The invention provides compounds including a CpG oligodeoxynucleotide sequence linked to a lipid by a linker and related compositions and methods. The invention features a compound consisting of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, at its 5 end, bonded or linked by a linker to a lipid. Further, the invention features a method of treating a cancer in a human patient, comprising administering to the patient the compound. Further, the invention features a pharmaceutical composition including the compound and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The invention features a kit including (I) the compound or a composition comprising the compound; and (ii) a protein comprising SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:3.

The present invention provides Listeria vaccine strains that express a heterologous antigen and a metabolic enzyme, and methods of generating same.

Disclosed is a new class of conjugated virus-like particles (VLPs). These conjugated VLPs bind a wide variety of tumors and comprise epitopes recognized by a prior T cell immune response already existing in a host. These epitopes are derived from pathogens or previous vaccinations (such as early childhood vaccines). This provokes the body's pre-existing cytotoxic immunity obtained through previous infection or previous childhood vaccination to be redirected to the tumor cells for the elimination of cancer, and form long-term anti-tumor immunity. The described conjugated VLPs are useful for tailoring a broad range of tumors towards a response from existing immunity circumventing the need to identify tumor antigens or generate tumor-specific immune responses. Importantly, the compositions and methods described herein broadens opportunities for treatment for all cancer types in subjects who previously had un-targetable cancers due to various technological and biological limitations of currently available immuno-therapeutic drugs.