapeworm, Toxocariasis, Trichinosis,
Swimmer's itch, Whipworm and Elephantiasis Lymphatic filariasis.
The parasite may be an organism or disease caused by an organism
such as, but not limited to, parasitic worm, Halzoun Syndrome,
Myiasis, Chigoe flea, Human Botfly and Candiru. The parasite may be
an ectoparasite or disease caused by an ectoparasite such as, but
not limited to, Bedbug, Head louse--Pediculosis, Body
louse--Pediculosis, Crab louse--Pediculosis, Demodex--Demodicosis,
Scabies, Screwworm and Cochliomyia.
[0049] The antigen may be a protein derived from cancer. The
cancers, include, but are not limited to, Acute lymphoblastic
leukemia; Acute myeloid leukemia; Adrenocortical carcinoma;
AIDS-related cancers; AIDS-related lymphoma; Anal cancer; Appendix
cancer; Astrocytoma, childhood cerebellar or cerebral; Basal cell
carcinoma; Bile duct cancer, extrahepatic; Bladder cancer; Bone
cancer, Osteosarcoma/Malignant fibrous histiocytoma; Brainstem
glioma; Brain tumor; Brain tumor, cerebellar astrocytoma; Brain
tumor, cerebral astrocytoma/malignant glioma; Brain tumor,
ependymoma; Brain tumor, medulloblastoma; Brain tumor,
supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors; Brain tumor,
visual pathway and hypothalamic glioma; Breast cancer; Bronchial
adenomas/carcinoids; Burkitt lymphoma; Carcinoid tumor, childhood;
Carcinoid tumor, gastrointestinal; Carcinoma of unknown primary;
Central nervous system lymphoma, primary; Cerebellar astrocytoma,
childhood; Cerebral astrocytoma/Malignant glioma, childhood;
Cervical cancer; Childhood cancers; Chronic lymphocytic leukemia;
Chronic myelogenous leukemia; Chronic myeloproliferative disorders;
Colon Cancer; Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma; Desmoplastic small round
cell tumor; Endometrial cancer; Ependymoma; Esophageal cancer;
Ewing's sarcoma in the Ewing family of tumors; Extracranial germ
cell tumor, Childhood; Extragonadal Germ cell tumor; Extrahepatic
bile duct cancer; Eye Cancer, Intraocular melanoma; Eye Cancer,
Retinoblastoma; Gallbladder cancer; Gastric (Stomach) cancer;
Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumor; Gastrointestinal stromal tumor
(GIST); Germ cell tumor: extracranial, extragonadal, or ovarian;
Gestational trophoblastic tumor; Glioma of the brain stem; Glioma,
Childhood Cerebral Astrocytoma; Glioma, Childhood Visual Pathway
and Hypothalamic; Gastric carcinoid; Hairy cell leukemia; Head and
neck cancer; Heart cancer; Hepatocellular (liver) cancer; Hodgkin
lymphoma; Hypopharyngeal cancer; Hypothalamic and visual pathway
glioma, childhood; Intraocular Melanoma; Islet Cell Carcinoma
(Endocrine Pancreas); Kaposi sarcoma; Kidney cancer (renal cell
cancer); Laryngeal Cancer; Leukemias; Leukemia, acute lymphoblastic
(also called acute lymphocytic leukemia); Leukemia, acute myeloid
(also called acute myelogenous leukemia); Leukemia, chronic
lymphocytic (also called chronic lymphocytic leukemia); Leukemia,
chronic myelogenous (also called chronic myeloid leukemia);
Leukemia, hairy cell; Lip and Oral Cavity Cancer; Liver Cancer
(Primary); Lung Cancer, Non-Small Cell; Lung Cancer, Small Cell;
Lymphomas; Lymphoma, AIDS-related; Lymphoma, Burkitt; Lymphoma,
cutaneous T-Cell; Lymphoma, Hodgkin; Lymphomas, Non-Hodgkin (an old
classification of all lymphomas except Hodgkin's); Lymphoma,
Primary Central Nervous System; Marcus Whittle, Deadly Disease;
Macroglobulinemia, Waldenstrom; Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma of
Bone/Osteosarcoma; Medulloblastoma, Childhood; Melanoma; Melanoma,
Intraocular (Eye); Merkel Cell Carcinoma; Mesothelioma, Adult
Malignant; Mesothelioma, Childhood; Metastatic Squamous Neck Cancer
with Occult Primary; Mouth Cancer; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia
Syndrome, Childhood; Multiple Myeloma/Plasma Cell Neoplasm; Mycosis
Fungoides; Myelodysplastic Syndromes;
Myelodysplastic/Myeloproliferative Diseases; Myelogenous Leukemia,
Chronic; Myeloid Leukemia, Adult Acute; Myeloid Leukemia, Childhood
Acute; Myeloma, Multiple (Cancer of the Bone-Marrow);
Myeloproliferative Disorders, Chronic; Nasal cavity and paranasal
sinus cancer; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Neuroblastoma; Non-Hodgkin
lymphoma; Non-small cell lung cancer; Oral Cancer; Oropharyngeal
cancer; Osteosarcoma/malignant fibrous histiocytoma of bone;
Ovarian cancer; Ovarian epithelial cancer (Surface
epithelial-stromal tumor); Ovarian germ cell tumor; Ovarian low
malignant potential tumor; Pancreatic cancer; Pancreatic cancer,
islet cell; Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer; Parathyroid
cancer; Penile cancer; Pharyngeal cancer; Pheochromocytoma; Pineal
astrocytoma; Pineal germinoma; Pineoblastoma and supratentorial
primitive neuroectodermal tumors, childhood; Pituitary adenoma;
Plasma cell neoplasia/Multiple myeloma; Pleuropulmonary blastoma;
Primary central nervous system lymphoma; Prostate cancer; Rectal
cancer; Renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer); Renal pelvis and
ureter, transitional cell cancer; Retinoblastoma; Rhabdomyosarcoma,
childhood; Salivary gland cancer; Sarcoma, Ewing family of tumors;
Sarcoma, Kaposi; Sarcoma, soft tissue; Sarcoma, uterine; Sezary
syndrome; Skin cancer (nonmelanoma); Skin cancer (melanoma); Skin
carcinoma, Merkel cell; Small cell lung cancer; Small intestine
cancer; Soft tissue sarcoma; Squamous cell carcinoma--see Skin
cancer (nonmelanoma); Squamous neck cancer with occult primary,
metastatic; Stomach cancer; Supratentorial primitive
neuroectodermal tumor, childhood; T-Cell lymphoma, cutaneous
(Mycosis Fungoides and Sezary syndrome); Testicular cancer; Throat
cancer; Thymoma, childhood; Thymoma and Thymic carcinoma; Thyroid
cancer; Thyroid cancer, childhood; Transitional cell cancer of the
renal pelvis and ureter; Trophoblastic tumor, gestational; Unknown
primary site, carcinoma of, adult; Unknown primary site, cancer of,
childhood; Ureter and renal pelvis, transitional cell cancer;
Urethral cancer; Uterine cancer, endometrial; Uterine sarcoma;
Vaginal cancer; Visual pathway and hypothalamic glioma, childhood;
Vulvar cancer; Waldenstr6m macroglobulinemia and Wilms tumor
(kidney cancer).
[0050] Accordingly, the invention provides a CMV synthetically
modified to contain therein exogenous DNA. The CMV has had US11
deleted therefrom.
[0051] The invention further provides a vector for cloning or
expression of heterologous DNA which may comprise the recombinant
CMV.
[0052] The heterologous DNA may encode an expression product which
may comprise: an epitope of interest, a biological response
modulator, a growth factor, a recognition sequence, a therapeutic
gene, or a fusion protein.
[0053] An epitope of interest is an antigen or immunologically
active fragment thereof from a pathogen or toxin of veterinary or
human interest.
[0054] An epitope of interest can be an antigen of pathogen or
toxin, or from an antigen of a pathogen or toxin, or another
antigen or toxin which elicits a response with respect to the
pathogen, or from another antigen or toxin which elicits a response
with respect to the pathogen.
[0055] An epitope of interest can be an antigen of a human pathogen
or toxin, or from an antigen of a human pathogen or toxin, or
another antigen or toxin which elicits a response with respect to
the pathogen, or from another antigen or toxin which elicits a
response with respect to the pathogen, such as, for instance: a
Morbillivirus antigen, e.g., a measles virus antigen such as HA or
F; a rabies glycoprotein, e.g., rabies virus glycoprotein G; an
influenza antigen, e.g., influenza virus HA or N; a Herpesvirus
antigen, e.g., a glycoprotein of a herpes simplex virus (HSV), a
human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), Epstein-Barr; a flavivirus antigen, a
JEV, Yellow Fever virus or Dengue virus antigen; a Hepatitis virus
antigen, e.g., HBsAg; an immunodeficiency virus antigen, e.g., an
HIV antigen such as gp120, gp160; a Hantaan virus antigen; a C.
tetani antigen; a mumps antigen; a pneumococcal antigen, e.g.,
PspA; a Borrelia antigen, e.g., OspA, OspB, OspC of Borrelia
associated with Lyme disease such as Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia
atzelli and Borrelia garinii; a chicken pox (varicella zoster)
antigen; or a Plasmodium antigen.
[0056] The epitope of interest may be derived from an antigen of an
immunodeficiency virus such as HIV or SIV. However, the epitope of
interest can be an antigen of any veterinary or human pathogen or
from any antigen of any veterinary or human pathogen.
[0057] Since the heterologous DNA can encode a growth factor or
therapeutic gene, the recombinant CMV can be used in gene therapy.
Gene therapy involves transferring genetic information; and, with
respect to gene therapy and immunotherapy, reference is made to
U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,479, which is incorporated herein by reference,
together with the documents cited in it and on its face, and to WO
94/16716 and U.S. application Ser. No. 08/184,009, filed Jan. 19,
1994, each of which is also incorporated herein by reference,
together with the documents cited therein. The growth factor or
therapeutic gene, for example, can encode a disease-fighting
protein, a molecule for treating cancer, a tumor suppressor, a
cytokine, a tumor associated antigen, or interferon; and, the
growth factor or therapeutic gene can, for example, be selected
from the group consisting of a gene encoding alpha-globin,
beta-globin, gamma-globin, granulocyte macrophage-colony
stimulating factor, tumor necrosis factor, an interleukin,
macrophage colony stimulating factor, granulocyte colony
stimulating factor, erythropoietin, mast cell growth factor, tumor
suppressor p53, retinoblastoma, interferon, melanoma associated
antigen or B7.
[0058] The invention still further provides an immunogenic,
immunological or vaccine composition containing the recombinant CMV
virus or vector, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or
diluent. An immunological composition containing the recombinant
CMV virus or vector (or an expression product thereof) elicits an
immunological response--local or systemic. The response can, but
need not be, protective. An immunogenic composition containing the
recombinant CMV virus or vector (or an expression product thereof)
likewise elicits a local or systemic immunological response which
can, but need not be, protective. A vaccine composition elicits a
local or systemic protective response. Accordingly, the terms
"immunological composition" and "immunogenic composition" include a
"vaccine composition" (as the two former terms can be protective
compositions).
[0059] The invention therefore also provides a method of inducing
an immunological response in a host vertebrate which may comprise
administering to the host an immunogenic, immunological or vaccine
composition which may comprise the recombinant CMV virus or vector
and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent. For purposes
of this specification, the term "subject" includes all animals and
humans, while "animal" includes all vertebrate species, except
humans; and "vertebrate" includes all vertebrates, including
animals (as "animal" is used herein) and humans. And, of course, a
subset of "animal" is "mammal", which for purposes of this
specification includes all mammals, except humans.
[0060] The invention even further provides a therapeutic
composition containing the recombinant CMV virus or vector and a
pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent. The therapeutic
composition is useful in the gene therapy and immunotherapy
embodiments of the invention, e.g., in a method for transferring
genetic information to an animal or human in need of such which may
comprise administering to the host the composition; and, the
invention accordingly includes methods for transferring genetic
information.
[0061] In yet another embodiment, the invention provides a method
of expressing a protein or gene product or an expression product
which may comprise infecting or transfecting a cell in vitro with a
recombinant CMV virus or vector of the invention and optionally
extracting, purifying or isolating the protein, gene product or
expression product or DNA from the cell. And, the invention
provides a method for cloning or replicating a heterologous DNA
sequence which may comprise infecting or transfecting a cell in
vitro or in vivo with a recombinant CMV virus or vector of the
invention and optionally extracting, purifying or isolating the DNA
from the cell or progeny virus.
[0062] The invention in another aspect provides a method for
preparing the recombinant CMV virus or vector of the invention
which may comprise inserting the exogenous DNA into a non-essential
region of the CMV genome.
[0063] The method can further comprise deleting a non-essential
region from the CMV genome, preferably prior to inserting the
exogenous DNA.
[0064] The method can comprise in vivo recombination. Thus, the
method can comprise transfecting a cell with CMV DNA in a
cell-compatible medium in the presence of donor DNA which may
comprise the exogenous DNA flanked by DNA sequences homologous with
portions of the CMV genome, whereby the exogenous DNA is introduced
into the genome of the CMV, and optionally then recovering CMV
modified by the in vivo recombination.
[0065] The method can also comprise cleaving CMV DNA to obtain
cleaved CMV DNA, ligating the exogenous DNA to the cleaved CMV DNA
to obtain hybrid CMV-exogenous DNA, transfecting a cell with the
hybrid CMV-exogenous DNA, and optionally then recovering CMV
modified by the presence of the exogenous DNA.
[0066] Since in vivo recombination is comprehended, the invention
accordingly also provides a plasmid which may comprise donor DNA
not naturally occurring in CMV encoding a polypeptide foreign to
CMV, the donor DNA is within a segment of CMV DNA which would
otherwise be co-linear with a non-essential region of the CMV
genome such that DNA from a non-essential region of CMV is flanking
the donor DNA.
[0067] The exogenous DNA can be inserted into CMV to generate the
recombinant CMV in any orientation which yields stable integration
of that DNA, and expression thereof, when desired.
[0068] The exogenous DNA in the recombinant CMV virus or vector of
the invention can include a promoter. The promoter can be from a
herpes virus. For instance, the promoter can be a cytomegalovirus
(CMV) promoter, such as a human CMV (HCMV) or murine CMV promoter.
The promoter can also be a non-viral promoter such as the
EF1.alpha. promoter.
