Molecular vaccine linking an endoplasmic reticulum chaperone polypeptide to an antigen
AssigneeThe Johns Hopkins University
InventorsTzyy-Choou Wu, Chien-Fu Hung
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Abstract
This invention provides compositions and methods for inducing and enhancing immune responses, such as antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses, using chimeric molecules comprising endoplasmic reticulum chaperone polypeptides and antigenic peptides. In particular, the invention provides compositions and methods for enhancing immune responses induced by polypeptides made in vivo by administered nucleic acid, such as naked DNA or expression vectors, encoding the chimeric molecules. The invention provides a method of inhibiting the growth of a tumor in an individual. The invention also provides novel self-replicating RNA virus constructs for enhancing immune responses induced by chimeric polypeptides made in vivo.
Claims7
An isolated cell which has been modified to comprise a nucleic acid molecule encoding a fusion polypeptide useful as a vaccine composition, which molecule comprises:
- (a) a first nucleic acid sequence encoding a first polypeptide that comprises a calreticulin (CRT) polypeptide or a biologically active fragment thereof;
- (b) optionally, fused in frame with the first nucleic acid sequence, a linker nucleic acid sequence encoding a linker peptide;
- and
- (c) a second nucleic acid sequence that is linked in frame to said first nucleic acid sequence or to said linker nucleic acid sequence and that encodes an antigenic polypeptide or peptide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.