Patent ID: 8821892

Claim:
A method to reduce hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection or at least one symptom resulting from HCV infection in a subject, comprising administering to a subject a composition comprising: a) a whole yeast; and b) an HCV NS3-Core fusion protein comprising HCV sequences, wherein the HCV sequences consist of: i) an HCV NS3 protein comprising positions 1115 to 1376 of SEQ ID NO:20 or a corresponding sequence from another HCV strain, except that the NS3 protein may lack the catalytic domain of a natural HCV NS3 or has been inactivated by a single point mutation wherein the serine at position 1165 with respect to SEQ ID NO:20 is substituted with another amino acid; and ii) an HCV Core protein comprising positions 2-140 of SEQ ID NO:20 or a corresponding sequence from another HCV strain; wherein the HCV NS3-Core fusion protein is expressed by the yeast, and wherein the composition elicits an HCV-specific cellular immune response.