[0069] The promoter may be a truncated transcriptionally active
promoter which may comprise a region transactivated with a
transactivating protein provided by the virus and the minimal
promoter region of the full-length promoter from which the
truncated transcriptionally active promoter is derived. For
purposes of this specification, a "promoter" is composed of an
association of DNA sequences corresponding to the minimal promoter
and upstream regulatory sequences; a "minimal promoter" is composed
of the CAP site plus TATA box (minimum sequences for basic level of
transcription; unregulated level of transcription); and, "upstream
regulatory sequences" are composed of the upstream element(s) and
enhancer sequence(s). Further, the term "truncated" indicates that
the full-length promoter is not completely present, i.e., that some
portion of the full-length promoter has been removed. And, the
truncated promoter can be derived from a herpesvirus such as MCMV
or HCMV, e.g., HCMV-IE or MCMV-IE.
[0070] Like the aforementioned promoter, the inventive promoter can
be a herpesvirus, e.g., a MCMV or HCMV such as MCMV-IE or HCMV-IE
promoter; and, there can be up to a 40% and even up to a 90%
reduction in size, from a full-length promoter, based upon base
pairs. The promoter can also be a modified non-viral promoter.
[0071] The invention thus also provides an expression cassette for
insertion into a recombinant virus or plasmid which may comprise
the truncated transcriptionally active promoter. The expression
cassette can further include a functional truncated polyadenylation
signal; for instance an SV40 polyadenylation signal which is
truncated, yet functional. Considering that nature provided a
larger signal, it is indeed surprising that a truncated
polyadenylation signal is functional; and, a truncated
polyadenylation signal addresses the insert size limit problems of
recombinant viruses such as CMV. The expression cassette can also
include exogenous or heterologous DNA with respect to the virus or
system into which it is inserted; and that DNA can be exogenous or
heterologous DNA as described herein.
[0072] In a more specific aspect, the present invention encompasses
CMV, recombinants which may comprise viral or non-viral promoters,
preferably a truncated promoter therefrom. The invention further
comprehends antibodies elicited by the inventive compositions
and/or recombinants and uses for such antibodies. The antibodies,
or the product (epitopes of interest) which elicited them, or
monoclonal antibodies from the antibodies, can be used in binding
assays, tests or kits to determine the presence or absence of an
antigen or antibody.
[0073] Flanking DNA used in the invention can be from the site of
insertion or a portion of the genome adjacent thereto (wherein
"adjacent" includes contiguous sequences, e.g., codon or codons, as
well as up to as many sequences, e.g., codon or codons, before
there is an intervening insertion site).
[0074] The exogenous or heterologous DNA (or DNA foreign to CMV, or
DNA not naturally occurring in CMV) can be DNA encoding any of the
aforementioned epitopes of interest, as listed above. The exogenous
DNA can include a marker, e.g., a color or light marker. The
exogenous DNA can also code for a product which would be
detrimental to an insect host such that the expression product can
be a pesticide or insecticide. The exogenous DNA can also code for
an anti-fungal polypeptide; and, for information on such a
polypeptide and DNA therefor, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No.
5,421,839 and the documents cited therein, incorporated herein by
reference.
[0075] The heterologous or exogenous DNA in recombinants of the
invention preferably encodes an expression product which may
comprise: an epitope of interest, a biological response modulator,
a growth factor, a recognition sequence, a therapeutic gene, or a
fusion protein. With respect to these terms, reference is made to
the following discussion, and generally to Kendrew, THE
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (Blackwell Science Ltd 1995) and
Sambrook, Fritsch, Maniatis, Molecular Cloning, A LABORATORY MANUAL
(2d Edition, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1989).
[0076] As to antigens for use in vaccine or immunological
compositions, see also Stedman's Medical Dictionary (24th edition,
1982), e.g., definition of vaccine (for a list of antigens used in
vaccine formulations; such antigens or epitopes of interest from
those antigens can be used in the invention, as either an
expression product of the inventive recombinant virus, or in a
multivalent composition containing an inventive recombinant virus
or an expression product therefrom).
[0077] As to epitopes of interest, one skilled in the art can
determine an epitope or immunodominant region of a peptide or
polypeptide and ergo the coding DNA therefor from the knowledge of
the amino acid and corresponding DNA sequences of the peptide or
polypeptide, as well as from the nature of particular amino acids
(e.g., size, charge, etc.) and the codon dictionary, without undue
experimentation.
[0078] A general method for determining which portions of a protein
to use m an immunological composition focuses on the size and
sequence of the antigen of interest. "In general, large proteins,
because they have more potential determinants are better antigens
than small ones. The more foreign an antigen, that is the less
similar to self-configurations which induce tolerance, the more
effective it is in provoking an immune response." Ivan Roitt,
Essential Immunology, 1988.
[0079] As to size: the skilled artisan can maximize the size of the
protein encoded by the DNA sequence to be inserted into the viral
vector (keeping in mind the packaging limitations of the vector).
To minimize the DNA inserted while maximizing the size of the
protein expressed, the DNA sequence can exclude introns (regions of
a gene which are transcribed but which are subsequently excised
from the primary RNA transcript).
[0080] At a minimum, the DNA sequence can code for a peptide at
least 8 or 9 amino acids long. This is the minimum length that a
peptide needs to be in order to stimulate a CD8+ T cell response
(which recognizes virus infected cells or cancerous cells). A
minimum peptide length of 13 to 25 amino acids is useful to
stimulate a CD4+ T cell response (which recognizes special antigen
presenting cells which have engulfed the pathogen). See Kendrew,
supra. However, as these are minimum lengths, these peptides are
likely to generate an immunological response, i.e., an antibody or
T cell response; but, for a protective response (as from a vaccine
composition), a longer peptide is preferred.
[0081] With respect to the sequence, the DNA sequence preferably
encodes at least regions of the peptide that generate an antibody
response or a T cell response. One method to determine T and B cell
epitopes involves epitope mapping. The protein of interest "is
fragmented into overlapping peptides with proteolytic enzymes or
overlapping peptides are generated by oligo-peptide synthesis. The
individual peptides are then tested for their ability to bind to an
antibody elicited by the native protein or to induce T cell or B
cell activation. This approach has been particularly useful in
mapping T-cell epitopes since the T cell recognizes short linear
peptides complexed with MHC molecules (see FIG. 2). The method is
less effective for determining B-cell epitopes" since B cell
epitopes are often not linear amino acid sequences but rather
result from the tertiary structure of the folded three dimensional
protein. Janis Kuby, Immunology, (1992) pp. 79-80.
[0082] Another method of determining an epitope of interest is to
choose the regions of the protein that are hydrophilic. Hydrophilic
residues are often on the surface of the protein and are therefore
often the regions of the protein which are accessible to the
antibody. Janis Kuby, Immunology, (1992) p. 81.
[0083] Yet another method for determining an epitope of interest is
to perform an X-ray crystallographic analysis of the antigen (full
length)-antibody complex. Janis Kuby, Immunology, (1992) p. 80.
[0084] Still another method for choosing an epitope of interest
which can generate a T cell response is to identify from the
protein sequence potential HLA anchor binding motifs which are
peptide sequences which are known to be likely to bind to the MHC
molecule.
[0085] The peptide which is a putative epitope of interest, to
generate a T cell response, should be presented in a MHC complex.
The peptide preferably contains appropriate anchor motifs for
binding to the MHC molecules, and should bind with high enough
affinity to generate an immune response. Factors which can be
considered are: the HLA type of the patient (vertebrate, animal or
human) expected to be immunized, the sequence of the protein, the
presence of appropriate anchor motifs and the occurrence of the
peptide sequence in other vital cells.
[0086] An immune response is generated, in general, as follows: T
cells recognize proteins only when the protein has been cleaved
into smaller peptides and is presented in a complex called the
"major histocompatibility complex (MHC)" located on another cell's
surface. There are two classes of MHC complexes--class I and class
II, and each class is made up of many different alleles. Different
species, and individual subjects have different types of MHC
complex alleles; they are said to have a different HLA type.
[0087] Class I MHC complexes are found on virtually every cell and
present peptides from proteins produced inside the cell. Thus,
Class I MHC complexes are useful for killing cells which when
infected by viruses or which have become cancerous and as the
result of expression of an oncogene. T cells which have a protein
called CD8 on their surface, bind to the MHC class I cells and
secrete lymphokines. The lymphokines stimulate a response; cells
arrive and kill the viral infected cell.
[0088] Class II MHC complexes are found only on antigen-presenting
cells and are used to present peptides from circulating pathogens
which have been endocytosed by the antigen-presenting cells. T
cells which have a protein called CD4 bind to the MHC class II
cells and kill the cell by exocytosis of lytic granules.
[0089] Some guidelines in determining whether a protein is an
epitope of interest which will stimulate a T cell response,
include: Peptide length--the peptide should be at least 8 or 9
amino acids long to fit into the MHC class I complex and at least
13-25 amino acids long to fit into a class II MCH complex. This
length is a minimum for the peptide to bind to the MHC complex. It
is preferred for the peptides to be longer than these lengths
because cells may cut the expressed peptides. The peptide should
contain an appropriate anchor motif which will enable it to bind to
the various class I or class II molecules with high enough
specificity to generate an immune response (See Bocchia, M. et al.,
Specific Binding of Leukemia Oncogene Fusion Protein Peptides to
HLA Class I Molecules, Blood 85:2680-2684; Englehard, V H,
Structure of peptides associated with class I and class II MHC
molecules, Ann. Rev. Immunol. 12:181 (1994)). This can be done,
without undue experimentation, by comparing the sequence of the
protein of interest with published structures of peptides
associated with the MHC molecules. Protein epitopes recognized by T
cell receptors are peptides generated by enzymatic degradation of
the protein molecule and are presented on the cell surface in
association with class I or class II MHC molecules.
[0090] Further, the skilled artisan can ascertain an epitope of
interest by comparing the protein sequence with sequences listed in
the protein data base. Regions of the protein which share little or
no homology are better choices for being an epitope of that protein
and are therefore useful in a vaccine or immunological composition.
Regions which share great homology with widely found sequences
present in vital cells should be avoided.
[0091] Even further, another method is simply to generate or
express portions of a protein of interest, generate monoclonal
antibodies to those portions of the protein of interest, and then
ascertain whether those antibodies inhibit growth in vitro of the
pathogen from which the protein was derived. The skilled artisan
can use the other guidelines set forth in this disclosure and in
the art for generating or expressing portions of a protein of
interest for analysis as to whether antibodies thereto inhibit
growth in vitro. For example, the skilled artisan can generate
portions of a protein of interest by: selecting 8 to 9 or 13 to 25
amino acid length portions of the protein, selecting hydrophilic
regions, selecting portions shown to bind from X-ray data of the
antigen (full length)-antibody complex, selecting regions which
differ in sequence from other proteins, selecting potential HLA
anchor binding motifs, or any combination of these methods or other
methods known in the art.
[0092] Epitopes recognized by antibodies are expressed on the
surface of a protein. To determine the regions of a protein most
likely to stimulate an antibody response one skilled in the art can
preferably perform an epitope map, using the general methods
described above, or other mapping methods known in the art.
[0093] As can be seen from the foregoing, without undue
experimentation, from this disclosure and the knowledge in the art,
the skilled artisan can ascertain the amino acid and corresponding
DNA sequence of an epitope of interest for obtaining a T cell, B
cell and/or antibody response. In addition, reference is made to
Gefter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,384, issued May 28, 1991, and
the documents it cites, incorporated herein by reference (Note
especially the "Relevant Literature" section of this patent, and
column 13 of this patent which discloses that: "A large number of
epitopes have been defined for a wide variety of organisms of
interest. Of particular interest are those epitopes to which
neutralizing antibodies are directed.")
[0094] With respect to expression of a biological response
modulator, reference is made to Wohlstadter, "Selection Methods,"
WO 93/19170, published Sep. 30, 1993, and the documents cited
therein, incorporated herein by reference.
[0095] For instance, a biological response modulator modulates
biological activity; for instance, a biological response modulator
is a modulatory component such as a high molecular weight protein
associated with non-NMDA excitatory amino acid receptors and which
allosterically regulates affinity of AMPA binding (See Kendrew,
supra). The recombinant of the present invention can express such a
high molecular weight protein.
[0096] More generally, nature has provided a number of precedents
of biological response modulators. Modulation of activity may be
carried out through mechanisms as complicated and intricate as
allosteric induced quaternary change to simple presence/absence,
e.g., expression/degradation, systems. Indeed, the
repression/activation of expression of many biological molecules is
itself mediated by molecules whose activities are capable of being
modulated through a variety of mechanisms.
[0097] Table 2 of Neidhardt et al., Physiology of the Bacterial
Cell (Sinauer Associates Inc., Publishers, 1990), at page 73, lists
chemical modifications to bacterial proteins. As is noted in that
table, some modifications are involved in proper assembly and other
modifications are not, but in either case such modifications are
capable of causing modulation of function. From that table,
analogous chemical modulations for proteins of other cells can be
determined, without undue experimentation.
[0098] In some instances modulation of biological functions may be
mediated simply through the proper/improper localization of a
molecule. Molecules may function to provide a growth advantage or
disadvantage only if they are targeted to a particular location.
For example, a molecule may be typically not taken up or used by a
cell, as a function of that molecule being first degraded by the
cell by secretion of an enzyme for that degradation. Thus,
production of the enzyme by a recombinant can regulate use or
uptake of the molecule by a cell. Likewise, the recombinant can
express a molecule which binds to the enzyme necessary for uptake
or use of a molecule, thereby similarly regulating its uptake or
use.
[0099] Localization targeting of proteins carried out through
cleavage of signal peptides which is another type of modulation or
regulation. In this case, a specific endoprotease catalytic
activity can be expressed by the recombinant.
[0100] Other examples of mechanisms through which modulation of
function may occur are RNA virus poly-proteins, allosteric effects,
and general covalent and non-covalent steric hindrance. HIV is a
well-studied example of an RNA virus which expresses non-functional
poly-protein constructs. In HIV "the gag, pol, and env
poly-proteins are processed to yield, respectively, the viral
structural proteins p17, p24, and p15--reverse transcriptase and
integrase--and the two envelope proteins gp41 and gp120" (Kohl et
al., PNAS USA 85:4686-90 (1988)). The proper cleavage of the
poly-proteins is crucial for replication of the virus, and virions
carrying inactive mutant HIV protease are non-infectious. This is
another example of the fusion of proteins down-modulating their
activity. Thus, it is possible to construct recombinant viruses
which express molecules which interfere with endoproteases, or
which provide endoproteases, for inhibiting or enhancing the
natural expression of certain proteins (by interfering with or
enhancing cleavage).
[0101] The functional usefulness of enzymes may also be modulated
by altering their capability of catalyzing a reaction. Illustrative
examples of modulated molecules are zymogens,
formation/disassociation of multi-subunit functional complexes, RNA
virus poly-protein chains, allosteric interactions, general steric
hindrance (covalent and non-covalent) and a variety of chemical
modifications such as phosphorylation, methylation, acetylation,
adenylation, and uridenylation (see Table 1 of Neidhardt, supra, at
page 315 and Table 2 at page 73).
