City of Hope

Other

University of California

Don Jeffrey Diamond

Felix Wussow

Zhongde Wang

Edwin Manuel

John C Williams

Christine E Brown

Joanne York

Flavia Chiuppesi

Joshua D I Ellenhorn

Stephen J Forman

Xiuli Wang

Peter A Barry

Fernanda V V Castro

Joshua Di Ellenhorn

Heidi Contreras

A vaccine comprising an immunologically effective amount of recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (rMVA) virus which is genetically stable after serial passage and produced by a) constructing a transfer plasmid vector comprising a modified H5 (mH5) promoter operably linked to a DNA sequence encoding a heterologous foreign protein antigen, wherein the expression of said DNA sequence is under the control of the mH5 promoter; b) generating rMVA virus by transfecting one or more plasmid vectors obtained from step a) into wild type MVA virus; c) identifying rMVA virus expressing one or more heterologous foreign protein antigens using one or more selection methods for serial passage; d) conducting serial passage; e) expanding an rMVA virus strain identified by step d); and f) purifying the rMVA viruses from step e) to form the vaccine. One embodiment is directed to a fusion cytomegalovirus (CMV) protein antigen comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding two or more antigenic portions of Immediate-Early Gene-1 or Immediate-Early Gene-2 (IEfusion), wherein the antigenic portions elicit an immune response when expressed by a vaccine.

Genetically stable recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (RMVA) vaccines and methods of preparation thereof

Provided herein are, inter alia, methods and compositions including T cells expressing (i) a recombinant CAR protein which includes a peptide binding site and is capable of specifically binding cancer-specific antigens and (ii) a T cell receptor specific for a viral antigen (e.g., a CMV pp65 protein). The engineered T cells provided herein may be used in combination with a viral vaccine (e.g. cytomegalovirus (CMV) Triplex Vaccine) to treat a variety of cancers. The methods described herein also permit in vivo expansion of CMV-specific CAR T cells, instead of or in addition to ex vivo expansion, avoiding excessive T cell exhaustion that results in some cases from ex vivo manufacturing.

Use of endogenous viral vaccine in chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy

In one embodiment, an expression system for expressing a UL128 complex is provided herein. The expression system may include a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) construct, wherein the BAC construct comprises a viral vector inserted with a set of DNA sequences that encode a UL128 complex. In another embodiment, a vaccine composition for preventing HCMV infection is provided. The vaccine composition may include a viral or bacterial vector capable of expressing a UL128 complex and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, adjuvant, additive or combination thereof or additional vector expressing a protein adjuvant. The viral vector may be an MVA and the UL128 complex includes five HCMV proteins or antigenic fragments thereof: UL128, UL130, UL131A, gL, and gH. In some embodiments, the viral vector is further inserted with one or more additional DNA sequences that encode one or more additional HCMVHCMV proteins or antigenic fragments thereof such as pp65, gB or both, or such as gM/gN or gO.

MVA vaccine for delivery of a UL128 complex and preventing CMV infection

A vaccine composition comprising an immunologically effective amount of recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (rMVA) virus comprising IE1, IE2 and pp65 or antigenic fragments thereof, which is genetically stable after at least 10 passages. A method of improving the stability of such rMVA upon passage by including one or more of the modifications: (1) inserting one or more nucleic acid sequences encoding the CMV antigens or antigenic fragments thereof into one or more insertion sites including but not limited to 044L/045L, IGR3, G1L/18R, and Del3 but not including Del2; (2) codon optimizing the nucleic acid sequences encoding the CMV antigens by removing consecutive cytosines or guanines; and (3) introducing one or more mutations in the amino acid sequences of the CMV antigens.

Genetically modified recombinant vaccinia ankara (RMVA) vaccines of improved stability and methods of preparation thereof

An expression system for expressing a herpesvirus glycoprotein complex including a vector inserted with two or more nucleic acid sequences that encode two or more subunits of a herpesvirus glycoprotein complex linked by one or more linking sequences such that the subunits are co-expressed simultaneously and self-processed to assemble into a glycoprotein complex. The expression system or the vector can be included in a vaccine composition. The vaccine composition can be used for preventing or treating herpesvirus infections.

