Pneumagen Limited

University Court of the University of St. Andrews

Omideon Limited

Helen Connaris

Garry Taylor

Jane Alexandra Potter

Peter Andrew

Graeme Rogers

Lei Yang

Richard E Randall

Hasan Yesilkaya

Judith Telford

The disclosure provides molecules for use in compositions, medicaments and methods for the treatment or prevention of RSV infections, its symptoms and associated pathologies and potentially infections caused or contributed to by viral pathogens which do not bind or do not primarily bind sialic acid containing receptors during pathogenesis. Specifically, the disclosure is based on the finding that molecules with affinity for (or an ability to bind to) sialic acid (and in particular sialoglycoconjugates) on cell surfaces (these including sialic acid containing glycoproteins and cell surface sialic acid receptors), find utility in the treatment and/or prevention of symptoms, infections, diseases and/or conditions associated with respiratory syncytial vims (RSV).

Viral treatment

The present disclosure a cohort of sialic acid binding molecules which comprise one or more modified carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs). The modified CBMs reduce the risk of adverse events related to the host immune response and/or the production of anti-drug antibodies (ADAs). The modified CBMs can be used in therapy or as medicaments and find specific application as molecules for the modulation of an immune response and/or cell growth. The modified CBMs may also be used as adjuvants, for example mucosal adjuvants and in the treatment and/or prevention of cancer, sepsis and/or diseases caused or contributed to by a pathogen that binds cell surface sialic acid-containing receptors.

Modified protein

The present disclosure provides novel adjuvants which may be used in combination with one or more antigens to augment, modulate or enhance a host immune response to the one or more antigens. The adjuvants are based on sialic acid binding molecules and may be combined with any type of antigen. The adjuvants may be formulated for mucosal and/or intranasal administration.

Adjuvants

The present disclosure provides molecules which modulate cell growth. These molecules include those that bind sialic acid which may find application in the treatment and/or prevention of cell proliferation and/or differentiation disorders, cancer and/or it's migration and/or spread.

Cell modulation

The disclosure provides molecules with an affinity for (or an ability to bind to), sialic acid, for use in compositions, medicaments and methods for the treatment of sepsis, its symptoms and sepsis associated pathologies and immune responses.

Treatment and/or prevention of sepsis

The present invention is based on the finding that in addition to interfering with or blocking, preventing and/or inhibiting the interaction between a pathogen and, for example, a sialic acid containing cell surface receptor, certain sialic acid binding molecules have immunomodulatory properties. The invention provides methods and uses which exploit sialic acid binding molecules in the treatment and/or prevention of disease by modulation and/or priming of the host immune response.

Immunomodulatory compounds

The present invention provides compounds, compositions, medicaments and methods comprising or using carbohydrate binding molecules. More specifically, the invention provides a means of treating diseases and/or conditions caused or contributed to by pathogens, particularly microbial pathogens and methods of screening, identifying, detecting tagging and/or labelling carbohydrates.

Growing community of inventors

St. Andrews, United Kingdom

Helen Connaris