Telomerase polypeptide vaccine for treating cancer

1. A cocktail of nucleic acid molecules comprising at least first and second different nucleic acid molecules wherein the first nucleic acid molecule is a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of:

i) SEQ ID NO: 1;

ii) the sequence of an immunogenic fragment of i) comprising at least 20 amino acids;

iii) the sequence of an immunogenic fragment of i), wherein the immunogenic fragment consists of the sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOS: 18, 24, 36 or 37; and

iv) a sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to i) or ii),

wherein the polypeptide is less than 100 amino acids in length and does not comprise the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10 or 62; and

wherein the second nucleic acid molecule consists of a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising a sequence selected from a group consisting of:

v) any one of SEQ ID NOS: 2 to 10;

vi) the sequence of an immunogenic fragment of v) comprising at least eight amino acids; and

vii) a sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to v) or vi), wherein the second polypeptide is less than 100 amino acids in length.

2. The cocktail of nucleic acid molecules according to claim 1 wherein the at least first and second different nucleic acid molecules comprise a cocktail of nucleic add molecules selected from the group consisting of:

i) a cocktail of: a first nucleic acid molecule as defined in claim 1 ; a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7 or a sequence having at least 80% sequence identity thereto or an immunogenic fragment thereof comprising at least eight amino acids; and a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 9 or a sequence having at least 80% sequence identity thereto or an immunogenic fragment thereof comprising at least eight amino acids;

ii) a cocktail of: a first nucleic acid molecule as defined in claim 1 ; a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8 or a sequence having at least 80% sequence identity thereto or an immunogenic fragment thereof comprising at least eight amino acids; and a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 9 or a sequence having at least 80% sequence identity thereto or an immunogenic fragment thereof comprising at least eight amino acids; and

iii) a cocktail of: a first nucleic acid molecule as defined in claim 1 ; a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8 or a sequence having at least 80% sequence identity thereto or an immunogenic fragment thereof comprising at least eight amino acids; and a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10 or a sequence having at least 80% sequence identity thereto or an immunogenic fragment thereof comprising at least eight amino acids,

wherein each polypeptide is less than 100 amino acids in length.

3. The cocktail of nucleic acid molecules according to claim 1 , part vi), wherein the or each immunogenic fragment encoded by the second nucleotide sequence has the sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOS: 19, 20, 22 to 26, 2.8 to 31, 33, 34, or 36 to 40.

4. A method of eliciting an immune response in a patient with cancer or in an individual prior to any symptoms of cancer, comprising administering the cocktail of nucleic acid molecules according to claim 1 to the patient or the individual.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the cancer is selected from breast cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, malignant melanoma, a leukemia, a lymphoma, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, or a biliary tract carcinoma.

6. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the cocktail of nucleic acid molecules according to claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvant, diluent or excipient.

7. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 6 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises a further therapeutic ingredient.

8. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 6 , wherein the cocktail of nucleic acid molecules is present in a dose of between 1 and 500 μg.

9. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 6 , wherein at least one nucleic acid molecule in the cocktail of nucleic acid molecules is coupled to an immunogenic carrier.

10. A method of eliciting an immune response in a patient with cancer or in an individual prior to any symptoms of cancer, comprising administering the pharmaceutical composition according to claim 6 to the patient or the individual.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the cancer is selected from breast cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, malignant melanoma, a leukemia, a lymphoma, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, or a biliary tract carcinoma.

12. A cocktail of nucleic acid molecules comprising at least two different nucleic acid molecules, wherein the at least two different nucleic acid molecules comprise a cocktail of:

a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO. 1 or a sequence having at least 80% sequence identity thereto or an immunogenic fragment thereof comprising at least eight amino acids; a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO. 7 or a sequence having at least 80% sequence identity thereto or an immunogenic fragment thereof comprising at least eight amino acids; and a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising a sequence of SEQ ID NO. 9 or a sequence having at least 80% sequence identity thereto or an immunogenic fragment thereof comprising at least eight amino acids,

wherein each polypeptide is less than 100 amino acids in length.

13. The cocktail of nucleic acid molecules according to claim 12 , wherein the or each immunogenic fragment encoded by the nucleotide sequence has the sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOS: 17 to 40.

