SBIR-STTR Award

HIV li-Key/Peptide Vaccine
Award last edited on: 10/9/02

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
NIH : NIAID
Total Award Amount
$301,761
Award Phase
1
Solicitation Topic Code
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Principal Investigator
Minzhen Xu

Company Information

Antigen Express Inc

100 Barber Avenue
Worcester, MA 01606
   (508) 852-8783
   antigenexp@aol.com
   N/A
Location: Single
Congr. District: 02
County: Worcester

Phase I

Contract Number: 1R43AI051023-01
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase I year
2002
Phase I Amount
$301,761
Antigen Express scientists have discovered that a segment of the Ii protein called Ii-Key, which acts at an allosteric site on one end of the antigenic peptide binding site on MHC Class II molecules, greatly enhances the binding of a tethered epitope. Linkage of such Ii-Key with a MHC class II-restricted epitope in a hybrid enhances the potency of presentation of the epitope >200 times, in vitro with murine and human assays, inducing a TH1 pattern of cytokine release. We propose to test such compounds with HIV MHC class II-restricted epitopes to expand CD4+ immunity and memory toward enhancing efficacy of HIV CTL peptide vaccines, the safest approach to HIV vaccination. We will: 1) design and synthesize several Ii-Key/HIV class II epitope hybrids according to our established methods; 2) test in mice the potencies of these hybrids in terms of T helper cell proliferation and the induction of neutralizing antibody against class II-restricted HIV epitope; and 3) design and synthesize an Ii-Key/class II epitope/CTL epitope double hybrid according to the data of 2); and then test the vaccine efficacy of this double hybrid in CTL induction. Our experiments will lead to a very potent HIV peptide vaccine. In a Phase II program the efficacy of such hybrids will be tested in higher primates and man. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: Ii-Key/HIV peptide vaccine strategy will result in a very potent HIV peptide vaccine, the safest HIV vaccine. This entirely synthetic vaccine can be manufactured in a large scale and be given to those at high risk of HIV infection.

Thesaurus Terms:
AIDS vaccine, MHC class II antigen, human immunodeficiency virus, invariant chain, protein engineering, synthetic vaccine, vaccine development antigen antibody reaction, lymphocyte proliferation, virus antigen laboratory mouse

Phase II

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase II year
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Phase II Amount
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