Uses of parasite macrophage migration inhibitory factors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10842859-B2
Application number	US-201515128851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2015
Priority date	Mar 25, 2014
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

This invention relates to compositions (e.g. vaccine compositions) which can be used to provide a subject with protective immunity against a parasite infection. The compositions comprise: (i) an immunologically effective amount of a nucleic acid (e.g. a nucleic acid-based vaccine) comprising a sequence which encodes a parasite macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) antigen; (ii) a parasite MIF antigen; or (iii) an antibody which specifically binds to a parasite MIF antigen. The compositions may be used to treat infections and diseases caused by parasitic protozoans, such as a Plasmodium parasite, or parasitic helminths.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for providing protective immunity against a Plasmodium infection in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering an immunologically effective amount of a composition to the subject, wherein the composition is an RNA immunogen comprising an RNA comprising a sequence which encodes a Plasmodium macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) antigen, wherein the RNA immunogen induces protective immunity in the subject that is characterized by protective immunological memory against the Plasmodium and/or an effective Plasmodium parasite-responsive memory T cell population.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RNA-based immunogen comprises a self-replicating RNA molecule.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the self-replicating RNA is an alphavirus-derived RNA replicon.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a delivery system selected from the group consisting of a cationic nano-emulsion (CNE) delivery system and a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the subject is a vertebrate.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:
(a) the composition further comprises a nucleic acid sequence which encodes an additional Plasmodium antigen, and/or
(b) the composition further comprises an additional Plasmodium antigen, and/or
(c) the composition is administered to the subject in combination with a further composition which comprises a nucleic acid comprising a sequence which encodes an additional Plasmodium antigen; and/or
(d) the composition is administered to the subject in combination with a further composition which comprises an additional Plasmodium antigen.

7. A method of enhancing an immune response to a non-MIF Plasmodium antigen in a subject, comprising administering a composition to the subject, wherein the composition is an RNA immunogen comprising an RNA comprising a sequence which encodes a Plasmodium macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) antigen, wherein the RNA immunogen induces protective immunity that is characterized by protective immunological memory against the Plasmodium and/or an effective Plasmodium parasite-responsive memory T cell population, and wherein the composition further comprises an effective amount of the non-MIF Plasmodium antigen.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition is administered to the subject as a prophylactic.

Assignees

• Univ Yale
• Glaxosmithkline Biologicals Sa

Inventors

• Bucala Richard
• Geall Andrew

Classifications

• A61K2039/505

  comprising antibodies · CPC title

• A61K2039/55566

  Emulsions, e.g. Freund's adjuvant, MF59 · CPC title

• A61K2039/70

  Multivalent vaccine · CPC title

• A61K2039/53

  DNA (RNA) vaccination · CPC title

• C07K16/24

  against cytokines, lymphokines or interferons · CPC title