Canine
The present invention provides vectors that contain and express in vivo Leishmania KMP11 or an epitope thereof that elicits an immune response in a dog against Leishmania , compositions comprising said vectors, methods of vaccination against Leishmania , and kits for use with such methods and compositions.
1. A recombinant vector that contains and expresses in vivo a nucleic acid sequence comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO:3 encoding Leishmania infantum KMP11 polypeptide which is operatively linked to a promoter that elicits an immune response in a dog against Leishmania.
2. The recombinant vector according to claim 1 , wherein the Leishmania infantum KMP11 polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:4.
3. A recombinant vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding a KMP11 protein comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO:4.
4. The recombinant vector according to claim 1 or claim 3 , wherein the vector is a plasmid selected from the group consisting of pVR1020 and pVR1012.
5. The recombinant vector according to claim 4 , wherein the promoter is selected from the group consisting of human or murine cytomegalovirus major immediate early (IE) promoter (CMV-IE), the early/late promoter of the SV40 virus, and the LTR promoter of the Rous sarcoma virus.
6. The recombinant vector according to claim 1 or claim 3 , wherein the vector is a recombinant viral vector.
7. The recombinant vector according to claim 6 , wherein the recombinant viral vector is selected from the group consisting of poxvirus, adenovirus and herpesvirus.
8. The recombinant vector according to claim 7 , wherein the recombinant viral vector is an avipox virus.
9. The recombinant vector according to claim 8 , wherein the avipox virus is fowlpox or canarypox.
10. The recombinant vector according to claim 9 , wherein the canarypox vector is an ALVAC.
11. The recombinant vector according to claim 9 , wherein the fowlpox vector is a TROVAC.
12. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the recombinant vector of claim 1 or claim 3 and a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle, diluent or excipient.
13. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 12 , wherein the composition is administered to an animal in a prime-boost regimen.