The present invention relates to a composition for use in low dose artificial insemination and to a process for artificial insemination of a female mammal using a dose of sperm originating from a male mammal of the same species that is significantly lower than necessary in the absence of the composition. The preferred female mammal is a sow (Sus scrofa), and preferably the composition is for use in artificial uterine insemination, and the process for artificial insemination preferably is uterine insemination.

A mixture of human milk oligosaccharides that consists essentially of 3-O-sialyllactose, a component A which is either 3-O-fucosyllactose or lacto-N-tetraose, a component B which is 3-O-fucosyl-3-O-sialyllactose when component A is 3-O-fucosyllactose and sialyllacto-N-tetraose a, when component A is lacto-N-tetraose and optionally lactose as a fourth component. The mixtures are made by treating 3-O-sialyllactose and component A with an 2,3-transsialidase. The mixtures are for use in anti-bacterial and anti-viral compositions, and for promoting the development of Bifidobacterium and Barnesiella.

The present invention relates to a nucleic acid vaccine. Specifically, the use of a single nucleic acid sequence comprising combinations of influenza genes coding for selected hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), matrix protein 1 (M1), matrix protein 2 (M2) and nucleoprotein (NP) interspaced with selected linkers comprising cleavage sites to produce individual proteins, together forming one polyvalent influenza vaccine for use in medicine for humans and animals.

In various aspects, the invention relates to immune tolerant glycosidase therapy. The invention provides methods for treating or preventing infectious disease, including chronic viral infections, and highly contagious infectious agents that present an ongoing challenge for the immune system. The compositions and treatment regimens find use with other antiviral or antimicrobial therapies, as well as in conjunction with vaccination to boost effectiveness and/or extend the duration of protective effect. In certain embodiments, the regimen described herein reduces or eliminates the need for administration of other traditional antiviral or antimicrobial therapies. In various embodiments, the invention finds use in immunocompromised patients to boost immune function.

Provided are: a pharmaceutical composition for curing, treating, or preventing a disease involving a biological mechanism controlled by a dendritic cell immunoreceptor, in which the pharmaceutical composition contains a carbohydrate modifying enzyme as an active ingredient; and a method of curing, treating, or preventing a disease involving a biological mechanism controlled by a dendritic cell immunoreceptor.

Provided herein are optimized recombinant influenza HA polypeptides that elicit immune responses. Also provided are compositions and kits comprising the optimized HA polypeptides as well as methods of making and using the optimized HA polypeptides.

Compositions and methods for stimulating NK cell expansion and cytotoxicity are described. Therapeutic compositions and methods using expanded and stimulated NK cells are described.

The present invention provides, among other things, a novel and improved method for generating mosaic influenza antigenic polypeptides including hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) polypeptides based on unique combination of epitope patterns that maximize exposure to epitopes present across multiple HA or NA sequences and therefore improved influenza strain coverage. In particular, the present invention provides engineered H1N1 influenza hemagglutinin (HA) polypeptides that are comprised of novel combinations of protective epitopes and antigenic regions from multiple H1N1 viral strains. Such engineered HA polypeptides have improved properties over HA polypeptides developed through conventional approaches that rely on consensus alignments of viral sequences.

Microspheres are produced by contacting an aqueous solution of a protein or other macromolecule with an organic solvent and a counterion, and chilling the solution. The microspheres are useful for preparing pharmaceuticals of defined dimensions.

In various aspects, the invention relates to immune tolerant glycosidase therapy. The invention provides methods for treating or preventing infectious disease, including chronic viral infections, and highly contagious infectious agents that present an ongoing challenge for the immune system. The compositions and treatment regimens find use with other antiviral or antimicrobial therapies, as well as in conjunction with vaccination to boost effectiveness and/or extend the duration of protective effect. In certain embodiments, the regimen described herein reduces or eliminates the need for administration of other traditional antiviral or antimicrobial therapies. In various embodiments, the invention finds use in immunocompromised patients to boost immune function.