Plant-derived vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus

Abstract

A plant-derived vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is disclosed. The vaccine includes an immunogenic complex that includes plant cells transformed with a chimeric gene containing a nucleotide sequence adapted for protein expression in plants and an RSV coding sequence that encodes an antigenic protein of RSV. Also disclosed are methods of making the plant-derived vaccine of the invention, as well as transgenic plants, transgenic plant cells, and nucleic acid constructs useful in immunizing a mammal against RSV.

1 . A chimeric nucleic acid construct for expression in plants comprising a nucleic acid molecule encoding an antigenic respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) protein or peptide, wherein said nucleic acid molecule is expressed in an edible portion of the plant, and wherein upon oral ingestion of the edible portion of the plant by a subject in need thereof, the antigenic RSV protein or peptide elicits a Th1 immune response in the subject. 
     
     
         2 . The chimeric nucleic acid construct of  claim 1 , further comprising an AMV RNA4 untranslated leader sequence as translational enhancer. 
     
     
         3 . The chimeric nucleic acid construct of  claim 1 , further comprising a P268 enhancer as transcriptional enhancer. 
     
     
         4 . The chimeric nucleic acid construct of  claim 1 , wherein the codons of the nucleic acid molecule encoding the antigenic RSV protein or peptide have been optimized for enhanced expression in plants. 
     
     
         5 . The chimeric nucleic acid construct of  claim 1 , wherein the antigenic RSV protein is RSV-F or RSV-G. 
     
     
         6 . A plant cell transformed with the chimeric nucleic acid construct of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         7 . A transgenic plant transformed with the chimeric nucleic acid construct of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         8 . A method for preparing an immunogenic complex comprising
 growing plants cells transformed with the chimeric nucleic acid construct of  claim 1 , and   expressing the RSV protein or peptide in said plant cells to confer RSV antigen production in said plant cells.   
     
     
         9 . A method for preparing an immunogenic complex comprising
 transforming a plant with the chimeric nucleic acid construct of  claim 1  to produce a transgenic plant, and   expressing the RSV protein or peptide in said transgenic plant to confer RSV antigen production in said transgenic plant.   
     
     
         10 . An immunogenic complex comprising plant cells transformed with the chimeric nucleic acid construct of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . An immunogenic complex comprising a transgenic plant transformed with the chimeric nucleic acid construct of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . A method for eliciting a Th1 immune response in a subject comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an edible portion of a plant comprising the nucleic acid construct of  claim 1  so that the antigenic RSV protein or peptide elicits a Th1 immune response. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said administration comprises a prime vaccination. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said administration comprises a boost vaccination.