[0102] Zymogens are examples of naturally occurring protein fusions
which cause modulation of enzymatic activity. Zymogens are one
class of proteins which are converted into their active state
through limited proteolysis. See Table 3 of Reich, Proteases and
Biological Control, Vol. 2, (1975) at page 54). Nature has
developed a mechanism of down-modulating the activity of certain
enzymes, such as trypsin, by expressing these enzymes with
additional "leader" peptide sequences at their amino termini. With
the extra peptide sequence the enzyme is in the inactive zymogen
state. Upon cleavage of this sequence the zymogen is converted to
its enzymatically active state. The overall reaction rates of the
zymogen are "about 10.sup.5-10.sup.6 times lower than those of the
corresponding enzyme" (See Table 3 of Reich, supra at page 54).
[0103] It is therefore possible to down-modulate the function of
certain enzymes simply by the addition of a peptide sequence to one
of its termini. For example, with knowledge of this property, a
recombinant can express peptide sequences containing additional
amino acids at one or both termini.
[0104] The formation or disassociation of multi-subunit enzymes is
another way through which modulation may occur. Different
mechanisms may be responsible for the modulation of activity upon
formation or disassociation of multi-subunit enzymes.
[0105] Therefore, sterically hindering the proper specific subunit
interactions will down-modulate the catalytic activity. And
accordingly, the recombinant of the invention can express a
molecule which sterically hinders a naturally occurring enzyme or
enzyme complex, so as to modulate biological functions.
[0106] Certain enzyme inhibitors afford good examples of
down-modulation through covalent steric hindrance or modification.
Suicide substrates which irreversibly bind to the active site of an
enzyme at a catalytically important amino acid in the active site
are examples of covalent modifications which sterically block the
enzymatic active site. An example of a suicide substrate is TPCK
for chymotrypsin (Fritsch, Enzyme Structure and Mechanism, 2d ed;
Freeman & Co. Publishers, 1984). This type of modulation is
possible by the recombinant expressing a suitable suicide
substrate, to thereby modulate biological responses (e.g., by
limiting enzyme activity).
[0107] There are also examples of non-covalent steric hindrance
including many repressor molecules. The recombinant can express
repressor molecules which are capable of sterically hindering and
thus down-modulating the function of a DNA sequence by preventing
particular DNA-RNA polymerase interactions.
[0108] Allosteric effects are another way through which modulation
is carried out in some biological systems. Aspartate
transcarbamoylase is a well characterized allosteric enzyme.
Interacting with the catalytic subunits are regulatory domains.
Upon binding to CTP or UTP the regulatory subunits are capable of
inducing a quaternary structural change in the holoenzyme causing
down-modulation of catalytic activity. In contrast, binding of ATP
to the regulatory subunits is capable of causing up-modulation of
catalytic activity (Fritsch, supra). Using methods of the
invention, molecules can be expressed which are capable of binding
and causing modulatory quaternary or tertiary changes.
[0109] In addition, a variety of chemical modifications, e.g.,
phosphorylation, methylation, acetylation, adenylation, and
uridenylation may be carried out so as to modulate function. It is
known that modifications such as these play important roles in the
regulation of many important cellular components. Table 2 of
Neidhardt, supra, at page 73, lists different bacterial enzymes
which undergo such modifications. From that list, one skilled in
the art can ascertain other enzymes of other systems which undergo
the same or similar modifications, without undue experimentation.
In addition, many proteins which are implicated in human disease
also undergo such chemical modifications. For example, many
oncogenes have been found to be modified by phosphorylation or to
modify other proteins through phosphorylation or dephosphorylation.
Therefore, the ability afforded by the invention to express
modulators which can modify or alter function, e.g.,
phosphorylation, is of importance.
[0110] From the foregoing, the skilled artisan can use the present
invention to express a biological response modulator, without any
undue experimentation.
[0111] With respect to expression of fusion proteins by inventive
recombinants, reference is made to Sambrook, Fritsch, Maniatis,
Molecular Cloning, A LABORATORY MANUAL (2d Edition, Cold Spring
Harbor Laboratory Press, 1989) (especially Volume 3), and Kendrew,
supra, incorporated herein by reference. The teachings of Sambrook
et al., can be suitably modified, without undue experimentation,
from this disclosure, for the skilled artisan to generate
recombinants expressing fusion proteins.
[0112] With regard to gene therapy and immunotherapy, reference is
made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,690,915 and 5,252,479, which are
incorporated herein by reference, together with the documents cited
therein it and on their face, and to WO 94/16716 and U.S.
application Ser. No. 08/184,009, filed Jan. 19, 1994, each of which
is also incorporated herein by reference, together with the
documents cited therein.
[0113] A growth factor can be defined as multifunctional, locally
acting intercellular signaling peptides which control both ontogeny
and maintenance of tissue and function (see Kendrew, especially at
page 455 et seq.).
[0114] The growth factor or therapeutic gene, for example, can
encode a disease-fighting protein, a molecule for treating cancer,
a tumor suppressor, a cytokine, a tumor associated antigen, or
interferon; and, the growth factor or therapeutic gene can, for
example, be selected from the group consisting of a gene encoding
alpha-globin, beta-globin, gamma-globin, granulocyte
macrophage-colony stimulating factor, tumor necrosis factor, an
interleukin (e.g., an interleukin selected from interleukins 1 to
14, or 1 to 11, or any combination thereof), macrophage colony
stimulating factor, granulocyte colony stimulating factor,
erythropoietin, mast cell growth factor, tumor suppressor p53,
retinoblastoma, interferon, melanoma associated antigen or B7. U.S.
Pat. No. 5,252,479 provides a list of proteins which can be
expressed in an adenovirus system for gene therapy, and the skilled
artisan is directed to that disclosure. WO 94/16716 and U.S.
application Ser. No. 08/184,009, filed Jan. 19, 1994, provide genes
for cytokines and tumor associated antigens and immunotherapy
methods, including ex vivo methods, and the skilled artisan is
directed to those disclosures.
[0115] Thus, one skilled in the art can create recombinants
expressing a growth factor or therapeutic gene and use the
recombinants, from this disclosure and the knowledge in the art,
without undue experimentation.
[0116] Moreover, from the foregoing and the knowledge in the art,
no undue experimentation is required for the skilled artisan to
construct an inventive recombinant which expresses an epitope of
interest, a biological response modulator, a growth factor, a
recognition sequence, a therapeutic gene, or a fusion protein; or
for the skilled artisan to use such a recombinant.
[0117] It is noted that the exogenous or heterologous DNA can
itself include a promoter for driving expression in the recombinant
CMV, or the exogenous DNA can simply be coding DNA and
appropriately placed downstream from a CMV-endogenous promoter to
drive expression. Further, multiple copies of coding DNA or use of
a strong or early promoter or early and late promoter, or any
combination thereof, can be done so as to amplify or increase
expression. Thus, the exogenous or heterologous DNA can be suitably
positioned with respect to a CMV-endogenous promoter, or those
promoters can be translocated to be inserted at another location,
with the exogenous or heterologous DNA. The coding DNA can be DNA
coding for more than one protein so as to have expression of more
than one product from the recombinant CMV.
[0118] The expression products can be antigens, immunogens or
epitopes of interest; and therefore, the invention further relates
to immunological, antigenic or vaccine compositions containing the
expression products. Further, since the CMV vector, in certain
instances, can be administered directly to a suitable host, the
invention relates to compositions containing the CMV vector.
Additionally, since the expression product can be isolated from the
CMV vector in vitro or from cells infected or transfected by the
CMV vector in vitro, the invention relates to methods for
expressing a product, e.g., which may comprise inserting the
exogenous DNA into a CMV as a vector, e.g., by restriction/ligation
or by recombination followed by infection or transfection of
suitable cells in vitro with a recombinant CMV, and optionally
extracting, purifying or isolating the expression product from the
cells. Any suitable extraction, purification or isolation
techniques can be employed.
[0119] In particular, after infecting cells with the recombinant
CMV, the protein(s) from the expression of the exogenous DNA are
collected by known techniques such as chromatography (see Robbins,
EPA 0162738A1; Panicali, EPA 0261940A2); Richardson, supra; Smith
et al., supra; Pennock et al., supra; EP Patent Publication No.
0265785). The collected protein(s) can then be employed in a
vaccine, antigenic or immunological composition which also contains
a suitable carrier.
[0120] Thus, the recombinant CMV can be used to prepare proteins
such as antigens, immunogens, epitopes of interest, etc. which can
be further used in immunological, antigenic or vaccine
compositions. It is noted that a recombinant CMV expressing a
product detrimental to growth or development of insects can be used
to prepare an insecticide, and a recombinant CMV expressing a
product detrimental to growth of plants can be used to prepare a
herbicide (by isolating the expression product and admixing it with
an insecticidally or herbicidally acceptable carrier or diluent)
and a recombinant CMV expressing an anti-fungal polypeptide can be
used to prepare an anti-fungal preparation (by isolating the
expression product and admixing it with a suitable carrier or
diluent).
[0121] As the expression products can provide an antigenic,
immunological or protective (vaccine) response, the invention
further relates to products therefrom; namely, antibodies and uses
thereof. More in particular, the expression products can elicit
antibodies. The antibodies can be formed into monoclonal
antibodies; and, the antibodies or expression products can be used
in kits, assays, tests, and the like involving binding, so that the
invention relates to these uses too. Additionally, since the
recombinants of the invention can be used to replicate DNA, the
invention relates to recombinant CMV as a vector and methods for
replicating DNA by infecting or transfecting cells with the
recombinant and harvesting DNA therefrom. The resultant DNA can be
used as probes or primers or for amplification.
[0122] The administration procedure for recombinant CMV or
expression product thereof, compositions of the invention such as
immunological, antigenic or vaccine compositions or therapeutic
compositions can be via a parenteral route (intradermal,
intramuscular, or subcutaneous). Such an administration enables a
systemic immune response. The administration can be via a mucosal
route, e.g., oral, nasal, genital, etc. Such an administration
enables a local immune response.
[0123] More generally, the inventive antigenic, immunological or
vaccine compositions or therapeutic compositions (compositions
containing the CMV recombinants of the invention or expression
products) can be prepared in accordance with standard techniques
well known to those skilled in the pharmaceutical arts. Such
compositions can be administered in dosages and by techniques well
known to those skilled in the medical arts taking into
consideration such factors as the breed or species, age, sex,
weight, and condition of the particular patient, and the route of
administration. The compositions can be administered alone, or can
be co-administered or sequentially administered with other
compositions of the invention or with other immunological,
antigenic or vaccine or therapeutic compositions. Such other
compositions can include purified native antigens or epitopes or
antigens or epitopes from the expression by a recombinant CMV or
another vector system; and are administered taking into account the
aforementioned factors.
[0124] Examples of compositions of the invention include liquid
preparations for orifice, e.g., oral, nasal, anal, genital, e.g.,
vaginal, etc., administration such as suspensions, syrups or
elixirs; and, preparations for parenteral, subcutaneous,
intradermal, intramuscular or intravenous administration (e.g.,
injectable administration) such as sterile suspensions or
emulsions. In such compositions the recombinant may be in admixture
with a suitable carrier, diluent, or excipient such as sterile
water, physiological saline, glucose or the like.
[0125] Antigenic, immunological or vaccine compositions typically
can contain an adjuvant and an amount of the recombinant CMV or
expression product to elicit the desired response. In human
applications, alum (aluminum phosphate or aluminum hydroxide) is a
typical adjuvant. Saponin and its purified component Quil A,
Freund's complete adjuvant and other adjuvants used in research and
veterinary applications have toxicities which limit their potential
use in human vaccines. Chemically defined preparations such as
muramyl dipeptide, monophosphoryl lipid A, phospholipid conjugates
such as those described by Goodman-Snitkoff et al., J. Immunol.
147:410-415 (1991) and incorporated by reference herein,
encapsulation of the protein within a proteoliposome as described
by Miller et al., J. Exp. Med. 176:1739-1744 (1992) and
incorporated by reference herein, and encapsulation of the protein
in lipid vesicles such as Novasome lipid vesicles (Micro Vescular
Systems, Inc., Nashua, N.H.) can also be used.
[0126] The composition may be packaged in a single dosage form for
immunization by parenteral (i.e., intramuscular, intradermal or
subcutaneous) administration or orifice administration, e.g.,
perlingual (i.e., oral), intragastric, mucosal including intraoral,
intraanal, intravaginal, and the like administration. And again,
the effective dosage and route of administration are determined by
the nature of the composition, by the nature of the expression
product, by expression level if recombinant CMV is directly used,
and by known factors, such as breed or species, age, sex, weight,
condition and nature of host, as well as LD.sub.50 and other
screening procedures which are known and do not require undue
experimentation. Dosages of expressed product can range from a few
to a few hundred micrograms, e.g., 5 to 500 .mu.s. The inventive
recombinant can be administered in any suitable amount to achieve
expression at these dosage levels. The vaccinal CMV is administered
in an amount of at least 10.sup.2 pfu; thus, the inventive
recombinant can be administered in at least this amount; or in a
range from about 10.sup.2 pfu to about 10.sup.7 pfu. Other suitable
carriers or diluents can be water or a buffered saline, with or
without a preservative. The expression product or recombinant CMV
may be lyophilized for resuspension at the time of administration
or can be in solution.
[0127] The carrier may also be a polymeric delayed release system.
Synthetic polymers are particularly useful in the formulation of a
composition having controlled release. An early example of this was
the polymerization of methyl methacrylate into spheres having
diameters less than one micron to form so-called nanoparticles,
reported by Kreuter, J., Microcapsules and Nanoparticles in
Medicine and Pharmacology, M. Donbrow (Ed). CRC Press, pp.
125-148.
[0128] Microencapsulation has been applied to the injection of
microencapsulated pharmaceuticals to give a controlled release. A
number of factors contribute to the selection of a particular
polymer for microencapsulation. The reproducibility of polymer
synthesis and the microencapsulation process, the cost of the
microencapsulation materials and process, the toxicological
profile, the requirements for variable release kinetics and the
physicochemical compatibility of the polymer and the antigens are
all factors that must be considered. Examples of useful polymers
are polycarbonates, polyesters, polyurethanes, polyorthoesters and
polyamides, particularly those that are biodegradable.
[0129] A frequent choice of a carrier for pharmaceuticals and more
recently for antigens is poly (d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA).
