Vaccine against Mycobacterial infections

Abstract

A naked nucleic acid construct comprising a coding sequence which encodes a mycobacterial stress protein or proline-rich antigen or an antigenically effective fragment thereof operably linked to a promoter capable of expressing the said coding sequence in a mammalian host cell is useful as a vaccine against a mycobacterial infection such as tuberculosis and leprosy.

1 . Use of a naked nucleic acid construct comprising a coding sequence which encodes a mycobacterial stress protein or proline-rich antigen or an antigenically effective fragment thereof operably linked to a promoter capable of expressing the said coding sequence in a mammalian host cell, in the manufacture of a medicament for use as a vaccine against a mycobacterial infection.  
     
     
         2 . Use according to  claim 1  wherein the coding sequence of the naked nucleic acid construct encodes a mycobacterial heat-shock protein.  
     
     
         3 . Use according to  claim 2  wherein the coding sequence of the naked nucleic acid construct encodes the 70 kDa, 65 kDa or 10 kDa heat shock protein of  Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium leprae  or  Mycobacterium bovis  or an antigenically effective fragment thereof.  
     
     
         4 . Use according to  claim 3  wherein the coding sequence of the naked nucleic acid construct encodes the  Mycobacterium leprae  65 kDa protein.  
     
     
         5 . Use according to  claim 1  wherein the coding sequence of the naked nucleic acid construct encodes a proline-rich antigen of  Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium leprae  or  Mycobacterium bovis.    
     
     
         6 . Use according to  claim 5  wherein the coding sequence of the naked nucleic acid construct encodes the 36 kDa proline-rich antigen of  Mycobacterium leprae.    
     
     
         7 . Use according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the naked nucleic acid construct is a DNA construct.  
     
     
         8 . Use according to the any one of the preceding claims wherein the naked nucleic acid construct is plasmid.  
     
     
         9 . Use according to any one of  claims 1  to  6  wherein the naked nucleic acid construct is an RNA construct.  
     
     
         10 . A naked nucleic acid construct as defined in any one of the preceding claims for use as a vaccine against a mycobacterial infection.  
     
     
         11 . A vaccine composition comprising a naked nucleic acid construct as defined in any one of  claims 1  to  9  and an acceptable carrier or diluent.  
     
     
         12 . A method of vaccinating a mammalian host against a mycobacterial infection, which method comprises administering to the host an effective amount of a naked nucleic acid construct as defined in any one of  claims 1  to  8 .  
     
     
         13 . Bone marrow cells transfected with a nucleic acid construct comprising a coding sequence which encodes a mycobacterial stress protein or proline-rich antigen or an antigenically effective fragment thereof operably linked to a promoter capable of expressing the said coding sequence in bone marrow cells.  
     
     
         14 . A method of vaccinating a mammalian host against a mycobacterial infection, which method comprises administering to the host an effective amount of bone marrow cells as defined in  claim 13 .  
     
     
         15 . A naked nucleic acid construct as defined in  claim 1 , or in any one of  claims 5  to  9  when dependent thereon, wherein the coding sequence encodes a mycobacterial proline-rich antigen or an antigenically effective fragment thereof.