Modified Tat Oyi protein with enhanced immunogenicity
The invention relates to a method of preventing or treating acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in a patient, wherein the patient is administered with a Tat protein comprising amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO: 1 or 2, or a variant thereof capable of stimulating an immune response against Tat proteins.
1. A pharmaceutical composition, comprising a protein comprising amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO:2 capable of stimulating an immune response against Tat protein and capable of transactivation, in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
2. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the protein is capable of stimulating an immune response against 2, 3, 4, or more HIV-1 subtypes.
3. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 2 , wherein the protein is capable of stimulating an immune response against five HIV-1 subtypes.
4. An immunogenic composition comprising as an active ingredient a transactivation competent Tat Oyi protein comprising a Cysteine at position 22.
5. The immunogenic composition of claim 4 , wherein the protein is selected from SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 2.
6. The immunogenic composition of claim 4 , further comprising an adjuvant.
7. A method of inducing an anti-HIV immune response in a host, comprising injecting an effective amount of a protein comprising at least one of SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 2 and an adjuvant.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of determining whether the protein triggers an immune response against five or more HIV-1 subtypes, wherein the protein stimulates an immune response against Tat proteins from at least five HIV-1 subtypes.