Heartworm vaccine, methods and uses thereof
AssigneeMerial Limited
InventorLaurent Fischer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention encompasses a vaccine composition and method of use for treating heartworm infestation in mammals. The vaccine composition includes chimeric antigens engineered and manufactured using the genetic code (i.e., the amino acid or protein sequence) of the target sequence. After introduction of the vaccine composition containing the target antigen into the host (e.g., a canine), the host will generate antibodies as part of its robust immune response to the antigen. As the antibodies circulate through the host's plasma, heartworm larvae will consume the antibodies as they feed on the plasma. The antibodies will then act on internal targets of the worm recognized as antigens.
Claims20
An immunological or vaccine composition for alleviating, treating or preventing heartworm disease in an animal in need thereof, comprising internal antigen(s) of D. immitis or D. repens larvae and/or antigens of the endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis (W. pipientis).
A recombinant viral or plasmid vector capable of expressing in vivo in an animal host a recombinant DNA, wherein the recombinant DNA comprises a nucleic acid having the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
- 8-12, 19-24, 30-34, 39-42, 48-52, 56-58 or combinations thereof.
A method for producing an immunoprotective polypeptide for use in a vaccine against a D. immitis-related disorder comprising:
- a) providing a recombinant DNA, wherein the recombinant DNA is selected from
- i) a recombinant DNA that encodes an immunogenic epitope or immunologically active fragment of any one or more of the nucleic acid sequences as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
- 8-12, 19-24, 30-34, 39-42, 48-52 or 56-58;
- or
- ii) a recombinant DNA that encodes a protein fragment of at least 40%, 50%, 60% 70%, 80%, 90% or 95% of the length of the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
- 3-7, 13-18, 25-29, 35-38, 43-47 or 53-55;
- b) providing a vector capable of expressing the recombinant DNA when the recombinant DNA is inserted into the vector;
- c) inserting the recombinant DNA into the vector;
- d) providing a bacterial strain or an insect cell line;
- e) transforming the vector into the bacterial strain or insect cell line such that a recombinant protein is expressed when the vector is transformed into the bacterial strain or the insect cell line;
- and
- f) harvesting the recombinant protein from the bacterial strain, thereby producing the immunoprotective polypeptide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.