Fc fusion proteins for enhancing the immunogenicity of protein and peptide antigens

A composition for eliciting an immune response against an antigen in a mammal, the composition comprising:

• a fusion protein lacking an immunoglobulin variable domain and comprising (i) an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region whose ability to bind an Fc receptor is not modified by mutation, the immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region comprising two polypeptide chains, either one of which is linked to (ii) an antigen selected from the group consisting of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen, an ectodomain of a cytokine receptor, a viral protein and a tumor-specific protein, wherein the antigen of the fusion protein elicits a stronger immune response than the antigen alone;
• and (b) an adjuvant, wherein the adjuvant comprises a second fusion protein comprising an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region linked by a peptide bond to an adjuvant protein.

A method of enhancing the immunogenicity of an antigen in a mammal, the method comprising:

• administering to the mammal a fusion protein lacking an immunoglobulin variable domain and comprising (i) an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region whose ability to bind an Fc receptor is not modified by mutation, the immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region comprising two polypeptide chains, either one of which is linked to (ii) an antigen selected from the group consisting of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen, an ectodomain of a cytokine receptor, a viral protein and a tumor-specific protein, wherein the antigen of the fusion protein elicits a stronger immune response than the antigen alone, wherein the polypeptide chain linked to the antigen further comprises an adjuvant protein.

A method of enhancing the immunogenicity of an antigen in a mammal, the method comprising:

• administering to the mammal a fusion protein lacking an immunoglobulin variable domain and comprising (i) an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region whose ability to bind an Fc receptor is not modified by mutation, the immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region comprising two polypeptide chains, either one of which is linked to (ii) an antigen, wherein the antigen is a viral protein.

A composition comprising:

• an antigen fusion protein comprising an antigen linked by a polypeptide bond to an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region whose ability to bind an Fc receptor is not modified by mutation, wherein the antigen fusion protein lacks an immunoglobulin variable domain and the antigen of the fusion protein is capable of eliciting a stronger immune response in a patient than an immune response elicited by the antigen alone, wherein the antigen is selected from the group consisting of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen, an ectodomain of a cytokine receptor, a viral protein and a tumor-specific protein;
• and
• an Fc-adjuvant protein, wherein the Fc-adjuvant protein lacks an immunoglobulin variable domain and comprises two polypeptide chains, one polypeptide chain consisting of an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region whose ability to bind an Fc receptor is not modified by mutation, and a second polypeptide chain consisting of the immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region linked to an adjuvant protein.

A composition comprising:

• an antigen fusion protein comprising an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region whose ability to bind an Fc receptor is not modified by mutation, wherein the antigen fusion protein lacks an immunoglobulin variable domain, the antigen fusion protein comprising two polypeptide chains, one of which consists of one polypeptide chain of the immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region, and the other of which consists of the other polypeptide chain of the immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region linked to the antigen, which is selected from the group consisting of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen, an ectodomain of a cytokine receptor, a viral protein and a tumor-specific protein.

An anti-viral method comprising administering to a mammal an Fc-antigen fusion protein whose ability to bind an Fc receptor is not modified by mutation, wherein the antigen fusion protein lacks an immunoglobulin variable domain, the Fc-antigen fusion protein consisting of an HIV peptide linked to either polypeptide chain of an Fc region of an IgG molecule, the Fc region consisting of IgG hinge, CH2 and CH3 domains.

A method of enhancing the immunogenicity of an antigen in a mammal, the method comprising administering to a mammal an Fc-antigen fusion protein whose ability to bind an Fc receptor is not modified by mutation, wherein the antigen fusion protein lacks an immunoglobulin variable domain, the Fc-antigen fusion protein consisting of an HIV peptide linked to either polypeptide chain of an Fc region of an IgG molecule, the Fc region consisting of IgG hinge, CH2 and CH3 domains.

An anti-viral method, the method comprising administering an Fc-cytokine fusion protein whose ability to bind an Fc receptor is not modified by mutation, wherein the Fc-cytokine fusion protein lacks an immunoglobulin variable domain and comprises two polypeptide chains, one of which consists of one polypeptide chain of an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region and the other of which consists of the other polypeptide chain of the immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region linked to a cytokine.

An anti-viral method, the method comprising administering an Fc-cytokine fusion protein whose ability to bind an Fc receptor is not modified by mutation, wherein the Fc-cytokine fusion protein lacks an immunoglobulin variable domain and comprises two polypeptide chains, one of which consists of one polypeptide chain of an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region and the other of which consists of the other polypeptide chain of the immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region linked to a cytokine and to a viral protein.

An Fc-cytokine fusion protein whose ability to bind an Fc receptor is not modified by mutation, wherein the Fc-cytokine fusion protein lacks an immunoglobulin variable domain and comprises two polypeptide chains, one of which consists of one polypeptide chain of an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region and the other of which consists of the other polypeptide chain of the immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region linked to a cytokine.

An Fc-cytokine fusion protein whose ability to bind an Fc receptor is not modified by mutation, wherein the Fc-cytokine fusion protein lacks an immunoglobulin variable domain and comprises two polypeptide chains, one of which consists of one polypeptide chain of an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region and the other of which consists of the other polypeptide chain of the immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region linked to a cytokine and to a viral protein.