A highly immunoreactive mosaic antigen composition comprising a plurality of antigenic peptides derived from the core region of a polyprotein encoded by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome is provided for the purpose of detecting anti-HCV antibodies. The mosaic antigen composition essentially comprises a combination of six different antigenic peptides, ranging in length from 12 to 19 amino acid residues, which are individually immobilized through covalent linkage to a carrier component at their terminal end. The unique combination of HCV core peptides provided as a mosaic antigen composition having the three-dimensional configuration described herein results in higher specificity and sensitivity for detection of human antibodies specific to HCV in rapid HCV diagnostic applications. An <i>in vitro</i> diagnostic method for detecting anti-HCV antibodies in a test sample and a diagnostic test kit are also provided which utilize the mosaic antigen composition as an immunoreagent.
申请公布号
WO0204484(A2)
申请公布日期
2002.01.17
申请号
WO2001CA00988
申请日期
2001.07.06
申请人
MEDMIRA INC.;CHAN, HERMES, K.W.;THEOLIS, RICHARD, JR.