This is a biodegradable polyester that has a long history of
medical use in erodible sutures, bone plates and other temporary
prostheses where it has not exhibited any toxicity. A wide variety
of pharmaceuticals including peptides and antigens have been
formulated into PLGA microcapsules. A body of data has accumulated
on the adaption of PLGA for the controlled release of antigen, for
example, as reviewed by Eldridge, J. H., et al., Current Topics in
Microbiology and Immunology. 1989, 146:59-66. The entrapment of
antigens in PLGA microspheres of 1 to 10 microns in diameter has
been shown to have a remarkable adjuvant effect when administered
orally. The PLGA microencapsulation process uses a phase separation
of a water-in-oil emulsion. The compound of interest is prepared as
an aqueous solution and the PLGA is dissolved in suitable organic
solvents such as methylene chloride and ethyl acetate. These two
immiscible solutions are co-emulsified by high-speed stirring. A
non-solvent for the polymer is then added, causing precipitation of
the polymer around the aqueous droplets to form embryonic
microcapsules. The microcapsules are collected, and stabilized with
one of an assortment of agents (polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), gelatin,
alginates, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), methyl cellulose) and the
solvent removed by either drying in vacuo or solvent
extraction.
[0130] Thus, solid, including solid-containing-liquid, liquid, and
gel (including "gel caps") compositions are envisioned.
[0131] Additionally, the inventive vectors, e.g., recombinant CMV,
and the expression products therefrom can stimulate an immune or
antibody response in animals. From those antibodies, by techniques
well-known in the art, monoclonal antibodies can be prepared and,
those monoclonal antibodies can be employed in well-known antibody
binding assays, diagnostic kits or tests to determine the presence
or absence of antigen(s) and therefrom the presence or absence of
the natural causative agent of the antigen or, to determine whether
an immune response to that agent or to the antigen(s) has simply
been stimulated.
[0132] Monoclonal antibodies are immunoglobulin produced by
hybridoma cells. A monoclonal antibody reacts with a single
antigenic determinant and provides greater specificity than a
conventional, serum-derived antibody. Furthermore, screening a
large number of monoclonal antibodies makes it possible to select
an individual antibody with desired specificity, avidity and
isotype. Hybridoma cell lines provide a constant, inexpensive
source of chemically identical antibodies and preparations of such
antibodies can be easily standardized. Methods for producing
monoclonal antibodies are well known to those of ordinary skill in
the art, e.g., Koprowski, H. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,265,
issued Apr. 1, 1989, incorporated herein by reference.
[0133] Uses of monoclonal antibodies are known. One such use is in
diagnostic methods, e.g., David, G. and Greene, H., U.S. Pat. No.
4,376,110, issued Mar. 8, 1983, incorporated herein by
reference.
[0134] Monoclonal antibodies have also been used to recover
materials by immunoadsorption chromatography, e.g. Milstein, C.,
1980, Scientific American 243:66, 70, incorporated herein by
reference.
[0135] Furthermore, the inventive recombinant CMV or expression
products therefrom can be used to stimulate a response in cells in
vitro or ex vivo for subsequent reinfusion into a patient. If the
patient is seronegative, the reinfusion is to stimulate an immune
response, e.g., an immunological or antigenic response such as
active immunization. In a seropositive individual, the reinfusion
is to stimulate or boost the immune system against a pathogen.
[0136] The recombinant CMV of the invention is also useful for
generating DNA for probes or for PCR primers which can be used to
detect the presence or absence of hybridizable DNA or to amplify
DNA, e.g., to detect a pathogen in a sample or for amplifying
DNA.
[0137] Furthermore, as discussed above, the invention comprehends
promoters and expression cassettes which are useful in adenovirus
systems, as well as in any viral or cell system which provides a
transactivating protein.
[0138] The expression cassette of the invention can further include
a functional truncated polyadenylation signal; for instance an SV40
polyadenylation signal which is truncated, yet functional. The
expression cassette can contain exogenous or heterologous DNA (with
respect to the virus or system into which the promoter or
expression cassette is being inserted); for instance exogenous or
heterologous coding DNA as herein described above, and in the
Examples. This DNA can be suitably positioned and operably linked
to the promoter for expression. The expression cassette can be
inserted in any orientation; preferably the orientation which
obtains maximum expression from the system or virus into which the
expression cassette is inserted.
[0139] While the promoter and expression cassette are specifically
exemplified with reference to adenoviruses, the skilled artisan can
adapt these embodiments of the invention to other viruses and to
plasmids for cells such as eukaryotic cells, without undue
experimentation, by simply ascertaining whether the virus, plasmid,
cell or system provides the transactivating protein.
[0140] As to HCMV promoters, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos.
5,168,062 and 5,385,839, incorporated herein by reference. As to
transfecting cells with plasmid DNA for expression therefrom,
reference is made to Feigner et al. (1994), J. Biol. Chem. 269,
2550-2561, incorporated herein by reference. And, as to direct
injection of plasmid DNA as a simple and effective method of
vaccination against a variety of infectious diseases (reference is
made to Science, 259:1745-49, 1993, incorporated herein by
reference). It is therefore within the scope of this invention that
the inventive promoter and expression cassette be used in systems
other than adenovirus; for example, in plasmids for the direct
injection of plasmid DNA.
[0141] The protein fragments of the present invention form a
further aspect of the invention; and, such compounds may be used in
methods of medical treatments, such as for diagnosis, preventing or
treating HIV or for eliciting antibodies for diagnosis of HIV,
including use in vaccines. Further, such compounds may be used in
the preparation of medicaments for such treatments or prevention,
or compositions for diagnostic purposes. The compounds may be
employed alone or in combination with other treatments, vaccines or
preventatives; and, the compounds may be used in the preparation of
combination medicaments for such treatments or prevention, or in
kits containing the compound and the other treatment or
preventative.
[0142] In yet another embodiment, the present invention also
encompassed the use of the protein fragments of the present
invention described herein as immunogens, advantageously as HIV-I
vaccine components.
[0143] The terms "protein", "peptide", "polypeptide", and "amino
acid sequence" are used interchangeably herein to refer to polymers
of amino acid residues of any length. The polymer may be linear or
branched, it may comprise modified amino acids or amino acid
analogs, and it may be interrupted by chemical moieties other than
amino acids. The terms also encompass an amino acid polymer that
has been modified naturally or by intervention; for example
disulfide bond formation, glycosylation, lipidation, acetylation,
phosphorylation, or any other manipulation or modification, such as
conjugation with a labeling or bioactive component.
[0144] As used herein, the terms "antigen" or "immunogen" are used
interchangeably to refer to a substance, typically a protein, which
is capable of inducing an immune response in a subject. The term
also refers to proteins that are immunologically active in the
sense that once administered to a subject (either directly or by
administering to the subject a nucleotide sequence or vector that
encodes the protein) is able to evoke an immune response of the
humoral and/or cellular type directed against that protein.
[0145] The term "antibody" includes intact molecules as well as
fragments thereof, such as Fab, F(ab')2, Fv and scFv which are
capable of binding the epitope determinant. These antibody
fragments retain some ability to selectively bind with its antigen
or receptor and include, for example: [0146] a. Fab, the fragment
which contains a monovalent antigen-binding fragment of an antibody
molecule, can be produced by digestion of whole antibody with the
enzyme papain to yield an intact light chain and a portion of one
heavy chain; [0147] b. Fab', the fragment of an antibody molecule,
can be obtained by treating whole antibody with pepsin, followed by
reduction, to yield an intact light chain and a portion of the
heavy chain; two Fab' fragments are obtained per antibody molecule;
[0148] c. F(ab')2, the fragment of the antibody that can be
obtained by treating whole antibody with the enzyme pepsin without
subsequent reduction; F(ab')2 is a dimer of two Fab' fragments held
together by two disulfide bonds; [0149] d. scFv, including a
genetically engineered fragment containing the variable region of a
heavy and a light chain as a fused single chain molecule.
[0150] General methods of making these fragments are known in the
art. (See for example, Harlow and Lane, Antibodies: A Laboratory
Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York (1988), which is
incorporated herein by reference).
[0151] A "neutralizing antibody" may inhibit the entry of HIV-I
virus for example SF162 and/or JRCSF with a neutralization index
>1.5 or >2.0. Broad and potent neutralizing antibodies may
neutralize greater than about 50% of HIV-I viruses (from diverse
clades and different strains within a clade) in a neutralization
assay. The inhibitory concentration of the monoclonal antibody may
be less than about 25 mg/ml to neutralize about 50% of the input
virus in the neutralization assay.
[0152] It should be understood that the proteins and the nucleic
acids encoding them may differ from the exact sequences illustrated
and described herein. Thus, the invention contemplates deletions,
additions, truncations, and substitutions to the sequences shown,
so long as the sequences function in accordance with the methods of
the invention. In this regard, substitutions will generally be
conservative in nature, i.e., those substitutions that take place
within a family of amino acids. For example, amino acids are
generally divided into four families: (1) acidic--aspartate and
glutamate; (2) basic--lysine, arginine, histidine; (3)
non-polar--alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, proline,
phenylalanine, methionine, tryptophan; and (4) uncharged
polar--glycine, asparagine, glutamine, cysteine, serine threonine,
tyrosine. Phenylalanine, tryptophan, and tyrosine are sometimes
classified as aromatic amino acids. It is reasonably predictable
that an isolated replacement of leucine with isoleucine or valine,
or vice versa; an aspartate with a glutamate or vice versa; a
threonine with a serine or vice versa; or a similar conservative
replacement of an amino acid with a structurally related amino
acid, will not have a major effect on the biological activity.
Proteins having substantially the same amino acid sequence as the
sequences illustrated and described but possessing minor amino acid
substitutions that do not substantially affect the immunogenicity
of the protein are, therefore, within the scope of the
invention.
[0153] As used herein the terms "nucleotide sequences" and "nucleic
acid sequences" refer to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic
acid (RNA) sequences, including, without limitation, messenger RNA
(mRNA), DNA/RNA hybrids, or synthetic nucleic acids. The nucleic
acid can be single-stranded, or partially or completely
double-stranded (duplex). Duplex nucleic acids can be homoduplex or
heteroduplex.
[0154] As used herein the term "transgene" may be used to refer to
"recombinant" nucleotide sequences that may be derived from any of
the nucleotide sequences encoding the proteins of the present
invention. The term "recombinant" means a nucleotide sequence that
has been manipulated "by man" and which does not occur in nature,
or is linked to another nucleotide sequence or found in a different
arrangement in nature. It is understood that manipulated "by man"
means manipulated by some artificial means, including by use of
machines, codon optimization, restriction enzymes, etc.
[0155] For example, in one embodiment the nucleotide sequences may
be mutated such that the activity of the encoded proteins in vivo
is abrogated. In another embodiment the nucleotide sequences may be
codon optimized, for example the codons may be optimized for human
use. In preferred embodiments the nucleotide sequences of the
invention are both mutated to abrogate the normal in vivo function
of the encoded proteins, and codon optimized for human use. For
example, each of the Gag, Pol, Env, Nef, RT, and Int sequences of
the invention may be altered in these ways.
[0156] As regards codon optimization, the nucleic acid molecules of
the invention have a nucleotide sequence that encodes the antigens
of the invention and can be designed to employ codons that are used
in the genes of the subject in which the antigen is to be produced.
Many viruses, including HIV and other lentiviruses, use a large
number of rare codons and, by altering these codons to correspond
to codons commonly used in the desired subject, enhanced expression
of the antigens can be achieved. In a preferred embodiment, the
codons used are "humanized" codons, i.e., the codons are those that
appear frequently in highly expressed human genes (Andre et al., J.
Virol. 72:1497-1503, 1998) instead of those codons that are
frequently used by HIV. Such codon usage provides for efficient
expression of the transgenic HIV proteins in human cells. Any
suitable method of codon optimization may be used. Such methods,
and the selection of such methods, are well known to those of skill
in the art. In addition, there are several companies that will
optimize codons of sequences, such as Geneart (geneart.com). Thus,
the nucleotide sequences of the invention can readily be codon
optimized.
[0157] The invention further encompasses nucleotide sequences
encoding functionally and/or antigenically equivalent variants and
derivatives of the CMV vectors and the glycoproteins included
therein. These functionally equivalent variants, derivatives, and
fragments display the ability to retain antigenic activity. For
instance, changes in a DNA sequence that do not change the encoded
amino acid sequence, as well as those that result in conservative
substitutions of amino acid residues, one or a few amino acid
deletions or additions, and substitution of amino acid residues by
amino acid analogs are those which will not significantly affect
properties of the encoded polypeptide. Conservative amino acid
substitutions are glycine/alanine; valine/isoleucine/leucine;
asparagine/glutamine; aspartic acid/glutamic acid;
serine/threonine/methionine; lysine/arginine; and
phenylalanine/tyrosine/tryptophan. In one embodiment, the variants
have at least 50%, at least 55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, at
least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 86%,
at least 87%, at least 88%, at least 89%, at least 90%, at least
91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at
least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98% or at least 99% homology or
identity to the antigen, epitope, immunogen, peptide or polypeptide
of interest.
[0158] For the purposes of the present invention, sequence identity
or homology is determined by comparing the sequences when aligned
so as to maximize overlap and identity while minimizing sequence
gaps. In particular, sequence identity may be determined using any
of a number of mathematical algorithms. A nonlimiting example of a
mathematical algorithm used for comparison of two sequences is the
algorithm of Karlin & Altschul, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
1990; 87: 2264-2268, modified as in Karlin & Altschul, Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1993; 90: 5873-5877.
[0159] Another example of a mathematical algorithm used for
comparison of sequences is the algorithm of Myers & Miller,
CABIOS 1988; 4: 11-17. Such an algorithm is incorporated into the
ALIGN program (version 2.0) which is part of the GCG sequence
alignment software package. When utilizing the ALIGN program for
comparing amino acid sequences, a PAM120 weight residue table, a
gap length penalty of 12, and a gap penalty of 4 can be used. Yet
another useful algorithm for identifying regions of local sequence
similarity and alignment is the FASTA algorithm as described in
Pearson & Lipman, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1988; 85:
2444-2448.
[0160] Advantageous for use according to the present invention is
the WU-BLAST (Washington University BLAST) version 2.0 software.
WU-BLAST version 2.0 executable programs for several UNIX platforms
can be downloaded from ftp://blast.wustl.edu/blast/executables.
This program is based on WU-BLAST version 1.4, which in turn is
based on the public domain NCBI-BLAST version 1.4 (Altschul &
Gish, 1996, Local alignment statistics, Doolittle ed., Methods in
Enzymology 266: 460-480; Altschul et al., Journal of Molecular
Biology 1990; 215: 403-410; Gish & States, 1993; Nature
Genetics 3: 266-272; Karlin & Altschul, 1993; Proc. Natl. Acad.
Sci. USA 90: 5873-5877; all of which are incorporated by reference
herein).
