Hepatitis C virus immunogenic compositions and methods of use thereof

An immunogenic composition comprising as separate entities:

• a) one or more nucleic acids comprising nucleotide sequences encoding a hepatitis C virus (HCV) E1/E2 heterodimeric polypeptide comprising:
• i) an HCV E1 polypeptide;
• and
• ii) an HCV E2 polypeptide;
• b) a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a T-cell epitope polypeptide comprising a T-cell epitope present in an HCV protein other than E1 and E2,
• wherein the T-cell epitope polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 20% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of one of:
• a) a TP29 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:94, wherein the T-cell epitope polypeptide has a length of 25 amino acids to 35 amino acids;
• b) a TP50 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:99;
• c) a TP52 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:95;
• d) a TP70 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:96;
• e) a TP100 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:97
• f) a TP171 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:89;
• g) a TP228 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:81;
• h) a TP553 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 100;
• i) a TP778 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 101;
• and
• j) a TP1985 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 102;
• and
• c) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.