Patent Application
20120321661
This invention relates to a recombinant measles virus having a vaccine effect against measles and malarial infection, a vaccine comprising the virus, and an antiserum obtained using the virus.
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by the malaria parasite (Plasmodium) belonging to the genus Plasmodium of the class Sporozoa. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared malaria to be one of three major infectious diseases along with AIDS and tuberculosis. Each year, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions, 300-500 million people become sick and 1-3 million people die of the disease. At least 90% of cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa, but malaria occurs worldwide in over 100 countries, and it is said that 40% of the world's population, i.e., 2.3 billion people are exposed to the danger of infection. In Asia, as well, occurrence of malaria has been reported in southern China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Malaysia. As a result of an increase in global warming in recent years, it is believed that regions where malarial infection occurs will expand. There is also the problem of an increasing number of instances of people who become infected in malarial regions and then become sick after returning home.
Among parasites, malaria parasites are characterized in that they live within the cells of the other animals. Among vertebrates, their hosts include reptiles, birds, and mammals, but they do not live within fish or amphibians. There are four types of malaria parasites which infect humans: 1) the falciparum malaria parasite (Plasmodium falciparum), 2) the tertian malaria parasite (Plasmodium vivax), 3) the ovale malaria parasite (Plasmodium ovale), and 4) the quartan malaria parasite (Plasmodium malariae). The falciparum malaria parasite causes the majority of infections and has the highest mortality rate.
Humans become infected by parasitism of the malaria parasite which is carried by the Anopheles mosquitoes. Symptoms include a high fever, headache, and joint pains. If suitable treatment is not obtained, symptoms may become serious, resulting in coma and eventually death.
Up to now, malaria countermeasures which have been attempted have been (1) countermeasures against Anopheles mosquitoes using insecticides, and (2) prevention and treatment of malaria with drugs. However, due to the emergence of insecticide-resistant Anopheles mosquitoes and drug resistance in malaria parasites, an effective method of preventing malaria has not yet been found. Development of vaccines against malaria has been carried out from long in the past, but an effective vaccine has not yet been developed.
Malaria parasites are carried by mosquitoes. When considering a vaccine, it is necessary to understand the life cycle of malaria parasites. Malaria parasites has the following four stages: (1) a stage in which a female Anopheles mosquito which is infected with malaria parasites bites a human, and malaria parasites (sporozoites) are injected into a blood vessel (this stage lasts a few minutes), (2) a stage in which the malaria parasites invade the liver and breed inside liver cells (1-2 weeks), (3) a stage in which liver cells rupture and merozoites are released into the blood, where they invade red blood cells and breed again, and newly born parasites invade a larger number of red blood cells (the cycle is repeated), and (4) a stage in which an Anopheles mosquito sucks blood from this patient, parasites breed in the stomach lining of the mosquito, the mosquito sucks blood from another human, and parasites are injected into the human together with mosquito saliva (10-14 days). A vaccine which suppresses propagation of malaria and promotes recovery is concerned with above-described stages (1)-(3).
For the immune reaction in each stage, 1) neutralizing antibodies, 2) cellular immunity, and 3) antibodies which prevent invasion into red blood cells must be taken into consideration. Anti-sporozoite vaccines and anti-merozoite vaccines have been proposed based on each stage in the life cycle of malaria parasites, but due to the ability of malaria parasites to avoid the human immune system, neither vaccine has exhibited an effect of actually preventing malarial infection.
Vaccines which have been proposed thus far are vaccines which use peptides which are various identified antigenic epitopes of malaria parasites, and DNA vaccines containing DNA which encodes these peptides. However, neither of these vaccines has a particularly great preventive effect. A DNA vaccine also has the drawbacks that it may cause an autoimmune disease by the induction of anti-DNA antibodies and that antigens may be permanently expressed.
Until recently, measles was the best known of common infant diseases. Clinical characteristics include premonitory symptoms such as fever, head cold, and conjunctivitis, after which a rash appears on the head and spreads to the chest, torso, and limbs. Measles often causes complications such as otitis media, croup, bronchitis, and bronchopneumonia. When undernourished infants die of measles, the cause of death is usually bacterial pneumonia. However, the most dangerous complication of measles is acute infectious encephalopathy, which occurs at a rate of 1 case per 1000 cases of measles and has a mortality rate of as high as approximately 15%. Even if death is avoided, in many cases, damage to the nervous system remains for life.