[0161] The various recombinant nucleotide sequences and antibodies
and/or antigens of the invention are made using standard
recombinant DNA and cloning techniques. Such techniques are well
known to those of skill in the art. See for example, "Molecular
Cloning: A Laboratory Manual", second edition (Sambrook et al.
1989).
[0162] The nucleotide sequences of the present invention may be
inserted into "vectors." The term "vector" is widely used and
understood by those of skill in the art, and as used herein the
term "vector" is used consistent with its meaning to those of skill
in the art. For example, the term "vector" is commonly used by
those skilled in the art to refer to a vehicle that allows or
facilitates the transfer of nucleic acid molecules from one
environment to another or that allows or facilitates the
manipulation of a nucleic acid molecule.
[0163] Any vector that allows expression of the viruses of the
present invention may be used in accordance with the present
invention. In certain embodiments, the viruses of the present
invention may be used in vitro (such as using cell-free expression
systems) and/or in cultured cells grown in vitro in order to
produce the encoded HIV-antigens and/or antibodies which may then
be used for various applications such as in the production of
proteinaceous vaccines. For such applications, any vector that
allows expression of the virus in vitro and/or in cultured cells
may be used.
[0164] For the exogenous antigens of the present invention to be
expressed, the protein coding sequence of the exogenous antigen
should be "operably linked" to regulatory or nucleic acid control
sequences that direct transcription and translation of the protein.
As used herein, a coding sequence and a nucleic acid control
sequence or promoter are said to be "operably linked" when they are
covalently linked in such a way as to place the expression or
transcription and/or translation of the coding sequence under the
influence or control of the nucleic acid control sequence. The
"nucleic acid control sequence" can be any nucleic acid element,
such as, but not limited to promoters, enhancers, IRES, introns,
and other elements described herein that direct the expression of a
nucleic acid sequence or coding sequence that is operably linked
thereto. The term "promoter" will be used herein to refer to a
group of transcriptional control modules that are clustered around
the initiation site for RNA polymerase II and that when
operationally linked to the protein coding sequences of the
invention lead to the expression of the encoded protein. The
expression of the transgenes of the present invention can be under
the control of a constitutive promoter or of an inducible promoter,
which initiates transcription only when exposed to some particular
external stimulus, such as, without limitation, antibiotics such as
tetracycline, hormones such as ecdysone, or heavy metals. The
promoter can also be specific to a particular cell-type, tissue or
organ. Many suitable promoters and enhancers are known in the art,
and any such suitable promoter or enhancer may be used for
expression of the transgenes of the invention. For example,
suitable promoters and/or enhancers can be selected from the
Eukaryotic Promoter Database (EPDB).
[0165] The present invention relates to a recombinant viral vector
expressing a foreign epitope. Advantageously, the epitope is an HIV
epitope. In an advantageous embodiment, the HIV epitope is a
protein fragment of the present invention, however, the present
invention may encompass additional HIV antigens, epitopes or
immunogens. Advantageously, the HIV epitope is an HIV antigen
including but not limited to, the HIV antigens of U.S. Pat. Nos.
7,341,731; 7,335,364; 7,329,807; 7,323,553; 7,320,859; 7,311,920;
7,306,798; 7,285,646; 7,285,289; 7,285,271; 7,282,364; 7,273,695;
7,270,997; 7,262,270; 7,244,819; 7,244,575; 7,232,567; 7,232,566;
7,223,844; 7,223,739; 7,223,534; 7,223,368; 7,220,554; 7,214,530;
7,211,659; 7,211,432; 7,205,159; 7,198,934; 7,195,768; 7,192,555;
7,189,826; 7,189,522; 7,186,507; 7,179,645; 7,175,843; 7,172,761;
7,169,550; 7,157,083; 7,153,509; 7,147,862; 7,141,550; 7,129,219;
7,122,188; 7,118,859; 7,118,855; 7,118,751; 7,118,742; 7,105,655;
7,101,552; 7,097,971; 7,097,842; 7,094,405; 7,091,049; 7,090,648;
7,087,377; 7,083,787; 7,070,787; 7,070,781; 7,060,273; 7,056,521;
7,056,519; 7,049,136; 7,048,929; 7,033,593; 7,030,094; 7,022,326;
7,009,037; 7,008,622; 7,001,759; 6,997,863; 6,995,008; 6,979,535;
6,974,574; 6,972,126; 6,969,609; 6,964,769; 6,964,762; 6,958,158;
6,956,059; 6,953,689; 6,951,648; 6,946,075; 6,927,031; 6,919,319;
6,919,318; 6,919,077; 6,913,752; 6,911,315; 6,908,617; 6,908,612;
6,902,743; 6,900,010; 6,893,869; 6,884,785; 6,884,435; 6,875,435;
6,867,005; 6,861,234; 6,855,539; 6,841,381; 6,841,345; 6,838,477;
6,821,955; 6,818,392; 6,818,222; 6,815,217; 6,815,201; 6,812,026;
6,812,025; 6,812,024; 6,808,923; 6,806,055; 6,803,231; 6,800,613;
6,800,288; 6,797,811; 6,780,967; 6,780,598; 6,773,920; 6,764,682;
6,761,893; 6,753,015; 6,750,005; 6,737,239; 6,737,067; 6,730,304;
6,720,310; 6,716,823; 6,713,301; 6,713,070; 6,706,859; 6,699,722;
6,699,656; 6,696,291; 6,692,745; 6,670,181; 6,670,115; 6,664,406;
6,657,055; 6,657,050; 6,656,471; 6,653,066; 6,649,409; 6,649,372;
6,645,732; 6,641,816; 6,635,469; 6,613,530; 6,605,427; 6,602,709;
6,602,705; 6,600,023; 6,596,477; 6,596,172; 6,593,103; 6,593,079;
6,579,673; 6,576,758; 6,573,245; 6,573,040; 6,569,418; 6,569,340;
6,562,800; 6,558,961; 6,551,828; 6,551,824; 6,548,275; 6,544,780;
6,544,752; 6,544,728; 6,534,482; 6,534,312; 6,534,064; 6,531,572;
6,531,313; 6,525,179; 6,525,028; 6,524,582; 6,521,449; 6,518,030;
6,518,015; 6,514,691; 6,514,503; 6,511,845; 6,511,812; 6,511,801;
6,509,313; 6,506,384; 6,503,882; 6,495,676; 6,495,526; 6,495,347;
6,492,123; 6,489,131; 6,489,129; 6,482,614; 6,479,286; 6,479,284;
6,465,634; 6,461,615; 6,458,560; 6,458,527; 6,458,370; 6,451,601;
6,451,592; 6,451,323; 6,436,407; 6,432,633; 6,428,970; 6,428,952;
6,428,790; 6,420,139; 6,416,997; 6,410,318; 6,410,028; 6,410,014;
6,407,221; 6,406,710; 6,403,092; 6,399,295; 6,392,013; 6,391,657;
6,384,198; 6,380,170; 6,376,170; 6,372,426; 6,365,187; 6,358,739;
6,355,248; 6,355,247; 6,348,450; 6,342,372 6,342,228; 6,338,952;
6,337,179; 6,335,183; 6,335,017; 6,331,404; 6,329,202; 6,329,173;
6,328,976; 6,322,964; 6,319,666; 6,319,665; 6,319,500; 6,319,494;
6,316,205; 6,316,003; 6,309,633; 6,306,625; 6,296,807; 6,294,322;
6,291,239; 6,291,157; 6,287,568; 6,284,456; 6,284,194; 6,274,337;
6,270,956; 6,270,769; 6,268,484; 6,265,562; 6,265,149; 6,262,029;
6,261,762; 6,261,571; 6,261,569; 6,258,599; 6,258,358; 6,248,332;
6,245,331; 6,242,461; 6,241,986; 6,235,526; 6,235,466; 6,232,120;
6,228,361; 6,221,579; 6,214,862; 6,214,804; 6,210,963; 6,210,873;
6,207,185; 6,203,974; 6,197,755; 6,197,531; 6,197,496; 6,194,142;
6,190,871; 6,190,666; 6,168,923; 6,156,302; 6,153,408; 6,153,393;
6,153,392; 6,153,378; 6,153,377; 6,146,635; 6,146,614; 6,143,876;
6,140,059; 6,140,043; 6,139,746; 6,132,992; 6,124,306; 6,124,132;
6,121,006; 6,120,990; 6,114,507; 6,114,143; 6,110,466; 6,107,020;
6,103,521; 6,100,234; 6,099,848; 6,099,847; 6,096,291; 6,093,405;
6,090,392; 6,087,476; 6,083,903; 6,080,846; 6,080,725; 6,074,650;
6,074,646; 6,070,126; 6,063,905; 6,063,564; 6,060,256; 6,060,064;
6,048,530; 6,045,788; 6,043,347; 6,043,248; 6,042,831; 6,037,165;
6,033,672; 6,030,772; 6,030,770; 6,030,618; 6,025,141; 6,025,125;
6,020,468; 6,019,979; 6,017,543; 6,017,537; 6,015,694; 6,015,661;
6,013,484; 6,013,432; 6,007,838; 6,004,811; 6,004,807; 6,004,763;
5,998,132; 5,993,819; 5,989,806; 5,985,926; 5,985,641; 5,985,545;
5,981,537; 5,981,505; 5,981,170; 5,976,551; 5,972,339; 5,965,371;
5,962,428; 5,962,318; 5,961,979; 5,961,970; 5,958,765; 5,958,422;
5,955,647; 5,955,342; 5,951,986; 5,951,975; 5,942,237; 5,939,277;
5,939,074; 5,935,580; 5,928,930; 5,928,913; 5,928,644; 5,928,642;
5,925,513; 5,922,550; 5,922,325; 5,919,458; 5,916,806; 5,916,563;
5,914,395; 5,914,109; 5,912,338; 5,912,176; 5,912,170; 5,906,936;
5,895,650; 5,891,623; 5,888,726; 5,885,580; 5,885,578; 5,879,685;
5,876,731; 5,876,716; 5,874,226; 5,872,012; 5,871,747; 5,869,058;
5,866,694; 5,866,341; 5,866,320; 5,866,319; 5,866,137; 5,861,290;
5,858,740; 5,858,647; 5,858,646; 5,858,369; 5,858,368; 5,858,366;
5,856,185; 5,854,400; 5,853,736; 5,853,725; 5,853,724; 5,852,186;
5,851,829; 5,851,529; 5,849,475; 5,849,288; 5,843,728; 5,843,723;
5,843,640; 5,843,635; 5,840,480; 5,837,510; 5,837,250; 5,837,242;
5,834,599; 5,834,441; 5,834,429; 5,834,256; 5,830,876; 5,830,641;
5,830,475; 5,830,458; 5,830,457; 5,827,749; 5,827,723; 5,824,497;
5,824,304; 5,821,047; 5,817,767; 5,817,754; 5,817,637; 5,817,470;
5,817,318; 5,814,482; 5,807,707; 5,804,604; 5,804,371; 5,800,822;
5,795,955; 5,795,743; 5,795,572; 5,789,388; 5,780,279; 5,780,038;
5,776,703; 5,773,260; 5,770,572; 5,766,844; 5,766,842; 5,766,625;
5,763,574; 5,763,190 5,762,965 5,759,769 5,756,666 5,753,258
5,750,373; 5,747,641; 5,747,526; 5,747,028; 5,736,320; 5,736,146;
5,733,760; 5,731,189; 5,728,385; 5,721,095; 5,716,826; 5,716,637;
5,716,613; 5,714,374; 5,709,879; 5,709,860; 5,709,843; 5,705,331;
5,703,057; 5,702,707; 5,698,178; 5,688,914; 5,686,078; 5,681,831;
5,679,784; 5,674,984; 5,672,472; 5,667,964; 5,667,783; 5,665,536;
5,665,355; 5,660,990; 5,658,745; 5,658,569; 5,643,756; 5,641,624;
5,639,854; 5,639,598; 5,637,677; 5,637,455; 5,633,234; 5,629,153;
5,627,025; 5,622,705; 5,614,413; 5,610,035; 5,607,831; 5,606,026;
5,601,819; 5,597,688; 5,593,972; 5,591,829; 5,591,823; 5,589,466;
5,587,285; 5,585,254; 5,585,250; 5,580,773; 5,580,739; 5,580,563;
5,573,916; 5,571,667; 5,569,468; 5,558,865; 5,556,745; 5,550,052;
5,543,328; 5,541,100; 5,541,057; 5,534,406; 5,529,765; 5,523,232;
5,516,895; 5,514,541; 5,510,264; 5,500,161; 5,480,967; 5,480,966;
5,470,701; 5,468,606; 5,462,852; 5,459,127; 5,449,601; 5,447,838;
5,447,837; 5,439,809; 5,439,792; 5,418,136; 5,399,501; 5,397,695;
5,391,479; 5,384,240; 5,374,519; 5,374,518; 5,374,516; 5,364,933;
5,359,046; 5,356,772; 5,354,654; 5,344,755; 5,335,673; 5,332,567;
5,320,940; 5,317,009; 5,312,902; 5,304,466; 5,296,347; 5,286,852;
5,268,265; 5,264,356; 5,264,342; 5,260,308; 5,256,767; 5,256,561;
5,252,556; 5,230,998; 5,230,887; 5,227,159; 5,225,347; 5,221,610;
5,217,861; 5,208,321; 5,206,136; 5,198,346; 5,185,147; 5,178,865;
5,173,400; 5,173,399; 5,166,050; 5,156,951; 5,135,864; 5,122,446;
5,120,662; 5,103,836; 5,100,777; 5,100,662; 5,093,230; 5,077,284;
5,070,010; 5,068,174; 5,066,782; 5,055,391; 5,043,262; 5,039,604;
5,039,522; 5,030,718; 5,030,555; 5,030,449; 5,019,387; 5,013,556;
5,008,183; 5,004,697; 4,997,772; 4,983,529; 4,983,387; 4,965,069;
4,945,082; 4,921,787; 4,918,166; 4,900,548; 4,888,290; 4,886,742;
4,885,235; 4,870,003; 4,869,903; 4,861,707; 4,853,326; 4,839,288;
4,833,072 and 4,795,739.
