摘要:
The present invention relates to an isolated immunogenic peptide comprising a V2 loop fragment from HIV surface envelope glycoprotein gp120. This peptide binds specifically with antibodies in blood of patients vaccinated with a vaccine that has shown protection from HIV-1 infection, does not react with blood of matched patients who did not receive the vaccine, and can, therefore, elicit anti-HIV-1 antibodies which protect against HIV-1 infection. Other aspects of the present invention relate to an isolated immunogenic polypeptide comprising the peptide inserted into an immunogenic scaffold protein, a vaccine composition comprised of the immunogenic peptide and an immunologically or pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle or excipient as well as methods of inducing an immune response against HIV-1 and methods of detecting HIV-1.
摘要:
Insertion of HIV-1 V3 loop peptides from the viral glycoprotein gp120 into selected, immunogenic scaffold proteins results in a recombinant polypeptide that is a potent V3 immunogen. V3 immunogens include natural and consensus V3 sequences and cyclic and reverse peptides. Preferred scaffold proteins are Cholera Toxin subunit B and homologues thereof including closely related E. coli enterotoxins. Such immunogenic polypeptides induce broadly reactive anti-gp120 antibodies specific for V3 epitopes that can neutralize heterologous HIV-1 subtypes and strains. These polypeptide, methods for preparing them, and methods for inducing anti-gp120 (V3-specific) antibody) responses using them are disclosed.