In countries where preventive inoculation is not carried out to a great extent, major measles epidemics occur every two or three years, and much occurrence is experienced primarily from late fall to spring. A measles vaccine was approved in the United States in 1963, but prior to that time, major epidemics occurred every two or three years, and it has been reported that in years with a major epidemic, there were 500,000 cases of measles per year and approximately 500 deaths from measles per year. From 1963 onwards, there was a sharp decrease in reports of measles patients, major epidemics every two or three years were no longer observed, and in 1983, there were only 1497 reported cases of measles.
However, in developing countries, there is a high mortality rate due to infantile measles within one year after birth, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has made preventive inoculation a priority and is carrying this out as a portion of expanded preventive inoculation. In these regions, the decrease in antibodies from the mother's body is faster than in developed countries, and infants rapidly become receptive to measles. As a result, the death of undernourished infants due to measles is a major cause of infant deaths.
Measles is caused by the measles virus, which belongs to the genus Morbillivirus of the family Paramyxoviridae. Virus particles have a polymorphic elliptical structure with a diameter of 100-250 nm. The internal capsid contains the spiral-shaped negative RNA genome, and the external envelope comprises a matrix protein (M), and short surface glycoprotein spikes of hemagglutinin (H) protein and of fusion (F) protein. The H and F proteins are necessary for cell adsorption and cell fusion of the virus, and the M protein is necessary for assembly of the virus. The virus proteins include six types of structural proteins and one type of non-structural protein.
An attenuated live vaccine which comprises measles viruses attenuated by serial subculture on cells is used as a vaccine against measles. The immune effect thereof continues for long periods.
However, up to now, there has been no idea of using a measles virus as a vector for a malaria vaccine.
As stated above, an effective vaccine against malarial infections has thus far not been put to actual use. Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a vaccine which is safe and effective against malarial infection and a vector for use in manufacturing such a vaccine. A further object of the present invention is to provide a bivalent vaccine which exhibits an excellent preventative effect against measles virus and malarial infections and which eliminates complexities at the time of inoculation.
During investigations with the purpose of developing an effective malaria vaccine, the present inventors focused on the manufacture of a vaccine using a virus vaccine vector, and in this process, they conceived of using a measles virus as a vector. The safety and effectiveness of a measles virus as a live vaccine has been established, so the present inventors thought that it could be used as a virus vaccine vector from the standpoints of inducing an effective immune reaction and imparting lifetime immunity. Therefore, they attempted to insert a gene encoding an antigen involved in the prevention of infection by malaria parasites into the virus to produce a recombinant measles virus. As a result of diligent investigation, the present inventors found that a recombinant measles virus which is obtained in this manner stably expresses the gene of an antigen involved in preventing infection by malaria parasites, which is an inserted foreign gene inside an infected cell, and that it can be used as a virus vector for a multivalent vaccine. Namely, they were able to obtain a recombinant measles virus which is useful as a vaccine against measles and malaria.
Accordingly, the gist of the present invention is a recombinant measles virus having a gene which encodes a protein involved in preventing malarial infection inserted into the measles virus genome.
In addition, the present invention is a recombinant measles virus having infectivity, which can express in an infected cell a protein which produces a defense against malarial infection after inoculation with the virus.
In the above description, a protein involved in preventing malarial infection is preferably selected from pfEMP-1, MAEBL, AMA-1, MSP-1, LSA-1, Pfs230, and the like.
The present invention also relates to the above-described recombinant measles virus characterized in that at least one gene in the measles virus genome and particularly a measles virus functional protein gene is modified.
The above-described recombinant measles virus may contain a foreign gene other than a gene which encodes a protein involved in preventing malarial infection such as a gene of an antigen recognition site for a monoclonal antibody against a cancer-specific marker molecule.
The present invention also relates to RNA contained in the above-described recombinant measles virus and DNA which comprises a template cDNA which can transcribe this recombinant measles virus genome RNA. This DNA is preferably in the form of a plasmid.
The present invention also relates to a bivalent vaccine against measles and malarial infection comprising the above-described recombinant measles virus. It relates to antiserum obtained from a body fluid collected from an animal infected with the above-described recombinant measles virus. The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing a vaccine against malarial infection characterized by using a measles virus as a vaccine vector.
As explained above, the present invention can provide a vaccine against malarial infection which thus far has been difficult to realize, and defense against measles and malarial infection becomes possible by inoculation with a single recombinant measles vaccine. In addition, diagnosis and treatment of malaria by an antiserum against malarial infection are made possible.
FIG. 1—This is a figure schematically showing the construction of pMV-HL (7+).
FIG. 2—This is a figure schematically showing the construction of pMV-pfEMP.
FIG. 3—This is a figure showing expression of pfEMP in a recombinant measles virus (MV-pfEMP)-infected cell.
