Vaccines for Chlamydia

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9308248-B2
Application number	US-201214126076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2012
Priority date	Jun 17, 2011
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to means and methods to protect against disease caused by bacteria belonging to the genus Chlamydia . In particular, the present invention relates to isolated B- and T-cell epitopes derived from the major outer membrane protein of Chlamydia psittaci which can be used against an infection with a species of the genus Chlamydia . More in particular, the invention provides a vaccine which can be used against chlamydiosis caused by Chlamydia psittaci in birds and man. In addition, the invention relates to a diagnostic method to diagnose the latter infections.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for eliciting an immune response in a subject against an infection of a species of the genus Chlamydia comprising administering a composition comprising one or more peptides, each of said peptides comprising one or more epitopes selected from the group consisting of a B-cell epitope, a CD4+ Th2 cell epitope, a CD4+ Th1 cell epitope and a CTL epitope; wherein said composition comprises at least a B-cell epitope, a CD4+ Th2 cell epitope, a CD4+ Th1 cell epitope and a CTL epitope, wherein the epitopes are located in the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of Chlamydia psittaci , wherein the composition does not comprise the full-length Chlamydia MOMP protein, and wherein at least one of the epitopes is located in the CS1-VS1-CS2-VS2-CS3 domain of the MOMP.

2. A method of treating, reducing the symptoms and/or clinical signs of, or reducing the risk for an infection of a species of the genus Chlamydia comprising administering a composition comprising one or more peptides, each of said peptides comprising one or more epitopes selected from the group consisting of a B-cell epitope, a CD4+Th2 cell epitope, a CD4+ Th1 cell epitope and a CTL epitope; wherein said composition comprises at least a B-cell epitope, a CD4+ Th2 cell epitope, a CD4+ Th1 cell epitope and a CTL epitope, wherein the epitopes are located in the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of Chlamydia psittaci , wherein the composition does not comprise the full-length Chlamydia MOMP protein, and wherein at least one of the epitopes is located in the CS1-VS1-CS2-VS2-CS3 domain of the MOMP.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the B-cell epitope consists of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: GTASATT (SEQ ID NO 92), GTDFNN (SEQ ID NO 93) and NPTLLGKA (SEQ ID NO 94), or a variant thereof having at least 80% sequence identity thereto, and wherein the CD4+ Th2 cell epitope, the CD4+Th1 cell epitope and the CTL epitope independently consist of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO 20 and 101-117, or a variant thereof having at least 80% sequence identity thereto.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein:
the B-cell epitope comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of GTASATT (SEQ ID NO 92), GTDFNN (SEQ ID NO 93) and NPTLLGKA (SEQ ID NO 94), or a variant thereof having at least 80% sequence identity thereto;
the peptide comprising a CD4+ Th2 cell epitope is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO 7, 8, 43, 76, 77, 85, and 91, or a variant thereof having at least 80% sequence identity thereto;
the peptide comprising a CTL (CD8+) epitope is selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NO 20, 26, 27, 42, 43, 61, 73, 75, and 80, or a variant thereof having at least 80% sequence identity thereto; and
the peptide comprising a CD4+ Th1 cell epitope is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO 1, 10-13, 18, 20, 25, 27, 29, 31-32, 35, 42, 46, 51, 53-56, 61, 64, 65-67, 69-73, 75, 79-81, and 87, or a variant thereof having at least 80% sequence identity thereto.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the peptide comprising a B-cell epitope and/or a CD4+ Th2 cell epitope is selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NO 7, 8, 76, 77, 91 and 94-98, or a variant thereof having at least 80% sequence identity thereto, wherein the peptide comprising a CTL-cell epitope is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO 73, 75, 80 and 99, or a variant thereof having at least 80% sequence identity thereto, and wherein the peptide comprising a CD4+ Th1 cell epitope is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO 70, 71, 73, 75, 79, 80, 81 and 99, or a variant thereof having at least 80% sequence identity thereto.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the composition comprises the peptides EPSLLIDGTMWEGASGDPCDPC (SEQ ID NO 97), TGTASATT (SEQ ID NO 95), KGTDFNNQ (SEQ ID NO 96), AQPKLATAVLDLTTWNPTLLGKATTVDGTNTYSDFL (SEQ ID NO 98), and AATDTKSATLKYHEWQVGLALSYRLNMLVPYIGVNWSRATFDADT (SEQ ID NO 99), or variants thereof having at least 80% sequence identity thereto; or wherein the composition comprises the peptides TWCDAISIRAGYYGD (SEQ ID NO 20), EMLNVTSSPAQFVIH (SEQ ID NO 62), and KGTDFNNQ (SEQ ID NO 96), or variants thereof having at least 80% sequence identity thereto.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein part or all of the peptides are present as a mixture or are part of a polyepitope construct, said polyepitope construct comprising repetitions of the epitopes and/or wherein the peptides are linked to each other or are separated by a linker or one or more spacer amino acids.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding the peptide(s).

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding the peptide(s).

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence is part of a vector.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence is part of a vector.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises an antigen delivery system.

13. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the composition further comprises an adjuvant.

14. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the composition further comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

15. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said composition is administered in a prime boost regimen.

16. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the B-cell epitope consists of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: GTASATT (SEQ ID NO 92), GTDFNN (SEQ ID NO 93) and NPTLLGKA (SEQ ID NO 94), or a variant thereof having at least 80% sequence identity thereto, and wherein the CD4+ Th2 cell epitope, the CD4+ Th1 cell epitope and the CTL epitope independently consist of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO 20 and 101-117, or a variant thereof having at least 80% sequence identity thereto.

17. The method according to claim 2 , wherein part or all of the peptides are present as a mixture or are part of a polyepitope construct comprising repetitions of the epitopes and/or wherein the peptides are linked to each other or are separated by a linker or one or more spacer amino acids.

18. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the composition further comprises an antigen delivery system.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises two or more peptides, each of said peptides comprising the one or more epitopes selected from the group consisting of the B-cell epitope, the CD4+ Th2 cell epitope, the CD4+Th1 cell epitope and the CTL epitope.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein:
the composition comprises the peptides EPSLLIDGTMWEGASGDPCDPC (SEQ ID NO 97), TGTASATT (SEQ ID NO 95), KGTDFNNQ (SEQ ID NO 96), AQPKLATAVLDLTTWNPTLLGKATTVDGTNTYSDFL (SEQ ID NO 98), and AATDTKSATLKYHEWQVGLALSYRLNMLVPYIGVNWSRATFDADT (SEQ ID NO 99); or
the composition comprises the peptides TWCDAISIRAGYYGD (SEQ ID NO 20), EMLNVTSSPAQFVIH (SEQ ID NO 62), and KGTDFNNQ (SEQ ID NO 96).

21. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the vector is a viral vector.

22. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the vector is a viral vector.

Assignees

• Vanrompay Daisy
• Univ Gent

Inventors

• Vanrompay Daisy

Classifications

• C07K14/295

  from Chlamydiales (O) · CPC title

• A61P31/04

  Antibacterial agents · CPC title

• A61K39/118 Primary

  Chlamydiaceae, e.g. Chlamydia trachomatis or Chlamydia psittaci · CPC title