Provided herein is a large immuno-sorbent surface area assay (ALISSA) for the rapid and sensitive detection of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) and anthrax toxin. This assay is designed to capture a low number of toxin molecules and to measure their intrinsic protease activity via conversion of a fluorogenic or luminescent substrate. Also provided herein are novel peptides that can be specifically cleaved by BoNT and novel peptides that are resistant to cleavage by BoNT. The combination of these cleavable and control peptides can be used for implementation of an exemplary ALISSA used to specifically detect BoNT enzymatic activity. Furthermore, the ALISSA as described herein may also be used in a column based format for use in a high-throughput system for testing large quantities of samples.

The present invention relates to a RNA encoding an antibody or a fragment or variant thereof and a composition, in particular a passive vaccine, comprising such an RNA. The present invention further relates to the use of such an RNA or of such a composition for treatment of tumours and cancer diseases, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, virus diseases and monogenetic diseases, e.g. also in gene therapy. The present invention also relates to a combination of at least two modified RNA's, in particular wherein one RNA encodes a heavy chain variable region of an antibody and another RNA encodes the corresponding light chain variable region of said antibody.

Antibody-based binding agents derived from human and camelid immunoglobulins are described, as well as strains of yeast engineered to secrete the binding agents, and methods of treating and preventing Clostridium difficile infections using the engineered strains of yeast. These binding agents recognize and bind with specificity to Clostridium difficile toxin A and/or toxin B and in some cases exhibit toxin neutralizing activity. The binding agents include camelid V.sub.HH peptide monomers, linked groups of V.sub.HH peptide monomers, V.sub.HH peptide monomers joined to antibody Fc domains, and V.sub.HH peptide monomers joined to IgG antibodies.

The invention provides means and methods of stimulating activity of a member of the TNF receptor superfamily on a cell. The invention also provides binding molecules such as antibodies that comprises at least two antigen binding sites, wherein a first antigen binding site can bind an extracellular part of CD137 and a second antigen binding site can bind an extracellular part of PD-L1.

Methods, compositions and kits are provided for treating a subject exposed to or at risk for exposure to a disease agent, methods, compositions and kits having a pharmaceutical composition including at least one recombinant binding protein or a source of expression of the binding protein, wherein the binding protein neutralizes at least one or a plurality of disease agents that are toxins, for example at least one of a Botulinum toxin or an Anthrax toxin.

Polypeptide products, methods, pharmaceutical compositions, and kits are provided for treating a subject exposed to, or at risk for exposure to, C. difficile microbial pathogens and toxin B produced by C. difficile (TcdB) pathogens. The methods, compositions and kits include a single domain, anti-TcdB VHH polypeptide (antibody), or toxin B binding portion thereof, that specifically binds to and/or neutralizes TcdB and treats or prevents illness and disease associated with C. difficile infection and TcdB intoxication. The anti-TcdB VHHs, or toxin B binding portion thereof, may be recombinantly produced.

This present invention provides C-TAB.G5 and C-TAB.G5.1 isolated polypeptides comprising the receptor binding domains of C. difficile toxin A and toxin B as set forth in the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO: 2 and SEQ ID NO: 4. The C-TAB.G5 and C-TAB.G5.1 isolated polypeptides may be used to neutralize toxic effects of C. difficile toxin A and/or toxin B.

The present specification discloses SNAP-25 compositions, methods of making α-SNAP-25 antibodies that bind an epitope comprising a carboxyl-terminus at the P.sub.1 residue from the BoNT/A cleavage site scissile bond from a SNAP-25 cleavage product, α-SNAP-25 antibodies that bind an epitope comprising a carboxyl-terminus at the P.sub.1 residue from the BoNT/A cleavage site scissile bond from a SNAP-25 cleavage product, methods of detecting BoNT/A activity, and methods of detecting neutralizing α-BoNT/A antibodies.

The present invention relates to engineered Clostridium difficile type IV pilin (tfp) genes, type IV pilin proteins which can serve as a diagnostic marker for identification of patients infected with C. difficile, and vaccines comprising type IV pilin proteins, antigenic fragments and variants thereof for therapeutic interventions.

The invention provides a BASEHIT screening method for identifying proteins that are involved in host-microbe interactions which may function as therapeutic targets.