Below, a recombinant measles virus and a vaccine containing it according to the present invention will be explained in detail.
In the present invention, the manufacture of a vaccine against malarial infection is characterized in that a measles virus is used as a vaccine vector. Namely, a recombinant measles virus having a gene which encodes a protein involved in defense against malarial infection inserted into the measles virus genome is prepared and used as a vaccine.
Preparation of a recombinant measles virus according to the present invention can utilize a reverse genetic system which is used for reconstruction of a canine distemper virus described in JP 2001-275684, for example. Gene manipulation such as modification of a virus genome and introduction of a foreign gene is carried out at the level of DNA, so in gene manipulation of a measles virus which belongs to a (−) strand RNA virus, it is necessary to obtain cDNA of a virus genome. Namely, it is necessary to reconstitute a recombinant measles virus particle having infectivity through cDNA. More specifically, cDNA of measles virus genome RNA is obtained, and the target foreign gene is incorporated therein to obtain a recombinant cDNA. By introducing this recombinant cDNA into a cell which expresses genes related to transcription and replication together with a unit which can transcribe into RNA using this cDNA as a template, it is possible to reconstitute a measles virus particle.
Any measles virus which can induce a high titer of a neutralizing antibody against a field measles virus is suitable as a measles virus for use in the preparation of a recombinant measles virus, examples of which are HL strain and ICB strain. It is also possible to use a vaccine strain such as the Edmonston strain which has been modified by genetic engineering so as to induce production of corresponding neutralizing antibodies.
A gene of a malaria parasite which is inserted as a foreign gene into the measles virus genome may be any gene which encodes a protein which brings about defense against malaria such as a gene which encodes a protein related to the pathogenicity or proliferation of malaria parasites and which can produce an immune reaction when this protein is expressed inside an organism. There are various antigens for the various stages in the life cycle of malaria parasites as a protein which produces a defense against malaria. It is possible to use one or more genes encoding one or more antigens in any stage or more than two stages. Such genes include but are not limited to the following:
pfEMP-1: infected erthrocycte surface antigen (U31083)
MAEBL: rhoptryprotein (AF40002)
AMA1: apical membrane antigen 1 (M27133)
MSP-1: asexual blood stage merozoite surface protein 1 (M19143)
LSA1: Liver stage antigen (Z30319, Z30320, X56203)
Pfs230: Reproductive mother cell surface protein (L08135)
In the above list, the information in parentheses is the DBJ registration number.
The base sequences of these genes have been determined. For example, the base sequence of the pfEMP-1 gene and the MAEBL gene are recorded as AF286005 and AY042084 in the GenBank database. Therefore, using a primer which is designed based on the known sequence, it is possible to obtain cDNA of the pfEMP-1 gene or the MAEBL gene using RNA which is extracted from a malaria parasite.
At its ends, the genome of a measles virus has a leader sequence which participates in virus replication and a trailer sequence, and between these it has N, P, M, F, H, and L genes which encode constitutive proteins of the virus. The N protein is successively connected to virus RNA from the 3′ end, and packages it. It has been found that the P protein, V protein, and C protein are produced from the P gene, and that the P protein participates in transcription and replication of viruses as a small subunit of RNA polymerase. L protein functions as a large subunit of RNA polymerase. M protein supports the virus particle structure from the interior, and F protein and H protein relate to invasion of host cells.
In order to construct a recombinant measles virus according to the present invention, first, a genome RNA is prepared from a measles virus like that described above, and its cDNA is prepared. The cDNA is linked downstream of a specific promoter. Depending upon the orientation of the cDNA, genome RNA or cRNA is transcribed. cDNA(s) of the above-described gene(s) of a malaria parasite is (are) inserted into the cDNA of the measles virus by gene manipulation to construct a recombinant cDNA.
In the construction of a recombinant measles virus according to the present invention, there is no particular limitation on the site on a measles virus genome where a gene which encodes an antigen involved in the protection of malarial infection is inserted, and it can be inserted between any two of the N, P, M, F, H, and L genes or upstream of the N gene.
