Enhanced Human Cytomegalovirus GB Polypeptide with Improved Stability and Immunogenicity

A novel engineered human cytomegalovirus GB polypeptide with improved stability, immunogenicity, and efficacy for vaccine development, addressing the limitations of the original patent.

The original patent disclosed an engineered mutant of a wild-type cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B (gB) protein with at least two amino acid mutations. However, the mutant's stability and immunogenicity were limited. The new inventive concept addresses these limitations by introducing additional engineered disulfide mutations, trimerization domains, and thermal shift assays to enhance the polypeptide's stability and immunogenicity.

The new inventive concept comprises a modified GB polypeptide with at least three engineered disulfide mutations, which improve the polypeptide's stability in prefusion form. The polypeptide can be expressed in a eukaryotic host cell and subjected to a thermal shift assay to measure stability. The modified polypeptide can be used in a vaccine against human cytomegalovirus, enhancing its immunogenicity through increased binding affinity of a prefusion-specific antibody. A recombinant vector with a nucleotide sequence encoding the modified GB polypeptide and a trimerization domain can be used for expression.

The new claims introduce novel combinations of engineered disulfide mutations, trimerization domains, and thermal shift assays, which provide a non-obvious improvement over the original patent. The specific arrangements and methods disclosed in the new claims are not anticipated by the original patent and provide a significant advancement in the field.

Alternative embodiments of the inventive concept include using different combinations of engineered disulfide mutations, varying the trimerization domain, or incorporating additional mutations to enhance stability and immunogenicity. The inventive concept can also be adapted for use in different vaccine formulations or delivery systems.

The enhanced human cytomegalovirus GB polypeptide has significant commercial potential in the vaccine industry, particularly for the development of effective vaccines against human cytomegalovirus. The target market includes pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, and government agencies involved in vaccine development and public health initiatives.