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Heat Shock Protein based vaccine for Tuberculosis

Award Information
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Branch: National Institutes of Health
Contract: 1R43AI055185-01
Agency Tracking Number: AI055185
Amount: $188,719.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 2003
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
ANTIGENICS, INC. 34 COMMERCE WAY
WOBURN, MA 01801
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 ANNIE MO
 (781) 721-3500
 AMO@ANTIGENICS.COM
Business Contact
Phone: (781) 721-3518
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a continuing health threat both in the United States and the rest of the world with an estimated two billion people currently infected worldwide. Antibiotic regimens requiring lengthy direct observation of patients and the emergence of drug resistant strains create a pressing need for novel therapies. One such novel therapy is the use of heat shock protein to adjuvant a tuberculosis peptide vaccine for optimal generation of cell-mediated immune response. Heat shock protein-peptide complexes are recognized by HSP receptors on antigen presenting cells. Peptides chaperoned by HSP are then re-presented by MHC Class I and II molecules leading to cell mediated immunity including stimulation of antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Cell mediated immunity is an important major protective mechanism in tuberculosis. The ability of heat shock protein-peptide complexes to elicit T cell responses may address a shortcoming of traditional tuberculosis vaccines that primarily elicit antibody responses. The proposed product will consist of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens complexed in vitro to mammalian heat shock protein 70. Total cytosolic and culture filtrate fractions from M tuberculosis will be obtained and subjected to proteolysis with highly selective proteases to generate a large array of peptides containing T cell epitopes. Murine heat shock protein 70 will be complexed to the TB peptide extract and utilized as a vaccine. The product will be evaluated in mice for induction of cellular immune responses, assessed by antigen-specific cytotoxicity, cytokine response, and proliferation. The ultimate purpose of the research funded by this grant is to ascertain whether it will be possible to utilize the heat shock protein technology to generate a novel and efficacious therapeutic vaccine.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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