STRUCTURED SYNTHETIC ANTIGEN LIBRARIES AS DIAGNOSTICS, VACCINES AND THERAPEUTICS

摘要

The present invention relates to "structured synthetic antigen libraries" (SSAL) composed of related peptides synthesized simultaneously in a single peptide synthesis. This "structured" library contrasts to those libraries previously described as "random peptide libraries" in that the order or structure within a synthetic antigen is provided by invariant amino acid residues that define the framework sequence of the synthetic antigen. The specific amino acids and their frequency of appearance at a variant locus within aligned peptide sequences is defined by the primary sequences of the several variants that make up the alignment used to construct the antigen peptide library. A method of constructing an open diagnostic, vaccine or therapeutic for a mutational infectious agent is also provided. The invention further provides the SSAL in diagnostic methods, kits, vaccination methods, vaccine compositions and pharmaceutical compositions. The libraries are prepared from variable domains in proteins and provide improved vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics for infectious agents, etc., from such proteins.