Compounds for immunotherapy and diagnosis of tuberculosis and methods of their application

摘要

New polypeptide comprises an immunogenic portion of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen (or a variant of the antigen differing only by conservative substitutions and/or modifications), in which the antigen comprises one of the 23 amino acid sequences (given in the specification) or the antigen is encoded by: (i) one of the 23 DNA sequences (given in the specification) encoding the 23 amino acid sequences; (ii) sequences hybridising to (i) under moderately stringent conditions, or (iii) sequences complementary to (i) or (ii). Also claimed are: (1) DNA molecules encoding the polypeptide; (2) expression vectors comprising (1); (3) host cells (optionally E. coli, yeast or mammalian) comprising vector; (4) compositions comprising DNA molecule with one of the 11 nucleotide sequences (given in the specification) and a carrier; (5) fusion proteins comprising polypeptide and known M. tuberculosis antigen or comprising at least two of polypeptides, and (6) vaccines comprising non-specific immune response enhancer (optionally an adjuvant) and polypeptide/DNA/fusion protein/DNA sequence of (C)/polypeptide encoded by sequences of (4) or complementary or hybridising sequences.