An object of the present invention is to provide an effective vaccine capable of preventing and treating congenital infection with CMV. The vaccine for preventing or treating congenital infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) according to the present invention comprises a CMV envelope glycoprotein B (gB protein) antigen and a pentamer antigen.

A long-chain peptide antigen includes a plurality of epitopes. An interepitope sequence located between two of the plurality of epitopes contains four to ten consecutive tyrosines. The long-chain peptide antigen may be administered to a patient together with a hydrophobized polysaccharide, such as cholesterol-modified pullulan, and/or an adjuvant, such as CpG oligo DNA.

Provided herein, inter alia, are compositions and methods for treating or preventing viral infections. The methods and compositions may modulate entry of a virus into a cell, viral fusion to a cell, or cell to cell spread of the virus by targeting one or more viral proteins or ligands thereof. The methods and compositions provided herein including embodiments thereof are contemplated to be especially effective for treating or preventing cytomegalovirus infections.

The present invention is directed to provide a modified CMV gB protein that can induce a group of antibodies including a high ratio of neutralizing antibodies that exhibit a high neutralizing activity against a CMV gB protein, in comparison with a wild type CMV gB, upon induction of immunity and that can be used in the prevention and/or treatment of CMV infection and a CMV vaccine comprising the modified CMV gB protein. The modified CMV gB protein according to the present invention is a modified CMV gB protein having an improved ability to induce body region-recognizing antibodies and comprising modification in a head region.

The present invention provides a recombinant viral vector, an immunogenic composition containing the same, and the use thereof. The recombinant viral vector comprises a polynucleotide encoding a fusion peptide of CD4 helper T cell epitopes, the epitope fusion peptide comprising a cytomegalovirus epitope and/or an influenza virus epitope. The epitope fusion peptide and the recombinant viral vector provided by the present invention can improve the level of cellular immune response to a target immunogen, particularly to a weak immunogen, and overcome the immune tolerance of immune system to an antigen, particularly to a tumor antigen or an infection-related antigen. The products of the present invention are suitable for enhancing the efficacy of vaccines.

The present invention relates to methods for developing engineered immune cells such as T-cells for immunotherapy that have a higher potential of persistence and/or engraftment in host organism. IN particular, this method involves an inactivation of at least one gene involved in self/non self recognition, combined with a step of contact with at least one non-endogenous immunosuppressive polypeptide. The invention allows the possibility for a standard and affordable adoptive immunotherapy, whereby the risk of GvH is reduced.

The invention provides a bidirectional hCMV-rhCMV promoter and recombinant vectors and recombinant virus comprising the bidirectional hCMV-rhCMV promoter operably linked to a first transgene in one direction and to a second transgene in the opposite direction. The invention also provides methods of making and using such recombinant vectors and recombinant virus.

Provided herein are methods of treating or preventing human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection comprising modulating interactions between the HCMV gHgLgO trimer and plasma membrane-expressed host cell proteins, as well as methods of identifying modulators of such interactions.

The invention provides a bidirectional hCMV-CAG4 promoter and recombinant vectors and recombinant virus comprising the bidirectional hCMV-CAG4 promoter operably linked to a first transgene in one direction and to a second transgene in the opposite direction. The invention also provides methods of making and using such recombinant vectors and recombinant virus.

The invention relates to an immunogenic composition comprising an HCMV gH/gL/UL128/UL130/UL131 pentameric complex antigen and a TH1-inducing adjuvant. It further relates to the immunogenic composition for use as an HCMV vaccine.