Methods and reagents for vaccination which generate a CD8 T cell immune response

Abstract

New methods and reagents for vaccination are described which generate a CD8 T cell immune response against malarial and other antigens such as viral and tumour antigens. Novel vaccination regimes are described which employ a priming composition and a boosting composition, the boosting composition comprising a non-replicating or replication-impaired pox virus vector carrying at least one CD8 T cell epitope which is also present in the priming composition.

1 . A method for generating a CD8 +  T cell immune response in a human against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) comprising administering to said human at least one dose of each of the following:
 (i) a priming composition comprising or encoding one or more CD8 +  T cell epitopes of HIV; and   (ii) a boosting composition comprising a recombinant poxvirus vector encoding at least one of said one or more CD8 +  T cell epitopes of HIV, wherein the recombinant poxvirus vector is non-replicating or replication-impaired in the human;   
       wherein if the priming composition in (i) is a viral vector, then it is derived from a different virus than the poxvirus vector in (ii), and wherein a CD8 +  T cell immune response against said at least one CD8 +  T cell epitope of HIV is generated in the human. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the non-replicating or replication-impaired recombinant poxvirus vector is a recombinant vaccinia virus. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the recombinant vaccinia virus is a recombinant MVA vector. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the non-replicating or replication-impaired recombinant poxvirus vector is a recombinant avipox virus. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the recombinant avipox virus is a recombinant fowlpox vector. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the recombinant avipox virus is a recombinant canarypox vector. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the recombinant canarypox vector is a recombinant ALVAC vector. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the priming composition is a recombinant DNA plasmid. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the priming composition is a viral vector. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the viral vector is a herpes viral vector. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the viral vector is a replicating viral vector. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the viral vector is a non-replicating or replication-impaired viral vector. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the CD8 +  T cell epitopes are one or more epitope strings comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID Nos: 42, 43, 45-49, 51-53 and 55-64. 
     
     
         16 . A method for generating a CD8 +  T cell immune response in a human against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) comprising administering to said human at least one dose of each of the following:
 (i) a priming composition comprising a DNA plasmid encoding one or more CD8 +  T cell epitopes of HIV; and   (ii) a boosting composition comprising a recombinant vaccinia virus encoding at least one of said one or more CD8 +  T cell epitopes of HIV, wherein the recombinant vaccinia virus is non-replicating or replication-impaired in the human,   
       wherein a CD8 +  T cell immune response against said at least one CD8 +  T cell epitope of HIV is generated in the human. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the non-replicating or replication-impaired recombinant vaccinia virus is a recombinant MVA vector. 
     
     
         18 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A method for generating a CD8 +  T cell immune response in a human against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) comprising administering to said human at least one dose of each of the following:
 (i) a priming composition comprising a DNA plasmid encoding one or more CD8 +  T cell epitopes of HIV; and   (ii) a boosting composition comprising a recombinant poxvirus vector encoding at least one of said one or more CD8 +  T cell epitopes of HIV, wherein the recombinant poxvirus vector is non-replicating or replication-impaired in the human;   
       wherein a CD8 +  T cell immune response against said at least one CD8 +  T cell epitope of HIV is generated in the human. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the CD8 +  T cell epitopes are one or more epitope strings comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID Nos: 42, 43, 45-49, 51-53 and 55-64. 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the CD8 +  T cell epitopes are one or more epitope strings comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID Nos: 42, 43, 45-49, 51-53 and 55-64. 
     
     
         29 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the CD8 +  T cell immune response assists in controlling HIV infection