University of Iowa Research Foundation

The United States Government As Represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs

American Biogenetic Sciences, Inc.

Jack T Stapleton

James H McLinden

Jinhua Xiang

Donna Klinzman

Nirjal Bhattarai

Elliot D Rosen

Sabina Wünschmann

Warren Schmidt

Jinhau Xiang

Patricia L Winokur

Qing Chang

Warren N Schmidt

Douglas LaBrecque

Bev Davidson

Sarah George

Jian-Qiu Han

The disclosure provides compositions and methods involving viral RNA segments for use in modulating immune responses, including inhibition inflammation related to pathogenic T-cell activation. In addition, modification of the viral sequences responsible for modulating immune response provides for improved vaccine formulations.

Viral RNA segments as immunomodulatory agents and vaccine components

GB virus C (GBV-C or hepatitis G virus) is a flavivirus that frequently leads to chronic viremia in humans. The invention provides compositions and methods involving an anti-GBV-C antibody or other GBV-C binding agent, or a GBV-C antigen, for inhibiting and treating HIV infections.

Method of inducing a cross-reactive HIV-1 immune response by administering a composition comprising the GBV-C E2 protein

GB virus C (GBV-C or hepatitis G virus) is a flavivirus that frequently leads to chronic viremia in humans. The invention provides compositions and methods involving GBV-C E2 polypeptides and peptides for use in modulating immune responses, including inhibition inflammation related to pathogenic T-cell activation.

GB virus C (hepatitis G virus) E2 glycoprotein as an immunomodulatory agent

Method for inhibiting HIV-1 replication utilizing anti-GBV-C E2 antibodies

GB virus C (GBV-C or hepatitis G virus) is a flavivirus that frequently leads to chronic viremia in humans. The invention provides compositions and methods involving a -GBV-C NS5A peptide or polypeptide for inhibiting and treating HIV infections.

Flavivirus NS5A proteins for the treatment of HIV

GB virus C (GBV-C or hepatitis G virus) is a flavivirus that frequently leads to chronic viremia in humans. The invention provides compositions and methods involving a-GBV-C NS5A peptide or polypeptide for inhibiting and treating HIV infections.

The present application provides GB virus C sequences (GBV-C or hepatitis G virus) and methods of using the sequences.

GB virus C and methods of treating viral infections

GB virus C (GBV-C or hepatitis G virus) is a recently described flavivirus that frequently leads to chronic viremia in humans. Although associated with acute post-transfusion hepatitis, it is not clear if GBV-C is pathogenic for humans. A full-length cDNA was constructed from the plasma of a person with chronic GBV-C viremia. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) transfected with full-length RNA transcripts from this GBV-C clone resulted in viral replication, demonstrating an isolated infectious GBV-C nucleic acid molecule. In addition to composition involving an isolated infectious GBV-C nucleic acid molecule, the present invention concerns methods of inhibiting and treating HIV infections.

Full-length GB virus C (hepatitis G virus) RNA transcripts are infectious in primary CD4 positive T cells

The present invention involves the detection and purification of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). More particularly, the invention involves the exploitation of a newly discovered Fc-binding function in HCV to capture HCV from infected samples. This permits greatly simplified methods of diagnosis, improved methods of treatment and, in addition, the first opportunity to purify significant quantities of HCV.

Hepatitis C virus Fc-binding function

The present invention is directed to genetically engineered expression systems which encode a recombinant Hepatitis A virus (HAV) proteins capable of forming capsid particles. By way of example baculovirus vectors were utilized in order to express recombinant HAV proteins. The recombinant baculoviruses of the invention are formed by replacing regions of the polyhedrin structural gene coding sequences with HAV DNA by recombinant DNA techniques. Additionally, the polyhedrin transcriptional initiation site is altered in these recombinant baculoviruses such that only HAV proteins and not polyhedrin protein sequences are expressed from the polyhedrin promoter. The recombinant HAV capsid particles produced in accordance with the present invention can be particularly useful as vaccines.

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Iowa City, IA, United States of America

Jack T Stapleton