The present invention provides specific peptide biomarkers and sets of peptide biomarkers for use in methods of detecting or identifying bacterial biomarkers in a sample, wherein said bacterial biomarkers can be used to detect Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli, and/or Moraxella catarrhalis in a sample. Kits and diagnostic methods are also provided.

Methods and compositions useful in treating neurodegenerative disorders are based on septapeptides and extended forms thereof (or portions thereof) that exhibit chemokine activity with respect to microglial cell precursors.

A di-enzymatic chimeric endolysin includes a primary enzymatic active domain including a primary protein sequence and that cleaves a glycosidic, peptide, or amide bond; a secondary enzymatic active domain disposed at a C-terminus end of the di-enzymatic chimeric endolysin and including a secondary protein sequence that, in combination with the primary enzymatic active domain, synergistically cleaves glycosidic, peptide, or amide bonds in a peptidoglycan; a cell wall binding domain including a recognition sequence that is sequentially interposed between the primary protein sequence and the secondary protein sequence and that binds to a cell wall; and a tertiary structure such that the primary enzymatic active domain faces and opposes the secondary enzymatic active domain in the di-enzymatic chimeric endolysin for synergistic cleavage of the peptidoglycan.

The present disclosure a cohort of sialic acid binding molecules which comprise one or more modified carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs). The modified CBMs reduce the risk of adverse events related to the host immune response and/or the production of anti-drug antibodies (ADAs). The modified CBMs can be used in therapy or as medicaments and find specific application as molecules for the modulation of an immune response and/or cell growth. The modified CBMs may also be used as adjuvants, for example mucosal adjuvants and in the treatment and/or prevention of cancer, sepsis and/or diseases caused or contributed to by a pathogen that binds cell surface sialic acid-containing receptors.

A recombinant protein for use in the treatment of one or more medical complications associated with aberrant complement regulatory activity in a subject, the recombinant protein capable of binding to complement factor H (CFH) and inducing increased binding of C3d and C3b by bound CFH compared to unbound CFH.

The present invention relates to expression of Pneumococcal Surface Protein A (PspA). The invention represents an advancement in the field of genetic engineering and vaccine technology. The invention discloses expression vectors and recombinant host cells for expression of truncated PspA peptide. The invention also discloses vaccine compositions comprising the truncated peptides as carrier protein.

The present invention relates to a polypeptide that is capable of promoting the covalent conjugation of two peptide tags or linkers and in particular to a polypeptide comprising: a) an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1; or b) an amino acid sequence with at least 80% sequence identity to a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein said amino acid sequence comprises a glutamic acid at position 61 and one or more of the following: 1) proline at position 66; 2) proline at position 95; 3) glycine at position 96; and 4) valine at position 97, wherein the specified amino acid residues are at positions equivalent to the positions in SEQ ID NO: 1 and wherein said polypeptide is capable of promoting the formation of an isopeptide bond between the lysine residue at position 9 of SEQ ID NO: 2 and the asparagine residue at position 17 of SEQ ID NO: 3.

The present invention concerns Gram-negative bacterial cells or Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs) which display on their outer surface an autotransporter (AT) fusion protein covalently coupled via an isopeptide bond to a heterologous molecule. These bacterial cells and OMVs are suitable for use in vaccines or targeted drug delivery of antigens or therapeutic agents to specific cells or tissues.

The present invention provides a recombinant protein capable of binding to complement factor H (CFH), and thereby inducing increased binding of C3d and C3b by bound CFH compared to unbound CFH. Methods and medical devices for using utilising the same are also described.

Compositions nod methods are provided for the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections, including pneumococcal infections. Compositions provided herein comprise a variety immunogenic fusion proteins, wherein at least one polypeptide component of a given fusion protein comprises a CbpA polypeptide and/or a cytolysoid polypeptide, or an active variant or fragment thereof. Methods are provided for the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections, including pneumococcal infections by employing die various immunogenic fusion proteins having at least one polypeptide component comprising a CbpA polypeptide and/or acytolysoid polypeptide, or an active variant or fragment thereof.