Dual purpose universal influenza vaccine confers protective immunity against anthrax
AssigneeTexas Tech University System
InventorsMingtao Zeng, Maria T. Arevalo, Junwei Li
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Abstract
The present invention includes antigenic fusion proteins, nucleic acids encoding the fusion proteins and methods of making and using the same, wherein the fusion protein comprises three or more different influenza A ectodomains of Matrix Protein 2 (M2e); one or more stem regions of an influenza A hemagglutinin 2 (HA2) protein; and optionally an anthrax antigen, wherein the fusion protein is immunogenic across strains.
Claims37
An antigenic fusion protein comprising:
- three or more different influenza A ectodomains of matrix protein 2 (M2e) domains;
- one or more stem regions from a first influenza A hemagglutinin 2(HA2) protein domains;
- and an anthrax antigen, wherein the fusion protein is immunogenic across influenza strains.
A method of making a mucosal vaccine against influenza A comprising:
- combining two or more different influenza A ectodomains of Matrix Protein 2 (M2e);
- one or more stem regions from a first influenza A hemagglutinin 2 (HA2) protein;
- and an anthrax antigen into an antigen that is immunogenic across strains.
A method of evaluating a candidate drug believed to provide cross-immunity against Influenza A and anthrax, the method comprising:
- (a) measuring the immune response from a set of patients suspected of having or being exposed to influenza A;
- (b) administering a candidate drug to a first subset of the patients, and a placebo to a second subset of the patients, wherein the candidate drug comprises:
- two or more different influenza A ectodomains of Matrix Protein 2 (M2e);
- one or more stem regions of an influenza A hemagglutinin 2 (HA2) protein;
- and an anthrax antigen into a fusion protein that is immunogenic across strains;
- (c) repeating step (a) after the administration of the candidate drug or the placebo;
- and
- (d) determining if the candidate drug triggers an increase in the immune response against two or more influenza A strains and anthrax that is statistically significant as compared to any increase occurring in the second subset of patients, wherein a statistically significant increase indicates that the candidate drug is useful in treating two or more strains of influenza A and anthrax.
An isolated immune response stimulating fusion protein against influenza A comprising:
- two or more different influenza ectodomains of A Matrix Protein 2 (M2e);
- one or more stem regions of an influenza A hemagglutinin 2 (HA2) protein comprising SEQ ID NO.:
- 14, SEQ ID NOS.:
- 11, 12, and 13 in any order, and SEQ ID NOS.:
- 9 or 10 into a fusion protein that is immunogenic across strains.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.