Vaccines against cancer and infectious diseases

Abstract

A method of stimulating an immune response in a human against malignant cells or an infectious agent comprises the step of administering to the human an immunogenic amount of a primate anti-idiotype antibody or antibody fragment that acts as an immunogenic functional mimic of an antigen produced by or associated with a malignant cell or an infectious agent. Sub-human primate anti-idiotype antisera, especially from baboons, are preferred. Such anti-idiotype antibodies are used to make vaccines for inducing preventive immunity or a therapeutic immune response against tumors, viruses, bacteria, rickettsia, mycoplasma, protozoa, fungi and multicellular parasites.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of stimulating an immune response in a human against malignant cells or an infectious agent, which comprises the step of administering to said human an immunogenic amount of a primate anti-idiotype antibody or antibody fragment that acts as an immunogenic functional mimic of an antigen produced by or associated with a malignant cell or an infectious agent.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said primate anti-idiotype antibody or antibody fragment is a subhuman primate antibody or antibody fragment.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said subhuman primate is a baboon.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said primate anti-idiotype antibody or antibody fragment is a human antibody or antibody fragment.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said primate anti-idiotype antibody or antibody fragment acts as an immunogenic functional mimic of an epitope on said antigen which is substantially specific to said malignant cell or infectious agent.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said antigen is produced by or associated with a malignant cell.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said antigen is carcinoembryonic antigen.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said primate anti-idiotype antibody or antibody fragment acts as an immunogenic mimic of an epitope on carcinoembryonic antigen which is not shared with either nonspecific crossreacting antigen or meconium antigen.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said antigen is produced by or associated with a virus.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said antigen is a human immunodeficiency virus envelope protein.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said envelope protein is gp120.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said antigen is produced by or associated with an infectious micro-organism selected from the group consisting of bacteria, rickettsia, mycoplasma, protozoa and fungi.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said antigen is produced by or associated with an infectious parasite.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said primate anti-idiotype antibody or antibody fragment is administered in combination with an immunostimulant adjuvant.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said adjuvant is at least one member selected from the group consisting of Freund's adjuvant, alum, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin and tetanus toxoid.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said primate anti-idiotype antibody or antibody fragment is administered in a protocol that also includes administration of said antigen.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said human is a cancer patient suffering from a malignant solid tumor or hematopoietic neoplasm.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said malignant solid tumor or hematopoietic neoplasm is a gastrointestinal, lung, breast, prostate, ovarian, testicular, brain or lymphatic lesion, a sarcoma or a melanoma lesion.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said human is suffering from a viral infection.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said human is suffering from infection by an infectious micro-organism selected from the group consisting of bacteria, rickettsia, mycoplasma, protozoa and fungi.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said human is suffering from infection by an infectious parasite.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said human is not suffering from a malignancy or from an infection, and said immune response results in immunity against the development of malignancy by a cell that produces or is associated with said antigen, or against infection by an infectious agents which produces or is associated with said antigen.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said human is a member of a high risk group for development of malignancies or infections.  
     
     
         24 . An antitumor or antipathogen vaccine, comprising an immunogenic amount of a primate anti-idiotype antibody or antibody fragment that acts as an immunogenic functional mimic of an antigen produced by or associated with a malignant cell or infectious agent, and a physiologically acceptable vaccine vehicle.  
     
     
         25 . The vaccine of  claim 24 , wherein said vehicle comprises an effective amount of an immunostimulant adjuvant.  
     
     
         26 . The vaccine of  claim 25 , wherein said adjuvant is at least one member selected from the group consisting of Freund's adjuvant, alum, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin and tetanus toxoid.  
     
     
         27 . The vaccine of  claim 24 , which further comprises said antigen.  
     
     
         28 . The vaccine of  claim 26 , which further comprises said antigen.  
     
     
         29 . A method for producing a vaccine, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) challenging a primate with an immunogenic preparation containing an idiotype antibody or antibody fragment which specifically binds an antigen produced by or associated with a malignant cell or an infectious agent;    (b) recovering antiserum from said primate and isolating at least one anti-idiotype antibody from said antiserum which specifically binds the idiotypic binding site of said idiotype antibody or antibody fragment and functionally mimics said antigen; and    (c) combining said anti-idiotype antibody with a physiologically acceptable vaccine vehicle.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein step (b) further comprises enzymatically fragmenting said isolated anti-idiotype antibody and recovering at least one resultant antibody fragment retaining the specific binding site of said anti-idiotype antibody, said anti-idiotype fragment being combined with said vehicle in step (c).  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said idiotype antibody or antibody fragment is a rodent monoclonal antibody or antibody fragment.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said idiotype antibody or antibody fragment is a primate antibody or antibody fragment.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said antigen is an oncofetal antigen.