J-LEAPS Vaccines Elicit Antigen Specific Th1 Responses by Promoting Maturation of Type 1 Dendritic Cells (DC1)

The J-LEAPS peptide vaccine platform allows development of vaccines that elicit antigen specific Th1 immune responses to the incorporated antigenic peptide by promoting the maturation of mouse and human precursors into type 1 dendritic cells (DC1). CD8 T cell epitopes are covalently attached to the J-immune cell binding ligand through a tri-glycine linker. J-LEAPS peptide vaccines have been tested in mouse models and elicit protection against lethal challenge with herpes simplex virus type 1, relevant immune responses to human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis, prevent the establishment of tumors and the spread of HER-2/neu tumor cells and stop the progression of autoimmune diseases such as experimental autoimmune myocarditis and rheumatoid arthritis. Importantly, adoptive transfer of DC1s matured with J-LEAPS vaccines for HSV-1 or influenza A elicits antigen specific protection from lethal infection with these viruses. J-LEAPS peptides or J-LEAPS-DCs have great potential for the development of vaccines to elicit Th1 and immunomodulatory prophylaxis and therapy for microbial diseases, cancer and select autoimmune diseases.