3400results about "DNA/RNA vaccination" patented technology

The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a modified mRNA that is stabilised by sequence modifications and optimised for translation. The pharmaceutical composition according to the invention is particularly well suited for use as an inoculating agent, as well as a therapeutic agent for tissue regeneration. In addition, a process is described for determining sequence modifications that promote stabilisation and translational efficiency of modified mRNA of the invention.

A method is disclosed for enhanced vaccination and genetic vaccination of mammals. The vaccination is accomplished by delivering molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids into skeletal muscle and other cells residing in the skeletal muscle in vivo. The protein or nucleic acid is first injected into the muscle at one or multiple sites. Immediately or shortly after injection, electrodes are placed flanking the injection site and a specific amount of electrical current is passed through the muscle. The electrical current makes the muscle permeable, thus allowing the pharmaceutical drug or nucleic acid to enter the cell. The efficiency of transfer permits robust immune responses using DNA vaccines and produces sufficient secreted proteins for systemic biological activity to be observed.

The present invention is directed to (the use of) a solution containing at least one nucleic acid (sequence) and free mannose for lyophilization, transfection and / or injection, particularly of RNA and mRNA. The inventive solution exhibits a positive effect on stabilization of the nucleic acid (sequence) during lyophilization and storage but also leads to a considerable increase of the transfection efficiency of a nucleic acid. It thus also increases in vivo expression of a protein encoded by such a nucleic acid upon increased transfection rate. The present invention is furthermore directed to a method of lyophilization using the mannose-containing solution, to pharmaceutical compositions, vaccines, kits, first and second medical uses applying such a mannose-containing solution and / or a nucleic acid (sequence) lyophilized or resuspended with such a solution.

Disclosed and claimed are methods of non-invasive genetic immunization in an animal and / or methods of inducing a systemic immune or therapeutic response in an animal, products therefrom and uses for the methods and products therefrom. The methods can include contacting skin of the animal with a vector in an amount effective to induce the systemic immune or therapeutic response in the animal. The vector can include and express an exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding an epitope or gene product of interest. The systemic immune response can be to or from the epitope or gene product. The nucleic acid molecule can encode an epitope of interest and / or an antigen of interest and / or a nucleic acid molecule that stimulates and / or modulates an immunological response and / or stimulates and / or modulates expression, e.g., transcription and / or translation, such as transcription and / or translation of an endogenous and / or exogenous nucleic acid molecule; e.g., one or more of influenza hemagglutinin, influenza nuclear protein, tetanus toxin C-fragment, anthrax protective antigen, HIV gp 120, human carcinoembryonic antigen, and / or a therapeutic, an immunomodulatory gene, such as co-stimulatory gene and / or a cytokine gene. The immune response can be induced by the vector expressing the nucleic acid molecule in the animal's cells. The immune response can be against a pathogen or a neoplasm. A prophylactic vaccine or a therapeutic vaccine or an immunological composition can include the vector.

It was the object of the present invention to provide RNA with increased stability and translation efficiency and means for obtaining such RNA. It should be possible to obtain increased grades of expression by using said RNA in gene therapy approaches.

The present invention is directed to microparticles, to microparticle compositions containing the same, to methods of forming the same, and to uses for the same, including use for a vaccine, for raising an immune response, for treatment of a disease and for diagnosis of a disease. The microparticles comprise a biodegradable polymer, such as a poly(α-hydroxy acid), a polyhydroxy butyric acid, a polycaprolactone, a polyorthoester, a polyanhydride, or a polycyanoacrylate, and a detergent selected from a cationic detergent and an anionic detergent. The microparticles further comprise an antigen adsorbed on the surface of the microparticle.

Polypeptides, polynucleotides, methods, compositions, and vaccines comprising influenza hemagglutinin and neuraminidase variants are provided.

