An isolated protein comprises respective amino acid sequences of each of a plurality of CTL epitopes from two or more different herpesvirus antigens and further comprises an intervening amino acid or amino acid sequence between at least two of said CTL epitopes comprising proteasome liberation amino acids or amino acid sequences and, optionally, Transporter Associated with Antigen Processing recognition motifs. The isolated protein is capable of rapidly expanding human cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in vitro and eliciting a CTL immune response in vivo upon administration to an animal as an exogenous protein. Typically, the isolated protein comprises no more than twenty (20) CTL epitopes derived from cytomegalovirus and/or Epstein-Barr virus antigens.

The invention provides an AoHV-1 promoter for use with plasmid vectors, viral vectors, viruses, and cell lines comprising the AoHV-1 promoter operably linked to a transgene. The invention also provides methods of making and using recombinant plasmid vectors, viral vectors, viruses, and cell lines comprising the AoHV-1 promoter operably linked to a transgene.

The present invention relates to stable formulations of a cytomegalovirus (CMV) comprising for example, a genetically modified CMV that is conditionally replication defective, a buffer, alkali or alkaline salt, a sugar, a cellulose derivative and optionally a polyol.

Described are mutant human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) pentamer complex polypeptides, methods of making them, and their use in HCMV protein complexes and compositions. In particular, the use of the modified HCMV polypeptides to stabilize HCMV complexes or unmask a pentamer epitope is described.

The technology described herein relates to vectors, isolated T cells, and methods of making and using the same, for example, in immunotherapeutic methods for T cell malignancies. In various examples, the T cells include a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that specifically binds to TRBC1 or TRBC2 and are modified so as to decrease or eliminate 003ζ, TRAC, and/or TRBC expression.

The present invention relates to nucleic acid molecules encoding a recombinant human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) strain, dense bodies produced by said HCMV strain and preparations of said dense bodies for use in medicine, particularly as a vaccine against HCMV.

The present invention relates to nucleic acid molecules encoding a recombinant human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) strain, dense bodies produced by said HCMV strain and preparations of said dense bodies for use in medicine, particularly as a vaccine against HCMV.

In various embodiments methods of utilizing gene drive constructs in asexual organisms such as viruses are provided. In certain embodiments the methods involve transfecting or infecting a cell with a modified DNA vims containing a gene drive construct; and infecting the cell with the target vims where the genome of said target DNA virus is modified by insertion of the gene drive construct into the genome of the target DNA virus and a population of modified target viruses (containing the gene drive construct) is produced.

A series of recombinant DNA constructs and a method is disclosed for use in immunological therapy in general; and in disrupting T cell receptor (TCR), human leukocyte antigens (HLA) class I and NKG2D (Natural-Killer Group 2, member D) ligand expression in particular, with the effect of producing highly compatible autologous universal T cells for further genetically engineering for allogeneic administration. A Universal T (UT) construct is provided and used, comprising a TCR antibody fragment fused to a transmembrane domain (TMD) and ER retention domain of adenovirus early region 3 glycoprotein E3-19k (E3/19K) (TCR-E3/19K RD). The Universal T (UT) construct can hijack ERAD machinery to arrest TCR and HLA molecules in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and facilitate their translocation into the cytoplasm for ubiquitination and degradation by proteasomes.

In one embodiment, an expression system for expressing a UL128 complex is provided herein. The expression system may include a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) construct, wherein the BAC construct comprises a viral vector inserted with a set of DNA sequences that encode a UL128 complex. In another embodiment, a vaccine composition for preventing HCMV infection is provided. The vaccine composition may include a viral or bacterial vector capable of expressing a UL128 complex and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, adjuvant, additive or combination thereof or additional vector expressing a protein adjuvant. The viral vector may be an MVA and the UL128 complex includes five HCMV proteins or antigenic fragments thereof: UL128, UL130, UL131A, gL, and gH. In some embodiments, the viral vector is further inserted with one or more additional DNA sequences that encode one or more additional HCMVHCMV proteins or antigenic fragments thereof such as pp65, gB or both, or such as gM/gN or gO.