Inventors:
Andrew Catanzaro - Washington DC, US
Robert Yarchoan - Bethesda MD, US
Jay A. Berzofsky - Bethesda MD, US
Takahiro Okazaki - Kanagawa, JP
Samuel Broder - Bethesda MD, US
Assignee:
THE GOV'T OF USOA as represented by the SECRETARY OF THE DEPT OF HHS - Rockville MD
International Classification:
A61K 39/21, A61K 39/12, A61K 39/29, C12N 5/00, C07K 7/06, C12N 7/06, A61P 31/18, A61P 31/12, A61P 31/14
US Classification:
4241881, 4241861, 4241891, 435377, 530328, 435238
Abstract:
The present invention provides methods for lowering a viral load of a virus resistant to an antiviral drug by inducing cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) to recognize a predetermined mutated epitope within a viral protein of the drug-resistant virus. CTLs are induced by immunizing a host with a peptide comprising the predetermined mutation. The immunostimulating peptide may be further improved by epitope-enhancement for inducing specific CTLs. The antiviral protection against drug-resistant virus shown by compositions of the present invention and mediated by human HLA-restricted CTL has not been previously achieved.