Oligomeric HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins

US6171596A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America, as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services · US

Inventors

• Patricia Earl · Bethesda, US
• Christopher C. Broder · Silver Spring, US
• Robert Doms · Berwyn, US
• Bernard Moss · Bethesda, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 30, 1998
• Grant date: Jan 9, 2001
• Expiry date: Apr 30, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C12N2740/16134
• WIPO field: Pharmaceuticals
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Immunogenic compositions and methods of stimulating an immune response against the envelope protein of HIV-1. Immunogenic compositions include a purified oligomeric structure that comprises a C-terminally truncated form of HIV-1 gp160 protein that is missing the gp41 transmembrane domain. The gp120-gp41 proteolytic processing site is retained in one form of the composition and is deleted in a different form of the composition. In one embodiment, the engineered env protein is proteolytically cleaved, but the gp120 and gp41 components of the complex remain noncovalently associated. Immunization with these compositions advantageously stimulates the production of conformation-dependent antibodies.