Modified Viral Particles with Immunogenic Properties and Reduced Lipid Content Useful for Treating and Preventing Infectious Diseases

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for reducing the occurrence and severity of infectious diseases, especially infectious diseases in which lipid-containing infectious viral organisms are found in biological fluids, such as blood. The present invention employs solvents useful for extracting lipids from the lipid-containing infectious viral organism thereby creating modified viral particles with reduced infectivity and enhanced antigenicity. The present invention provides vaccine compositions, comprising these modified viral particles with reduced infectivity and enhanced antigenicity, optionally combined with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or an immunostimulant. The vaccine composition is administered to a patient to provide protection against the lipid-containing infectious viral organism. The vaccine compositions of the present invention include combination vaccines of modified viral particles obtained from one or more strains of a virus and/or one or more types of virus.

1 . A modified pestivirus viral particle comprising at least a partially delipidated pestivirus viral particle, wherein the partially delipidated pestivirus viral particle:
 initiates a positive immune response in a patient; and   incites protection against an infectious organism.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The modified pestivirus viral particle of  claim 1 , wherein the modified pestivirus viral particle has a lower cholesterol content than an unmodified viral particle. 
     
     
         4 . The modified pestivirus viral particle of  claim 3 , wherein the lower cholesterol content is at least 20% lower than the unmodified pestivirus viral particle. 
     
     
         5 . The modified pestivirus viral particle of  claim 3 , wherein the lower cholesterol content is at least 30% lower than the unmodified pestivirus viral particle. 
     
     
         6 . The modified pestivirus viral particle of  claim 3 , wherein the lower cholesterol content is at least 40% lower than the unmodified pestivirus viral particle. 
     
     
         7 . The modified pestivirus viral particle of  claim 1 , wherein the modified pestivirus viral particle has a different buoyant density than an unmodified viral particle. 
     
     
         8 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A modified pestivirus viral particle comprising at least a partially delipidated pestivirus viral particle having:
 a lower cholesterol content than an unmodified pestivirus viral particle; and,   a different buoyant density than an unmodified pestivirus viral particle.   
     
     
         15 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The modified pestivirus viral particle of  claim 14 , wherein the lower cholesterol content is at least 20% lower than the unmodified pestivirus viral particle. 
     
     
         19 . The modified pestivirus viral particle of  claim 14 , wherein the lower cholesterol content is at least 30% lower than the unmodified pestivirus viral particle. 
     
     
         20 . The modified pestivirus viral particle of  claim 14 , wherein the lower cholesterol content is at least 40% lower than the unmodified pestivirus viral particle. 
     
     
         21 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A vaccine composition, comprising at least a partially delipidated pestivirus viral particle having at least one exposed viral antigen that was not exposed in the non-delipidated pestivirus viral particle wherein the partially delipidated pestivirus viral particle is capable of provoking an immune response when administered to a patient. 
     
     
         30 . The vaccine composition of  claim 29 , wherein the immune response comprises enhanced interferon gamma production by T cells. 
     
     
         31 . The vaccine composition of  claim 30 , wherein the T cells are CD4 +  or CD8 +  T cells. 
     
     
         32 . The vaccine composition of  claim 29 , wherein the immune response comprises proliferation of cells of the immune system. 
     
     
         33 . The vaccine composition of  claim 29 , wherein the partially delipidated pestivirus viral particle has a lower cholesterol content than the non-delipidated pestivirus viral particle. 
     
     
         34 . The vaccine composition of  claim 33 , wherein the lower cholesterol content is at least 20% lower than the non-delipidated pestivirus viral particle. 
     
     
         35 . The vaccine composition of  claim 33 , wherein the lower cholesterol content is at least 30% lower than the non-delipidated pestivirus viral particle. 
     
     
         36 . The vaccine composition of  claim 29 , comprising partially delipidated pestivirus viral particles from one or more strains of virus or one or more types of virus. 
     
     
         37 . The vaccine composition of  claim 29 , wherein the partially delipidated pestivirus viral particle has a different buoyant density than the non-delipidated pestivirus viral particle. 
     
     
         38 - 42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . The vaccine composition of  claim 29 , wherein the pestivirus is BVDV. 
     
     
         44 - 69 . (canceled)