The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc.

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

Genentech, Inc.

Marian L McKee

Alison D O'Brien

Marian R Wachtel

C Neal Stewart

Randall J Mrsny

David J FitzGerald

Ann L Daugherty

This invention provides bioactive conjugates. The bioactive conjugates include: (1) a cell recognition moiety that binds to &#x3b1;macroglobulin receptor &#x3b1;2-MR and (2) a bioactive moiety which: (a) has a biological activity, (b) does not function solely as an immunogen to invoke an immune response and (c) does not have ADP ribosylating activity. The bioactive conjugates of this invention are useful in methods of transporting the bioactive moiety across a polar epithelial membrane. Thus, this invention provides methods for parenteral administration of proteins without injection.

Delivery of proteins across polar epithelial cell layers

The present invention describes the isolation and purification of histidine-tagged functional portions of intimin (his-tagged intimin or his-intimin), a protein associated with the ability of certain strains of pathogenic bacteria to adhere to epithelial cells. The invention further describes the use of intimin as an antigen to promote a protective immune response. In addition, the invention describes the combination of intimin with one or more other antigens and administration of the combination to promote a protective immune response against intimin and the one or more antigens. One aspect of the invention is the administration of intimin to target specific epithelial cells to promote a protective immune response to intimin proteins. Additional aspects of the invention include the use of intimin or intimin combined with one or more antigens and administration of the combination to target gastrointestinal mucosa and stimulate an immune response. Additionally, the invention describes administration of the combination of intimin combined with drugs, to provide a means for targeted delivery of drugs to specific epithelial cells. Other aspects of the invention include the production of antibodies directed against his-intimin and methods of using such antibodies to provide passive immune protection, and in an assay system.

Histidine-tagged intimin and methods of using intimin to stimulate an immune response and as an antigen carrier with targeting capability

This invention satisfies needs in the art by providing intimin, the Enterohemorrhagic(EHEC) adherence protein, alone or as a fusion protein with one or more other antigens, expressed by transgenic plants and the use of those plants as vehicles for stimulating a protective immune response against EHEC and the one or more other antigens. Various plant species are transformed to protect various animal species and also humans against EHEC, against pathogens expressing intimin-like proteins, and against pathogens expressing any of the one or more other antigens to which intimin may be fused. The eae gene encoding intimin, a functional portion thereof, or a recombination that encodes a fusion protein is put under the control of a constitutive plant promoter in a plasmid and the plasmid is introduced into plants by the type of transformation appropriate for the particular plant species. The engineered plants expressing intimin or the intimin fusion protein are then fed to animals and/or humans to elicit the production of antibodies, which protect the animals/humans against EHEC colonization and infection, and against pathogens expressing the one or more other antigens and any cross-reactive antigens. The invention may also be practiced by expressing the intimin or intimin fusion protein in other host organisms such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi.

Method of stimulating an immune response by administration of host organisms that express intimin alone or as a fusion protein with one or more other antigens

Plants and plant cells expressing histidine tagged intimin

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Great Falls, VA, United States of America

Marian L McKee