Hapten-Carrier Conjugates and Uses Thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides compositions comprising a conjugate of a hapten with a carrier in an ordered and repetitive array, and methods of making such compositions. The conjugates and compositions of the invention may comprise a variety of haptens, including hormones, toxins and drugs, especially drugs of addiction such as nicotine. Compositions and conjugates of the invention are useful for inducing immune responses against haptens, which can use useful in a variety of therapeutic, prophylactic and diagnostic regimens. In certain embodiments, immune responses generated using the conjugates, compositions and methods of the present invention are useful to prevent or treat addiction to drugs of abuse and the resultant diseases associated with drug addiction.

1 . A nicotine hapten-carrier conjugate comprising:
 (a) (a) a virus-like particle of a RNA-phage carrier comprising at least one first attachment site, and   (b) (b) at least one nicotine hapten with at least one second attachment site; wherein said second attachment site is associated through at least one covalent bond to said first attachment site so as to form an ordered and repetitive hapten-carrier conjugate.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The conjugate of  claim 1 , wherein said virus-like particle is a recombinant virus-like particle. 
     
     
         4 .- 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The conjugate of  claim 3  wherein said virus-like particle comprises recombinant proteins, or fragments thereof, of RNA-phage Qβ. 
     
     
         11 .- 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The conjugate of  claim 3 , wherein said virus-like particle comprises recombinant proteins, or fragments thereof, a RNA-phage, and wherein said recombinant proteins consist of coat proteins of RNA phages. 
     
     
         14 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The conjugate of  claim 10 , wherein said recombinant proteins comprise coat proteins having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:3, or a mixture of coat proteins having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO: 4, or mutants thereof, and of SEQ ID NO:3. 
     
     
         22 . The conjugate of  claim 3 , wherein said virus-like particle essentially consisting of coat proteins having an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:3, or essentially consisting of a mixture of coat proteins having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO: 4, or mutants thereof; and of SEQ ID NO:3. 
     
     
         23 .- 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . The conjugate of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one first attachment site is a lysine residue. 
     
     
         31 . The conjugate of  claim 1 . Wherein said second attachment site is associated to said first attachment site through at least one non-peptide covalent bond. 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The hapten-carrier conjugate of  claim 1 , wherein said conjugate is suitable for eliciting an immune response against nicotine. 
     
     
         34 .- 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . The conjugate of  claim 33 , wherein the conjugate is formed from starting materials selected from the group consisting of:
 (c) (a) 6-(carboxymethylureido)-(±)-nicotine (CMUNic);   (d) (b) trans-3′-aminomethylnicotine succinate;   (e) (c) O-succinyl-3′-hydroxymethyl-nicotine;   (f) (d) Trans-4′-carboxycotinine;   (g) (e) N-[1-oxo-6-[(25)-2-(3-pyridyl)-1-pyrrolidinyl]hexyl]-β-alanine;   (m) (f) 6-(.sigma.-aminocapramido)-(±)-nicotine;   (n) (g) 3′ aminomethylnicotine;   (o) (h) 4′ aminomethylnicotine;   (p) (i) 5′ aminomethylnicotine;   (q) (j) 5 aminonicotine;   (r) (k) 6 aminonicotine;   (s) (l) S-1-(b-aminoethyl)nicotinium chloride; and   (t) (m) S-1-(b-aminoethyl) cotinium chloride.   
     
     
         39 . The conjugate of  claim 33 , wherein said hapten comprises the starting material O-succinyl-3′-hydroxymethyl-nicotine. 
     
     
         40 . The conjugate of  claim 33 , wherein said conjugate comprises O-succinyl-3′-hydroxymethyl-nicotine conjugated to Qβ virus like particle. 
     
     
         41 . The conjugate of  claim 33 , wherein said hapten is formed from the starting material O-succinyl-3′-hydroxymethyl-nicotine. 
     
     
         42 . The conjugate of  claim 41 , wherein the second attachment site contains, preferably is, an active group selected from the group consisting of
 (u) (a) Amine;   (v) (b) Amide;   (w) (c) Carboxyl;   (x) (d) Sulfhydryl;   (y) (e) Hydroxyl;   (z) (f) Aldehyde;   (aa) (g) Diazonitim;   (ä) (h) Alkylhalogenid;   (ö) (i) Hydrazine;   (aa) (j) Vinyl;   (ee) (k) Maleimid;   (ff) (l) Succinimide; and   (gg) (m) Hydrazide.   
     
     
         43 . The conjugate of  claim 42 , wherein said second attachment site is formed by reaction of the O-succinyl moiety of said O-succinyl-3′-hydroxymethyl-nicotine with the first attachment site. 
     
     
         44 . The conjugate of  claim 41 , wherein the second attachment site contains an amide, and wherein said second attachment site is formed by reaction of the O-succinyl moiety of said O-succinyl-3′-hydroxymethyl-nicotine with a lysine residue being said first attachment site. 
     
     
         45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . The conjugate of  claim 33 , wherein said conjugate comprises O-succinyl-3′-hydroxymethyl-nicotine conjugated to a virus-like particle of a RNA-phage, preferably to a Qβ virus like particle, and hereby preferably to a Qβ virus like particle comprising, or preferably being composed of coat proteins of RNA-phage Qβ. 
     
     
         47 .- 62 . (canceled) 
     
     
         63 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the conjugate of of  claim 33 ; and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
         64 .- 65 . (canceled) 
     
     
         66 . A vaccine composition comprising the conjugate of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         67 .- 68 . (canceled) 
     
     
         69 . A method of inducing an immune response to a drug in an animal, said method comprising administering an immunologically effective amount of the conjugate of  claim 33  to an animal and permitting said animal to produce an immune response to said drug. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein said conjugate is administered to said animal by a route selected from the group consisting of: intranasally, orally, subcutaneously, transdermally, intramuscularly or intravenously. 
     
     
         71 .- 115 . (canceled) 
     
     
         116 . The conjugate of  claim 1 , wherein said virus-like particle is a virus-like particle of RNA-phage Qβ coat protein. 
     
     
         117 . The conjugate of  claim 116 , wherein said virus-like particle of RNA-phage Qβ coat protein comprising a coat protein consisting of the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:3. 
     
     
         118 . The conjugate of  claim 117 , wherein said first attachment site is a lysine residue and wherein said first attachment site naturally occurs in said core particle.