Patent ID: 7994096
Filing Date: 2011-08-09
Classification: A61P,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) antigen-specific stimulation of T lymphocytes with a synthetic peptide library, said method comprising the following steps: a) synthesizing a peptide library of an HCMV antigen, said HCVM antigen being a whole HCMV protein of known total amino acid sequence, wherein each of the peptides of said peptide library comprises an amino acid sequence that (i) is at least 15 amino acid residues in length, (ii) is a continuous fragment less than the entirety of said total amino acid sequence, and (iii) overlaps to an extent of at least 8 amino acids with the amino acid sequence of at least one other of said peptides; and wherein the amino acid sequences of the peptides in the peptide library span the total amino acid sequence of the whole HCMV protein; b) incubating a T lymphocyte suspension comprising CD8+ T lymphocytes, CD4+ lymphocytes or a mixture of CD8+ T lymphocytes and CD4+ T lymphocytes with the peptide library in a single culture run; and c) identifying by flow-cytometry at least one result of said stimulating in b), wherein said at least one result is a release by said stimulated T lymphocytes of at least one T-cell cytokine and/or an expression by said stimulated T lymphocytes of at least one activation marker, wherein said release and expression are a result of said incubating of said T lymphocyte suspension with the peptide library in the single culture run.