Expression system for expressing herpesvirus glycoprotein complexes

The disclosure provides, inter alia, methods and materials involved in treating cancer using a p53 vaccine in combination with a PD-1 pathway inhibitor.

P53-targeting vaccines and pd-1 pathway inhibitors and methods of use thereof

Genetically stable recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (rMVA) vaccines and methods of preparation thereof

Vaccine-derived neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) for CMV infections and small peptides which define precise recognition elements of the antigens by the NAbs. The vaccine-derived NAbs may be produced by immunizing a subject with a gH/gL/UL128/UL130/UL131A pentameric glycoprotein complex (gH/gLPC). The vaccine-derived NAbs may have properties similar or identical to those of NAbs induced in a subject naturally infected with CMV. Native and non-native small peptides from UL128 and gH have been defined by mapping epitopes and deriving artificial sequences which are minimal recognition elements of vaccine-derived NAbs. These small peptides can be used to elicit vaccine-derived NAbs that prevent CMV entry into susceptible cell types and protect humans from infection and disease. Multivalent vaccines comprising these small peptides and/or epitopes as well as methods of using the vaccine-derived NAbs and small peptides for treating or preventing CMV infection in a subject are also provided.

MVA-gH/gL-PC vaccine derived antibodies neutralizing human cytomegalovirus infectivity and methods thereof

Provided herein, inter alia, are compositions and kits comprising a bacterial cell and a tumor penetrating agent. Also provided are methods of treating cancer in a subject including the step of administering to the subject an effective amount of a bacterial cell and a tumor penetrating agent. Provided are methods of stimulating an immune system in a subject. The methods include administering to the subject an effective amount of a bacterial cell and a tumor penetrating agent. Also provided are methods of enhancing delivery of an anti-cancer agent to a tumor cell including the step of contacting the tumor cell with a bacterial cell, a tumor penetrating agent and an anti-cancer agent.

Anticancer combinations

Provided herein are, inter alia, methods and compositions including T cells expressing (i) a recombinant CAR protein which includes a peptide binding site and is capable of specifically binding cancer-specific antigens and (ii) a T cell receptor specific for a viral antigen (e.g., a CMV pp65 protein). The engineered T cells provided herein may be used in combination with a viral vaccine (e.g. cytomegalovirus (CMV) Triplex Vaccine) to treat a variety of cancers. The methods described herein also permit in viva expansion of CMV-specific CAR T cells, instead of or in addition to ex vivo expansion, avoiding excessive T cell exhaustion that results in some cases from ex vivo manufacturing.

Highly effective vaccine compositions are constructed according to the methods of this invention. The methods are amenable to use with any peptidic antigen sequence and involve covalent attachment of an immunostimulatory nucleotide sequence to an antigenic peptide sequence. Preferred antigenic peptides are fusion peptides made up of one or more CTL epitope peptides in sequence fused to a T helper peptide.

Synthetic conjugate of CpG DNA and T-help/CTL peptide

In one embodiment, a single modality cancer immunotherapy regimen that includes a therapeutic composition is provided. Such a therapeutic composition may include astrain comprising a plasmid that expresses an shRNA molecule that suppresses the expression of an immunosuppressive target and suppresses tumor growth. In some aspects, thestrain is an attenuatedstrain. In other aspects, the immunosuppressive target is STAT3, IDO1, IDO2, Arginase 1, iNOS, CTLA-4, TGF-&#x3b2;, IL-10, pGE2 or VEGF. In one embodiment, the immunosuppressive target is IDO1 or Arg1 and the shRNA molecule is any one of SEQ ID NO:5-14.

Growing community of inventors

Glendora, CA, United States of America

Don Jeffrey Diamond