IP Library Granted Patent US 12,577,585
Granted Patent B2
US 12,577,585 · App. 17/791,873 · Granted Mar 17, 2026

Compositions and methods of use of oncolytic virus like vesicles

Inventors: Bijan Almassian (Cheshire, CT); Valerian Nakaar (Hamden, CT); Xianyong Ma (Woodbridge, CT); Bhaskara Reddy Madina (South Windsor, CT); Kepeng Wang (Farmington, CT); Timur Yarovinsky (Woodbridge, CT)
Assignee: Carogen Corporation
C12N15/86A61K35/766C07K14/005C07K14/5418C07K14/5434C07K14/7155C12N2760/20222C12N2760/20232C12N2760/20243C12N2760/20244C12N2770/36122C12N2770/36132C12N2770/36143C12N2770/36144
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,577,585
App. No.
17/791,873
Granted
Mar 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to high-titer hybrid vims vectors which produce virus-like vesicle (VLVs) and compositions and methods thereof for targeting a malignancy or infectious disease. VLVs are a capsid-free, self-replicating artificial virus platform carrying positive-strand capped and polyadenylated RNA encoding an in vitro evolved Semliki Forest vims (SFV) RNA-dependent RNA replicase and the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) glycoprotein. The VLVs of the present invention and pharmaceutical compositions thereof encode for polynucleotide and/or polypeptide therapeutic agents useful in methods for the treatment, prophylaxis, and prevention of malignancies and infectious diseases.

Claims (55)

1 . A high-titer hybrid virus vector for treatment, prophylaxis, or prevention of malignancy or infectious disease comprising the following operably linked sequence elements:

a) a first DNA sequence comprising a DNA promoter sequence;

b) a second DNA sequence encoding alphavirus non-structural protein polynucleotide sequences;

c) a third DNA sequence encoding an alphavirus subgenomic RNA promoter;

d) a fourth DNA sequence comprising:

(i) a sequence domain encoding an IL-12 polypeptide,

(ii) a sequence domain encoding an IL-17RA-DN polypeptide, and

(iii) a sequence domain encoding a PD-L1-short hairpin RNA (shRNA),

wherein each of the sequence domains (i)-(iii) are optionally preceded by a sequence independently selected from the group consisting of one or more subgenomic promoters, a sequence encoding a 2A peptide sequence, or combinations thereof; and

e) a fifth DNA sequence encoding a vesiculovirus glycoprotein;

wherein the titer of the high-titer hybrid virus vector is at least about 1×10 7 plaque forming units (pfu) per mL of virus like vesicles (VLVs), or is at least about 5×10 7 plaque forming units (pfu) per mL of virus like vesicles (VLVs), or is at least about 1×10 8 plaque forming units (pfu) per mL of virus like vesicles (VLVs).

2 . The high-titer hybrid virus vector of claim 1 , wherein the DNA promoter sequence of the first DNA sequence comprises a constitutive promoter for RNA-dependent RNA polymerases.

3 . The high-titer hybrid virus vector of claim 1 , wherein the alphavirus non-structural protein polynucleotide sequences of the second DNA sequence are Semliki Forest virus (SFV) non-structural protein polynucleotide sequences.

4 . The high-titer hybrid virus vector of claim 3 , wherein the SFV non-structural protein polypeptide sequences comprise SEQ ID NO. 13.

5 . The high-titer hybrid virus vector of claim 1 , wherein the alphavirus non-structural protein polynucleotide sequences of the second DNA sequence comprise alphavirus RNA-dependent polymerase.

6 . The high-titer hybrid virus vector of claim 5 , wherein the alphavirus RNA-dependent polymerase is a Semliki Forest virus (SFV) RNA-dependent polymerase.

7 . The high-titer hybrid virus vector of claim 1 , wherein the alphavirus subgenomic RNA promoter of the third DNA sequence is a Semliki Forest virus (SFV) subgenomic RNA promoter.

8 . The high-titer hybrid virus vector of claim 1 , wherein the fourth DNA sequence further comprises at least one sequence domain encoding a cytokine agonist or antagonist polypeptide each independently selected from the group consisting of IL-2, IL-7, IL-15, IL-18, IL-19, IL-35, IL-21, GM-CSF, IL-17, Flt3L, and combinations thereof.

9 . The high-titer hybrid virus vector of claim 1 , wherein the fourth DNA sequence further comprises at least one sequence domain encoding an shRNA polynucleotide checkpoint inhibitor each independently selected from the group consisting of PD-L2, CTLA-4, LAG-3, TIM-3, TIGIT, CD90, BTLA, CD160, PD-1, and combinations thereof.