When preparing cDNA of a measles virus genome, if a suitable restriction enzyme recognition sequence is placed between every two adjoining genes of the N, P, M, F, H, and L genes which encode a protein which constitutes the virus or at both ends of each gene, the target foreign gene can be easily inserted, and a location enabling optimal expression of foreign proteins can be selected. A concrete example in which restriction enzyme recognition sequences are disposed between the genes is the plasmid pMV (7+) used in Example 1, for example (see
As long as a recombinant measles virus according to the present invention is effective at preventing infection by malaria parasites and maintains infectivity, any other foreign gene can be inserted at an arbitrary site of RNA contained in the recombinant, or any gene in the genome can be missing or altered. Examples of other foreign genes which can be inserted are genes which encode various proteins which cause pathogenicity of viruses, bacteria, or parasites, genes which encode various cytokines, genes which encode various peptide hormones, and genes which encode antigen recognition sites in antibody molecules, with each of the above examples being genes which can be expressed in the host. For example, there are antigen recognition site genes for monoclonal antibodies against influenza virus, mumps virus, HIV, dengue fever virus, diphtheria, leishmaniasis, and cancer-specific marker molecules. The amount of expression of the inserted foreign gene can be adjusted by the site of gene insertion or by the RNA base sequence before and after the gene. For example, a gene which participates in immunogenicity may be inactivated. Alternatively, a portion of a gene which participates in RNA replication of a measles virus may be altered in order to increase the transcription efficiency or replication efficiency of RNA. Specifically, an intervening sequence or the leader portion may be modified, for example.
A recombinant virus can be formed by introducing cDNA of a measles virus genome on which the above-described gene manipulation was carried out together with a unit which can transcribe into RNA using this DNA as a template inside a cell into a host which expresses all enzymes for transcription and replication of a measles virus or a closely related virus. An example of a unit which can transcribe into RNA is DNA which expresses DNA-dependent RNA polymerase which acts on a specified promoter, downstream of which cDNA which has undergone the above-described gene manipulation is connected. Specific examples of this unit are recombinant vaccinia virus which expresses T7RNA polymerase or cultured cells into which T7RNA polymerase gene has been artificially incorporated.
The host into which the cDNA is introduced together with this unit can be any host which expresses all enzymes for transcription and replication of measles virus or a closely related virus, namely, a host which simultaneously expresses N protein, P protein, and L protein, or proteins having equivalent activity to these proteins. For example, a cell having genes which encode these proteins on its chromosome can be used, or a suitable cell into which plasmids having genes which encode each of N protein, P protein, and L protein can be used. 293 cells, B95a cells, or the like into which suitable plasmids having N gene, P gene, and L gene have been introduced are preferred.
A recombinant measles virus according to the present invention which is obtained in the above-described manner contains a gene which encodes a protein which produces a defense against malaria. As proved by the below-described examples, after inoculation of the recombinant virus, this gene expresses a protein which brings about a defense against malaria inside an infected cell. Therefore, it exhibits the effect of preventing proliferation of malaria parasites. Moreover, this recombinant virus maintains its function as a measles virus, so it is also effective as a vaccine against measles.
A vaccine according to the present invention can be manufactured by methods ordinarily used in this field, including, if necessary, mixing a recombinant measles virus according to the present invention with a pharmacologically acceptable carrier or suitable additive. A pharmacologically acceptable carrier is a diluent, an excipient, a binder, a solvent, or the like which does not cause a harmful physiological reaction in the subject to which it is administered and which does not produce a harmful interaction with other components of the vaccine composition. For example, water, physiological saline, and various buffering agents can be used. Examples of additives which can be used include adjuvants, stabilizers, isotonizing agents, buffers, solubilizers, suspending agents, preservatives, cryoprotective agents, freezing protective agents, freeze drying protective agents, and bacteriostats.
The vaccine may be in liquid, frozen, or freeze dried form. A liquid vaccine can be manufactured by collecting a cultured liquid which is obtained by culturing in a suitable medium or cultured cells or the like, adding an additive such as a stabilizer, and sealing the vaccine in a small bottle or ampoule. A frozen vaccine is obtained by gradually lowering the temperature and freezing after placing the vaccine into a container, with a cryoprotective agent or a freezing protective agent being added. A freeze dried vaccine is obtained by freezing the container into which the vaccine was dispensed in a freeze dryer and then performing vacuum drying and then sealing the container either as is or after charging nitrogen gas into the container. A liquid vaccine can be used as is or after being diluted with physiological saline or the like. When a frozen or freeze dried vaccine is used, a dissolving liquid for dissolving the vaccine is used. All types of buffers or physiological saline can be used as the dissolving liquid.
As an adjuvant for increasing immunogenicity, ones customarily used in this field can be employed, including cells such as BCG and Propionibacterium acnes, bacterial components such as cell walls and trehalose dimycolate (TDM), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or lipid A fractions which are endotoxins of gram negative bacteria, beta-glucan, N-acetyl muramyl dipeptide (MDP), bestatin, synthetic compounds such as levanisole, thymus hormones, thymic factors, proteins derived from components of organisms such as tuftsin, peptide products, Freund's incomplete adjuvant, and Freund's complete adjuvant.
