Patent ID: 7465454

Claim:
A method to increase survival or reduce tumor burden in an animal that has cancer, comprising administering to an animal a composition that increases survival of the animal or reduces tumor burden in the animal, wherein the composition comprises: a) a yeast vehicle; and b) a fusion protein expressed by the yeast vehicle, the fusion protein comprising: i) at least one cancer antigen or an immunogenic domain thereof expressed by the animal's cancer; and ii) a peptide linked to the N-terminus of the cancer antigen or immunogenic domain thereof the peptide consisting of between two and six amino acid residues that are heterologous to the cancer antigen or immunogenic domain thereof, wherein the peptide stabilizes the expression of the fusion protein in the yeast vehicle or prevents posttranslational modification of the expressed fusion protein, and wherein the peptide does not negatively impact an immune response against the cancer antigen or immunogenic domain thereof; wherein the first six amino acids of the fusion protein consist of an amino acid sequence of M-X 2 —X 3 —X 4 —X 5 —X 6 ; (1) wherein M is methionine; (2) wherein X 2 is any amino acid except glycine, proline, lysine or arginine; (3) wherein X 3 is any amino acid except methionine, lysine or arginine; (4) wherein X 4 is any amino acid except methionine, lysine or arginine; (5) wherein X 5 is any amino acid except methionine, lysine or arginine; and (6) wherein X 6 is any amino acid except methionine.