Method for isolating hepatitis C virus peptides

A method for preparing an immunogenic composition comprising Hepatitis C Virus peptides (HPs) or isolated HCV T cell epitopes which have a binding capacity to a MHC/HLA molecule or a complex comprising the HCV-peptide or HCV T cell epitope and the MHC/HLA molecule, comprising:

• providing a pool comprising at least 10 HCV peptides, the pool containing HCV-peptides which bind to the MHC/HLA molecule (binding HCV peptides) and HCV- peptides which do not bind to the MHC/HLA molecule (non-binding HCV peptides);
• contacting the MHC/HLA molecule with the pool of HCV-peptides whereby a binding HCV-peptide binds to the MHC/HLA molecule and a complex comprising the HCV-peptide and the MHC/HLA molecule is formed;
• detecting the complex and, optionally, separating the complex from non-binding HCV peptides;
• optionally isolating and characterizing the binding HCV peptides from the complex;
• assaying the complex or the optionally isolated binding HCV peptides in a T cell assay for T cell activation capacity;
• identifying optionally isolated binding HCV peptides with T cell activation capacity as a T cell epitope or the complex;
• and
• formulating the peptide or epitope in an immunogenic composition.

A method for inducing an immune response directed against Hepatitis C Virus with an immunogenic composition comprising Hepatitis C Virus peptides (HPs) or isolated HCV T cell epitopes which have a binding capacity to a MHC/HLA molecule or a complex comprising the HCV-peptide or HCV T cell epitope and the MHC/HLA molecule, comprising:

• providing a pool comprising at least 10 HCV peptides, the pool containing HCV-peptides which bind to the MHC/HLA molecule (binding HCV peptides) and HCV- peptides which do not bind to the MHC/HLA molecule (non-binding HCV peptides);
• contacting the MHC/HLA molecule with the pool of HCV-peptides whereby a binding HCV-peptide binds to the MHC/HLA molecule and a complex comprising the HCV-peptide and the MHC/HLA molecule is formed;
• detecting the complex and, optionally, separating the complex from non-binding HCV peptides;
• optionally isolating and characterizing the binding HCV peptides from the complex;
• assaying the complex or the optionally isolated binding HCV peptides in a T cell assay for T cell activation capacity;
• identifying optionally isolated binding HCV peptides with T cell activation capacity as a T cell epitope or the complex;
• formulating the peptide or epitope in an immunogenic composition;
• and
• administering the immunogenic composition to a subject, wherein an immune response specific for Hepatitis C Virus is induced.