Multiepitope vaccine for Her2/neu-associated cancers

1. A fusion peptide comprising three non-contiguous B cell epitopes from the extracellular domain (ECO) of Her2/neu,

wherein the fusion peptide comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ NOs: 4-10.

2. The fusion peptide of claim 1 , wherein the amino acid sequence of the fusion peptide consists of a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 4-10.

3. A method of preparing a fusion peptide of claim 1 :

I. via a peptide synthetic method comprising the steps of:

(i) Sequentially forming peptide bonds linking each amino acid to its respectively neighboring amino acid; and

(ii) Recovering said fusion peptide;

or

II. via a recombinant method comprising the steps of:

(i) Providing a nucleic acid comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a fusion peptide according to claim 1 ;

(ii) Transfecting said nucleic acid into a host cell capable of expressing said nucleic acid sequence;

(iii) Incubating said host cell under conditions suitable for the expression of said nucleic acid sequence; and

(iv) Recovering said fusion peptide.

4. A delivery system covalently or non-covalently associated with a fusion peptide of claim 1 .

5. The delivery system of claim 4 , wherein said delivery system is selected from the group consisting of a virosome, a liposome, a virus-like particle (VLP), tetanus toxoid (TT), a keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), an immunostimulating complex (ISCOM), an emulsion, hepatitis B core antigen (HBc), a nano- or microparticle, an aluminium salt, calcium phosphate, stearyl tyrosine and a viral vector; and a combination of two or more thereof.

6. The delivery system of claim 5 , wherein said delivery system is a virosome in which said fusion peptide is encapsulated or to which said fusion peptide is covalently bound.

7. The delivery system of claim 6 , wherein said fusion peptide is covalently bound to a viral envelope protein or a lipid component of said virosome.

8. The delivery system of claim 7 , wherein said lipid component of the virosome is phosphatidylethanolamine.

9. The delivery system of claim 5 , wherein said virosome is an IRIV or a TIRIV.

10. A composition comprising a fusion peptide of claim 1 , a delivery system covalently or non-covalently associated with a fusion peptide of claim 1 , or a combination thereof.

11. The composition of claim 10 , additionally comprising an immunopotentiator.

12. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the immunopotentiator is selected from the group consisting of a bacterial toxin, a bacterial cell-surface lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipid A or a synthetic derivative thereof, an oligopeptide, an alternative pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP), a lipopeptide, a lipoprotein, a peptidoglycan, lipoteichoic acid (LTA), a yeast cell wall component, a glycolipid, viral or bacterial DNA, an oligonucleotide, double-stranded RNA, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), single-stranded viral RNA, a small molecule immune potentiator (SMIP), a cytokine, a chemokine, a saponin, a polyphosphazene, a cochleate structure, a suppressor of cytokine signalling small interfering RNA (SaCS siRNA), a Pan DR epitope (PADRE); and a combination of two or more thereof.

13. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the composition of claim 10 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

14. A method of inducing higher antibody levels against a given B cell epitope than induced by a single peptide containing only that B cell epitope alone in a cancer characterized by expression or over-expression of Her2 in a patient in need thereof, the method comprising the step of administering to said patient an effective amount of a fusion peptide of claim 1 , a delivery system covalently or non-covalently associated with a fusion peptide of claim 1 or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said cancer is breast cancer.