Virus-like particle compositions and vaccines against Epstein-Barr virus infection and disease

1. A recombinant virus-like particle (VLP) comprising, in operable combination,

a) Newcastle disease virus (NDV) matrix (M) protein,

b) NDV nucleocapsid (NP) protein, and

c) one or more tumor-associated EBV antigen,

wherein said one or more tumor-associated EBV antigen is fused to the C-terminal end of said NDV NP protein and is inside said VLP.

2. The VLP of claim 1 , wherein said tumor-associated EBV antigen is selected from the group consisting of EBNA1, tEBNA1 and LMP2.

3. The VLP of claim 1 , wherein said tumor-associated EBV antigen comprises tEBNA1 and LMP2.

4. The VLP of claim 3 , further comprising, in operable combination, one or more Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) antigens, wherein at least one of said one or more antigens is selected from the group consisting of gB, gH, and gL.

5. The VLP of claim 3 , wherein said VLP further comprises, in operable combination, EBV gp350/220.

6. The VLP of claim 3 , wherein said VLP further comprises, in operable combination, one or more NDV proteins.

7. The VLP of claim 6 , wherein said one or more NDV proteins comprise NDV heptad repeat domain 2 (HR2) protein.

8. The VLP of claim 7 , wherein said one or more NDV proteins comprise NDV fusion (F) protein.

9. The VLP of claim 8 , wherein said one or more NDV proteins comprise NDV heamagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) protein.

10. The VLP of claim 1 , further comprising, in operable combination, one or more human papillomavirus antigens.

11. The VLP of claim 10 , wherein said one or more human papillomavirus antigens comprises one or more of L1 and L2.

12. A vaccine comprising the VLP of claim 1 and a physiologically acceptable carrier.

13. An expression vector encoding the recombinant VLP of claim 1 .

14. A method for immunizing a mammalian subject against cancer, comprising administering an immunologically effective amount of one or more vaccine of claim 12 to a mammalian subject in need thereof to produce a treated subject, wherein said administering is under conditions to produce an immune response to one or more tumor-associated EBV antigen.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said cancer comprises an Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) associated cancer.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein said EBV-associated cancer comprises nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein said immune response comprises T lymphocytes that specifically bind to said one or more tumor-associated EBV antigen.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said immune response lacks antibody that specifically binds to said one or more tumor-associated EBV antigen.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein said T lymphocytes are selected from CD4 + lymphocytes and CD8 + lymphocytes.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein said method further comprises administering a recombinant VLP that contains, in operable combination,

a) Newcastle disease virus (NDV) matrix (M) protein, and

b) EBV gp350/220.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein said method further comprises one or more of

a) detecting said immune response to said one or more tumor-associated EBV antigen, and

b) detecting a reduction in one or more symptoms of said cancer in said treated subject.

22. The method of claim 14 , wherein said administering is before manifestation of one or more symptoms of said cancer.

23. The method of claim 14 , wherein said administering is after manifestation of one or more symptoms of said cancer.