A recombinant Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) strain H129-derived anterograde multi-synaptic transneuronal viral tracer for multi-synaptic neural circuit mapping comprises two or more fluorescence expression cassettes being integrated into the H129 genome at different locations; wherein each fluorescence expression cassette contains at least two copies of fluorescent protein-encoding sequence that are arranged in tandem, and at least one linker-encoding sequence, where at least one linker-encoding sequence is disposed between two fluorescent protein-encoding sequences, allowing transcription of fluorescent protein-encoding sequences and linker-encoding sequence as a single transcript; and wherein the linker-encoding sequence encodes a linker peptide containing at least two adjacent amino acids that are highly inefficient in forming a peptide bond between them; thereby, when the single transcript is translated, at least two fluorescent proteins are stoichiometrically generated due to the impedence of peptide bond formation by the linker peptide.

The present disclosure includes compositions of a zwitterionic polysaccharide (e.g., B. fragilis capsular polysaccharide A (PSA)) (including active fragments thereof) and methods of treating viral infection and viral infection associated inflammation with compositions of a zwitterionic polysaccharide (e.g., B. fragilis capsular polysaccharide A (PSA)) (including active fragments thereof).

A method is presented for treating herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection comprising: (a) locally administering a substance that induces a delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to a patient at a site other than at the site of an HSV lesion to induce a DTH response during one or more outbreaks of the HSV infection. The method reduces the number of HSV outbreaks in persons experiencing outbreaks.

The present invention provides synthetic peptide compounds and uses thereof for therapy and diagnostics of complement-mediated diseases, such as inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, and microbial and bacterial infections; and non-complement-mediated diseases, such cystic fibrosis and various acute diseases. The invention is directed to modifications of a synthetic peptide of 15 amino acids from the Polar Assortant (PA) peptide, which is a scrambled peptide derived from human Astrovirus protein. In some embodiments, the invention is directed to peptide compounds that are peptide mimetics, peptide analogs and/or synthetic derivatives of PA (e.g., sarcosine derivatives) having, for example, internal peptide substitutions, and modifications, including PEGylation at the N-terminus and C-terminus. The invention further provides methods of selecting at least one synthetic peptide for treating various conditions.

Methods and compositions for increasing the production of recombinant proteins by introducing ICP0 to cells capable of producing a recombinant protein are encompassed. In one method, the recombinant protein is a protein that is required for the replication of a replication defective virus, wherein the recombinant protein is provided to the replication defective virus in trans.

Methods and compositions for increasing the production of recombinant proteins by introducing ICP0 to cells capable of producing a recombinant protein are encompassed. In one method, the recombinant protein is a protein that is required for the replication of a replication defective virus, wherein the recombinant protein is provided to the replication defective virus in trans.

The present disclosure relates to liquid and dried compositions comprising a live, attenuated or genetically modified herpesvirus and methods of preparing such compositions, in one aspect, the composition comprises at least two or more pharmaceutically acceptable excepients, at least one of which is histidine and at least one of which is a sugar or sugar alcohol. The compostions retain a sufficiently high infectious titre following storage or large-scale manufacturing steps, such as lyophilization.

The present invention generally relates to the field of diagnostic microbiology, and, more particularly, to compositions and methods for detecting and differentiating one or more viruses or other intracellular parasites present in a specimen. The present invention also provides compositions and methods to evaluate the susceptibility of organisms to antimicrobial agents.

Disclosed are genetic expression cassettes, and vectors comprising them useful for the delivery of isolated nucleic acid segments including those expressing or encoding one or more selected therapeutic constructs (including, without limitation, therapeutic peptides, polypeptides, ribozymes, or catalytic RNA molecules), to one or more selected cells or tissues of a vertebrate animal. Methods employing the disclosed genetic constructs in the development of gene therapy-based viral vector systems are also disclosed. The expression cassettes and viral vectors disclosed herein provide new tools for methods of treating mammalian, and in particular, human diseases, disorders, and/or dysfunctions. The disclosed compositions and methods find particular utility in a variety of investigative, diagnostic, and therapeutic regimens, including, for example, in the treatment or amelioration of symptoms of a variety of mammalian, and particularly, human conditions.

The present invention is directed to Herpes simplex-2 viruses that may be used in vaccines to immunize patients against genital herpes.