Compositions for Inducing Immune Response Comprising Inverted Microsomes

Abstract

A vaccine composition is provided which comprises inverted microsomes or fragments thereof from an animal cell in association with an externally disposed peptide antigen and a protein of the MHC.

1 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A vaccine composition comprising an isolated inverted microsome from an animal cell, or a membrane fragment thereof, in association with an externally disposed peptide antigen and a protein of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC). 
     
     
         33 . A composition according to  claim 32  in which the microsome is from the endoplasmic reticulum of the cell. 
     
     
         34 . A composition according to  claim 32  in which the protein of the MHC is from a heterologous source with respect to the cell from which the microsome is obtained. 
     
     
         35 . A composition according to  claim 32  in which the composition additionally comprises one or more co-stimulatory molecules. 
     
     
         36 . A composition according to  claim 35  in which the co-stimulatory molecule is B7 or IL-2. 
     
     
         37 . A composition according to  claim 32  in which the antigen is from a viral, bacterial, yeast, fungal, or protozoan origin. 
     
     
         38 . A composition according to  claim 32  in which the antigen is an auto-antigen. 
     
     
         39 . A composition according to  claim 37  in which the antigen is of neoplastic cell or cell of a cancer tumour, or a normal self-protein. 
     
     
         40 . A composition according to  claim 39  in which the neoplastic cell or cancer cell tumour is from a melanoma, lung adenocarcinoma, colon cancer, breast cancer, or leukemia cell. 
     
     
         41 . A kit of parts comprising a composition according to  claim 32  and one or more cytokines and/or adjuvants in sealed containers. 
     
     
         42 . A kit of parts according to  claim 41  in which the cytokine is IL-2 or IFNγ. 
     
     
         43 . A kit of parts comprising a composition according to  claim 32  and one or more cytokines and/or adjuvants for separate, subsequent or simultaneous administration to a subject. 
     
     
         44 . A kit of parts according to  claim 43  in which the cytokine is IL-2 or IFNγ. 
     
     
         45 . A process for the preparation of a vaccine composition according to  claim 32  comprising incubating a population of microsomes and an antigen in the presence of a nucleoside triphosphate, followed by processing to prepare inverted microsomes, and formulating the resulting preparation in a physiological diluent and optionally an adjuvant. 
     
     
         46 . A method of treatment or prophylaxis of a subject suffering from a disease or condition, comprising administering to the subject a vaccine composition according to  claim 32  to treat said disease or condition.