Yeast-based therapeutic for chronic hepatitis C infection
AssigneeGlobeImmune, Inc.
InventorsRichard C Duke, Alex Franzusoff, Aurelia Haller, Thomas H King
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are compositions, including vaccines, and methods for vaccinating an animal against hepatitis C virus (HCV) and for treating or preventing hepatitis C viral infection in an animal. The invention includes a variety of novel HCV fusion proteins that can be used directly as a vaccine or in conjunction with a yeast-based vaccine vehicle to elicit an immune response against HCV in an animal. The invention also includes the use of the HCV fusion gene and protein described herein in any diagnostic or therapeutic protocol for the detection and/or treatment or prevention of HCV infection.
Claims12
A therapeutic composition comprising:
- a) a heat-inactivated whole yeast;
- and
- b) an HCV NS3-Core-NS5b fusion protein comprising HCV sequences, wherein the HCV sequences consist of:
- i) an HCV NS3 protein comprising positions 1115 to 1376 of SEQ ID NO:20 or a corresponding sequence from another HCV strain, except that the NS3 protein may lack the catalytic domain or has been inactivated by a single point mutation;
- ii) an HCV Core protein comprising positions 2-140 of SEQ ID NO:20 or a corresponding sequence from another HCV strain;
- and
- iii) an HCV NS5b protein lacking the C-terminal 52 amino acids;
- wherein the HCV NS3-Core-NS5b fusion protein is expressed by the yeast, and wherein the composition elicits an HCV-specific cellular immune response.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.