ORAL IMMUNIZATION WITH PAPILLOMAVIRUS VIRUS-LIKE PARTICLES

摘要

The present invention is directed to a method of expressing the papillomavir us capsid protein coding sequence in a cell using an expression system under conditions facilitating expression of the protein in the cell. In another aspect of the invention, it has been discovered that virus-like particle(s) (VLPs), fragment(s), capsomer(s) or portion(s) thereof are formed from the papillomavirus capsid protein. It was further discovered that the virus-like particle(s) comprises antigenic characteristics similar to those of native infectious papillomavirus particles. In one embodiment of the invention, the re is provided a method of expressing the L1 major capsid protein of human papillomavirus type-6 (HPV-6) and type-11 (HPV-11) in Sf-9 insect cells usin g the baculovirus expression system, and the production of type 6 (HPV-6), typ e- 11 (HPV-11), type-16 (HPV-16) and type-18 (HPV-18) virus-like particles. In yet another embodiment, the invention provides a method of vaccinating a mammal for papillomavirus by administering papillomavirus virus-like particl es orally to a mammal in an amount sufficient to induce an immune response to t he papillomavirus.