An immunogen includes an immunogenic carrier and an antigenic apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase activation and recruitment domain (ASC) peptide linked to the immunogenic carrier. In one or more embodiments, the immunogenic carrier is a Q? virus-like particle (VLP). The immunogen may be formulated into a composition useful for treating inflammatory medical conditions.

Methods and compositions for producing, isolating and purifying virus-like particles (VLPs) containing long sense and antisense RNA molecules, including RNA molecules predicted to fold into double-stranded regions longer than the inner diameter of the VLP capsids are disclosed.

The present invention is directed to virus-like particles (VLPs) which display immunogenic peptides of Flavivirus non-structural Protein 1 (NS1) derived from Dengue Virus (DENY), immunogenic compositions and vaccines against Flavivirus infection and related methods of immunizing and/or vaccinating subjects against Flavivirus, especially Dengue infections. The VLPs according to the present invention comprise polypeptide subunits of Dengue NS 1 protein which has been conjugated to the surface of a VLP as described herein, often a VLP derived from a Qbeta (P?) or AP205 bacteriophage.

This disclosure describes, in one aspect, immunogens effective for treating and/or diagnosing tauopathy, and immunotherapeutic compositions and methods involving those immunogens. Generally, the immunogen includes an antigen presentation component and a microtubule-associated tau protein (MAPT) component linked to at least a portion of the antigen presentation component. This disclosure describes, in another aspect, a transgenic mouse. Generally, the transgenic mouse possesses brain cells that have a polynucleotide that encodes human microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT). The polynucleotide further exhibits a deletion of at least a portion of endogenous mouse MAPT. The transgenic mouse also includes a forebrain neuron-specific deletion of a polynucleotide that encodes Myeloid Differentiation Primary Response Gene 88 (MyD88). In a further aspect, this disclosure describes a method of producing the transgenic mouse.

The present invention relates to processes for producing compositions comprising (i) a virus-like particle of an RNA bacteriophage, and (ii) aggregated oligonucleotides, wherein said aggregated oligonucleotides are packaged into said virus-like particle. The invention further provides processes for producing nucleotide compositions comprising aggregated oligonucleotides suitable for use in the aforementioned processes before. Moreover, the invention further provides nucleotide compositions comprising aggregated oligonucleotides. Furthermore, the invention further provides compositions comprising (i) a virus-like particle of an RNA bacteriophage, and (ii) aggregated oligonucleotides, wherein said aggregated oligonucleotides are packaged into said virus-like particle.

An immunogen useful for treating malaria generally includes an immunogenic carrier and an antigenic malaria circumsporozoite protein (CSP) peptide that includes the peptide NANPNVDPNANPNVD (SEQ ID NO:2) linked to the immunogenic carrier. The immunogen may be administered to a subject having or at risk of having malaria. Alternatively, the immunogen may be administered to an individual having or at risk of having Plasmodium falciparum blood stage parasitemia. In some cases, the immunogen can be administered in combination with another therapeutic agent for treating malaria of Plasmodium falciparum blood stage parasitemia.

The invention provides processes for the producing compositions comprising (i) a virus-like particle, wherein said virus-like particle is a virus-like particle of an RNA bacteriophage, and (ii) an oligonucleotide, wherein said oligonucleotide is packaged into said virus-like particle. The invention further provides processes for producing nucleotide compositions comprising oligonucleotides suitable to be used in the processes mentioned before. The invention further provides nucleotide compositions obtainable by the processes of the invention and uses thereof. The invention further provides compositions comprising (i) a virus-like particle, wherein said virus-like particle is a virus-like particle of an RNA bacteriophage, and (ii) an oligonucleotide, wherein said oligonucleotide is packaged into said virus-like particle, wherein said compositions are obtainable by the processes of the invention and wherein said compositions preferably comprises a purity of at least 98%, most preferably of at least 99%.

The present invention provides a novel virus-like particle expression vector pTMSCA2C, which is constructed as follows: firstly, using plasmid pTrcHis-MS2 as a starting vector and mutating the base T at position 5 of the gene sequence of MS2 bacteriophage 19mer packaging site on the plasmid pTrcHis-MS2 into C through genetic mutation technologies to obtain a plasmid pTMSC; then, mutating valine which is a amino acid corresponding to the initiation codon on the plasmid pTMSC for encoding the maturase protein of MS2 bacteriophage into methionine to obtain a plasmid pTMSCA; and finally, the gene sequence coding wild type MS2 bacteriophage coat protein, after the removal of the terminator, is linked in series with the gene sequence coding MS2 bacteriophage coat protein comprising histidine-tag which is from a pseudovirus vector pTrcMS, and the gene sequence obtained after linking in series is linked to the plasmid pTMSCA to give pTMSCA2C. When the virus-like particle is prepared by using the expression vector pTMSCA2C of the present invention, the yield and purity of the virus-like particle may be improved while the workload for preparation of virus-like particles may be greatly reduced.

Embodiments are directed to malaria vaccines comprising a bacteriophage VLP displaying a heterologous peptide identified by affinity selection as an anti-malaria mimotope.

A novel nano-carrier system and method include a virus-like particle, and a functional RNA encapsulated inside the virus-like particle. The virus-like particle protects the functional RNA from nuclease degradation in vivo, and the functional RNA maintains its functionality while being encapsulated inside the virus-like particle. The system and method may be used to modify, reduce, or treat a disease in a subject.