POLYMERIZATION OF UNPROTECTED SYNTHETIC PEPTIDES - A VIEW TOWARD SYNTHETIC PEPTIDE VACCINES

A generic method is reported for the assembly of multi-peptide polymer s in which peptides are synthesized in the solid phase, the N-terminal residue acryloylated, and the derivitized peptides cleaved, purified and finally polymerized by free radical induced polymerization. The hi gh molecular weight polymers generated in this way have individual pep tides pendant from a backbone support. Incorporation of 6-aminohexanoy l or other residue(s) at the N-terminus of the peptide prior to acrylo ylation allows the peptide to be distanced from the polymer backbone a nd incorporation of acryloylated reagents into the polymerization mixt ure also permits distancing of pendant peptides along the length of th e backbone support. The polymerization process results in highly antig enic artificial proteins as measured by ELISA. Because this approach a llows the incorporation of the same or combinations of different purif ied peptides into polymers, it lends itself to the assembly of potenti al vaccine candidates containing epitopes from single or multiple path ogens into a single covalent structure.