[0166] In another embodiment, HIV, or immunogenic fragments
thereof, may be utilized as the HIV epitope. For example, the HIV
nucleotides of U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,393,949, 7,374,877, 7,306,901,
7,303,754, 7,173,014, 7,122,180, 7,078,516, 7,022,814, 6,974,866,
6,958,211, 6,949,337, 6,946,254, 6,896,900, 6,887,977, 6,870,045,
6,803,187, 6,794,129, 6,773,915, 6,768,004, 6,706,268, 6,696,291,
6,692,955, 6,656,706, 6,649,409, 6,627,442, 6,610,476, 6,602,705,
6,582,920, 6,557,296, 6,531,587, 6,531,137, 6,500,623, 6,448,078,
6,429,306, 6,420,545, 6,410,013, 6,407,077, 6,395,891, 6,355,789,
6,335,158, 6,323,185, 6,316,183, 6,303,293, 6,300,056, 6,277,561,
6,270,975, 6,261,564, 6,225,045, 6,222,024, 6,194,391, 6,194,142
6,162,631 6,114,167, 6,114,109, 6,090,392, 6,060,587 6,057,102
6,054,565, 6,043,081, 6,037,165, 6,034,233, 6,033,902, 6,030,769,
6,020,123, 6,015,661, 6,010,895, 6,001,555, 5,985,661, 5,980,900,
5,972,596, 5,939,538, 5,912,338, 5,869,339, 5,866,701, 5,866,694,
5,866,320, 5,866,137, 5,864,027, 5,861,242, 5,858,785, 5,858,651,
5,849,475, 5,843,638, 5,840,480, 5,821,046, 5,801,056, 5,786,177,
5,786,145, 5,773,247, 5,770,703, 5,756,674, 5,741,706, 5,705,612,
5,693,752, 5,688,637, 5,688,511, 5,684,147, 5,665,577, 5,585,263,
5,578,715, 5,571,712, 5,567,603, 5,554,528, 5,545,726, 5,527,895,
5,527,894, 5,223,423, 5,204,259, 5,144,019, 5,051,496 and 4,942,122
are useful for the present invention.
[0167] Any epitope recognized by an HIV antibody may be used in the
present invention. For example, the anti-HIV antibodies of U.S.
Pat. Nos. 6,949,337, 6,900,010, 6,821,744, 6,768,004, 6,613,743,
6,534,312, 6,511,830, 6,489,131, 6,242,197, 6,114,143, 6,074,646,
6,063,564, 6,060,254, 5,919,457, 5,916,806, 5,871,732, 5,824,304,
5,773,247, 5,736,320, 5,637,455, 5,587,285, 5,514,541, 5,317,009,
4,983,529, 4,886,742, 4,870,003 and 4,795,739 are useful for the
present invention. Furthermore, monoclonal anti-HIV antibodies of
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,074,556, 7,074,554, 7,070,787, 7,060,273,
7,045,130, 7,033,593, RE39,057, 7,008,622, 6,984,721, 6,972,126,
6,949,337, 6,946,465, 6,919,077, 6,916,475, 6,911,315, 6,905,680,
6,900,010, 6,825,217, 6,824,975, 6,818,392, 6,815,201, 6,812,026,
6,812,024, 6,797,811, 6,768,004, 6,703,019, 6,689,118, 6,657,050,
6,608,179, 6,600,023, 6,596,497, 6,589,748, 6,569,143, 6,548,275,
6,525,179, 6,524,582, 6,506,384, 6,498,006, 6,489,131, 6,465,173,
6,461,612, 6,458,933, 6,432,633, 6,410,318, 6,406,701, 6,395,275,
6,391,657, 6,391,635, 6,384,198, 6,376,170, 6,372,217, 6,344,545,
6,337,181, 6,329,202, 6,319,665, 6,319,500, 6,316,003, 6,312,931,
6,309,880, 6,296,807, 6,291,239, 6,261,558, 6,248,514, 6,245,331,
6,242,197, 6,241,986, 6,228,361, 6,221,580, 6,190,871, 6,177,253,
6,146,635, 6,146,627, 6,146,614, 6,143,876, 6,132,992, 6,124,132,
RE36,866, 6,114,143, 6,103,238, 6,060,254, 6,039,684, 6,030,772,
6,020,468, 6,013,484, 6,008,044, 5,998,132, 5,994,515, 5,993,812,
5,985,545, 5,981,278, 5,958,765, 5,939,277, 5,928,930, 5,922,325,
5,919,457, 5,916,806, 5,914,109, 5,911,989, 5,906,936, 5,889,158,
5,876,716, 5,874,226, 5,872,012, 5,871,732, 5,866,694, 5,854,400,
5,849,583, 5,849,288, 5,840,480, 5,840,305, 5,834,599, 5,831,034,
5,827,723, 5,821,047, 5,817,767, 5,817,458, 5,804,440, 5,795,572,
5,783,670, 5,776,703, 5,773,225, 5,766,944, 5,753,503, 5,750,373,
5,747,641, 5,736,341, 5,731,189, 5,707,814, 5,702,707, 5,698,178,
5,695,927, 5,665,536, 5,658,745, 5,652,138, 5,645,836, 5,635,345,
5,618,922, 5,610,035, 5,607,847, 5,604,092, 5,601,819, 5,597,896,
5,597,688, 5,591,829, 5,558,865, 5,514,541, 5,510,264, 5,478,753,
5,374,518, 5,374,516, 5,344,755, 5,332,567, 5,300,433, 5,296,347,
5,286,852, 5,264,221, 5,260,308, 5,256,561, 5,254,457, 5,230,998,
5,227,159, 5,223,408, 5,217,895, 5,180,660, 5,173,399, 5,169,752,
5,166,050, 5,156,951, 5,140,105, 5,135,864, 5,120,640, 5,108,904,
5,104,790, 5,049,389, 5,030,718, 5,030,555, 5,004,697, 4,983,529,
4,888,290, 4,886,742 and 4,853,326, are also useful for the present
invention.
[0168] In one example, the epitope is an SIV epitope. It is
understood by one of skill in the art that anything referring to
HIV in the specification also applies to SIV. In an advantageous
embodiment, the SIV epitope is a protein fragment of the present
invention, however, the present invention may encompass additional
SIV antigens, epitopes or immunogens. Advantageously, the SIV
epitope is an SIV antigen, including but not limited to, the SIV
antigens of U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,892,729; 7,886,962; 7,879,914;
7,829,287; 7,794,998; 7,767,455; 7,759,477; 7,758,869; 7,754,420;
7,749,973; 7,748,618; 7,732,124; 7,709,606; 7,700,342; 7,700,273;
7,625,917; 7,622,124; 7,611,721; 7,608,422; 7,601,518; 7,585,675;
7,534,603; 7,511,117; 7,508,781; 7,507,417; 7,479,497; 7,464,352;
7,457,973; 7,442,551; 7,439,052; 7,419,829; 7,407,663; 7,378,515;
7,364,760; 7,312,065; 7,261,876; 7,220,554; 7,211,240; 7,198,935;
7,169,394; 7,098,201; 7,078,516; 7,070,993; 7,048,929; 7,034,010;
RE39,057; 7,022,814; 7,018,638; 6,955,919; 6,933,377; 6,908,617;
6,902,929; 6,846,477; 6,818,442; 6,803,231; 6,800,281; 6,797,811;
6,790,657; 6,712,612; 6,706,729; 6,703,394; 6,682,907; 6,656,706;
6,645,956; 6,635,472; 6,596,539; 6,589,763; 6,562,571; 6,555,523;
6,555,342; 6,541,009; 6,531,574; 6,531,123; 6,503,713; 6,479,281;
6,475,718; 6,469,083; 6,468,539; 6,455,265; 6,448,390; 6,440,730;
6,423,544; 6,365,150; 6,362,000; 6,326,007; 6,322,969; 6,291,664;
6,277,601; 6,261,571; 6,255,312; 6,207,455; 6,194,142; 6,117,656;
6,111,087; 6,107,020; 6,080,846; 6,060,064; 6,046,228; 6,043,081;
6,027,731; 6,020,123; 6,017,536; 6,004,781; 5,994,515; 5,981,259;
5,961,976; 5,950,176; 5,929,222; 5,928,913; 5,912,176; 5,888,726;
5,861,243; 5,861,161; 5,858,366; 5,830,475; 5,817,316; 5,804,196;
5,786,177; 5,759,768; 5,747,324; 5,705,522; 5,705,331; 5,698,446;
5,688,914; 5,688,637; 5,654,195; 5,650,269; 5,631,154; 5,582,967;
5,552,269; 5,512,281; 5,508,166; 5,470,572; 5,312,902; 5,310,651;
5,268,265; 5,254,457; 5,212,084; 5,087,631 and 4,978,687.
[0169] The vectors used in accordance with the present invention
should typically be chosen such that they contain a suitable gene
regulatory region, such as a promoter or enhancer, such that the
antigens of the invention can be expressed.
[0170] When the aim is to express antigens of the invention in vivo
in a subject, for example in order to generate an immune response
against an HIV-1 antigen and/or protective immunity against HIV-1,
expression vectors that are suitable for expression on that
subject, and that are safe for use in vivo, should be chosen. For
example, in some embodiments it may be desired to express the
antibodies and/or antigens of the invention in a laboratory animal,
such as for pre-clinical testing of the HIV-1 immunogenic
compositions and vaccines of the invention. In other embodiments,
it will be desirable to express the antigens of the invention in
human subjects, such as in clinical trials and for actual clinical
use of the immunogenic compositions and vaccine of the invention.
Any vectors that are suitable for such uses can be employed, and it
is well within the capabilities of the skilled artisan to select a
suitable vector. In some embodiments it may be preferred that the
vectors used for these in vivo applications are attenuated to
vector from amplifying in the subject. For example, if plasmid
vectors are used, preferably they will lack an origin of
replication that functions in the subject so as to enhance safety
for in vivo use in the subject. If viral vectors are used,
preferably they are attenuated or replication-defective in the
subject, again, so as to enhance safety for in vivo use in the
subject.
[0171] In preferred embodiments of the present invention viral
vectors are used. Advantageously, the vector is a CMV vector,
preferably lacking at least the glycoprotein US11.
[0172] In preferred embodiments, the viral vectors of the invention
are administered in vivo, for example where the aim is to produce
an immunogenic response in a subject. For example, in some
embodiments it may be desired to express the transgenes of the
invention in a laboratory animal, such as for pre-clinical testing
of the HIV-1 immunogenic compositions and vaccines of the
invention. In other embodiments, it will be desirable to express
the antibodies and/or antigens of the invention in human subjects,
such as in clinical trials and for actual clinical use of the
immunogenic compositions and vaccine of the invention. In preferred
embodiments the subject is a human, for example a human that is
infected with, or is at risk of infection with, HIV-1.
[0173] For such in vivo applications the nucleotide sequences,
antibodies and/or antigens of the invention are preferably
administered as a component of an immunogenic composition which may
comprise the nucleotide sequences and/or antigens of the invention
in admixture with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The
immunogenic compositions of the invention are useful to stimulate
an immune response against HIV-1 and may be used as one or more
components of a prophylactic or therapeutic vaccine against HIV-1
for the prevention, amelioration or treatment of AIDS. The nucleic
acids and vectors of the invention are particularly useful for
providing genetic vaccines, i.e. vaccines for delivering the
nucleic acids encoding the antigens of the invention to a subject,
such as a human, such that the antigens are then expressed in the
subject to elicit an immune response.
[0174] The compositions of the invention may be injectable
suspensions, solutions, sprays, lyophilized powders, syrups,
elixirs and the like. Any suitable form of composition may be used.
To prepare such a composition, a nucleic acid or vector of the
invention, having the desired degree of purity, is mixed with one
or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and/or excipients. The
carriers and excipients must be "acceptable" in the sense of being
compatible with the other ingredients of the composition.
Acceptable carriers, excipients, or stabilizers are nontoxic to
recipients at the dosages and concentrations employed, and include,
but are not limited to, water, saline, phosphate buffered saline,
dextrose, glycerol, ethanol, or combinations thereof, buffers such
as phosphate, citrate, and other organic acids; antioxidants
including ascorbic acid and methionine; preservatives (such as
octadecyldimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride; hexamethonium chloride;
benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride; phenol, butyl or
benzyl alcohol; alkyl parabens such as methyl or propyl paraben;
catechol; resorcinol; cyclohexanol; 3-pentanol; and m-cresol); low
molecular weight (less than about 10 residues) polypeptide;
proteins, such as serum albumin, gelatin, or immunoglobulins;
hydrophilic polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone; amino acids such
as glycine, glutamine, asparagine, histidine, arginine, or lysine;
monosaccharides, disaccharides, and other carbohydrates including
glucose, mannose, or dextrins; chelating agents such as EDTA;
sugars such as sucrose, mannitol, trehalose or sorbitol;
salt-forming counter-ions such as sodium; metal complexes (e.g.,
Zn-protein complexes); and/or non-ionic surfactants such as
TWEEN.RTM. PLURONICS.RTM. or polyethylene glycol (PEG).
[0175] An immunogenic or immunological composition can also be
formulated in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion. The
oil-in-water emulsion can be based, for example, on light liquid
paraffin oil (European Pharmacopea type); isoprenoid oil such as
squalane, squalene, EICOSANE.TM. or tetratetracontane; oil
resulting from the oligomerization of alkene(s), e.g., isobutene or
decene; esters of acids or of alcohols containing a linear alkyl
group, such as plant oils, ethyl oleate, propylene glycol
di(caprylate/caprate), glyceryl tri(caprylate/caprate) or propylene
glycol dioleate; esters of branched fatty acids or alcohols, e.g.,
isostearic acid esters. The oil advantageously is used in
combination with emulsifiers to form the emulsion. The emulsifiers
can be nonionic surfactants, such as esters of sorbitan, mannide
(e.g., anhydromannitol oleate), glycerol, polyglycerol, propylene
glycol, and oleic, isostearic, ricinoleic, or hydroxystearic acid,
which are optionally ethoxylated, and
polyoxypropylene-polyoxyethylene copolymer blocks, such as the
Pluronic.RTM. products, e.g., L121. The adjuvant can be a mixture
of emulsifier(s), micelle-forming agent, and oil such as that which
is commercially available under the name Provax.RTM. (IDEC
Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, Calif.).
[0176] The immunogenic compositions of the invention can contain
additional substances, such as wetting or emulsifying agents,
buffering agents, or adjuvants to enhance the effectiveness of the
vaccines (Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 18th edition, Mack
Publishing Company, (ed.) 1980).
