Loading patent…
AssigneeNew Century Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
InventorsDaniel C. Carter, Chester Q. Li
Estimating the term…
An isolated ferritin fusion protein is provided in which ferritin is fused with a protein or peptide capable of being fused to ferritin without interfering with the polymeric self-assembly of the resulting fusion protein, and the protein may be of the endocapsid form when fused at the C terminus or an exocapsid form when fused at the N terminus. These fusion proteins may self-assemble into a variety of useful higher polymeric forms, e.g., capsid or other polymeric aggregate, and they are advantageous in that they are useful in a variety of applications, including human and veterinary vaccines and therapeutics, blood substitutes, image contrast agents, metal chelating agents, gelling agents, protein purification platforms, and therapeutic receptor-binding proteins.
A ferritin fusion protein comprising a fusion protein selected from the group consisting of a ferritin protein fused at the C terminus with a protein or peptide capable of being fused to ferritin without interfering with the polymeric assembly of the resulting fusion protein or a ferritin protein fused at the N terminus with a protein or peptide capable of being fused to ferritin without interfering with the polymeric assembly of the resulting fusion protein.
A method of preparing a viral vaccine comprising fusing to ferritin at least one immunogenic viral protein or peptide sequence capable of binding to at least one chain of the ferritin without interfering with the ability of the ferritin to self assemble into a fusion protein.
A method of enhancing the therapeutic effectiveness of a beneficial protein or peptide comprising forming said protein or peptide into a fusion protein with ferritin wherein the fusion protein maintains the same polymeric assembly as ferritin.
A method of enhancing the half-life of protein or peptide when internally administered to humans or animals comprising forming said protein or peptide into a fusion protein with ferritin wherein the fusion protein maintains the same ability to self assemble as ferritin.
A ferritin fusion protein comprising a fusion protein having at least one protein or peptide fused to ferritin at the C terminus, and at least one protein or peptide fused to ferritin at the N terminus wherein said proteins or peptides can be fused to ferritin without interfering with the polymeric assembly of the resulting fusion protein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.