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AssigneesNew York Blood Center, Inc., California Institute of Technology
InventorsAlexander R. Neurath, Stephen B. H. Kent
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A hepatitis B vaccine containing a peptide with an amino acid chain of at least six consecutive amino acids within the pre-S gene coded region of the envelope of hepatitis B virus. The vaccine being free of an amino acid sequence corresponding to the naturally occurring envelope proteins of hepatitis B virus and a physiologically acceptable diluent. The peptide being free or linked to a carrier. The carrier being a conventional carrier or a novel carrier including a lipid vesicle stabilized by cross-linking and having covalently bonded active sites on the outer surface thereon. Such novel carrier being useful not only to link the novel peptide containing an amino acid chain with amino acids within the pre-S gene coded region of the surface antigen or hepatitis B virus, but can also be used to bind synthetic peptide analogues of other viral proteins, as well as bacterial, allergen and parasitic proteins of man and animals. The peptides of the invention can be utilized in diagnostics for the detection of antigens and antibodies.
A process for raising antibodies to the hepatitis B virus which comprises administering to an animal a protective amount of a peptide containing an amino acid chain of at least six consecutive amino acids within the pre-S gene coded region of the envelope of hepatitis B virus, said peptide not comprising a naturally occurring envelope protein of hepatitis B virus.
A hepatitis B vaccine comprising a protective amount of a peptide containing an amino acid chain of at least six consecutive amino acids within the pre-S gene coded region of the envelope of hepatitis B virus, said peptide not comprising a naturally occurring envelope protein of hepatitis B virus, and a physiologically acceptable diluent.
A method of enhancing the humoral immune response to an S region immunogen encoded by the hepatitis B virus genome in an animal that exhibits a low response to said immunogen, which method comprises introducing into said animal an effective amount of a vaccine comprising a physiologically tolerable diluent that comprises dispersed therein a potentiating amount of a pre-S(2) region polypeptide encoded by said viral genome that is chemically coupled to an S region polypeptide immunogen which induces a protective response in an animal that exhibits a response to a S-region-containing immunogen.
A method of enhancing the humoral immune response to an S region immunogen encoded by the hepatitis B virus genome in an animal that exhibits a low response to said immunogen, which method comprises introducing into said animal an effective amount of a vaccine constituted by a physiologically tolerable diluent that comprises dispersed therein a potentiating amount of a pre-S(2) region polypeptide encoded by said viral genome that is chemically coupled to an S region immunogen which induces a protective response in an animal that exhibits a response to an S region-containing immunogen, wherein said S region immunogen is an amino acid residue sequence of HBsAg from position 110 to position 137, from the amino-terminus thereof, and wherein said coupled pre-S(2) region polypeptide is in addition to any of said 55-residue polypeptide present in said S region immunogen.
A method of protecting a human against becoming infected with hepatitis B virus comprising administering to said human an effective dosage of a vaccine which comprises a peptide comprising an amino acid chain of at least six consecutive amino acids within the pre-S gene coded region of the envelope of hepatitis B virus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.