The vaccine can be administered by subcutaneous administration, intramuscular administration, intravenous administration, or the like. The dosage depends upon the age, weight, and sex of the subject and the method of administration and is not particularly limited, but it is normally preferably in the range of 104-107 TCID50 per administration, and it is particularly preferable for it to be at least 105 TCID50. Administration is preferably carried out in the same manner as for a measles vaccine.
It is also possible to infect an animal with the recombinant measles virus, to obtain an antiserum or the like from a body fluid of the animal, and to use the antiserum for treatment and diagnosis.
The present invention will be explained more concretely by the following examples, but the present invention is not limited by these examples.
Construction of a Recombinant Measles Virus having a pfEMP Gene (MV-pfEMP)
pMV(7+) which was constructed based on the entire gene sequence of the genome of a field HL strain of measles virus and by artificially disposing a restriction enzyme recognition sequence at both ends of each of 6 types of genes which encode constitutive proteins of the virus was used as an infectious cDNA clone necessary for preparing recombinant MV (
The CIDR-1 region cDNA of pfEMP which is the infected erythrocyte surface antigen for malaria parasites was obtained by RT-PCR using overall RNA extracted from the malaria parasite (FCR-3 strain). pfEMPcDNA was reamplified by a primer to which was added Fse I restriction enzyme recognition sequence (SEQ ID Nos. 1 and 2), it was cloned in a plasmid vector, and the base sequence was inspected. The pfEMPcDNA which was obtained by digesting this plasmid with Fse I was inserted at the Fse I site between the N gene and the P gene of pMV (7+) to obtain infectious cDNA clone pMV-pfEMP, which is used to construct a recombinant measles virus having a pfEMP gene.
Primer Sequences
The reconstitution of recombinant measles virus was carried out as follows.
293 cells which had been trypsinized in a usual manner and 2 ml of DMEM medium containing 5% fetal bovine serum were placed into a 6-well plate (1,000,000 cells/well) and were incubated for 24 hours under 5% CO2 at 37° C. After the culture liquid was removed, a suspension of recombinant vaccinia virus MVA-T7 which can express T7 RNA polymerase in 0.2 ml of PBS was added to each well so that the multiplicity of infection (moi) became 2. The plate was shaken every 10 minutes so that the virus liquid spread over the entire well, and infection was carried out for 1 hour. After 1 hour, the virus liquid was removed, 2 ml of medium were added to each well, and 100 μl of cDNA solution were added dropwise. The cDNA solution was prepared in the following manner.
1 μg, 1 μg, and 0.1μ, respectively, of plasmids pGEM-NP, pGEM-P, and pGEM-L necessary for replication of measles virus were collected with a 1.5-ml sampling tube. 1 μg of pMV(7+)-pfEMP-1 and sterilized distilled water were added to the tube to prepare 10 ∥l of nucleic acid solution. 0.08 ml of DMEM medium were prepared in a separate sampling tube, 10 μl of Fugene 6 (Roche Diagnostics) were added dropwise to the DMEM medium, and the mixture was left standing for 5 minutes in this state at room temperature. This mixture was blended with the nucleic acid solution and left standing for at least 15 minutes at room temperature to obtain the cDNA solution.
A plate containing the above-described wells was incubated for 3 days under 5% CO2 at 37° C. On the third day, the medium was removed, and B95a cells which were suspended in a RPMI-1640 medium containing 5% fetal bovine serum were overlaid in an amount of 1,000,000 cells per well on the 293 cells. This plate was further incubated under 5% CO2 at 37° C. until a cytopathogenic effect (CPE) was observed.
The formation of a recombinant measles virus (MV-pfEMP) was confirmed by RT-PCR and sequencing.
Confirmation of Expression of pfEMP in Recombinant Measles Virus (MV-pfEMP) Infected Cells
B95a cells were infected with MV-pfEMP1, after 48 hours the cells were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and permeated with 0.2% Triton X-100. Anti-pfEMPl antibodies (rabbit serum) diluted 1000 times were added and reacted for 1 hour at room temperature. The pfEMP1 antibodies were removed, washing was performed 3 times with PBS, FITC-labeled anti-rabbit IgG antibodies diluted 2000 times were added, and the mixture was reacted for 30 minutes at room temperature. The anti-rabbit IgG antibodies were removed and washing with PBS was performed 5 times, after which the infected cells were observed using a confocal laser microscope. As a result, fluorescence of FITC 5 was observed only in MV-pfEMP1 infected cells, and the expression of pfEMP1 antigens was ascertained (
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2009/069691 | 11/20/2009 | WO | 00 | 8/14/2012 |
