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OwnerRoger B Swartzinventor
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The present invention provides methods, immunoglobulin compositions and vector constructs as a general approach to provide episomal based immune protection from the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), its variants/mutants and other pandemic and even non-pandemic viruses. The immunoglobulin compositions include the heavy chain variable, diversity and joining (VDJ or Variable Heavy Region genes) segment immunoglobulin DNA and/or polypeptide sequence from humans identified to have developed high affinity immunoglobulins (ideally antibodies with nanomolar to picomolar dissociation constants to virus proteins with additional emphasis on cell surface proteins and further emphasis on the Spike protein as related to COVID-19) against the virus of interest and either to use the exact immunoglobulin composition identified from the donor or to combine that variable immunoglobulin region for both heavy and light chains with a non-divergent well-conserved amino acid sequence for the constant regions especially, Hinge region, Constant Heavy 2 (CH2) and Constant Heavy 3 (CH3) for the immunoglobulin heavy chain polypeptide with optional use of donor based Constant Heavy 1 (CH1) or non-divergent well conserved CH1 heavy chain constant region and optional use of hinge region peptides. The immunoglobulin light chain will use either entirely donor based amino acid sequence or donor based light chain variable and joining (VJ or Variable light region genes) segments immunoglobulin polypeptide sequence with a well-conserved non-divergent constant light (CL) chain region for immunoglobulin Kappa locus (κ) or immunoglobulin lambda locus (λ) light chain. The resulting antibodies can either be used as a monoclonal or polyclonal mix of (Immunoglobulin Class G subclass1) IgG1, IgG3 and other subclasses, IgA1 monomer and IgA2 monomer and dimeric IgA1 (dIgA1) immunoglobulins (as identified by the potency of associated memory B-cells) to be expressed via intramuscular administration, intravenous or proximal to lymph nodes. The immunoglobulins will be expressed in the vaccine/immunization recipient via an episome. The vector will be ideally delivered in a recombinant Adeno Associated Virus (rAAV) with preference for AAV serotype 8 (AAV8) containing a single-stranded Deoxyribonucleic acid (ssDNA) non-viral vector or lentivirus virion containing double stranded DNA as a non-viral vector. A single non-viral vector will code for the entire immunoglobulin and J-chain expression for dIgA1 where expression will occur with a single start codon and stop codon for the amino acid sequence and in some embodiments a second start codon for J chain expression. The specific DNA of the immune donor can be identified as follows: Cluster of Differentiation 27+ (CD27+) IgG+ and CD27+ IgA+ memory B cells or other CD memory B-cells will be isolated from serum using established methods. Each resulting isotype of memory B-cell will be subjected to a competitive binding assay using flow cytometry methods such as Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) to identify the memory B-cells with the greatest binding affinity to the COVID-19 antigens of interest. Isolated memory B-cells will have their DNA sequenced to identify the genetic sequence of their cell surface IgG+ or IgA+ receptor. That information and potentially other sources of immunoglobulin genetic information will be used to create vector construct coding for antibodies to be further evaluative for potency and safety and then to be incorporated into a vector construct for episomal immunoglobulin expression. Episomes will be designed to express IgG1, IgG3, IgA1, IgA2 and dIgA1 with potent binding to COVID antigens or antigens of other viruses. A central part of this patent application is the method used to identify the high affinity immunoglobulins expressed by those that were exposed to COVID or other virus of interest.
Episomal expression of monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies (immunoglobulins) of isotypes IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgA1 and/or dIgA1 whose polypeptide sequence for light and heavy chains are identified from cells isolated and analyzed according to claim 20 and/or from the blood or plasma of persons that are or were infected with COVID, COVID-19 or COVID mutants and other pandemic viruses.
Administration of gene therapy non-viral vectors in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 13 and/or 14 via intramuscular administration to skeletal muscle, intravenous administration or administration proximal to lymph nodes that may be an intramuscular administration.
Episomal expression of monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies (immunoglobulins) whose V-regions (both VL and VH) are identified from cells isolated and analyzed according to claim 20 and/or from the blood or plasma of persons that are or were infected with COVID, COVID-19 or COVID mutants and other pandemic viruses and whose constant regions are of a human source or engineered to improve effector functions. Specifically, an IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgA1 or IgA2 immunoglobulin identified from a human blood source to be potent against COVID antigen may be engineered such that the (A) V-regions are conserved but the heavy chain immunoglobulin (IgH) constant regions are replaced with the constant region from a human source that may include a non-divergent well-conserved source such as an IgG1 constant region Cγ1, IgG2 constant region Cγ2, IgG3 constant region Cγ3 or IgA1 constant region Cα1. (B) Using two human sources coding for mixes of two constant regions from one or two isotypes that may be accomplished with combinations of (1) Fab and natural or engineered Fc domains or (2) F(ab′)2 and natural or engineered pFc′ domains. Where the IgA immunoglobulins are expressed as IgA and/or dIgA through incorporating J-chain into the vector with optional incorporation of MZB1 into the vector.
