US 2012/0258125 A1 · METHOD TO IDENTIFY A NOVEL CLASS OF IMMUNOLOGIC ADJUVANTS

Abstract

Methods of identifying an adjuvant capable of activating dendritic cells including measuring expression level genes in skin of an animal prior to exposure to a test compound, wherein the genes are known to be upregulated or downregulated in the skin of the animal in response to topical application of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) to skin of said animal; exposing skin of an animal of the same species to the test compound; measuring expression level of the genes in the skin of the animal after exposure to the test compound; and comparing expression level of the genes measured before and after exposure to the test compound, wherein an increase or decrease in expression level of the genes following exposure to the test compound indicates that the test compound is capable of activating dendritic cells. Also included are compositions that induce dendritic cell migration and modulate expression level of genes in skin cells.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method of identifying a candidate adjuvant capable of activating dendritic cells, the method comprising:

a) measuring expression level of a plurality of genes in skin of an animal prior to exposure to a test compound, wherein the plurality of genes are known to be upregulated or downregulated in the skin of the animal in response to topical application of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) to skin of said animal;
b) exposing skin of an animal of the same species to the test compound;
c) measuring expression level of the plurality of genes in the skin of the animal after exposure to the test compound;
and
d) comparing expression level of the plurality of genes measured in steps (a) and (c), wherein an increase or decrease in expression level of the plurality of genes following exposure to the test compound by a pre-determined change in expression level indicates that the test compound is capable of activating dendritic cells.

2 more elements

A method of identifying a candidate immunological adjuvant capable of activating dendritic cells, the method comprising:

(a) identifying genes whose expression levels are upregulated or downregulated in skin of an animal in response to topical application of DBP and DBP analogs;
(b) quantifying the levels of activated dendritic cells in draining lymph nodes of said animal in response to topical application of DBP and DBP analogs;
(c) determining a model of activity of the DBP and DBP analogs, wherein a level of activated dendritic cells in draining lymph nodes measured in response to topical application of DBP and DBP analogs is correlated with the genes whose expression levels are upregulated or downregulated in response to topical application of DBP and DBP analogs;
and
(d) determining whether a test compound is a candidate immunological adjuvant capable of activating dendritic cells on the basis of whether topical application of the test compound results in upregulation or downregulation of genes comparable to genes that show upregulation or downregulation in response to DBP or a DBP analog that leads to increased levels of activated dendritic cells in draining lymph nodes of said animal.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method to identify a novel class of immunologic adjuvants

Life of this patent

Method to identify a novel class of immunologic adjuvants

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22