CARBOHYDRATE-MIMETIC PEPTIDES AND USE THEREOF IN PHARMACEUTICAL FORMULATIONS

The invention relates to the pharmaceutical industry and biotechnology and, more specifically, to vaccine antigens which are used against diseases of bacterial, viral, cancerous or other origin. The invention relates to the development of formulations which can protect against or increase the protective spectrum of existing vaccines and extend same against different pathogens, using carbohydrates formed by N-substituted repeating units of (a 2-8) neuraminic acid as a target for the immune response. According to the invention, peptides were isolated and identified as molecular mimetics of the capsular polysaccharide of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B, formed by repeating units of (a 2-8) N-acetyl neuraminic acid. The immunogenicity of the peptides was evaluated using animal biomodels, demonstrating the value thereof as antigens that can induce antibodies that can specifically recognise N. meningitidis of serogroup B and demonstrate bacterial activity against same. The resulting formulations are suitable for use in the pharmaceutical industry as vaccine formulations for human use. La presente invención está relacionada con la industria farmacéutica y la biotecnología, más específicamente con antígenos vacunales aplicados contra enfermedades bacterianas, virales, cancerosas, o de otro origen; desarrollo de formulaciones capaces de proteger o de elevar el espectro protector de vacunas ya existentes y extenderlo contra diferentes patógenos, empleando como blanco para la respuesta inmune, carbohidratos formados por unidades repetidas de (? 2-8) ácido neuramínico N-sustituidas; se aislaron e identificaron péptidos como miméticos moleculares del polisacárido capsular de Neisseria meningitidis serogrupo B, formado por unidades repetidas de (?-28) ácido neuramínico N-acetilado; la inmunogenicidad de los péptidos se evaluó en biomodelos animales, demostrando su valor como antígenos inductores de anticuerpos capaces de reconocer específicamente a N. meningitidis del serogrupo B y de mostrar actividad bactericida contra la misma; las formulaciones resultantes de esta invención son aplicables en la industria farmacéutica como formulaciones vacunales para uso humano.