10 . The high-titer hybrid virus vector of claim 1 , wherein the fourth DNA sequence comprises:

a) a sequence domain comprising SEQ ID NO. 6,

b) a sequence domain comprising SEQ ID NO. 8, and

c) a sequence domain comprising SEQ ID NO. 10,

wherein each of the sequence domains a)-c) are optionally preceded by a sequence independently selected from the group consisting of one or more subgenomic promoters, a sequence encoding a 2A peptide sequence, or combinations thereof.

11 . The high-titer hybrid virus vector of claim 1 , wherein the high-titer hybrid virus vector is trivalent; and wherein the fourth DNA sequence consists of three sequence domains.

12 . The high-titer hybrid virus vector of claim 1 , wherein the fourth DNA sequence further comprises a sequence domain encoding a polynucleotide or polypeptide inhibitor of an immunosuppressive regulator selected from the group consisting of tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase (TDO), indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 2 (IDO2), and combinations thereof.

13 . The high-titer hybrid virus vector of claim 1 further comprising a sixth DNA sequence comprising an expression cassette expressing single or multiple specific antigens of the malignancy or infectious disease.

14 . The high-titer hybrid virus vector of claim 13 , wherein the expression cassette expresses specific antigens of a tumor or infectious agent to induce humoral and/or cellular immune responses to the antigens.

15 . The high-titer hybrid virus vector of claim 1 , wherein the vesiculovirus glycoprotein of the fifth DNA sequence comprises envelope glycoprotein of vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus, vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus, Chandipura virus or structurally related vesiculoviruses.

16 . A high-titer hybrid virus vector for generating oncolytic virus-like vesicles (VLVs) comprising the following operably linked sequence elements:

a) a first DNA sequence comprising a DNA promoter sequence;

b) a second DNA sequence encoding alphavirus non-structural protein polynucleotide sequences;

c) a third DNA sequence encoding an alphavirus subgenomic RNA promoter;

d) a fourth DNA sequence comprising:

(i) a sequence domain encoding an IL-12 polypeptide,

(ii) a sequence domain encoding an IL-17RA-DN polypeptide, and

(iii) a sequence domain encoding a PD-L1-short hairpin RNA (shRNA),

wherein each of the sequence domains (i)-(iii) are optionally preceded by a sequence independently selected from the group consisting of one or more subgenomic promoters, a sequence encoding a 2A peptide sequence, or combinations thereof; and

e) a fifth DNA sequence encoding a vesiculovirus glycoprotein;

wherein the titer of the high-titer hybrid virus vector is at least about 1×10 7 plaque forming units (pfu) per mL of virus like vesicles (VLVs), or is at least about 5×10 7 plaque forming units (pfu) per mL of virus like vesicles (VLVs), or is at least about 1×10 8 plaque forming units (pfu) per mL of virus like vesicles (VLVs).

17 . Virus-like vesicles (VLVs) containing replicon RNA generated by the high-titer hybrid-virus vector of claim 1 .

18 . The VLVs of claim 17 , wherein the replicon RNA is positive-strand capped and polyadenylated.

19 . The VLVs of claim 17 , wherein the VLVs are selected from the group consisting of self-replicating VLVs, oncolytic VLVs, or capsid-free VLVs.

20 . A composition comprising virus-like vesicles (VL Vs) produced by the high-titer hybrid virus vector of claim 1 .

21 . A high-titer hybrid virus vector for treatment, prophylaxis, or prevention of malignancy or infectious disease comprising the following operably linked sequence elements:

a) a first DNA sequence comprising a DNA promoter sequence;

b) a second DNA sequence encoding alphavirus non-structural protein polynucleotide sequences;

c) a third DNA sequence encoding an alphavirus subgenomic RNA promoter;

d) a fourth DNA sequence comprising:

(i) a sequence domain comprising SEQ ID NO. 6,

(ii) a sequence domain comprising SEQ ID NO. 8, and

(iii) a sequence domain comprising SEQ ID NO. 10,

wherein each of the sequence domains (i)-(iii) are optionally preceded by a sequence independently selected from the group consisting of one or more subgenomic promoters, a sequence encoding a 2 A peptide sequence, or combinations thereof; and

e) a fifth DNA sequence encoding a vesiculovirus glycoprotein;

wherein the titer of the high-titer hybrid virus vector is at least about 1×10 7 plaque forming units (pfu) per mL of virus like vesicles (VLVs), or is at least about 5×10 7 plaque forming units (pfu) per mL of virus like vesicles (VLVs), or is at least about 1×10 8 plaque forming units (pfu) per mL of virus like vesicles (VLVs).

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2026
From: ALMASSIAN, BIJAN; NAKAAR, VALERIAN; MA, XIANYONG; MADINA, BHASKARA REDDY; WANG, KEPENG; YAROVINSKY, TIMUR
To: CAROGEN CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 073742/0630 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62959435 · Jan 10, 2020
Related Publication 20230063041A1 · Mar 2, 2023
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