Methods and reagents for vaccination which generate A CD8 T cell immune response

Abstract

New methods and reagents for vaccination are described which generate a CD8 T cell immune response against malarial and other antigens such as viral and tumour antigens. Novel vaccination regimes are described which employ a priming composition and a boosting composition, the boosting composition comprising a non-replicating or replication-impaired pox virus vector carrying at least one CD8 T cell epitope which is also present in the priming composition.

1 . A method of boosting a primed CD8 +  T cell immune response against a tumor antigen in a mammal, comprising administering to said mammal a source of one or more CD8 +  T cell epitopes of said tumor antigen, wherein the source of CD8 +  T cell epitopes is a non-replicating or a replication-impaired viral vector. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-replicating or replication-impaired viral vector is a recombinant poxvirus vector. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the recombinant poxvirus vector is an MVA vector. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the recombinant poxvirus vector is an avipox virus vector. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the recombinant poxvirus vector is a fowlpox virus vector. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mammal is a primate. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tumor antigen comprises one or more CD8 +  T cell epitopes of melanoma. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tumor antigen comprises one or more CD8 +  T cell epitopes of breast cancer. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tumor antigen comprises one or more CD8 +  T cell epitopes of colon cancer.