Nicola La Monica

US Patent:

20110182926, Jul 28, 2011

Filed:

Aug 7, 2009

Appl. No.:

13/058304

Inventors:

Nicola La Monica - Natick MA, US
Elisa Scarselli - Rome, IT
Gennaro Ciliberto - Rome, IT
Luigi Aurisicchio - Rome, IT
Arthur Fridman - Secaucus NJ, US
Ansuman Bagchi - Plainsboro NJ, US

International Classification:

A61K 39/00
C07K 19/00
A61P 37/04
A61P 35/00
A61P 31/00

US Classification:

4241921, 530350

Abstract:

The present invention provides minigenes suitable as a prophylactic or therapeutic vaccine against conditions such as cancer, infectious diseases or autoimmune diseases, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the minigene. The minigenes of the present invention comprise (a) a human tissue plasminogen signal peptide; (b) at least one T-cell epitope; and (c) an heat labile enterotoxin B subunit; wherein the at least one T-cell epitope is linked to the rest of the minigene, and to any other epitopes, by furin sensitive linkers. In some embodiments of the invention, the minigene comprises T-cell epitopes from one or more of CEA, her-2/neu and hTERT. Also provided herein are immunogenic peptide epitopes of CEA, her-2/neu and hTERT, as well as immunogenic peptide analogs, and pharmaceutical compositions and vaccines comprising one or more of said peptides and analogs for prophylaxis and/or treatment of cancer or other disorder. Methods of inducing an immune response in a patient, in addition to methods of treatment using the minigenes, immunogenic peptides, and peptide analogs disclosed herein are also provided.

US Patent:

20120177679, Jul 12, 2012

Filed:

Dec 21, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/332580

Inventors:

LUIGI AURISICCHIO - ROME, IT
DANIELA PERUZZI - ROME, IT
NICOLA LA MONICA - NATICK MA, US
GENNARO CILIBERTO - ROME, IT
DOMENICO LAZZARO - ROME, IT
FEDERICA MORI - ROME, IT

Assignee:

ISTITUTO DI RICERCHE DI BIOLOGIA MOLECOLARE P. ANGELETTI SPA - POMEZIA

International Classification:

A61K 39/385
C12N 9/96
A61P 35/00

US Classification:

4241901, 435188

Abstract:

Compositions comprising matrix metalloproteinase 11 (MMP-11) or stromelysin-3 (ST-3) or the nucleic acid encoding the MMP-11 for use in vaccines for treating tumors and cancers, which overexpress MMP-11, are described. In particular embodiments, the compositions comprise a nucleic acid encoding a fusion polypeptide that includes the catalytically inactivated MMP-11 linked at the C-terminus to an immunoenhancing element wherein the codons encoding the MMP-11 and the immunoenhancing element have been optimized for enhanced expression of the fusion polypeptide in human cells. In other embodiments, the compositions comprise the catalytically inactivated MMP-11 linked at the C-terminus to an immunoenhancing element. The compositions can be used alone or in synergy with vaccines against other tumor associated antigens as well as with conventional therapies such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy.