Featured are recombinant adenoviruses and vectors thereof. In particular, the adenoviruses are simian (rhesus) adenoviruses having a low seroprevalence and high immunogenicity (when expressing, e.g., an antigenic polypeptide) relative to other adenoviruses and vectors thereof. Also featured are methods for producing the adenoviruses and methods of treatment of diseases by administering the adenoviral vector(s) to a subject (e.g., a human).

Methods of inducing a CD8+ T cell response to a heterologons antigen in which at least 10% of the CD8+ T cells are MHC-E restricted are disclosed. The method involves immunizing with a CMV vector that does not express UL128 and UL130 proteins. Also disclosed are recombinant CMV vectors comprising nucleic acids encoding a heterologous protein antigen, a UL40 protein, and a US28 protein but that do not express an active UL128 and UL130 protein. Also, disclosed are recombinant CMV vectors comprising nucleic acids encoding a heterologous protein antigen, but that do not express an active UL40 protein, UL128 protein, UL130 protein, and optionally a US28 protein. Also disclosed are recombinant CMV vectors comprising nucleic acids encoding a heterologous protein antigen, but that do not express an active US28 protein, UL128 protein, UL130 protein, and optionally a UL40 protein.

Disclosed herein are recombinant CMV vectors comprising heterologous antigens and microRNA recognition elements to silence expression of CMV genes in the presence of microRNA derived from myeloid cells, an active UL128 protein and an active UL130 protein. Also disclosed are recombinant CMV vectors comprising heterologous antigens and microRNA recognition elements to silence expression of CMV genes in the presence of microRNA derived from myeloid cells, an inactive UL128 protein and an inactive UL130 protein. Also disclosed are methods of generating an unconventional immune response using these vectors. Such an immune response is characterized by generation of a CD8+ T cell response that is predominantly restricted by MHC-II.

Methods of reducing the likelihood of a cancer or precancer developing resistance to a cancer therapeutic or prevention agent are provided herein. The methods include administering a vaccine comprising a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide whose expression or activation is correlated with development of resistance of the cancer or precancer to the cancer therapeutic or prevention agent to a subject. The vaccine may include a polynucleotide encoding a HER2 polypeptide or a truncation, deletion or substitution mutant thereof. Methods of using the vaccine including the polynucleotide encoding the HER2 polypeptide to treat a cancer or precancer are also provided. The vaccines may be administered with a cancer therapeutic or prevention agent or a checkpoint inhibitor immunomodulatory agent.

Methods of reducing the likelihood of a cancer or precancer developing resistance to a cancer therapeutic or prevention agent are provided herein. The methods include administering the cancer therapeutic or prevention agent and a vaccine comprising a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide whose expression or activation is correlated with development of resistance of the cancer or precancer to the cancer therapeutic or prevention agent to a subject. The vaccine may include a polynucleotide encoding an ESR1 polypeptide or a truncation, deletion or substitution mutant thereof. Methods of using the vaccine including the polynucleotide encoding the ESR1 polypeptide to treat a cancer or precancer are also provided.

Persistence of HIV in anatomic sanctuary sites such as the brain prevents viral eradication. Although combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) inhibits viral replication to undetectable level by standard clinical assay, it does not selectively eliminate virus reservoirs. To target HIV reservoirs, the present inventor developed an HIV Rev-dependent lentiviral vector carrying a series of therapeutic genes, such as diphtheria toxin, anthrolysin O from Bacillus anthracis, human TRAF6, or the herpes simplex 1 virus thymidine kinase gene (HSV-tk). The present disclosure provides the Rev-dependent vectors for targeting viral reservoir in a SIV/rhesus macaque model. SIV-infected rhesus macaques were first treated with cART for over 6 months starting 12 weeks post infection, followed by injections with viral particles assembled from a SIV Rev-dependent vector carrying HSV-tk. Following particle injection, animals were further treated briefly (two weeks) with ganciclovir (GCV), which induces the killing of SIV+, HSV-tk expressing cells. cART was terminated following the GCV treatment, and there was observed a partial control of viral rebound over a period of 4 months after cART cessation. The animal was further treated with additional Rev-dependent vector particles, and viral load was diminished to the undetectable level for over 1 year in the absence of any treatment. These results suggest that the Rev-dependent vector, with or without a functional gene, has the potential to diminish viral reservoirs in vivo and can offer a cure of functional cure of HIV/SIV infection.

The present disclosure provides fusion proteins that incorporate unique mechanisms for multimerizing antigens to enhance their immunogenicity. The fusion proteins comprise at least two antigens, or other vaccine related proteins, separated by a linker sequence and an oligomerization domain. When expressed, the fusion protein forms a muKimeric protein complex, This approach can be used to muHimeri?.e a single antigen/protein or to create multimers comprising two or more different antigens/proteins. Also provided are nucleic acids encoding the fusion proteins. Yet another aspect is directed to methods of inducing or suppressing an immune response in a subject by administering to the subject a vaccine composition comprising a fusion protein or nucleic acid encoding the fusion protein, optionally without using an adjuvant.

The invention relates to inhibitory nucleotide signal sequences or INS sequences in the genomes of lentiviruses. In particular the invention relates to the AGG motif present in all viral genomes. The AGG motif may have an inhibitory effect on a virus, for example by reducing the levels of, or maintaining low steady-state levels of, viral RNAs in host cells, and inducing and/or maintaining in viral latency. In one aspect, the invention provides vaccines that contain, or are produced from, viral nucleic acids in which the AGG sequences have been mutated. In another aspect, the invention provides methods and compositions for affecting the function of the AGG motif, and methods for identifying other INS sequences in viral genomes.

Embodiments relate to a method comprising (a) expressing a vector comprising a PSGL-1 (P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1) or a mutant thereof in a VPC (virus producing cell); and blocking a virus infection by inactivating an infectivity of a released virions from the VPC; or (b) expressing a glycoprotein or a mutant thereof in the VPC; blocking the virus infection by preventing binding of the released virions to a target cell; inactivating infectivity of the released virions; and targeting a viral infection. Other embodiments relate to (1) a broad-spectrum anti-viral product comprising: a vector expressing a glycoprotein or a mutant thereof in a VPC; and blocking a virus infection by inactivating infectivity of a released virion from the VPC; and (2) a vaccine comprising a viral particle is configured to a live attenuated or an inactivated or a non-infectious, wherein the viral particle are produced in a VPC.

In one aspect, the present invention provides recombinant polynucleotides. In some embodiments, the recombinant polynucleotides comprise a cytomegalovirus (CMV) genome, or a portion thereof, and a nucleic acid sequence encoding an antigen, wherein the CMV genome or portion thereof comprises a mutation within a interleukin-10-like gene sequence. Methods for preventing and treating diseases such as infectious diseases and cancer are also provided herein.