Patent ID: 7342002

Claim:
A nucleic acid molecule encoding a fusion polypeptide useful as an immunogenic or vaccine composition, which molecule comprises: (a) a first nucleic acid sequence encoding a first polypeptide that is a calreticulin (CRT) polypeptide or an active CRT fragment which fragment corresponds to: (i) an N-terminal fragment of human CRT, the amino acid sequence of which is residues 1-180 of SEQ ID NO:2; or (ii) a C-terminal fragment of human CRT, the amino acid sequence of which is residues 181-417 of SEQ ID NO:2; and (b) a second nucleic acid sequence that is linked in frame to said first nucleic acid sequence and encodes an antigenic polypeptide or peptide, wherein the antigenic polypeptide or peptide is selected from the group consisting of: i) a tumor-specific or tumor-associated antigen, or an antigenic epitope thereof, present on, or cross reactive with an antibody to an epitope of, a tumor cell; ii) an antigen of, or antigenic epitope thereof, or an antigen or antigenic epitope thereof cross-reactive with an antibody to an epitope of, a virus; and iii) an antigen of, or antigenic epitope thereof, or an antigen or antigenic epitope thereof cross-reactive with an antibody to an epitope of, a pathogenic organism.