Compositions and methods of enhancing immune responses to eimeria or limiting eimeria infection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021008184-A1
Application number	US-202017023795-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 17, 2020
Priority date	Feb 14, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Vaccine, vectors and methods of using the vaccine vectors to enhance the immune response to an Apicomplexan parasite and reduce the morbidity or mortality associated with subsequent infection are provided herein. The vaccine vectors include a polynucleotide encoding a Rhomboid polypeptide and optionally include an immune-stimulatory polypeptide suitably expressed on the surface of the vaccine vector.

First claim

1 . A vaccine vector comprising a first polynucleotide sequence encoding an Apicomplexan Rhomboid polypeptide expressed on the surface of the vaccine vector, wherein the Rhomboid polypeptide consists of a polypeptide having greater than 90% sequence identity to a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, an immunogenic fragment of SEQ ID NO: 3, an immunogenic fragment of SEQ ID NO: 4, and combinations thereof.

2 . The vaccine vector of claim 1 , further comprising a second polynucleotide sequence encoding an immunostimulatory polypeptide, wherein the immunostimulatory polypeptide is expressed on the surface of the vaccine vector, and wherein an immunostimulatory polypeptide comprises a polypeptide capable of stimulating an immune response.

3 . The vaccine vector of claim 2 , wherein the immunostimulatory polypeptide comprises an HMGB1 polypeptide.

4 . The vaccine vector of claim 3 , wherein the HMGB1 polypeptide comprises a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 15-23 a polypeptide having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 15-23 and combinations thereof.

5 . The vaccine vector of claim 2 , wherein the immunostimulatory polypeptide comprises a CD154 polypeptide capable of binding CD40, the CD154 polypeptide having fewer than 50 amino acids and comprising amino acids 140-149 of a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 24, SEQ ID NO: 25, SEQ ID NO: 26, SEQ ID NO: 27, SEQ ID NO: 28, SEQ ID NO: 29, SEQ ID NO: 30 and polypeptides having at least 90% sequence identity to at least one of SEQ ID NOs: 24-30.

6 . (canceled)

7 . The vaccine vector of claim 2 , wherein the vector comprises more than one copy of the first polynucleotide or more than one copy of the second polynucleotide sequence.

8 . The vaccine vector of claim 2 , wherein the first polynucleotide sequence is linked in the same reading frame to the second polynucleotide sequence.

9 . The vaccine vector of claim 8 , wherein the first polynucleotide and the second polynucleotide are linked via a spacer nucleotide sequence.

10 . The vaccine vector of claim 1 , wherein the vaccine vector is selected from the group consisting of a virus, a bacterium, a yeast and a liposome.

11 . The vaccine vector of claim 10 , wherein the vaccine vector is a Bacillus spp.

12 . The vaccine vector of claim 1 , further comprising a third polynucleotide encoding a TRAP polypeptide selected from the group consisting of polypeptides having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6, SEQ ID NO: 7, and SEQ ID NO: 40.

13 . (canceled)

14 . (canceled)

15 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the vaccine vector of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

16 . A method of enhancing the immune response against an Apicomplexan parasite in a subject comprising administering to the subject the vaccine vector of claim 1 in an amount effective to enhance the immune response of the subject to the Apicomplexan parasite.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the enhanced immune response comprises an enhanced antibody response, an enhanced T cell response or both.

18 . A method of reducing morbidity associated with infection with an Apicomplexan parasite in a subject comprising administering to the subject the vaccine vector of claim 1 in an amount effective to reduce the morbidity associated with subsequent infection of the subject with an Apicomplexan parasite as compared to a control subject not administered the vaccine vector.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the vaccine vector is administered by a route selected from the group consisting of oral, mucosal, parenteral, sub-cutaneous, intramuscular, intraocular and in ovo.

20 . The method of claims 16 , wherein the subject is member of a poultry species or is a mammal.

21 . (canceled)

22 . (canceled)

23 . (canceled)

24 . The method of claim 16 , wherein about 10 4 to about 10 9 vector copies of the vaccine are administered to the subject.

25 . (canceled)

26 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the vaccine vector is killed prior to administration to the subject or is not capable of replicating in the subject.

27 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the Apicomplexan parasite is selected from the group consisting of Eimeria, Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Neospora and Cryptosporidium.

Assignees

• Univ Arkansas
• Texas A & M Univ Sys

Inventors

• Barta John R
• Berghman Luc
• Shivaramaiah Srichaitanya
• Faulkner Olivia B
• Bielke Lisa
• Hargis Billy

Classifications

• A61K39/012 Primary

  Coccidia antigens · CPC title

• A61K2039/53

  DNA (RNA) vaccination · CPC title

• A61K2039/55583

  Polysaccharides · CPC title

• A61K2039/552

  Veterinary vaccine · CPC title

• A61K39/015

  Hemosporidia antigens, e.g. Plasmodium antigens · CPC title