This disclosure is related to the use of a peptide with antimicrobial properties. The peptide is administered to prevent or treat non-respiratory diseases caused by viruses. A variety of formulations and uses are described as well as methods of manufacture thereof. The formulations are safe and useful in patientsboth humans and animalsfor the delivery of appropriate bioactive substance(s).

The present invention provides inventive stitched polypeptides, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and methods of making and using inventive stitched polypeptides.

Modified hepatitis C virus polypeptides are described. The polypeptides include the HCV NS4a domain and modified NS3 domain. The polypeptides retain conformational epitopes. HCV immunoassays including the polypeptides are also described.

Conserved consensus sequences from known hepatitis B virus strains and known hepatitis C virus strains, which are useful in inhibiting the expression of the viruses in mammalian cells, are provided. These sequences are useful to silence the genes of HBV and HCV, thereby providing therapeutic utility against HBV and HCV viral infection in humans.

The present disclosure provides immunogenic compositions comprising one or more T-cell epitope polypeptides, or a fusion polypeptide comprising two or more T-cell epitope polypeptides. The present disclosure provides a method for inducing an immune response to hepatitis C virus in an individual, the method comprising administering to the individual an immunogenic composition of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure provides an immunogenic composition comprising: a) i) a hepatitis C virus (HCV) heterodimeric polypeptide that includes HCV E1 and E2 polypeptides; ii) an HCV E1 polypeptide; or iii) an HCV E2 polypeptide; b) a polypeptide (also referred to herein as a T-cell epitope polypeptide or an HCV T-cell epitope polypeptide) comprising T-cell epitopes (e.g., CD4.sup.+ and CD8.sup.+ T-cell epitopes that are conserved among some HCV genotypes and that are presented through one or multiple HLA alleles common within the human population) present in an HCV protein other than E1 and E2; and c) a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient. The present disclosure provides a method of inducing an immune response, in an individual, to an HCV polypeptide.

The present disclosure provides nucleic acids comprising nucleotide sequences encoding hepatitis C virus (HCV) E1 and/or E2 polypeptides and/or one or more T-cell epitope polypeptides. The nucleic acids can comprise one or more modifications. The nucleic acids can be self-amplifying. The present disclosure provides compositions comprising the nucleic acids. The present disclosure provides methods of inducing an immune response to HCV in an individual, comprising administering to the individual a composition of the present disclosure.

The present invention provides a composition comprising hepatitis B virus (HBV) component(s), and which may be either nucleic acid- or polypeptide-based as well as nucleic acid molecules and vectors encoding such HBV component(s). It also relates to infectious viral particles and host cells comprising such nucleic acid molecules or vectors. It also provides composition and kits of parts comprising such nucleic acid molecules, vectors, infectious viral particles or host cells and the therapeutic use thereof for preventing or treating HBV infections.

A pharmaceutical composition used to suppress immunity in an animal, wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises an isolated T-cell epitope peptide containing an amino acid sequence of PLLLLLLXLPXRA (SEQ ID NO: 5), wherein X is an amino acid.

The present invention can induce stronger cellular immunity to hepatitis C and provide a treatment means and a prevention means that are effective in completely eliminating the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Provided is a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment and/or prevention of hepatitis C, said composition comprising a recombinant vaccinia virus (a) and a recombinant vector (b) and characterized in that after one of the recombinant vaccinia virus (a) and the recombinant vector (b) is administered for initial immunity, the other is administered for additional immunity. The recombinant vaccinia virus (a) contains an expression promoter and all or a portion of the cDNA of the HCV genome. The recombinant vector (b) contains an expression promoter and all or a portion of the cDNA of the HCV (where the cDNA contained in the recombinant vector (b) has a different base sequence than that included in the recombinant vaccinia virus (a)).