Composition comprising immunogenic microparticles

Abstract

The invention provides an immunogenic composition comprising at least one antigen in association with microparticles, wherein the microparticles are in the same size range as viruses. In addition the invention also provides vaccine compositions and methods of eliciting immune responses in a subject.

1 . An immunogenic composition comprising at least one antigen in association with microparticles, wherein the microparticles are in the same size range as viruses.  
     
     
         2 . A vaccine composition comprising at least one antigen in association with microparticles, wherein the microparticles are in the same size range as viruses.  
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1  or  claim 2  wherein the microparticles are of substantially uniform size.  
     
     
         4 . The composition of any one of  claims 1  to  3  wherein said microparticles comprise a solid core.  
     
     
         5 . The composition of any one of  claims 1  to  4  wherein said microparticles are about 0.03 to 0.05 μm in diameter.  
     
     
         6 . The composition of any one of  claims 1  to  5  wherein said microparticles are made from latex., ferrous molecules, gold, glass, calcium phosphate, polystyrene, poly lyseine G or other biodegradable and biocompatible polymers.  
     
     
         7 . The composition of any one of  claims 1  to  6  wherein said antigen is adsorbed onto, conjugated to, or covalently coupled to said microparticles.  
     
     
         8 . The composition of any one of  claims 1  to  7  wherein said antigen is a peptide, protein, recombinant peptide or protein, lipid, carbohydrate, nucleic acid or other type of molecule or a combination of any of these.  
     
     
         9 . The composition of any one of  claims 1  to  8  wherein the antigen is derived from a pathogen, tissue, cell organ or molecule and is selected from the following group: 
 pollen, hepatitis C virus, (HIV) core, E1, E2 and NS2 proteins, antigens from Plasmodium species such as  P. vivax  and other Plasmodium species including  P. faliciparum circumsporozoite  protein (CS) and human  plasmodium falciparum , - vivax , - ovalae  and  malariae , TRAP, MSP-1, MSP-2, MSP-3, MSP-4, MSP-5, AMA-1, RESA, SALSA, STARP, LSA1 and LSA3, HIV-gp120/160 envelope glycoprotein, streptococcus surface protein Ag, influenza nucleoprotein, haemagglutinin-neuraminidase surface infection, TcpA pilin subunit, VP1 protein, LMCV nucleoprotein, Leishmania major surface glycoprotein (gp63),  Bordetella pertussis  surface protein, rabies virus G protein, Streptococcus M protein, Staphylococcal proteins or  Helicobacter pylori  proteins, Syncyticial virus (RSV) F or G proteins, Epstein Barr virus (EBV) gp340 or nucleoantigen 3A, haemagglutinin,  Borrelia burgdorferi  outer surface protein (Osp) A,  Mycobacterium tuberculosis  38 kD lipoprotein or 30 kD protein (Ag85), 10 kD or 65 kD proteins,  Neisseria meningitidis  class 1 outer protein,  Varicella zoster  virus IE62 and gpl, Rubella virus capsid protein, Hepatitis B virus pre S1 ag, Herpes simplex virus type I glycoprotein G or gp D or CP27, Murray valley encephalitis virus E glycoprotein, Hepatitis A virus VP1, polio virus capsid protein VP1, VP2 and VP3, chlamydia trachomatis surface protein, Hepatitis B virus envelope Ag pre S2, Human rhinovirus (HRV) capsid, papillomavirus peptides from oncogene E6 and E7, Listeria surface protein, Varicella virus envelope protein, Vaccinia virus envelope protein, Brucella surface protein, Rotavirus, VP-3, VP-4, VP-5, VP-7 and VP-8, a combination of one or more of said antigens, an amino acid subunit of said antigen comprising five or more amino acids in length or combinations of one or more of said subunits.  
 
     
     
         10 . The composition of any one of  claims 1  to  8  wherein the antigen is derived from a cancer such as a breast cancer, lung cancer, pancreas cancer, colon cancer or melanoma.  
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein the antigen is a recombinant peptide or protein.  
     
     
         12 . A method of eliciting an immune response in a subject said method comprising administering to a subject an immunologically effective amount of a composition comprising at least one antigen associated with microparticles, wherein the microparticles are in the same size range as viruses.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the immune response is selected from the group consisting of a CD8 cellular response and an antibody response wherein the antibody is IgG, lgM or IgA.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said immune response is the proliferation and/or expansion of dendritic cells.  
     
     
         15 . A method of eliciting a protective immune response to an antigen via a single dose said method comprising administering, once only to a subject, an immunologically effective amount of a composition comprising at least one antigen associated with microparticles, wherein the microparticles are in the same size range as viruses and the immune response comprises the stimulation and/or proliferation of dendritic cells.  
     
     
         16 . A method of in vivo delivery of an antigen to dendritic cells in order to elicit an immune response said method comprising administering to a subject an immunologically effective amount of a composition comprising at least one antigen associated with microparticles, wherein the microparticles are in the same size range as viruses.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  or  claim 16  wherein the immune response comprises eliciting mechanisms for MHC class I presentation of the antigen which antigen is taken up by caveole and/or clathrin pits for further processing by Rab4 independent and TAP dependent processes.  
     
     
         18 . A method of producing an immunogenic microparticle/antigen composition comprising contacting microparticles which are in the same size range as viruses with one or more antigens such that the microparticles and antigens become associated.