[0177] Adjuvants may also be included. Adjuvants include, but are
not limited to, mineral salts (e.g., AlK(SO.sub.4).sub.2,
AlNa(SO.sub.4).sub.2, AlNH(SO.sub.4).sub.2, silica, alum,
Al(OH).sub.3, Ca.sub.3(PO.sub.4).sub.2, kaolin, or carbon),
polynucleotides with or without immune stimulating complexes
(ISCOMs) (e.g., CpG oligonucleotides, such as those described in
Chuang, T. H. et al., (2002) J. Leuk. Biol. 71(3): 538-44;
Ahmad-Nejad, P. et al. (2002) Eur. J. Immunol. 32(7): 1958-68; poly
IC or poly AU acids, polyarginine with or without CpG (also known
in the art as IC31; see Schellack, C. et al. (2003) Proceedings of
the 34th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Immunology;
Lingnau, K. et al. (2002) Vaccine 20(29-30): 3498-508), JuvaVax
(U.S. Pat. No. 6,693,086), certain natural substances (e.g., wax D
from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, substances found in
Cornyebacterium parvum, Bordetella pertussis, or members of the
genus Brucella), flagellin (Toll-like receptor 5 ligand; see
McSorley, S. J. et al. (2002) J. Immunol. 169(7): 3914-9), saponins
such as QS21, QS17, and QS7 (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,057,540; 5,650,398;
6,524,584; 6,645,495), monophosphoryl lipid A, in particular,
3-de-O-acylated monophosphoryl lipid A (3D-MPL), imiquimod (also
known in the art as IQM and commercially available as Aldara.RTM.);
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,689,338; 5,238,944; Zuber, A. K. et al. (2004)
22(13-14): 1791-8), and the CCRS inhibitor CMPD167 (see Veazey, R.
S. et al. (2003) J. Exp. Med. 198: 1551-1562). Aluminum hydroxide
or phosphate(alum) are commonly used at 0.05 to 0.1% solution in
phosphate buffered saline. Other adjuvants that can be used,
especially with DNA vaccines, are cholera toxin, especially
CTAl-DD/ISCOMs (see Mowat, A. M. et al. (2001) J. Immunol. 167(6):
3398-405), polyphosphazenes (Allcock, H. R. (1998) App.
Organometallic Chem. 12(10-11): 659-666; Payne, L. G. et al. (1995)
Pharm. Biotechnol. 6: 473-93), cytokines such as, but not limited
to, IL-2, IL-4, GM-CSF, IL-12, IL-15 IGF-1, IFN-.alpha.,
IFN-.beta., and IFN-.gamma. (Boyer et al., (2002) J. Liposome Res.
121:137-142; WO01/095919), immunoregulatory proteins such as CD40L
(ADX40; see, for example, WO03/063899), and the CD1a ligand of
natural killer cells (also known as CRONY or .alpha.-galactosyl
ceramide; see Green, T. D. et al., (2003) J. Virol. 77(3):
2046-2055), immunostimulatory fusion proteins such as IL-2 fused to
the Fc fragment of immunoglobulins (Barouch et al., Science
290:486-492, 2000) and co-stimulatory molecules B7.1 and B7.2
(Boyer), all of which can be administered either as proteins or in
the form of DNA, in the same viral vectors as those encoding the
antigens of the invention or on separate expression vectors.
Alternatively, vaccines of the invention may be provided and
administered without any adjuvants.
[0178] The immunogenic compositions can be designed to introduce
the viral vectors to a desired site of action and release it at an
appropriate and controllable rate. Methods of preparing
controlled-release formulations are known in the art. For example,
controlled release preparations can be produced by the use of
polymers to complex or absorb the immunogen and/or immunogenic
composition. A controlled-release formulation can be prepared using
appropriate macromolecules (for example, polyesters, polyamino
acids, polyvinyl, pyrrolidone, ethylenevinylacetate,
methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, or protamine sulfate)
known to provide the desired controlled release characteristics or
release profile. Another possible method to control the duration of
action by a controlled-release preparation is to incorporate the
active ingredients into particles of a polymeric material such as,
for example, polyesters, polyamino acids, hydrogels, polylactic
acid, polyglycolic acid, copolymers of these acids, or ethylene
vinylacetate copolymers. Alternatively, instead of incorporating
these active ingredients into polymeric particles, it is possible
to entrap these materials into microcapsules prepared, for example,
by coacervation techniques or by interfacial polymerization, for
example, hydroxymethylcellulose or gelatin-microcapsule and
poly-(methylmethacrylate) microcapsule, respectively, in colloidal
drug delivery systems (for example, liposomes, albumin
microspheres, microemulsions, nano-particles and nanocapsules) or
in macroemulsions. Such techniques are disclosed in New Trends and
Developments in Vaccines, Voller et al. (eds.), University Park
Press, Baltimore, Md., 1978 and Remington's Pharmaceutical
Sciences, 16th edition.
[0179] Suitable dosages of the viral vectors of the invention
(collectively, the immunogens) in the immunogenic composition of
the invention can be readily determined by those of skill in the
art. For example, the dosage of the immunogens can vary depending
on the route of administration and the size of the subject.
Suitable doses can be determined by those of skill in the art, for
example by measuring the immune response of a subject, such as a
laboratory animal, using conventional immunological techniques, and
adjusting the dosages as appropriate. Such techniques for measuring
the immune response of the subject include but are not limited to,
chromium release assays, tetramer binding assays, IFN-.gamma.
ELISPOT assays, IL-2 ELISPOT assays, intracellular cytokine assays,
and other immunological detection assays, e.g., as detailed in the
text "Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual" by Ed Harlow and David
Lane.
[0180] The immunogenic compositions can be administered using any
suitable delivery method including, but not limited to,
intramuscular, intravenous, intradermal, mucosal, and topical
delivery. Such techniques are well known to those of skill in the
art. More specific examples of delivery methods are intramuscular
injection, intradermal injection, and subcutaneous injection.
However, delivery need not be limited to injection methods.
[0181] Immunization schedules (or regimens) are well known for
animals (including humans) and can be readily determined for the
particular subject and immunogenic composition. Hence, the
immunogens can be administered one or more times to the subject.
Preferably, there is a set time interval between separate
administrations of the immunogenic composition. While this interval
varies for every subject, typically it ranges from 10 days to
several weeks, and is often 2, 4, 6 or 8 weeks. For humans, the
interval is typically from 2 to 6 weeks. In a particularly
advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the interval is
longer, advantageously about 10 weeks, 12 weeks, 14 weeks, 16
weeks, 18 weeks, 20 weeks, 22 weeks, 24 weeks, 26 weeks, 28 weeks,
30 weeks, 32 weeks, 34 weeks, 36 weeks, 38 weeks, 40 weeks, 42
weeks, 44 weeks, 46 weeks, 48 weeks, 50 weeks, 52 weeks, 54 weeks,
56 weeks, 58 weeks, 60 weeks, 62 weeks, 64 weeks, 66 weeks, 68
weeks or 70 weeks.
[0182] The immunization regimes typically have from 1 to 6
administrations of the immunogenic composition, but may have as few
as one or two or four. The methods of inducing an immune response
can also include administration of an adjuvant with the immunogens.
In some instances, annual, biannual or other long interval (5-10
years) booster immunization can supplement the initial immunization
protocol.
[0183] The present methods also include a variety of prime-boost
regimens, for example DNA prime-Adenovirus boost regimens. In these
methods, one or more priming immunizations are followed by one or
more boosting immunizations. The actual immunogenic composition can
be the same or different for each immunization and the type of
immunogenic composition (e.g., containing protein or expression
vector), the route, and formulation of the immunogens can also be
varied. For example, if an expression vector is used for the
priming and boosting steps, it can either be of the same or
different type (e.g., DNA or bacterial or viral expression vector).
One useful prime-boost regimen provides for two priming
immunizations, four weeks apart, followed by two boosting
immunizations at 4 and 8 weeks after the last priming immunization.
It should also be readily apparent to one of skill in the art that
there are several permutations and combinations that are
encompassed using the DNA, bacterial and viral expression vectors
of the invention to provide priming and boosting regimens. In the
event that the viral vectors express US2-11 or some of the genes
encoded in the US2-11 region they can be used repeatedly while
expressing different antigens derived from different pathogens.
[0184] A specific embodiment of the invention provides methods of
inducing an immune response against a pathogen in a subject by
administering an immunogenic composition of the invention,
preferably a CMV vector with a deleterious mutation in at least
US11 encoding one or more of the epitopes of the invention, one or
more times to a subject wherein the epitopes are expressed at a
level sufficient to induce a specific immune response in the
subject. Such immunizations can be repeated multiple times at time
intervals of at least 2, 4 or 6 weeks (or more) in accordance with
a desired immunization regime.
[0185] The immunogenic compositions of the invention can be
administered alone, or can be co-administered, or sequentially
administered, with other antigens, e.g., with "other"
immunological, antigenic or vaccine or therapeutic compositions
thereby providing multivalent or "cocktail" or combination
compositions of the invention and methods of employing them. Again,
the ingredients and manner (sequential or co-administration) of
administration, as well as dosages can be determined taking into
consideration such factors as the age, sex, weight, species and
condition of the particular subject, and the route of
administration.
[0186] When used in combination, the other antigens can be
administered at the same time or at different times as part of an
overall immunization regime, e.g., as part of a prime-boost regimen
or other immunization protocol. In an advantageous embodiment, the
other HIV immunogen is env, preferably the HIV env trimer.
[0187] Although the present invention and its advantages have been
described in detail, it should be understood that various changes,
substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the
appended claims.
EXAMPLES
Example 1: Recombinant Cytomegalovirus Vectors with Improved
Immunogenicity
[0188] During the course of evaluation of Rhesus macaque (Rh)
CMV/SIV vector immunogenicity, SIV epitopes that had been
previously shown to represent dominant targets of CD8+ T cells in
SIV-infected or DNA/Adenovirus/pox vector-vaccinated Rhesus
macaques were not targeted at all by RhCMV/SIV vector-elicited CD8+
T cell responses (by ICS or tetramer staining). These included 9
Mamu A*01-restricted epitopes in 12 animals; 3 Mamu A*02 epitopes
in 4 animals, 1 B*08-epitope in 1 animal, and 3 Mamu B*17-epitopes
in 7 animals (FIG. 1; left). HCMV and RhCMV express 4 related
glycoproteins US2/Rh182, US3/Rh184, US6/Rh185 and US11/Rh189--that
act together with very high efficiency to inhibit presentation of
MHC class I-restricted epitopes by infected cells Powers C et al.,
Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 325, 333-359 (2008); Liu Z et al., Int J
Biochem Cell Biol 41, 503-506 (2009); van der Wal, F J et al., Curr
Top Microbiol Immunol 269, 37-55 (2002); Hewitt E W et al., EMBO J
20, 387-396 (2001); all of which are incorporated by reference
herein.
[0189] The US2-11 region of CMV is shown in FIG. 3. Applicants have
generated one vector that may comprise a deletion encompassing the
US2, US3, and US6 (.DELTA.US2-6) genes and another that may
comprise a deletion of US8, US10, and US11 (.DELTA.US8-11). Each
vector may be generated by BAC-mutagenesis, as described in Hansen
S G et al., 2010 supra. Other constructs may comprise SIVgag,
SIVenv, SIVretanef(rtn), SIVpol, or other exogenous viral,
bacterial, parasitic or cancer-derived antigens in place of US2-US6
or US8-11. Additional constructs include individual mutations
and/or deletions of US2, US3, US6, US8, US10 or US11 with the rest
of US2-11 intact. Such constructs may also include exogenous
antigens.
Example 2--Construction and Characterization of RhCMV.DELTA.US2-6
and RhCMV.DELTA.US8-11
[0190] The vectors Rh186-189 (.DELTA.US8-11), and Rh182-185
(.DELTA.US2-6) were generated through BAC recombineering. BAC
recombineering begins with recombination in E. coli between the
RhCMV strain 68-1 BAC and a PCR product containing the SIV gag or
SIVrtn marker and a kanamycin resistant (KanR) cassette. The KanR
cassette is flanked by FRT sites, and the ends of the PCR product
include between 40-60 base pairs of homology to the ORF to be
deleted. Recombinants are selected with kanamycin, and are then
subjected to arabinose-induced recombination of the FRT sites to
delete the KanR cassette. Therefore, only a gag/rtn marker and a
single FRT scar remain in place of the deleted ORF. This final BAC
product is electroporated into rhesus fibroblasts, from which the
recombinant virus is harvested. The viruses produced by this method
and included in this study are diagrammed in FIGS. 4A and 4B.
[0191] All viruses were thoroughly characterized in vitro. All
recombinant BACs were screened by restriction digest to demonstrate
an intact viral genome. BACs were also screened by PCR to ensure
that the correct ORFs were deleted. Once viruses had been
reconstituted from cell culture, their gene expression profiles,
SIV protein marker expression, and growth kinetics were assayed.
Semi-quantitative RT-PCR confirmed that the knockout strategy had
deleted the appropriate ORFs without affecting surrounding
transcripts or cellular controls GAPDH or .beta.-actin (FIG. 5A).
In addition, Western blot of infected cell lysate confirmed
expression of either SIVgag or SIVrtn (tagged with Flag or V5,
respectively). All infected cell lysates expressed viral protein
IE-I or IE-2 (FIG. 5B).
[0192] RhCMV lacking homologues of HCMV US8-11 causes
superinfection and elicits gag-specific immunodominant responses.
Applicants infected two Mamu A*O1 RhCMV-seropositive rhesus
macaques (RM) with a virus containing a targeted deletion within
the Rh182-189 region that lacked the ORFs Rh186-Rh189
(corresponding to HCMV US8-11) but contained the exogenous antigen
SIVgag driven by the EF1.alpha. promoter (.DELTA.US8-11gag) (FIGS.
4A and 4B). This virus still contains the majority of the MHC-I
inhibitors, including homologues to HCMV US2, US3, and US6. The
.DELTA.US8-11gag was able to overcome preexisting immunity to RhCMV
and superinfect both Mamu A*01 RM, as determined by multiparameter
flow cytometry of PBMCs and BAL collected from the two animals
(FIG. 6A). In addition, both animals developed SIVgag-specific PBMC
and BAL CD4+ and CD8+ T cells responses within 2 weeks of
.DELTA.US8-11gag inoculation (FIG. 6B). The total SIVgag-specific T
cell responses were measured by using a pool of overlapping
peptides. Strikingly, both RM developed the same Mamu
A*01-restricted SIVgag immunodominant responses seen with
.DELTA.US2-11gag (FIGS. 1 and 6C). These data show that
US8-11-deleted vectors can super-infect but also induce T cells to
immunodominant epitopes.
