Igf-1 as feline vaccine adjuvant, in particular against feline retroviruses

Abstract

The invention relates to feline IGF-1, to the nucleotide sequence encoding this protein and to the use of IGF-1 as adjuvant for the vaccination of cats, in particular against the feline retroviruses FIV and FeLV. IGF-1 may be used in the form of protein or may be expressed in vivo by a suitable, e.g. viral or plasmid, expression vector. The invention relates to all types of vaccines, namely inactivated, attenuated, sub-unit and recombinant vaccines. The vectors expressing IGF-1 in vivo may also be used in immunity-stimulating compositions.

1 - 43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . An immunogenic composition against a feline disease, comprising at least one immunogen of at least one feline pathogen or at least one vector expressing in vivo at least one immunogen of at least one feline pathogen, and an in vivo expression vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having an IGF-1 activity selected from the group consisting of:
 (i) a polynucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or its complementary strand   (ii) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2;   (iii) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3;   (iv) a polynucleotide comprising a sequence which differs from the sequence SEQ ID NO: 1 due to the replacement of T by U,   (iv) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having identity equal to or 98.5% with a polypeptide according to (ii);   (v) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having identity higher than 98.5% with a polypeptide according to (ii);   and a veterinarily acceptable vehicle or excipient.   
     
     
         45 . The immunogenic composition according to claim  12 , wherein the polynucleotide comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1. 
     
     
         46 . The immunogenic composition according to claim  12 , wherein the polynucleotide encodes a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 3. 
     
     
         47 . The immunogenic composition according to claim  12 , wherein the immunogenic composition contains the vector expressing in vivo the immunogen of the feline pathogen, and this vector is a plasmid. 
     
     
         48 . The immunogenic composition according to claim  12 , wherein the expression vector comprising the polynucleotide is a plasmid. 
     
     
         49 . The immunogenic composition according to claim  12 , wherein the immunogenic composition contains the immunogen of the feline pathogen, and the immunogen of the feline pathogen comprises an FIV immunogen. 
     
     
         50 . The immunogenic composition according to claim  12 , wherein immunogenic composition contains the immunogen of the feline pathogen, and the immunogen of the feline pathogen comprises an FeLV immunogen. 
     
     
         51 . The immunogenic composition according to claim  12 , wherein the immunogenic composition contains the immunogen of the feline pathogen and the immunogen of the feline pathogen comprises an FIV and an FeLV immunogen. 
     
     
         52 . The immunogenic composition according to claim  12 , wherein the immunogenic composition contains the immunogen of the feline pathogen and the immunogen of the feline pathogen is selected from the group consisting of an FPV immunogen, an FIPV immunogen, an FHV immunogen, an FCV immunogen, a rabies virus immunogen, and a  Chlamydia  immunogen. 
     
     
         53 . The immunogenic composition according to claim  12 , wherein the immunogenic composition contains the vector expressing in vivo the immunogen of the feline pathogen, and this vector is a viral vector. 
     
     
         54 . The immunogenic composition according to claim  12 , wherein the expression vector comprising the polynucleotide is a viral vector. 
     
     
         55 . The immunogenic composition according to claim  12 , wherein the immunogenic composition contains the immunogen of the feline pathogen and the immunogen is selected from the group consisting of an inactivated immunogen, a live attenuated immunogen and a sub-unit or sub-units.