| 摘要 |
A composition which elicits antibodies to most (e.g., greater than 95 %) of the known variants of Tat protein of HIV-1 of both the B and non-B clades contains at least two variants of a peptide or polypeptide of the formula: R 1- Asp-Pro-Y7-Leu-X9-Pro-Trp-Z12-R2 [SEQ ID NO:8]. According to this formula, Y 7 is Arg, Lys, Ser or Asn; X9 is Glu or Asp; Z12 is Lys or Asn; R1 is hydrogen , a lower alkyl, a lower alkanoyl, or a sequence of between 1 to about 5 amino acids, optionally substituted with a lower alkyl or lower alkanoyl; and R2 i s a free hydroxyl, an amide, or a sequence of one or up to about 5 additional amino acids, optionally substituted with an amide. In this composition, at least one of the two variants contains Arg at Y7 and Lys at Z12, and in at least a second of the two variants Y7 is Asn and Z12 is Asn. Vaccinal and pharmaceutical compositions can contain one or more such peptides associated with carrier proteins, associated in multiple antigenic peptides or as part of recombinant proteins. The addition to this combination of other optional immunogens can provide other compositions useful in eliciting primate anti-T at antibodies which cross-react with multiple strains and variants of HIV-1 Tat protein. Vaccinal and pharmaceutical compositions can contain the primate antibodies induced by the peptide compositions for use in passive therapy. Diagnostic compositions and uses are described for assessing the immune stat us of vaccinated patients.
|
