Immunogenic Constructs And Vaccines For Use In The Prophylactic And Therapeutic Treatment Of Diseases Caused By SARS-CoV-2

The immunogenic construct according any of the preceding claims, wherein the 77 SARS-CoV-2 T cell epitopes have the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:

• 1-77.

The immunogenic construct according any of the preceding claims, wherein the antigenic unit further comprises one or more T cell epitopes with amino acid sequences having at least 73% sequence identity to the amino acid sequences SEQ ID NOs:

• 78-96, preferably wherein the antigenic unit further comprises all of said T cell epitopes.

The immunogenic construct according to any of the preceding claims, wherein some or all of the T cell epitopes are present as single, discrete epitopes and/or wherein some or all of the T cell epitopes are present as groups of T cell epitopes, wherein each group comprises at least 2 T cell epitopes.

The immunogenic construct according to any of the preceding claims, wherein some or all of the T cell epitopes are present as groups of T cell epitopes, wherein each group comprises at least 2 T cell epitopes.

The immunogenic construct according to any of the previous claims, wherein one or more of the T cell epitopes are flanked by amino acids sequences also flanking said epitopes in the naturally occurring protein the epitope is derived from.

The immunogenic construct according to any of the preceding claims, wherein some or all of the T cell epitopes and/or some or all of the groups of T cell epitopes are separated from each other by T cell epitope linkers, preferably non-immunogenic T cell epitope linkers which are preferably flexible linkers.

The immunogenic construct according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the antigenic unit comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 73% sequence identity to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:

• 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166 and 167, such as at least 75% to 80% sequence identity to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:
• 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166 and 167, preferably at least 81% to 85%, more preferably at least 86% to 90% or at least 91% to 95% and most preferably at least 96% to 99%.

The immunogenic construct according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the targeting unit is or comprises a moiety that interacts with surface molecules on the antigen presenting cells, preferably wherein the targeting unit is or comprises a moiety that interacts with surface molecules on human antigen presenting cells.

The immunogenic construct according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the targeting unit comprises or consists of soluble CD40 ligand, preferably human soluble CD40 ligand, CCL4 and its isoforms, preferably human CCL4 and its isoforms, CCL5, preferably human CCL5, CCL19, preferably human CCL19, CCL20, preferably human CCL20, CCL21, preferably human CCL21, macrophage inflammatory protein alpha including its isoforms, such as mouse CCL3, human CCL3, human CCL3L1, human CCL3L2 and human CCL3L3, XCL1, preferably human XCL1, XCL2, preferably human XCL2, flagellin, anti-HLA-DP, anti-HLA-DR, anti-pan HLA class II, anti-CD40, preferably anti-human CD40, anti-TLR-2, preferably anti-human TLR-2, anti-TLR-4, preferably anti-human TLR-4, anti-TLR-5, preferably anti-human TLR-5 or anti-CLEC9A, preferably anti-human CLEC9A.

The immunogenic construct according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the targeting unit comprises or consists of human MIP-1α (LD780, CCL3L1).

The immunogenic construct according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the multimerization unit is selected from the group consisting of dimerization unit, trimerization unit and tetramerization unit and wherein said multimerization unit optionally comprises a hinge region which has the ability to form one or more covalent bonds.

The immunogenic construct according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the multimerization unit comprises a hinge region which has the ability to form one or more covalent bonds, preferably an Ig derived hinge region, such as derived from human Ig, such as derived from hIgG1 or hIgG2 or hIgG3 or from hIgM.

The immunogenic construct according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the construct is the polynucleotide (i).

The immunogenic construct according to any of the preceding claims, the construct being a polypeptide that has an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:

• 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176 and 177 or a dimeric protein consisting of two such polypeptides, preferably a polypeptide that has the amino acid of SEQ ID NO:
• 177 or a dimeric protein consisting of two such polypeptides.

41:

• The immunogenic construct according to any of claims 1 to 37, the construct being a polypeptide that has an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:
• 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166 and 167.

A polynucleotide as defined in any of the preceding claims.