Patent ID: 10174100

Abstract:
The present invention is directed to novel multivalent DNA vaccine compositions for inhibiting/blocking one or more virulence antigenic factors of Yersinia pestis in an individual via compositions containing fusion proteins derived from Yersinia pestis fused to the CD40 ligand. Specifically, it involves the administering of expression vectors carrying transcription units that encode fusion proteins comprising a Yersinia pestis antigenic factor fused to the aminoterminal end of the extracellular domain (ecd) of the CD40 ligand (CD40L). The first antigenic factor is a 30 amino acid region (amino acids 196-226) of LcrV outer protein and the second antigenic factor is a 127 amino acid region (amino acids 22-149) of F1 outer protein. The composition may additionally incorporate two secretable fusion proteins (amino acids 196-226 of LcrV and amino acids 22-149 of F1) or multiple antigenic factors (YpkA, YopD, YscF, YadC, OppA) in an effort to reduce the probability of immunological escape.