METHOD TO INDUCE CYTOTOXIC T LYMPHOCYTES SPECIFIC FOR A BROAD ARRAY OF HIV-1 ISOLATES USING HYBRID SYNTHETIC PEPTIDES

摘要

The instant invention describes the synthesis of short peptides, corresponding to the amino acid residues of the V3 loop of the gp160 envelope glycoprotein of HIV-1 numbered 315 to 329 by Ratner (Ratner, L. et al., Nature 313, 277 (1985)) in the strain IIIB, wherein the residue corresponding to number 325 in HIV-1 IIIB is substituted by the homologous residue from another clinical isolate or strain. The invention further describes the use of said peptides in pharmaceutical compositions and an immunization protocol which elicits cytotoxic T cells reactive to a broad range of isolates of HIV-1.