Recombinant human papillomavirus type 18 vaccine

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to DNA molecules encoding purified human papillomavirus type 18 (HPV type 18; HPV 18 ) and derivatives thereof.
Such derivatives include but are not limited to peptides and proteins encoded by the DNA, antibodies to the DNA or antibodies to the proteins encoded by the DNA, vaccines comprising the DNA or vaccines comprising proteins encoded by the DNA, immunological compositions comprising the DNA or the proteins encoded by the DNA, kits containing the DNA or RNA derived from the DNA or proteins encoded by the DNA.
Pharmaceutically useful compositions comprising the DNA or proteins encoded by the DNA may be formulated according to known methods such as by the admixture of a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
Examples of such carriers and methods of formulation may be found in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences.
To form a pharmaceutically acceptable composition suitable for effective administration, such compositions will contain an effective amount of the DNA or protein or VLP.
Such compositions may contain DNA or proteins or VLP derived from more than one type of HPV.
Therapeutic or diagnostic compositions of the invention are administered to an individual in amounts sufficient to treat or diagnose PV infections.
The effective amount may vary according to a variety of factors such as the individual's condition, weight, sex and age.
Other factors include the mode of administration.
Generally, the compositions will be administered in dosages ranging from about 1 .
mu.
g to about 1 mg.
The pharmaceutical compositions may be provided to the individual by a variety of routes such as subcutaneous, topical, oral, mucosal, intravenous and intramuscular.
The vaccines of the invention comprise DNA, RNA or proteins encoded by the DNA that contain the antigenic determinants necessary to induce the formation of neutralizing antibodies in the host.
Such vaccines are also safe enough to be administered without danger of clinical infection; do not have toxic side effects; can be administered by an effective route; are stable; and are compatible with vaccine carriers