Recombinant proteins of a Pakistani strain of hepatitis E and their use in diagnostic methods and vaccines

US6207416A · kind A · utility

Assignee

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

Inventors

• Sergei A. Tsarev · Moskovskiy, RU
• Suzanne U. Emerson · Rockville, US
• Robert H. Purcell · Boyds, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 28, 1997
• Grant date: Mar 27, 2001
• Expiry date: May 28, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C12N2770/28123
• WIPO field: Pharmaceuticals
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A strain of hepatitis E virus from Pakistan (SAR-55) implicated in an epidemic of enterically transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis, now called hepatitis E, is disclosed. The invention relates to the expression of the whole structural region of SAR-55, designated open reading frame 2 (ORF-2), in a eukaryotic expression system. The expressed protein is capable of forming HEV virus-like particles which can serve as an antigen in diagnostic immunoassays and as an immunogen or vaccine to protect against infection by hepatitis E.