Materials and methods relating to immune responses to fusion proteins
AssigneeCancer Research Technology Limited
InventorsJason Rice, Freda Stevenson
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Abstract
The invention provides nuecleic acid construct and nucleic acid expression vectors directing the expression of a fusion protein consisting or a disease peptide antigen and a first, domain of FrC of tetanus toxin. The invention provides nucleic acid (DNA) vaccines for use in inducing an immune response against a disease. There is also provided methods of producing nucleic acid constructs and vectors for use as nucleic acid (DNA) vaccines.
Claims20
A nucleic acid construct for delivery into living cells in vivo to induce an immune response in a patient to a disease peptide antigen;
- the construct directing the expression of a fusion protein consisting of the disease peptide antigen and the first domain of FrC
A nucleic acid construct according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the disease peptide antigen has between 5 and 30 amino acids.
A nucleic acid construct according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the fusion protein is linked to a leader sequence which is capable of directing the fusion protein to the endoplasmic reticulum.
A nucleic acid expression vector comprising a nucleic acid construct according to any one of the preceding claims.
A method of producing a nucleic acid construct for inducing an immune response in a patient, said method comprising
- (a) identifying a nucleic acid sequence encoding a disease peptide antigen comprising epitopes characteristic of the disease;
- (b) cloning the nucleic acid sequence encoding the disease peptide antigen;
- and
- (c) introducing the cloned nucleic acid into a vector, which vector allows for the disease peptide antigen to be expressed as a fusion with a first domain of FrC from tetanus toxin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.