Immunogen comprising the HIV GP120 V3 loop in a conformation that induces broadly neutralizing antibodies

US8961987B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• NEW YORK UNIVERSITY · US
• Molsoft LLC · US
• University of Massachusetts · US

Inventors

• Susan Zolla-Pazner · New York, US
• Miroslaw K. Gorny · Elmont, US
• Timothy Cardozo · New York, US
• Xiang-peng Kong · New York, US
• Ruben Abagyan · Village of La Jolla, US
• Maxim Totrov · San Diego, US
• Shan Lu · Taipei, TW
• Abraham Pinter · Brooklyn, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 20, 2008
• Grant date: Feb 24, 2015
• Expiry date: Jun 7, 2031

Classification

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

Abstract

Insertion of HIV-1 V3 loop peptides from the viral glycoprotein gp120 into selected, immunogenic scaffold proteins results in a recombinant polypeptide that is a potent V3 immunogen. V3 immunogens include natural and consensus V3 sequences and cyclic and reverse peptides. Preferred scaffold proteins are Cholera Toxin subunit B and homologues thereof including closely related E. coli enterotoxins. Such immunogenic polypeptides induce broadly reactive anti-gp120 antibodies specific for V3 epitopes that can neutralize heterologous HIV-1 subtypes and strains. These polypeptide, methods for preparing them, and methods for inducing anti-gp120 (V3-specific) antibody) responses using them are disclosed.