Episomal expression of monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies (immunoglobulins) whose V-regions (both VL and VH) are identified from cells isolated and analyzed according to claim 20 and/or the blood of persons infected with COVID, COVID-19 or mutants or another pandemic pathogen and whose constant regions are engineered to minimize antibody mediated enhancement of infection. An IgG1, IgG3, IgA1 or IgA2 immunoglobulin identified from a human blood source to be potent against COVID antigen may be modified such with the use two human sources coding for the same isotype or mixes of two constant regions from two isotypes that may be 1595 accomplished with combinations of Fab and engineered Fc domains or F(ab′)2 and engineered pFc′ domains of the same or different isotypes. That is either the antibody binding fragment (Fab) or F(ab′)2 regions are conserved. Where the IgA immunoglobulins are both expressed as IgA and dIgA through incorporating J-chain into the vector with optional incorporation of MZB1 into the vector.
Episomal expression of monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies (immunoglobulins) whose V-regions (both VL and VH) are identified from cells isolated and analyzed according to claim 20 and/or from the blood of persons infected with COVID, COVID-19 or mutants and whose IgG fragment crystallizable (Fc) or pFc′ regions are of an engineered source that minimizes their binding to Fcγ receptors. An IgG1, IgG2 or IgG3 immunoglobulin identified from a human blood source to be potent against COVID antigen may be modified such that the V-regions are conserved, the CH1, hinge and CL regions are each optionally conserved but the heavy chain fragment crystallizable (Fc) domains or pFc′ domains may be engineered to reduce binding of Fcγ receptors.
Construction of non-viral episomal vectors in claims 9, 10, 11, 13 and 14 wherein the vector is selected from the group consisting of an adeno-associated virus (AAV) non-viral vector, an integration-deficient replication-incompetent lentivirus vector, an integration-deficient replication competent adenovirus non-viral vector, a replication deficient adenovirus non-viral vector and a non-viral vector intended to be delivered via a vesicle.
Method of processing human blood, plasma or leukocytes to identify and characterizing immunoglobulins expressed by memory B-cells of persons that were infected with a virus of interest that may include COVID, COVID-19 and its mutants, pandemic pathogens and non-pandemic pathogens so DNA coding for them can be incorporated in an episomal expression vector and delivered to recipients as part of a monoclonal of polyclonal immunoglobulin gene therapy based vaccination or immunization. This claim employs the use of assaying memory B-cells from the blood, plasma or leukocytes of person's infected with COVID-19 or mutants by completing a competitive binding coupled with single cell separation assays using a flow cytometry method such as fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) with the viral antigen of interest to identify CD27+ IgG and CD27+ IgA memory B-cells with high binding affinities (ideally single digit picomolar to nanomolar dissociation constants (Kd)) for the antigen of interest. Alternatively, CD27+ IgG and CD27+ IgA memory B-cells may be separated through a competitive binding assay that uses a magnetic pull down methods that utilizes biotinylation between magnetic beeds and an antigen of interest and then subsequently separated by a flow cytometry based method such as FACS as part of a second competitive binding assay between memory B-cells competing for an antigen bound to a flourophore. The result of the two sequential assays will also for the identification of immunoglobulins expressed by high potency memory B-cells for the antigen of interest. Immunoglobulin DNA sequences of the memory B-cells may be obtained from single cell real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or nested PCR. Additionally, memory B-cells may be artificially induced to differentiate into plasma secreting cells where somatic hyper mutation will not occur and such secreted antibodies may be assessed by B-cell ELLISPOT and/or ELISA in addition to completing RT-PCR or nested PCR on the antibody-secreting cell. Immunoglobulins will be further assessed using a neutralization assay (NT50) that determines the maximal plasma dilution that allows for a 50% reduction in the relative luminescence (RLU) of a virus reporter vs. background, a panel of self antigen binding assays to ensure the immunoglobulins have no affinity for self further establishing safety and a surface plasmon resonance assays all with the aim of determining their dissociation constant (Kd) for the antigen of interest to establish their appropriateness for use in human clinical trials as an antibody gene therapy based vaccine/immunization for the pathogen of interest. This approach allows for more rapid entry of such gene therapies for in human trials and more rapid FDA approvals because the immunoglobulins are established as safe in the human that developed them.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.