METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS USEFUL IN THE GENERATION OF NON-CANONICAL CD8+ T LYMPHOCYTE RESPONSES

Abstract

The invention relates to methods for inducing a CD8+ T-cell response to a heterologous antigen in which at least 10% of the CD8+ T cells are restricted by MHC-e. The method consists of immunizing with a CMV vector that does not express the UL128 and UL130 proteins. The invention also relates to recombinant CMV vectors comprising nucleic acids encoding a heterologous protein antigen, a UL40 protein, and a US28 protein, but not expressing an active UL128 and UL130 protein. The invention also relates to recombinant CMV vectors comprising nucleic acids encoding a heterologous protein antigen, but not expressing an active UL40 protein, a UL128 protein, a UL130 protein, and optionally, a US28 protein.The invention also relates to recombinant cmv vectors comprising nucleic acids encoding a heterologous protein antigen, but not expressing an active us28 protein, a ul128 protein, a ul130 protein and optionally a ul40 protein.