Compositions, methods and kits for eliciting an immune response

1. A composition comprising:

a first polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:132;

(ii) a second polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:138;

(iii) a third polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:168;

(iv) a fourth polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:174;

(v) a fifth polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:180;

(vi) a sixth polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:198;

(vii) a seventh polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:201; and

(viii) an eighth polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:202.

2. The composition of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:203;

(b) a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:204; or

(c) a ninth and a tenth polypeptide, wherein the ninth polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:203, and the tenth polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:204.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the sixth polypeptide is conjugated to Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH).

4. The composition of claim 1 further comprising an adjuvant selected from the group consisting of GM-CSF, G-CSF, IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-12, IL-15, IL-21, TNF-α, and M-CSF.

5. The composition of claim 1 further comprising: incomplete Freund's adjuvant or Corynebacterium granulosum P40.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is a pharmaceutically acceptable vaccine composition.

7. A composition comprising:

a first nucleic acid encoding a first polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:132;

(ii) a second nucleic acid encoding a second polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:138;

(iii) a third nucleic acid encoding a third polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:168;

(iv) a fourth nucleic acid encoding a fourth polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:174;

(v) a fifth nucleic acid encoding a fifth polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:180;

(vi) a sixth nucleic acid encoding a sixth polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:198;

(vii) a seventh nucleic acid encoding a seventh polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:201; and

(viii) an eighth nucleic acid encoding an eight polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:202.

8. The composition of claim 7 further comprising:

(a) a nucleic acid encoding a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:203;

(b) a nucleic acid encoding a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:204; or

(c) a ninth and a tenth nucleic acid, wherein the ninth nucleic acid encodes a ninth polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:203, and the tenth nucleic acid encodes a tenth polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:204.

9. A composition comprising antigen presenting cells, T-lymphocytes, or both, wherein the antigen presenting cells, T lymphocytes, or both are characterized as having been sensitized in vitro with the composition of claim 1 .

10. A method of eliciting in a subject an immune response to a cell that expresses a cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigen, the method comprising:

administering to the subject the composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition, when administered to the subject, elicits an immune response to the cell.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the cell is characterized as a cancer cell associated with CMV; and wherein the composition is provided in a prophylactically or therapeutically effective amount sufficient to treat cancer associated with CMV in the subject.

12. A method of eliciting in a subject an immune response to a cell that expresses a CMV antigen, the method comprising:

administering to the subject a composition comprising an effective amount of antigen presenting cells, T-lymphocytes, or both, wherein the antigen presenting cells, T lymphocytes, or both are characterized as having been sensitized in vitro with the composition of claim 1 .

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the effective amount of antigen presenting cells, T lymphocytes, or both is sufficient to elicit the immune response to the cell that expresses the CMV antigen.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

(a) providing cytotoxic T cells;

(b) contacting the cytotoxic T cells with antigen presenting cells pre-treated with pre-treatment growth factors, wherein the antigen presenting cells comprise class I MHC molecules; and

(c) contacting said pre-treated antigen presenting cells with the cytotoxic T cells in the presence of the polypeptides, thereby producing activated cytotoxic T cells.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

contacting the activated cytotoxic T cells with an acceptable carrier, thereby forming the composition for administering to the subject.

16. A method for preparing antigen-presenting cells, the method comprising sensitizing antigen-presenting cells in vitro with the composition of claim 1 .

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising treating the antigen-presenting cells with one or more growth factors prior to or concurrently with the step of contacting.

18. An in vitro method for preparing lymphocytes, the method comprising:

(a) contacting antigen-presenting cells with the composition of claim 1 ; and

(b) contacting lymphocytes with the antigen-presenting cells of step a) under conditions sufficient to produce the lymphocytes, wherein the lymphocytes are capable of eliciting an immune response against a cell that expresses a CMV antigen.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the lymphocytes are T lymphocytes.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the antigen-presenting cells, lymphocytes or both are autologous.

21. A kit comprising the composition of claim 1 .

22. The kit of claim 21 further comprising an adjuvant.

23. The kit of claim 21 further comprising a chemotherapeutic agent.

24. A method for increasing dendritic cell migration to a lymph node, the method comprising:

administering a Td toxoid to a subject prior to vaccination with dendritic cells, wherein the lymph node is contralateral or ipsilateral to a skin preparation site of the Td toxoid, and wherein the dendritic cells are characterized as having been sensitized in vitro with the composition of claim 1 .

25. A method of eliciting in a subject an immune response to a cell that expresses a CMV antigen, the method comprising:

administering to the subject a composition comprising an effective amount of antigen presenting cells, T-lymphocytes, or both, wherein the antigen presenting cells, T lymphocytes, or both are characterized as having been sensitized in vitro with the composition of claim 7 .

26. A method for preparing antigen-presenting cells, the method comprising sensitizing antigen-presenting cells in vitro with the composition of claim 7 .