Porcine circovirus-2 (PCV-2) is a recently identified agent wherein the potential spectrum of PCV-2-associated disease has been expanded by evidence of vertical and sexual transmission and associated reproductive failure in swine populations. PCV-2 was isolated from a litter of aborted piglets from a farm experiencing late term abortions and stillbirths. Severe, diffuse myocarditis was present in one piglet associated with extensive immunohistochemical staining for PCV-2 antigen. Variable amounts of PCV-2 antigen were also present in liver, lung and kidney of multiple fetuses. Inoculation of female pigs with a composition including an immunogen from PCV-2 or an epitope of interest from such an immunogen or with a vector expressing such an immunogen or epitope of interest prior to breeding, such as within the first five weeks of life, or prior to the perinatal period, or repeatedly over a lifetime, or during pregnancy, such as between the 6th and 8th and / or the 10th and 13th weeks of gestation, can prevent myocarditis, abortion and intrauterine infection associated with porcine circovirus-2. In addition, innoculation of male and / or female pigs with the aforementioned compositions can be carried out to prevent transmission of PCV-2 from male to female (or vice versa) during mating. Thus, the invention involves methods and compositions for preventing myocarditis, abortion and intrauterine infection associated with porcine circovirus-2.

The invention relates to methods for preventing or reducing antigen-stimulated, granulocyte-mediated inflammation in tissue of an antigen-sensitized mammal host by delivering an immunostimulatory oligonucleotide to the host. In addition, methods for using the immunostimulatory oligonucleotides to boost a mammal host's immune responsiveness to a sensitizing antigen (without immunization of the host by the antigen) and shifting the host's immune responsiveness to a Th1 phenotype to achieve various therapeutic ends are provided. Kits for practicing the methods of the invention are also provided.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for the prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of cancer, especially carcinomas, such as breast carcinoma. The invention discloses peptides, polypeptides, and polynucleotides that can be used to stimulate a CTL response against breast or cancer.

Disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions and methods for preventing or treating a number of amyloid diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, prion diseases, familial amyloid neuropathies and the like. The pharmaceutical compositions include immunologically reactive amounts of amyloid fibril components, particularly fibril-forming peptides or proteins. Also disclosed are therapeutic compositions and methods which use immune reagents that react with such fibril components.

Fully human antibodies and antigen-binding portions thereof that bind to human 4-1BB and that allow binding of human 4-1BB to a human 4-1BB ligand. In one aspect, the antibody is an IgG4 antibody. Also provided is a method for treating a disease in a subject comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody to said subject.

Vaccines that target one or more antigens to a cell surface receptor improve the antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune response. Antigen(s) linked to a domain that binds to a cell surface receptor are internalized, carrying antigen(s) into an intracellular compartment where the antigen(s) are digested into peptides and loaded onto MHC molecules. T cells specific for the peptide antigens are activated, leading to an enhanced immune response. The vaccine may comprise antigen(s) linked to a domain that binds at least one receptor or a DNA plasmid encoding antigen(s) linked to a domain that binds at least one receptor. A preferred embodiment of the invention targets HIV-1 env antigen to the CD40 receptor, resulting in delivery of antigen to CD40 positive cells, and selective activation of the CD40 receptor on cells presenting HIV-1 env antigens to T cells.

The present invention relates to infectious DNA clones, infectious chimeric DNA clones of porcine circovirus (PCV), vaccines and means of protecting pigs against viral infection or postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) caused by PCV2. The new chimeric infectious DNA clone and its derived, avirulent chimeric virus are constructed from the nonpathogenic PCV1 in which the immunogenic ORF gene of the pathogenic PCV2 replaces a gene of the nonpathogenic PCV1, preferably in the same position. The chimeric virus advantageously retains the nonpathogenic phenotype of PCV1 but elicits specific immune responses against the pathogenic PCV2. The invention further embraces the immunogenic polypeptide expression products. In addition, the invention encompasses two mutations in the PCV2 immunogenic capsid gene and protein, and the introduction of the ORF2 mutations in the chimeric clones.

The invention provides improved agents and methods for treatment of diseases associated with amyloid deposits of Aβ in the brain of a patient. Preferred agents include humanized antibodies.

