The present invention relates to a polypeptide that includes at least one mutation in the fusion loop 1 region and/or in the fusion loop 2 region and/or in the furin-like cleavage site of a human cytomegalovirus gB polypeptide. In one embodiment, the polypeptide undergoes a structural conformation change in response to pH change.

The present invention is related to a beta-herpesvirus, wherein the beta-herpesvirus is spread-deficient.

The present disclosure relates to recombinant rhesus cytomegalovirus (RhCMV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) vectors encoding heterologous antigens, such as pathogen-specific antigens or tumor antigens, which may be used, for example, for the treatment or prevention of infectious disease or cancer. The recombinant RhCMV or HCMV vectors elicit and maintain high level cellular immune responses specific for the heterologous antigen while including deletions in one or more genes essential or augmenting for CMV replication, dissemination or spread.

This invention generally relates to cationic oil-in-water emulsions that contain high concentrations of cationic lipids and have a defined oil:lipid ratio. The cationic lipid can interact with the negatively charged molecule thereby anchoring the molecule to the emulsion particles. The cationic emulsions described herein are useful for delivering negatively charged molecules, such as nucleic acid molecules to cells, and for formulating nucleic acid-based vaccines.

This invention generally relates to cationic oil-in-water emulsions that contain high concentrations of cationic lipids and have a defined oil:lipid ratio. The cationic lipid can interact with the negatively charged molecule thereby anchoring the molecule to the emulsion particles. The cationic emulsions described herein are useful for delivering negatively charged molecules, such as nucleic acid molecules to cells, and for formulating nucleic acid-based vaccines.

The presently disclosed subject matter generally relates to genetic constructs and methods for their use in cancer imaging, cancer treatment, and combined imaging and treatment protocols. In particular, the presently disclosed subject matter relates to tripartite cancer theranostic nucleic acid constructs that permit simultaneous cancer specific viral replication, expression of a diagnostic gene product, and expression of a therapeutic gene.

Provided are antigenic compositions and uses thereof that include at least two human herpesvirus (HHV) polypeptides involved in mediating HHV binding, fusion, and entry into host cells, such as gp350, gH, gL, and gB, or nucleic acids encoding the polypeptides. The two HHV polypeptides comprise any combination of: a gB polypeptide; a gp350 polypeptide; a gL polypeptide; and a gH polypeptide, and optionally any one or more of the following polypeptides: gp42, gM, gN, gl, gC, gE, gD, ORF68, BMRF-2, BDLF2, UL128, UL130, UL131A, and gpK8.1. Also disclosed are methods of inducing an immune response or treating or preventing O an HHV infection in a subject by administering to the subject at least two of the HHV polypeptides or nucleic acid(s) encoding the same. Methods of passively transferring immunity using high-titer anti-HHV antibodies or immune cells are also disclosed.

The present invention provides a human dose of an immunogenic composition comprising an antigen or antigenic preparation, in combination with an adjuvant which adjuvant comprises an immunologically active saponin fraction derived from the bark of Quillaja saponaria Molina presented in the form of a liposome and a lipopolysaccharide wherein said saponin fraction and said lipopolysaccharide are both present in said human dose at a level of below 30 ?g. The present invention further provides an adjuvant composition in a human dose suitable volume comprising between 1 and 30 ?g of a lipopolysaccharide and between 1 and 30 ?g of an immunologically active saponin fraction presented in the form of a liposome.

This invention also relates to recombinant vectors expressing one or more of the human CMV (HCMV) glycoproteins US2, US3, US6 and US11 or corresponding functional rhesus CMV (RhCMV) homologues Rh182, Rh184, Rh185 or Rh189, methods of making them, uses for them, expression products from them, and uses for the expression products. This invention also relates to recombinant cytomegalovirus vectors vectors lacking one or more of the glycoproteins, methods of making them, uses for them, expression products from them, and uses for the expression products.

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.