14. A method of eliciting an immune response in a patient with cancer or in an individual prior to any symptoms of cancer, comprising administering the cocktail of nucleic acid molecules according to claim 12 to the patient or the individual.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the cancer is selected from breast cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, malignant melanoma, a leukemia, a lymphoma, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, or a biliary tract carcinoma.

16. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the cocktail of nucleic acid molecules according to claim 12 and a pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvant, diluent or excipient.

17. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 16 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises a further therapeutic ingredient.

18. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 16 , wherein the cocktail of nucleic acid molecules is present in a dose of between 1 and 500 μg.

19. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 16 , wherein at least one nucleic acid molecule in the cocktail of nucleic acid molecules is coupled to an immunogenic carrier.

20. A method of eliciting an immune response in a patient with cancer or in an individual prior to any symptoms of cancer, comprising administering the pharmaceutical composition according to claim 16 to the patient or the individual.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the cancer is selected from breast cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, malignant melanoma, a leukemia, a lymphoma, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, or a biliary tract carcinoma.

22. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of:

i) SEQ. ID NO: 1;

ii) the sequence of an immunogenic fragment of i) comprising at least 24 amino acids;

iii) the sequence of an immunogenic fragment of i), wherein the immunogenic fragment consists of the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 18, and

iv) a sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to i) or ii),

wherein the polypeptide is less than 100 amino acids in length and does not comprise the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10 or 62, and

wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvant, diluent or excipient,

wherein the pharmaceutical composition further comprises a therapeutic ingredient, or an immunogenic carrier.

23. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of:

i) SEQ ID NO: 1;

ii) the sequence of an immunogenic fragment of comprising at least 24 amino acids;

iii) the sequence of an immunogenic fragment of i), wherein the immunogenic fragment consists of the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 18 and

iv) a sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to i) or ii),

wherein the polypeptide is less than 100 amino acids in length and does not comprise the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10 or 62;

wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvant, diluent or excipient; and

wherein the nucleic acid molecule is coupled to an immunogenic carrier.

24. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of:

i) SEQ ID NO: 1;

ii) the sequence of an immunogenic fragment of i) comprising at least 24 amino acids;

iii) the sequence of an immunogenic fragment of i), wherein the immunogenic fragment consists of the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 18; and

iv) a sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to i) or ii),

wherein the polypeptide is less than 100 amino acids in length and does not comprise the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10 or 62,

wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvant, diluent or excipient; and

wherein the adjuvant is selected from the group consisting of Freund's complete adjuvant, Freund's incomplete adjuvant, aluminium phosphate, aluminium hydroxide, alum, cholera toxin, salmonella toxin and Granulocyte Macrophage-Colony Stimulating Factor.

25. A method of eliciting an immune response in a patient with cancer or in an individual prior to any symptoms of cancer, comprising administering a pharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of:

i) SEQ. ID NO: 1;

ii) the sequence of an immunogenic fragment of i) comprising at least 24 amino acids;

iii) the sequence of an immunogenic fragment of i), wherein the immunogenic fragment consists of the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 18; and

iv) a sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to i) or ii),

wherein the polypeptide is less than 100 amino acids in length and does not comprise the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10 or 62, and

wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvant diluent or excipient;

to the patient or the individual.

26. The method according to claim 25 , wherein the cancer is selected from breast cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, malignant melanoma, a leukemia, a lymphoma, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, or a biliary tract carcinoma.

27. A vector comprising a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of:

i) SEQ ID NO: 1;

ii) the sequence of an immunogenic fragment of i) comprising at least 20 amino acids:

iii) the sequence of an immunogenic fragment of i), wherein the immunogenic fragment consists of the sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOS: 18, 24, 36 or 37; and

iv) a sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to i) or ii),

wherein the polypeptide is less than 100 amino acids in length and does not comprise the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10 or 62.

28. An isolated host cell comprising the vector of claim 27 .

29. An isolated antigen presenting cell transfected with a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of:

i) SEQ ID NO: 1;

the sequence of an immunogenic fragment of i) comprising at least 20 amino acids;

iii) the sequence of an immunogenic fragment of i), wherein the immunogenic fragment consists of the sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOS: 18, 24, 36 or 37; and

iv) a sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to or ii),

wherein the polypeptide is less than 100 amino acids in length and does not comprise the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10 or 62.

30. The isolated antigen presenting cell of claim 29 wherein the antigen presenting cell is a dendritic cell.