Disclosed and claimed are methods of non-invasive genetic immunization in an animal and / or methods of inducing a systemic immune or therapeutic response in an animal, products therefrom and uses for the methods and products therefrom. The methods can include contacting skin of the animal with a vector in an amount effective to induce the systemic immune or therapeutic response in the animal. The vector can include and express an exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding an epitope or gene product of interest. The systemic immune response can be to or from the epitope or gene product. The nucleic acid molecule can encode an epitope of interest and / or an antigen of interest and / or a nucleic acid molecule that stimulates and / or modulates an immunological response and / or stimulates and / or modulates expression, e.g., transcription and / or translation, such as transcription and / or translation of an endogenous and / or exogenous nucleic acid molecule; e.g., one or more of influenza hemagglutinin, influenza nuclear protein, influenza M2, tetanus toxin C-fragment, anthrax protective antigen, anthrax lethal factor, rabies glycoprotein, HBV surface antigen, HIV gp 120, HIV gp 160, human carcinoembryonic antigen, malaria CSP, malaria SSP, malaria MSP, malaria pfg, and mycobacterium tuberculosis HSP; and / or a therapeutic, an immunomodulatory gene, such as co-stimulatory gene and / or a cytokine gene. The immune response can be induced by the vector expressing the nucleic acid molecule in the animal's cells. The animal's cells can be epidermal cells. The immune response can be against a pathogen or a neoplasm. A prophylactic vaccine or a therapeutic vaccine or an immunological composition can include the vector. The animal can be a vertebrate, e.g., a mammal, such as human, a cow, a horse, a dog, a cat, a goat, a sheep or a pig; or fowl such as turkey, chicken or duck. The vector can be one or more of a viral vector, including viral coat, e.g., with some or all viral genes deleted therefrom, bacterial, protozoan, transposon, retrotransposon, and DNA vector, e.g., a recombinant vector; for instance, an adenovirus, such as an adenovirus defective in its E1 and / or E3 and / or E4 region(s). The method can encompass applying a delivery device including the vector to the skin of the animal, as well as such a method further including disposing the vector in and / or on the delivery device. The vector can have all viral genes deleted therefrom. The vector can induce a therapeutic and / or an anti-tumor effect in the animal, e.g., by expressing an oncogene, a tumor-suppressor gene, or a tumor-associated gene. Immunological products generated by the expression, e.g., antibodies, cells from the methods, and the expression products, are likewise useful in in vitro and ex vivo applications, and such immunological and expression products and cells and applications are disclosed and claimed. Methods for expressing a gene product in vivo and products therefor and therefrom including mucosal and / or intranasal administration of an adenovirus, advantageously an E1 and / or E3 and / or E4 defective or deleted adenovirus, such as a human adenovirus or canine adenovirus, are also disclosed and claimed.

Embodiments relate to methods and compositions for eliciting, enhancing, and sustaining immune responses, preferably against MHC class I-restricted epitopes. The methods and compositions can be used for prophylactic or therapeutic purposes.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for treating infectious diseases and genetic disorders through gene therapy and intracellular delivery of antisense oligonucleotides or other nucleic acid sequences. The present invention comprises a therapeutic delivery composition effective for treating a disease state comprising an administerable admixture of an effective amount of a therapeutic compound capable of altering nucleic acid sequence function and an effective amount of a block copolymer having the following general formula: 1 wherein: the mean aggregate molecular weight of the portion of the octablock copolymer represented by polyoxypropylene is between about 5000 and about 7000 Daltons; a is a number such that the portion represented by polyoxyethylene constitutes between about 10% to about 40% of the compound by weight; and b is a number such that the polyoxypropylene portion of the total molecular weight of the octablock copolymer constitutes between about 60% and about 90% of the compound by weight. The present invention also includes compositions and methods using biologically active nonionic reverse block copolymers. The reverse copolymers have an inner core of polyoxypropylene (POP) that is flanked on either end by polyoxyethylene (POE). The reverse block copolymers have the following formula: 2 wherein "b" represents a number such that the molecular weight of the hydrophobe (C.sub.3H.sub.6O).sub.b is between approximately 2,000 and 10,000, and "a" represents a number such that the percentage of hydrophile (C.sub.2H.sub.4O).sub.a is between approximately 5% and 30%.

