Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine

National Research Development Corporation

Howard Christopher Thomas

William Frederick Carman

Peter Karayiannis

Graham Russell Foster

John A Summerfield

Jennifer Anne Waters

George Janossy

Janice Main

Alison H Goodall

The use of IFN-&agr; subtypes as vaccine adjuvants is disclosed, together with vaccine compositions comprising them. Methods of vaccinating a subject comprising co-administration of IFN-&agr; subtypes are also provided.

Use of interferon (IFN)-&agr;8 and -&agr;14 as vaccine adjuvants

Methods for prediciting the outcome of infection of HBV are provided, as well as kits for use in such methods. In particular, methods which comprise determination of the presence of mutations in exon 1 of the gene coding for the human MBP gene are provided.

Methods of predicting the outcome of HBV infection

A variant HBsAg protein of fragment thereof displaying the antigenicity of Hepatitis B virus surface antigen is disclosed, in which the variant protein or fragment thereof (vHBsAg) comprises a modified a determinant in which there is an amino acid other than glycine at position 145 of the HBsAg sequence. A vaccine comprising the vHBsAg is provided, as it is a kit for diagnostic in vitro detection of anti-vHBsAg antibodies and an antibody preparation comprising anti-vHBsAg antibodies.

Hepatitis B vaccine

Molecules which are capable of specifically binding to a hepatitis B escape mutant antigenic determinant include monoclonal antibodies secreted by the cell line SMH HBs 145/G/R/I (ECACC 92122312). SMH HBs 145/R/I (ECACC 93052626). SMH HBs 145/G/II (ECACC 93033109) or SMH HBs 145/R/II (ECACC 93033110) and other specific binding molecules cross-competitive with them. Antibodies secreted by the cell lines SM HBs 145/G/R/I and SMH HBs 145/G/R/II bind variant (escape mutant) HBsAG and wild type HBsAG. Antibodies secreted by the cell lines SMH HBs 145/R/I and SMH HBs 145/R/II bind variant but not wild type.

Hepatitis B escape mutant specific binding molecules

Use of interferon subtype alpha-8 (IFN-.alpha..sub.8) to treat viral

A variant HBsAg protein of fragment thereof displaying the antigenicity of Hepatitis B virus surface antigen is dicslosed, in which the variant protein of fragment thereof (vHBsAg) comprises a modified `a` determinant in which there is an amino acid other than glycine at position 145 of the HBsAg sequence. A vaccine comprising the vHBsAg is provided, as is a kit for diagnostic in vitro detection of anti-vHBsAg antibodies and an antibody preparation comprising anti-vHBsAg antibodies.

A variant HBsAg protein of fragment thereof displaying the antigenicity of Hepatitis B virus surface antigen is disclosed, in which the variant protein or fragment thereof (vHBsAg) comprises a modified `a` determinant in which there is an amino acid other than glycine at position 145 of the HBsAg sequence. A vaccine comprising the vHBsAg is provided, as is a kit for diagnostic in vitro detection of anti-vHBsAg antibodies and an antibody preparation comprising anti-vHBsAg antibodies.

Hepatitus B vaccine

A variant HBsAg protein of fragment thereof displaying the antigenicity of Hepatitis B virus surface antigen is disclosed, in which the variant protein or fragment thereof (vHBsAg) comprises a modified `a` determinant in which there is an amino acid other than glycine at position 145 of the HBsAg sequence. A vaccine comprising the vHBsAg is provided, as is a kit for diagnostic in vitro detection of anti-vHBsAg antibodies and an antibody preparation comprising anti-vHBsAG antibodies.

Expression of structural (P1) region of 1 hepatitis A virus by vaccinia

The new hybridoma cell lines RF-HBs-1, RF-HBs-2 and RF-HBs-4 each secrete a nonoclonal antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen. The production of the antibodies may be carried out in vitro by culturing one of the cell lines or in vivo by establishing one of the cell lines as an ascites tumour in a mouse and isolating antibodies from the ascites fluid or from the serum. The antibodies have therapeutic, preventative and diagnostic uses in respect of hepatitis B virus infections and can be used to purify hepatitis B surface antigen. The relative specificities of the three monoclonal antibodies make them particularly useful in radiometric assay techniques employing specific combinations of the antibodies in solid phase.

Growing community of inventors

London, United Kingdom

Howard Christopher Thomas