Example 3--CMV Vectors Lacking US8-11 are Able to Super-Infect
CMV-Positive Rhesus Macaques (RM) and CMV/SIV Vectors Lacking
US8-11 Induce a Long-Term CD8+ T Cell Response to Typical
Immune-Dominant SIV Epitopes
[0193] Four CMV-positive RM were inoculated subcutaneously with 107
plaque-forming units (PFU) of recombinant .DELTA.US8-11RhCMV/rtn
and .DELTA.US8-11RhCMV/gag vector. Blood or BAL was collected at
the indicated days and T cell responses were analyzed on the same
day. In FIG. 7A, CD8+ T cell responses frequencies to the SIV
antigens SIVgag and SIVrtn (fusion of rev-tat-nef) determined by
flow cytometric analysis of intracellular cytokine staining for
CD8+ T cells and the activation markers CD69, TNF-.alpha. and
IFN-.gamma. after stimulation of PBMC with overlapping peptides
covering the SIV antigens. The percentage of the responding, SIVrtn
or SIVgag-specific T cells within the overall memory subset in both
the blood (left) and BAL (right) fractions are shown for each time
point as the mean for all four RM (+/-SEM). The development and
persistence of T cell responses against SIVrtn and SIVgag indicates
the ability of US8-11-deleted vectors to super-infect CMV+RM. In
FIG. 7B, CD8+ T cell responses frequencies to the immunodominant
Mamu A*OI-restricted epitopes SIVtat(SL8) and SIVgag(CM9)
determined by flow cytometric analysis of intracellular cytokine
staining for CD8+ T cells and the activation markers CD69,
TNF-.alpha. and IFN-.gamma. after stimulation of PBMC with SL8 and
CM9 9-mer peptides. The percentage of the responding, SIVtat(SL8)
or SIVgag(CM9) specific T cells within the overall memory subset in
both the blood (left) and BAL (right) fractions are shown for each
time point as the mean for all four RM (+/-SEM). The development of
T cell responses against immunodominant epitopes tatSL8 and gagCM9
indicates the ability of US8-11-deleted vectors to elicit CD8+ T
cell responses to immunodominant epitopes that are not targeted for
CD8+ T cell responses by wildtype RhCMVrtn- or RhCMgag-expressing
vectors.
Example 4--CMV Vectors Lacking US2-6 are Able to Super-Infect
CMV-Positive Rhesus Macaques (RM) but do not Induce a CD8+ T Cell
Response to Typical Immune-Dominant SIV Epitopes
[0194] Four CMV-positive RM were inoculated subcutaneously with
10.sup.7 plaque-forming units (PFU) of recombinant
.DELTA.US2-6RhCMV/rtn and .DELTA.US2-6RhCMV/gag vector. Blood or
BAL was collected at the indicated days and T cell responses were
analyzed on the same day. In FIG. 8A, CD8+ T cell responses
frequencies to the SIV antigens SIVgag and SIVrtn (fusion of
rev-tat-nef) determined by flow cytometric analysis of
intracellular cytokine staining for CD8+ T cells and the activation
markers CD69, TNF-.alpha. and IFN-.gamma. after stimulation of PBMC
with overlapping peptides covering the SIV antigens. The percentage
of the responding, SIVrtn or SIVgag-specific T cells within the
overall memory subset in the blood (left) and BAL (right) fractions
are shown for each time point as the mean for all four RM (+/-SEM).
The development and persistence of T cell responses against SIVrtn
and SIVgag indicates the ability of US2-6-deleted vectors to
super-infect CMV+RM. In FIG. 7B, CD8+ T cell responses frequencies
to the immunodominant Mamu A*01-restricted epitopes SIVtat(SL8) and
SIVgag(CM9) determined by flow cytometric analysis of intracellular
cytokine staining for CD8+ T cells and the activation markers CD69,
TNF-.alpha. and IFN-.gamma. after stimulation of PBMC with SL8 and
CM9 9-mer peptides. The percentage of the responding, SIVtat(SL8)
or SIVgag(CM9) specific T cells within the overall memory subset in
the blood (left) and BAL (right) fractions are shown for each time
point as the mean for all four RM (+/-SEM). The lack of T cell
responses against immunodominant epitopes tatSL8 and gagCM9
indicates that US2-6-deleted vectors are unable to induce CD8+ T
cell responses to immunodominant epitopes similar to wildtype
RhCMVrtn- or RhCMgag-expressing vectors.
Example 5--Deletion of Rh189(US11) by Gag-Insertion in
RhCMV-Retanef
[0195] FIG. 9A shows a schematic representation of the construct
RTNA189gag. The inhibitor of antigen presentation Rh189 (US11) was
deleted by insertion of a promoterless SIVgag. SIVretanef was
inserted between Rh213 and 214 and is driven by the EF1.alpha.
promoter as described (Hansen et al. Nat. Med. 2009).
[0196] FIG. 9B shows a verification of Rh189-deletion and SIVgag
insertion by polymerase chain reaction. Lysates of rhesus
fibroblasts uninfected or infected with the indicated viruses were
subjected to PCR using primers specific for the indicated inserts.
Note that construct RTN.DELTA.Rh189gag does not yield a
Rh189-specific DNA fragment, only non-specific bands also found in
uninfected cells. In contrast, probing for SIVgag or for the
neighboring open reading frame Rh190 results in a specific PCR
product.
[0197] FIG. 9C shows an Immunoblot for SIVretanef. Lysates of
fibroblasts infected with the indicated viruses were separated by
SDS-PAGE and after transfer onto immunoblot membranes probed with
an antibody against the V5-epitope that is fused to the rev-tat-nef
(rtn) fusion protein of SIV. Note that only in viruses expressing
SIVrtn the respective protein is detectable.
Example 6--FIG. 10: RhCMV Lacking Rh189(US11) is Able to
Super-Infect CMV+ Animals and Induces an Immune Response Against
Immunodominant SIV Epitopes
[0198] A CMV-positive RM was inoculated subcutaneously with
10.sup.7 plaque-forming units (PFU) of recombinant
RhCMV/RTNA189gag. The Figure shows CD8+ T cell responses
frequencies to overlapping peptides of SIVrtn a fusion of rev/tat
and nef or against the immunodominant Mamu A*01-restricted epitope
SL8 of SIVtat as determined by flow cytometric analysis of
intracellular cytokine staining for CD8+ T cells and the activation
markers TNF-.alpha. and IFN-.gamma. after stimulation of peripheral
blood (top panels) and BAL T cells (bottom panels) with peptides.
Depicted are T cells from a representative RM responding to SIVrtn
(left panels) or SIVtat(SL8) (right panels). The upper and lower
right quadrants of the flow cytometric profiles indicate the net
percentage of the total CD8+ T cell population responding to the
designated antigen with production of both TNF and IFN-.gamma. or
TNF alone, respectively.
[0199] Having thus described in detail preferred embodiments of the
present invention, it is to be understood that the invention
defined by the above paragraphs is not to be limited to particular
details set forth in the above description as many apparent
variations thereof are possible without departing from the spirit
or scope of the present invention.
TABLE-US-00001 SEQUENCE LISTING US2 Protein SEQ ID NO: 1 1
mnnlwkawvg lwtsmgplir lpdgitkage dalrpwksta khpwfqiedn rcyidngklf
61 argsivgnms rfvfdpkady ggvgenlyvh addvefvpge slkwnvrnld
vmpifetlal 121 rlvlqgdviw lrcvpelrvd ytssaymwnm qygmvrksyt
hvawtivfys initllvlfi 181 vyvtvdcnls mmwmrffvc U5S3 Protein SEQ ID
NO: 2 1 mkpvlvlail avlflrlads vprpldvvvs eirsahfrve enqcwfhmgm
lhykgrmsgn 61 ftekhfvsvg ivsgsymdrl qvsgegyhhd ergayfewni
gghpvphtvd mvditlstrw 121 gdpkkyaacv pqvrmdyssq tinwylqrsi
rddnwgllfr tllvylfslv vlvlltvgvs 181 arlrfi US6 Protein SEQ ID NO:
3 1 mdllirlgfl lmcalptpge rssrdpitll slsprqqacv prtksyrpvc
yndtgdctda 61 ddswkqlsed fahgclqaak krpkthksrp ndrnlegrlt
cgrvsrllpc dldihpshrl 121 ltlmndcvcd gavwnafrli erhgffavtl
ylccgitllv vilallcsit yestgrgirr 181 cgs US11 Protein SEQ ID NO: 4
1 mnlvmlilal wapvagsmpe lsltlfdepp plveteplpp lpdvseyrve ssearcvlrs
61 ggrlealwtl rgnlsvptpt prvyyqtleg yadrvptpve dvseslvakr
ywlrdyrvpq 121 rtklvlfyfs pchqcqtyyv eceprclvpw vplwssledi
erllfedrrl mayyaltiks 181 aqytlmmvav iqvfwglyvk gwlhrhfpwm fsdqw
Sequence CWU 1
1
41199PRTCytomegalovirus 1Met Asn Asn Leu Trp Lys Ala Trp Val Gly
Leu Trp Thr Ser Met Gly1 5 10 15Pro Leu Ile Arg Leu Pro Asp Gly Ile
Thr Lys Ala Gly Glu Asp Ala 20 25 30Leu Arg Pro Trp Lys Ser Thr Ala
Lys His Pro Trp Phe Gln Ile Glu 35 40 45Asp Asn Arg Cys Tyr Ile Asp
Asn Gly Lys Leu Phe Ala Arg Gly Ser 50 55 60Ile Val Gly Asn Met Ser
Arg Phe Val Phe Asp Pro Lys Ala Asp Tyr65 70 75 80Gly Gly Val Gly
Glu Asn Leu Tyr Val His Ala Asp Asp Val Glu Phe 85 90 95Val Pro Gly
Glu Ser Leu Lys Trp Asn Val Arg Asn Leu Asp Val Met 100 105 110Pro
Ile Phe Glu Thr Leu Ala Leu Arg Leu Val Leu Gln Gly Asp Val 115 120
125Ile Trp Leu Arg Cys Val Pro Glu Leu Arg Val Asp Tyr Thr Ser Ser
130 135 140Ala Tyr Met Trp Asn Met Gln Tyr Gly Met Val Arg Lys Ser
Tyr Thr145 150 155 160His Val Ala Trp Thr Ile Val Phe Tyr Ser Ile
Asn Ile Thr Leu Leu 165 170 175Val Leu Phe Ile Val Tyr Val Thr Val
Asp Cys Asn Leu Ser Met Met 180 185 190Trp Met Arg Phe Phe Val Cys
1952186PRTCytomegalovirus 2Met Lys Pro Val Leu Val Leu Ala Ile Leu
Ala Val Leu Phe Leu Arg1 5 10 15Leu Ala Asp Ser Val Pro Arg Pro Leu
Asp Val Val Val Ser Glu Ile 20 25 30Arg Ser Ala His Phe Arg Val Glu
Glu Asn Gln Cys Trp Phe His Met 35 40 45Gly Met Leu His Tyr Lys Gly
Arg Met Ser Gly Asn Phe Thr Glu Lys 50 55 60His Phe Val Ser Val Gly
Ile Val Ser Gln Ser Tyr Met Asp Arg Leu65 70 75 80Gln Val Ser Gly
Glu Gln Tyr His His Asp Glu Arg Gly Ala Tyr Phe 85 90 95Glu Trp Asn
Ile Gly Gly His Pro Val Pro His Thr Val Asp Met Val 100 105 110Asp
Ile Thr Leu Ser Thr Arg Trp Gly Asp Pro Lys Lys Tyr Ala Ala 115 120
125Cys Val Pro Gln Val Arg Met Asp Tyr Ser Ser Gln Thr Ile Asn Trp
130 135 140Tyr Leu Gln Arg Ser Ile Arg Asp Asp Asn Trp Gly Leu Leu
Phe Arg145 150 155 160Thr Leu Leu Val Tyr Leu Phe Ser Leu Val Val
Leu Val Leu Leu Thr 165 170 175Val Gly Val Ser Ala Arg Leu Arg Phe
Ile 180 1853183PRTCytomegalovirus 3Met Asp Leu Leu Ile Arg Leu Gly
Phe Leu Leu Met Cys Ala Leu Pro1 5 10 15Thr Pro Gly Glu Arg Ser Ser
Arg Asp Pro Ile Thr Leu Leu Ser Leu 20 25 30Ser Pro Arg Gln Gln Ala
Cys Val Pro Arg Thr Lys Ser Tyr Arg Pro 35 40 45Val Cys Tyr Asn Asp
Thr Gly Asp Cys Thr Asp Ala Asp Asp Ser Trp 50 55 60Lys Gln Leu Ser
Glu Asp Phe Ala His Gln Cys Leu Gln Ala Ala Lys65 70 75 80Lys Arg
Pro Lys Thr His Lys Ser Arg Pro Asn Asp Arg Asn Leu Glu 85 90 95Gly
Arg Leu Thr Cys Gln Arg Val Ser Arg Leu Leu Pro Cys Asp Leu 100 105
110Asp Ile His Pro Ser His Arg Leu Leu Thr Leu Met Asn Asp Cys Val
115 120 125Cys Asp Gly Ala Val Trp Asn Ala Phe Arg Leu Ile Glu Arg
His Gly 130 135 140Phe Phe Ala Val Thr Leu Tyr Leu Cys Cys Gly Ile
Thr Leu Leu Val145 150 155 160Val Ile Leu Ala Leu Leu Cys Ser Ile
Thr Tyr Glu Ser Thr Gly Arg 165 170 175Gly Ile Arg Arg Cys Gly Ser
1804215PRTCytomegalovirus 4Met Asn Leu Val Met Leu Ile Leu Ala Leu
Trp Ala Pro Val Ala Gly1 5 10 15Ser Met Pro Glu Leu Ser Leu Thr Leu
Phe Asp Glu Pro Pro Pro Leu 20 25 30Val Glu Thr Glu Pro Leu Pro Pro
Leu Pro Asp Val Ser Glu Tyr Arg 35 40 45Val Glu Ser Ser Glu Ala Arg
Cys Val Leu Arg Ser Gly Gly Arg Leu 50 55 60Glu Ala Leu Trp Thr Leu
Arg Gly Asn Leu Ser Val Pro Thr Pro Thr65 70 75 80Pro Arg Val Tyr
Tyr Gln Thr Leu Glu Gly Tyr Ala Asp Arg Val Pro 85 90 95Thr Pro Val
Glu Asp Val Ser Glu Ser Leu Val Ala Lys Arg Tyr Trp 100 105 110Leu
Arg Asp Tyr Arg Val Pro Gln Arg Thr Lys Leu Val Leu Phe Tyr 115 120
125Phe Ser Pro Cys His Gln Cys Gln Thr Tyr Tyr Val Glu Cys Glu Pro
130 135 140Arg Cys Leu Val Pro Trp Val Pro Leu Trp Ser Ser Leu Glu
Asp Ile145 150 155 160Glu Arg Leu Leu Phe Glu Asp Arg Arg Leu Met
Ala Tyr Tyr Ala Leu 165 170 175Thr Ile Lys Ser Ala Gln Tyr Thr Leu
Met Met Val Ala Val Ile Gln 180 185 190Val Phe Trp Gly Leu Tyr Val
Lys Gly Trp Leu His Arg His Phe Pro 195 200 205Trp Met Phe Ser Asp
Gln Trp 210 215
* * * * *