IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,636,341
Granted Patent B2
US 12,636,341 · App. 17/726,623 · Granted May 26, 2026

Galectin-targeting immunotherapy

Inventor: Wataru Akahata (Kensington, MD)
Assignee: VLP Therapeutics, Inc.
A61K38/162A61K39/001166C07K16/10C12N15/70A61K2039/505C07K2319/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,636,341
App. No.
17/726,623
Granted
May 26, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure provides a virus like particle comprising a viral structural protein and a galectin epitope peptide, and a composition or vaccine comprising thereof, its use in a medicine, particularly in an immunotherapy.

Claims (49)

1 . A virus like particle comprising an alphavirus viral structural protein and at least one galectin antigen,

wherein the alphavirus viral structural protein is derived from Chikungunya virus or Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, and

wherein the at least one galectin antigen is a peptide fragment of galectin-1 or galectin-3.

2 . The virus like particle according to claim 1 , wherein the viral structural protein comprises capsid, E1, E2 and E3.

3 . The virus like particle according to claim 1 , wherein the viral structural protein is derived from Chikungunya virus strain 37997 or strain OPY-1, or Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus strain TC-83.

4 . The virus like particle according to claim 1 , wherein at least one galectin antigen is inserted into the envelope protein E3.

5 . The virus like particle according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one galectin antigen is inserted between residues 321 and 326 of SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 2, or between residues corresponding to residues 321 and 326 of SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 2, or between residues 330 and 335 of SEQ ID NO: 3, or between residues corresponding to residues 330 and 335 of SEQ ID NO: 3.

6 . The virus like particle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one galectin antigen is a peptide fragment of galectin-1.

7 . The virus like particle according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one galectin antigen is selected from the group consisting of:

#5:

(SEQ ID NO: 9)

SFVLNLGKDSNNLSLHFNPRFNAHGDANTIVSNSKDGGAWGTEQREAVFP

FQPGS

#7:

 (SEQ ID NO: 10)

ANLTVKLPDGYEFKFPNRLNLEA

#12: 

(SEQ ID NO: 11)

SFVLNLGKDSNNLSLHFNPRFNAHGDANTIVSNTKEDGTWGTEHREPAFP

FQPGS, 

and

#14:

(SEQ ID NO: 12)

ADLTIKLPDGHEFKFPNRLNMEA.

8 . The virus like particle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one galectin antigen is a peptide fragment of galectin-3.

9 . The virus like particle according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one galectin antigen is selected from the group consisting of:

#17: 

 (SEQ ID NO: 13)

ADNFSLHDALSGSGNPNPQGWPGAWGNQPA

#21: 

 (SEQ ID NO: 14)

YPGASYPGAYPGQAPPGAYPGQAPPGAYPGAPGA

#22:

 (SEQ ID NO: 15)

YPGASYPGAYPGQAPPGAYPGQAPPGAYPGAPGAYPGAPAPGVYPGPPSG

PGAYPSSGQPSATGAYPATGPYGA, 

and

#23: 

(SEQ ID NO: 16)

ADSFSLNDALAGSGNPNPQGYPGAWGNQPG.

10 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the virus like particle according to claim 1 .

11 . A vector comprising the nucleic acid molecule according to claim 10 , wherein the vector optionally comprises an expression control sequence operably linked to the nucleic acid molecule.

12 . A pharmaceutical composition or vaccine composition comprising:

(a) the virus like particle according to claim 1 ; and

(b) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

13 . A galectin-targeting immunotherapy method, which comprises administering an effective amount of the virus like particle according to claim 1 to a subject in need thereof.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the method is for treating or preventing cancer or inflammatory disease.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of:

head and neck cancer, lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, bone cancer, pancreatic cancer, cutaneous or intraocular malignant melanoma, melanoma, breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, rectal cancer, colon cancer, duodenal cancer, anal cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer, testicular cancer, fallopian tube cancer, uterine Endometrial and cervical cancer, Vaginal cancer, vulvar cancer, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, esophageal cancer, small bowel cancer, endocrine system cancer, thyroid cancer, parathyroid cancer, adrenal cancer, soft tissue sarcoma, urethral cancer, Cancer of the penis, acute myelogenous leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, pediatric solid tumors, lymphocytic lymphoma, bladder cancer, kidney or ureter cancer, prostate cancer, cancer of the renal pelvis, Central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms, primary CNS lymphomas, tumor angiogenesis, spinal axis tumors, brain stem gliomas, pituitary adenomas, Kaposi sarcomas, epidermoid carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, T-cell lymphomas and environmentally induced cancers including those from asbestos, and combinations thereof.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 22, 2022
From: AKAHATA, WATARU
To: VLP THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059674/0328 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63178755 · Apr 23, 2021
Related Publication 20220347261A1 · Nov 3, 2022
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