Novel, nanoparticle-based vaccines are provided that elicit an immune response to a broad range of infectious agents, such as influenza viruses. The nanoparticles comprise a heterogeneous population of fusion proteins, each comprising a monomeric subunit of a self-assembly protein, such as ferritin, joined to one or more immunogenic portions of a protein from an infectious agent, such as influenza virus. The fusion proteins self-assemble to form nanoparticles that display a heterogeneous population of immunogenic portions on their surface. When administered to an individual, such nanoparticles elicit an immune response to different strains, types, subtypes and species with in the same taxonomic family. Thus, such nanoparticles can be used to vaccinate an individual against infection by different Types, subtypes and/or strains of infectious agents. Also provided are specific fusion proteins, nucleic acid molecules encoding such fusion proteins and methods of using nanoparticles of the invention to vaccinate individuals.

Expression vectors ideal for use in vaccinating individuals against disease based on vaccinia virus and other chordopoxviruses having high expression of recombinant genes and low expression of vector genes in target animals, and low expression of recombinant genes and high expression of vector genes in cells used for propagation.

This disclosure relates to immunogenic compositions and methods of enhancing an immune response to an antigen. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to virus-like carries comprising a TLR5 agonist on the exterior without an antigen.

The present invention provides a method for enabling ducklings to quickly produce anti-avian influenza antibodies and maintain antibody titer, including: step 1) the first immunization is performed on ducklings at the age of 5 to 15 days: each duckling is inoculated with an avian influenza inactivated antigen in an abdomen, and simultaneously intramuscularly or subcutaneously immunized with an avian influenza inactivated oil-emulsion vaccine. In the method, through the double effects of intraperitoneal inoculation with the inactivated antigen and intramuscular or subcutaneous injection with the inactivated oil-emulsion vaccine on the ducklings, the ducklings can quickly produce an immune response so as to quickly produce the anti-avian influenza antibodies; and the immune dead time of the ducklings immunized with the avian influenza inactivated vaccine can be effectively reduced by more than 7 days.

A novel adjuvant composition is provided that is excellent in safety and convenience as compared to the conventional adjuvant such as Alum. An adjuvant composition comprising citrullines, which are water soluble substance present in the living body, and/or a salt thereof; a vaccine composition comprising said adjuvant composition and an antigen; a process for preparing said adjuvant composition and said vaccine composition; and a method for administering said adjuvant composition and said vaccine composition are provided.

The invention relates to an artificial nucleic acid molecule comprising an open reading frame and a 3′-UTR comprising at least one poly(A) sequence or a polyadenylation signal. The invention further relates to a vector comprising the artificial nucleic acid molecule comprising an open reading frame and a 3′-UTR comprising at least one poly(A) sequence or a polyadenylation signal, to a cell comprising the artificial nucleic acid molecule or the vector, to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the artificial nucleic acid molecule or the vector and to a kit comprising the artificial nucleic acid molecule, the vector and/or the pharmaceutical composition. The invention also relates to a method for increasing protein production from an artificial nucleic acid molecule and to the use of a 3′-UTR for a method for increasing protein production from an artificial nucleic acid molecule. Moreover, the invention concerns the use of the artificial nucleic acid molecule, the vector, the kit or the pharmaceutical composition as a medicament, as a vaccine or in gene therapy.

The present invention relates to virus-like particles of plant virus Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV), and in particular to modified VLPs of CMV comprising Th cell epitopes, in particular universal Th cell epitopes. Furthermore, these modified VLPs serve as, preferably, vaccine platform, for generating immune responses, in particular antibody responses, against antigens linked to said modified VLPs. The presence of the Th cell epitopes, in particular universal Th cell epitopes, led to a further increase in the generated immune response.

A recombinant vaccine comprising a serotype 9 fowl adenovirus vector (FAdV-9) having at least one exogenous nucleotide sequence inserted encoding at least one antigen of a disease of interest and replacing the adenovirus genome non-essential region, and a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle, adjuvant and/or excipient, wherein the at least one exogenous nucleotide sequence encoding at least one antigen of a disease of interest and replacing the adenovirus genome non-essential region is located between the 491 and 2782 nucleotides.

The vector of this vaccine is stable for industrial scale production. Likewise, even when administering this vaccine in combination with a vaccine against Marek's disease, both vaccines produce an adequate immune response which is not affected by interference between each other. In the same way, effectiveness of the recombinant vaccine is not affected by maternal antibodies, and is capable of inducing both an early and lasting protective response, even with only one application.

The present invention includes a live attenuated virus and methods of making the same comprising an isolated virus comprising a viral genome that expresses one or more viral antigens; and one or more exogenous species-specific microRNAs inserted into the viral genome and expressed thereby, wherein the species-specific microRNAs are ubiquitously expressed in a viral target species cell but not in a viral propagation cell.

The disclosure relates to a mutant of hemagglutinin protein of H3N2 subtype influenza virus and use thereof. In addition, the disclosure also relates to a pharmaceutical composition (e.g., a vaccine) comprising the mutant, a method for preparing the mutant, and a method of using the mutant for prevention and/or treatment of an infection of influenza virus and/or a disease (e.g., an influenza) caused by the infection.