UNIVERSAL PEPTIDES

摘要

Improved peptide antigens for diagnostic testing and therapy of disease are provided which differ from naturally occurring peptide sequences. These peptides immunologically cross-react with a wide variety of mutated forms of antigens and are particularly useful for testing and treatment of retroviral disease such as HIV infection, where rapid mutation of the disease vector is a concern. The peptides are from about 25 to about 100 amino acid residues long and, in addition to advantageous reactivity, also may possess one or more other advantageous characteristics such as improved water solubility or improved immunological reactivity as compared to naturally occurring strains such as ANT70 and MVP5180. Advantageous alterations include substitution of one or more hydrophobic residues with hydrophilic residues, removal of a basic amino acid positive charge to decrease non-specific binding and increase in peptide secondary structure by adding one or more amino acids to form or extend an alpha helix within the peptide. The claimed invention is exemplified by substitution of leucine by glutamine and by arginine in HIV envelope protein peptides. Peptides that have been modified according to principles of the claimed invention differ greatly from the naturally occurring forms and are not identified as belonging to any particular viral Group or strain.