Membrane-Stabilized Lymphotoxin As a Vaccine Adjuvant

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Recent events have re-emphasized the need for the development of methods to potentiate or expand the stocks of currently available vaccines. This is especially true for those vaccines that protect against biological agents that have the greatest potential to inflict widespread morbidity and mortality, such as smallpox and anthrax. Available vaccines that target these biologic agents were developed decades ago and the anti-microbial protection these vaccines afford are rather limited. Furthermore, production of these vaccines was curtailed years ago and the availability of the remaining vaccine stocks is limited. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify adjuvant methods that either shorten the time required to achieve protective immunization or allow for immunization with either less vaccine or fewer injections per person, thereby effectively expanding the number of doses available with current vaccine stocks. To address this issue, Tragen Pharmaceuticals is developing novel adjuvants from members of the tumor necrosis factor family. One such adjuvant we have developed is a membrane-stabilized form of lymphotoxin. Through membrane-stabilization, Tragen Pharmaceuticals aims to increase the therapeutic activity of lymphotoxin while eliminating the systemic toxicity of the native form of this molecule that has prevented its use as a therapeutic product.