By Sherri Oslick —

Last week, Advaxis, Inc., a biotechnology
corporation focused on using a bioengineered bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), to activate the immune system to treat cancer, infectious disease, or allergic
syndromes, was issued U.S. Patent No. 7,588,930 ("Compositions and Methods
for Enhancing the Immunogenicity of Antigens").  The '930 patent is directed
to the use of Lm protein ActA and
fragments thereof for use in the creation of antigen fusion proteins; the ActA
protein was found to possess immuno-adjuvant properties.  The patent is assigned to The Trustees
of the University of Pennsylvania, and licensed exclusively by Advaxis.

The claims are directed to Lm vaccine strains comprising an antigen fused to a truncated ActA
protein, as well as methods of eliciting an enhanced immune response to an
antigen using the claimed vaccine strains.  Representative claims include:

1.  A
Listeria monocytogenes vaccine strain comprising an antigen fused to a
truncated ActA protein, wherein said truncated ActA protein consists of amino
acids 1-390 of said ActA protein; wherein said truncated ActA protein comprises
a PEST-like sequence selected from the sequences set forth in SEQ ID No: 2-5;
and wherein said antigen is selected from the group consisting of human
papilloma virus (HPV) E6, HPV E7, Her-2/Neu, NY-ESO-1, human telomerase, WT-1,
proteinase 3, TRP-2 and PSA antigen.

6.  A
method of eliciting an enhanced immune response to an antigen, the method
comprising administering to a subject an effective amount of a composition
comprising a Listeria monocytogenes vaccine strain comprising said antigen
fused to a truncated ActA protein, wherein said truncated ActA protein consists
of amino acids 1-390 of said ActA protein; and wherein said truncated ActA
protein comprises a PEST-like sequence selected from the sequences set forth in
SEQ ID No: 2-5; and wherein said antigen is selected from the group consisting
of human papilloma virus (HPV) E6, HPV E7, Her-2/Neu, NY-ESO-1, human
telomerase, WT-1, proteinase 3, TRP-2, and PSA antigen.

This patent adds to Advaxis' patent portfolio
directed toward creating specific and effective vaccines by using a variety of
antigens and adjuvant proteins to target different types of cancers and
infectious disease indications.