The disclosure provides recombinant herpes virus with diminished latency. In embodiments, the recombinant herpes virus comprises a latency gene or transcript linked to an altered or heterologous promoter. The disclosure also provides compositions and methods for inducing immunity in animals using the recombinant herpes viruses.

Composition are described, which are dried under reduced pressure from a liquid mixture comprising an adjuvant comprising a saponin (e.g., such as QS21) in a liposomal formulation wherein the liposomes contain a neutral lipid (e.g., such as a phosphatidylcholine) and a sterol (e.g., such as cholesterol), and, a cryoprotectant that is an amorphous sugar. The adjuvant may further comprises a TLR-4 agonist. The compositions may further comprising an antigen, such as an antigen derived from Plasmodium falciparum, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, HIV, Moraxella, ntHi or Varicella Zoster Virus. The cryoprotectant is an amorphous sugar or mixture of amorphous sugars, and preferably is a combination of at least two cryoprotectants selected from sucrose, trehalose and dextran. The compositions may further comprise a buffer and/or a surfactant.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to nucleic acid vaccines. The vaccines include at least one RNA polynucleotides having an open reading frame encoding at least one varicella zoster virus (VZV) antigen. Methods for preparing and using such vaccines are also described.

This application relates to methods for assessing patient populations and determining subpopulations vulnerable to viral infection, methods of reducing the risk of infection and/or inducing heterologous immunity to said viral infection.

The present invention provides new multivalent vaccines for felines. The present invention also provides methods of making and using the multivalent vaccines alone or in combinations with other protective agents.

Provided are an ORF7 deficient varicella virus, an vaccine comprising the virus and use thereof, as well as a method for the production the virus.

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 present invention provides methods for inducing an immune response to a pathogen in neonatal mammals. In particular, the present invention provides methods for inducing an immune response to a pathogen in a neonatal mammal comprising administering to the neonatal mammal a composition comprising a fusion protein between interleukin-4 (IL-4) and a first antigen of the pathogen.

The present invention provides new multivalent vaccines for felines. The present invention also provides methods of making and using the multivalent vaccines alone or in combinations with other protective agents.

A nucleic acid molecule including at least one expression control sequence having an Internal Ribosomal Entry Site (IRES) sequence, at least one coding region, and optionally multiple adenosines or thymidines upstream of the at least one expression control sequence is disclosed as an expression system. Besides, a recombinant expression vector including the nucleic acid molecule and pharmaceutical or medicinal use of the nucleic acid molecule are disclosed.