The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Health

The United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

Merck Sharp + Dohme Corp.

Merck + Co., Inc.

Chiron Corporation

The United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of Health

Istituto Di Ricerche Di Biologia Molecolare P. Angeletti Spa

David C Kaslow

Andrew J Bett

John W Shiver

Emilio A Emini

Philip J Barr

Stefano Colloca

Alfredo Nicosia

Riccardo Cortese

Armin Lahm

Louis H Miller

John H Adams

Alessandra Luzzago

Kim C Williamson

Takafumi Tsuboi

Motomi Torii

Xiangdong Fang

Patrick E Duffy

Bernard Moss

Robert K Evans

Ling Chen

Danilo R Casimiro

Rima Youil

Brian K Meyer

Stuart Isaacs

Channing R Beals

Timothy J Toner

The present invention relates to a method of vaccinating a patient against varicella zoster virus (VZV) by delivery of an effective amount of a live attenuated VZV vaccine to the epidermis or the dermis of a patient's skin at a depth of between about 100 and about 700 microns from the surface of the skin, which is useful for preventing herpes zoster or reducing the severity or duration thereof. In embodiments of the invention, the patient is 50 years of age or older and has been previously exposed to VZV. The invention also relates to a method of preventing VZV infection in an individual who was not previously infected with VZV comprising administering an effective amount of a live attenuated VZV vaccine to the epidermis or the dermis of the individual's skin at a depth of between about 100 and about 700 microns from the surface of the skin.

Methods of immunization with varicella zoster virus antigen

The present invention features Ad6 vectors and a nucleic acid encoding a Met-NS3-NS4A-NS4B-NS5A-NS5B polypeptide containing an inactive NS5B RNA-dependent RNA polymerase region. The nucleic acid is particularly useful as a component of an adenovector or DNA plasmid vaccine providing a broad range of antigens for generating an HCV specific cell mediated immune (CMI) response against HCV.

Hepatitis C virus vaccine

The present invention relates novel methods and compositions for blocking transmission ofwhich cause malaria. In particular, Pvs25 and Pvs28 polypeptides, variants, including deglycosylated forms, and fusion proteins thereof, are disclosed which, when administered to a susceptible organism, induce an immune response against a 25 kD and 28 kD protein, respectively, on the surface ofzygotes and ookinetes. This immune response in the susceptible organism can block transmission of malaria.

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The present invention relates to novel methods and compositions for blocking transmission ofwhich cause malaria. In particular, Pvs25 and Pvs28 polypeptides, variants, including deglycosylated forms, and fusion proteins thereof, are disclosed which, when administered to a susceptible organism, induce an immune response against a 25 kD and 28 kD protein, respectively, on the surface ofzygotes and ookinetes. This immune response in the susceptible organism can block transmission of malaria.

The present invention relates to transmission blocking vaccines against malaria. Vaccines of the present invention contain a recombinant virus encoding all, or a unique portion, of the 25 kDa sexual stage surface protein of , Pfs25, or the Pfs25 protein purified from host cells infected with the above-described recombinant virus. Mice inoculated with the recombinant virus developed antibodies with transmission blocking activity. The present invention also relates to recombinant viruses used in the vaccines of the present invention, host cells infected with the recombinant viruses of the present invention and methods of preventing or treating malarial infections using the vaccines of the present invention.

Transmission blocking immunogen from malaria

First generation adenoviral vectors and associated recombinant adenovirus-based HIV vaccines which show enhanced stability and growth properties and greater cellular-mediated immunity are described within this specification. These adenoviral vectors are utilized to generate and produce through cell culture various adenoviral-based HIV-1 vaccines which contain HIV-1 gag, HIV-1 pol and/or HIV-1 nef polynucleotide pharmaceutical products, and biologically relevant modifications thereof. These adenovirus vaccines, when directly introduced into living vertebrate tissue, preferably a mammalian host such as a human or a non-human mammal of commercial or domestic veterinary importance, express the HIV1-Gag, Pol and/or Nef protein or biologically modification thereof, inducing a cellular immune response which specifically recognizes HIV-1. The exemplified polynucleotides of the present invention are synthetic DNA molecules encoding HIV-1 Gag, encoding codon optimized HIV-1 Pol, derivatives of optimized HIV-1 Pol (including constructs wherein protease, reverse transcriptase, RNAse H and integrase activity of HIV-1 Pol is inactivated), HIV-1 Nef and derivatives of optimized HIV-1 Nef, including nef mutants which effect wild type characteristics of Nef, such as myristylation and down regulation of host CD4. The adenoviral vaccines of the present invention, when administered alone or in a combined modality regime, will offer a prophylactic advantage to previously uninfected individuals and/or provide a therapeutic effect by reducing viral load levels within an infected individual, thus prolonging the asymptomatic phase of HIV-1 infection.

Enhanced first generation adenovirus vaccines expressing codon optimized HIV1-gag, pol, nef and modifications

Compositions comprising biologically pure Pfs230 and nucleic acids which encode them are provided. The proteins can be used induce transmission blocking immune responses in susceptible hosts.

Cloning and expression of plasmodium falciparum transmission-blocking target antigen, PFS230

The present invention relates to transmission-blocking vaccines against malaria. Vaccines of the present invention contain a recombinant Pfs25 Plasmodium falciparum protein produced by yeast cells and to yeast cells producing the protein. Mice and monkeys inoculated with the yeast-expressed Pfs25 of the present invention have developed antibodies with transmission-blocking activity. The present invention also relates to methods of preventing or treating malarial infections using the vaccines of the present invention.

Transmission-blocking vaccine against malaria

The present invention relates novel methods and compositions for blocking transmission of Plasmodium spp. which cause malaria. In particular, P28 proteins are disclosed which, when administered to a susceptible organism, induce an immune response against a 28 kD protein on the surface of Plasmodium ookinetes and block transmission of malaria.

Target antigens of transmission blocking antibodies for malaria parasites

Cloning and expression of Plasmodium falciparum transmission blocking

The present invention relates to DNA segments encoding the Duffy receptor of a Plasmodium parasite, the recombinant DNA and to recombinantly produced Duffy receptor. The Duffy receptor can be utilized as a vaccine for humans against malaria.

Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium knowlesi Duffy receptor

Expression of the P. falciparum transmission-blocking antigen in yeast

Growing community of inventors

Rancho Santa Fe, CA, United States of America

David C Kaslow