RNA encoding an immunogen is delivered to a large mammal at a dose of between 2 μg and 100 μg. Thus the invention provides a method of raising an immune response in a large mammal, comprising administering to the mammal a dose of between 2 μg and 100 μg of immunogen-encoding RNA. Similarly, RNA encoding an immunogen can be delivered to a large mammal at a dose of 3 ng / kg to 150 ng / kg. The delivered RNA can elicit an immune response in the large mammal

The present invention relates generally to adjuvants, and in particular to methods and products utilizing a synergistic combination of immunostimulatory oligonucleotides having at least one unmethylated CpG dinucleotide (CpG ODN) and a non-nucleic acid adjuvant. Such combinations of adjuvants may be used with an antigen or alone. The present invention also relates to methods and products utilizing immunostimulatory oligonucleotides having at least one unmethylated CpG dinucleotide (CpG ODN) for induction of cellular immunity in infants.

This invention uses our knowledge of the mechanisms by which antigen is recognized by T cells to identify and prepare human papillomavirus (HPV) epitopes, and to develop epitope-based vaccines directed towards HPV. More specifically, this application communicates our discovery of pharmaceutical compositions and methods of use in the prevention and treatment of HPV infection.

Disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions and methods for preventing or treating a number of amyloid diseases, including Alzheimer's disesase, prion diseases, familial amyloid neuropathies and the like. The pharmaceutical compositions include immunologically reactive amounts of amyloid fibril components, particularly fibril-forming peptides or proteins. Also disclosed are therapeutic compositions and methods which use immune reagents that react with such fibril components.

An apparatus and method for transdermally delivering a vaccine comprising a delivery system having (i) a microprojection member (or system) that includes a plurality of microprojections (or array thereof) that are adapted to pierce through the stratum corneum into the underlying epidermis layer, or epidermis and dermis layers and (ii) an ultrasonic device. In one embodiment, the vaccine is contained in a biocompatible coating that is applied to the microprojection member. In a further embodiment, the delivery system includes a gel pack having a vaccine-containing hydrogel formulation that is disposed on the microprojection member after application to the skin of a patient. In an alternative embodiment, the vaccine is contained in both the coating and the hydrogel formulation.

A mutant cholera holotoxin featuring a point mutation at amino acid 29 of the A subunit, wherein the glutamic acid residue is replaced by an amino acid other than aspartic acid, is useful as an adjuvant in an antigenic composition to enhance the immune response in a vertebrate host to a selected antigen from a pathogenic bacterium, virus, fungus or parasite. In a particular embodiment, the amino acid 29 is histidine. The mutant cholera holotoxin may contain at least one additional mutation in the A subunit at a position other than amino acid 29. The antigenic composition may include a second adjuvant in addition to the mutant cholera holotoxin.

A method for in vivo down-regulation of amyloid protein in an animal, including a human being, the method comprising effecting presentation to the animal's immune system of an immunogenically effective amount of at least one amyloidogenic polypeptide or subsequence thereof which has been formulated so that immunization of the animal with the amyloidgenic polypeptide or subsequence thereof induces production of antibodies against the amyloidogenic polypeptide, and / or at least one analogue of the amyloidogenic polypeptide wherein is introduced at least one modification in the amino acid sequence of the amyloidogenic polypeptide which has as a result the immunization of the animal with the analogue induces production of antibodies against the amyloidogenic polypeptide.

Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for enhancing the immunogenicity of a preselected protein or peptide antigen in a mammal. Immunogenicity is enhanced by fusing the preselected antigen to an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region to produce an Fc-antigen fusion protein. The Fc-antigen fusion proteins bind Fc receptors on the surface of antigen presenting cells, thereby targeting the antigen to the antigen presenting cells in the mammal. In addition, disclosed is a family of adjuvants, for example, an Fc-adjuvant fusion protein, for use in combination with the Fc-antigen fusion proteins to enhance or modulate a particular immune response against the preselected antigen.

This invention discloses immunostimulatory combinations of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily (TN-FRSF) agonists, Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) agonists, “domain present in NAIP, CIITA, HET-E, TP-I (NACHT)-Leucine Rich Repeat (LRR)” or “NLR” agonists, RIG-I-Like Helicase or “RLH” agonists, purinergic receptor agonists and cytokine / chemokine receptor agonists, together with delivery methods. The combinations, when used alone at the site of pathology, provide immunostimulation that induces host humoral and cellular immunologic responses to eliminate pathogens or neoplasms. Alternatively, when the combinations are used with a defined antigens, these combinations can induce focused humoral and cellular immunologic responses useful as prophylactic and / or ameliorative therapeutic modalities for infections and the treatment of neoplastic disorders.