Ureaplasma Vaccine and Antibodies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016175418-A1
Application number	US-201514968074-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Apr 29, 2011
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention encompasses methods and compositions for Ureaplasma infection prevention and/or treatment. In specific cases, the invention concerns vaccines for Ureaplasma , including DNA vaccines. In certain embodiments, the invention regards vaccines directed towards the multiple-banded antigen(s) of Ureaplasma.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . Isolated antibodies that specifically bind to and immunologically react with a conserved region of Ureaplasma multiple-banded antigen or the 5′ end of the multiple-banded antigen.

2 . The isolated antibodies of claim 1 , wherein the antibodies specifically bind to the 5′ end of the multiple-banded antigen.

3 . The isolated antibodies of claim 1 , wherein the antibodies specifically bind to the Ureaplasma sequence of SEQ ID No: 4.

4 . A kit for detecting the presence of Ureaplasma comprising the isolated antibodies of claim 1 and a container for housing the antibodies.

5 . A kit for detecting the presence of Ureaplasma comprising the isolated antibodies of claim 2 and a container for housing the antibodies.

6 . A kit for detecting the presence of Ureaplasma comprising the isolated antibodies of claim 3 and a container for housing the antibodies.

7 . A method of diagnosing Ureaplasma infection comprising the step of delivering the antibodies of claim 1 to a sample, removing unbound antibodies and detecting the presence of specifically bound antibodies.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of delivering the antibodies employs the antibodies of claim 2 .

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of delivering the antibodies employs the antibodies of claim 3 .

10 . A DNA vaccine comprising a polynucleotide encoding part or all of a Ureaplasma antigen.

11 . The vaccine of claim 10 , wherein the antigen is urease, UU376 gene product, virulence gene product, or urea transporter, or wherein the polynucleotide comprises MBA N-terminal paralogs, 16S rRNA, the area upstream of the Urease A gene, the Urease A-Urease B spacer, the Urease B-Urease C spacer, or the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region.

12 . The vaccine of claim 10 , further defined as a DNA vaccine comprising a polynucleotide encoding at least one multiple-banded Ureaplasma antigen.

13 . The vaccine of claim 10 , wherein the polynucleotide is further defined as follows:
a) comprises a strong viral promoter; b) comprises Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (MPV)-CTE with or without rev; c) comprises Intron A or an intron from SV40 or Raucous sarcoma; d) strong polyadenylation/transcriptional termination signal; e) expresses the multiple binding proteins from more than one species, biovar, serotype or strain of Ureaplasma; f) comprises codons for pathogenic mRNA; g) comprises an immune enhancer; h) comprises a N-terminal ubiquitin signal; i) comprises strings of minigenes (or MHC class I epitopes from) different pathogens or oligonucleotides; j) comprises a TH epitope; or k) a combination thereof.

14 . The vaccine of claim 12 , further defined as comprising two Ureaplasma antigens.

15 . The vaccine of claim 12 , further defined as comprising ANNATGG (SEQ ID NO:1) in front of the start codon.

16 . The vaccine of claim 13 , wherein the immune enhancer comprises human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

17 . The vaccine of claim 13 , wherein the strings of MHC class I epitopes from different pathogens or oligonucleotides comprise a CpG motif.

18 . The vaccine of claim 10 , wherein the vaccine comprises a polynucleotide encoding a peptide or polypeptide of the multiple-banded antigen.

19 . The vaccine of claim 18 , wherein the vaccine comprises a polynucleotide encoding the 5′ end of the multiple-banded antigen.

20 . The vaccine of claim 12 , wherein the vaccine comprises a peptide or polypeptide of the multiple-banded antigen.

Assignees

• Baylor College Medicine

Inventors

• Weisman Leonard
• Kong Lingkun

Classifications

• G01N33/56911

  Bacteria · CPC title

• G01N2333/30

  from Mycoplasmatales, e.g. Pleuropneumonia-like organisms [PPLO] · CPC title

• C07K16/1253

  from Mycoplasmatales, e.g. Pleuropneumonia-like organisms [PPLO] · CPC title

• A61K2039/53

  DNA (RNA) vaccination · CPC title

• A61K39/02

  Bacterial antigens · CPC title