Mutant of l1 protein of human papillomavirus type 18

A mutated HPV18 L1 protein or a variant thereof, wherein as compared with a wild type HPV18 L1 protein,

• (I) the mutated HPV18 L1 protein has the following mutations:
• (1) N-terminal truncation of 40-80 amino acids;
• and
• (2) (a) substitution of amino acid residues at positions 235-243 of the wild type HPV18 L1 protein with amino acid residues at the corresponding positions of a L1 protein of a second type of wild-type HPV;
• or
• (b) substitution of amino acid residues at positions 327-346 of the wild type HPV18 L1 protein with amino acid residues at the corresponding positions of a L1 protein of a second type of wild-type HPV;
• or
• (c) substitution of amino acid residues at positions 114-123 of the wild type HPV18 L1 protein with amino acid residues at the corresponding positions of a L1 protein of a second type of wild-type HPV;
• or
• (d) substitution of amino acid residues at positions 176-202 of the wild type HPV18 L1 protein with amino acid residues at the corresponding positions of a L1 protein of a second type of wild-type HPV,
• or,
• (II) the mutated HPV18 L1 protein has the mutations as defined in (1) and (2) (a), and further has the following mutation:
• (3) substitution of amino acid residues at positions 112-123 of the wild type HPV18 L1 protein with amino acid residues at the corresponding positions of a L1 protein of a third type of wild-type HPV;
• or,
• (III) the mutated HPV18 L1 protein has the mutations as defined in (1) and (2) (b), and further has the following mutation:
• (3) substitution of amino acid residues at positions 112-123 of the wild type HPV 18 L1 protein with amino acid residues at the corresponding positions of a L1 protein of a third type of wild-type HPV;
• or,
• (IV) the mutated HPV18 L1 protein has the mutations as defined in (1) and (2) (c), and further has the following mutation:
• (4) substitution of amino acid residues at positions 410-421 of the wild type HPV18 L1 protein with amino acid residues at the corresponding positions of a L1 protein of a third type of wild-type HPV;
• or,
• (V) the mutated HPV18 L1 protein has the mutations as defined in (1) and (2) (d), and further has the mutation as defined in (4);
• (VI) the mutated HPV18 L1 protein has the mutations as defined in (1), (2) (c) and (2) (a), and optionally, further has the mutation as defined in (4);
• and, the variant differs from the mutated HPV18 L1 protein only by substitution, addition or deletion of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 amino acids, and retains the function of the mutated HPV18 L1 protein, i.e. capability of inducing generation of neutralizing antibodies against at least two HPV types.