Recombinant Proteins Of A Pakistani Strain Of Hepatitis E And Their Use In Diagnostic Methods And Vaccines
Description of Invention:
A strain of hepatitis E virus from Pakistan (SAR-55) implicated in an epidemic of enterically transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis, now called hepatitis E, is disclosed. The invention relates to the expression of the whole structural region of SAR-55, designated open reading frame 2 (ORF-2), in a eukaryotic expression system. The expressed protein is capable of forming HEV virus-like particles which can serve as an antigen in diagnostic immunoassays and as an immunogen or vaccine to protect against infection by hepatitis E.
Inventors:
SA Tsarev (NIAID) SU Emerson (NIAID) RH Purcell (NIAID)
Patent Status:
DHHS Reference No. E-141-1992/2 --
U.S. Patent No. 6,207,416 issued 27 Mar 2001
U.S. Patent No. 6,787,145 issued 07 Sep 2004
