Patent Evaluation: Immunogenic Polypeptides with Epitopes Specific for Hepatitis C Virus

Summary

Novelty: Novel basic immunogenic polypeptides having epitopes specific for human hepatitis C virus (HCV) are disclosed, together with recombinant expression systems for the polypeptides and antisera raised against them. The products of the invention may have application in diagnostic assays, vaccine production and gene therapy.

Biology: A total of thirty-eight polypeptides derived from the structural region of human HCV isolate are described. The preferred polypeptides, designated FGB 1 and 2, are basic, contain fifteen amino acid residues and are derived from a putative HCV capsid protein. The use of these peptides in diagnostic assays, eg. ELISAs and radioimmunoassays, to detect HCV antibodies present in biological samples is described. The generation of antibodies raised against the polypeptides is disclosed, together with methods for expressing the cognate nucleotide sequences in recombinant vaccinia viruses.