Compositions and methods to increase the in vivo capacity of CD8+ T cells to kill HIV-infected and reactivated latent HIV-infected T cells (LHITC) to functionally cure HIV infection or improve the clinical course. Compositions and methods to increase the in vivo capacity of CD8+ T cells to kill CMV or CMV-infected cells are also provided.

Compositions and methods to increase the in vivo capacity of CD8+ T cells to kill HIV-infected and reactivated latent HIV-infected T cells (LHITC) to functionally cure HIV infection or improve the clinical course. Compositions and methods to increase the in vivo capacity of CD8+ T cells to kill CMV or CMV-infected cells are also provided.

An expression system for expressing a herpesvirus glycoprotein complex including a vector inserted with two or more nucleic acid sequences that encode two or more subunits of a herpesvirus glycoprotein complex linked by one or more linking sequences such that the subunits are co-expressed simultaneously and self-processed to assemble into a glycoprotein complex. The expression system or the vector can be included in a vaccine composition. The vaccine composition can be used for preventing or treating herpesvirus infections.

An expression system for expressing a herpesvirus glycoprotein complex including a vector inserted with two or more nucleic acid sequences that encode two or more subunits of a herpesvirus glycoprotein complex linked by one or more linking sequences such that the subunits are co-expressed simultaneously and self-processed to assemble into a glycoprotein complex. The expression system or the vector can be included in a vaccine composition. The vaccine composition can be used for preventing or treating herpesvirus infections.

The present invention provides a composition comprising A) immune cells such as T cells comprising a) an inducible gene expression system comprising I) a first nucleic acid comprising a drug-inducible promoter operably linked to a second nucleic acid, and II) said second nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide or a non-coding RNA (ncRNA) which decreases cell surface expression level of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I relative to cell surface expression level of MHC class I of an immune cell that does not express said polypeptide or ncRNA; and b) a third nucleic acid encoding a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) or T cell receptor (TCR); and B) a drug that induces said drug-inducible promoter. Preferentially, said polypeptide may be a viral protein which decreases cell surface expression level of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I relative to cell surface expression level of MHC class I of an immune cell that does not express the viral protein.

The present invention provides a composition comprising A) immune cells such as T cells comprising a) an inducible gene expression system comprising I) a first nucleic acid comprising a drug-inducible promoter operably linked to a second nucleic acid, and II) said second nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide or a non-coding RNA (ncRNA) which decreases cell surface expression level of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I relative to cell surface expression level of MHC class I of an immune cell that does not express said polypeptide or ncRNA; and b) a third nucleic acid encoding a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) or T cell receptor (TCR); and B) a drug that induces said drug-inducible promoter. Preferentially, said polypeptide may be a viral protein which decreases cell surface expression level of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I relative to cell surface expression level of MHC class I of an immune cell that does not express the viral protein.

The present invention comprises mutants of a wild-type cytomegalovirus (CMV) glycoprotein B (gB) protein that include at least two introduced amino acid mutations relative to the amino acid sequence of the wild-type HCMV glycoprotein B (gB), compositions including the mutants and uses thereof. In some embodiments, the mutant is stabilized in a conformation alternative to the gB postfusion conformation.

The present invention comprises mutants of a wild-type cytomegalovirus (CMV) glycoprotein B (gB) protein that include at least two introduced amino acid mutations relative to the amino acid sequence of the wild-type HCMV glycoprotein B (gB), compositions including the mutants and uses thereof. In some embodiments, the mutant is stabilized in a conformation alternative to the gB postfusion conformation.

The present invention relates to the treatment of HCMV relates diseases. The inventors conducted a study to find an essential domain of pUL56 for its interaction with pUL89 which is important in the effect of the CMV. Sequences alignments allowed them to predict one sequence in C-terminal of pUL56 potentially necessary for interaction with pUL89. BAC mutagenesis and AlphaLISA technologies using purified proteins allowed to validate that the short sequence .sub.671WMVVKYMGFF.sub.680 (SEQ ID NO: 1) in C-terminal of pUL56 is involved in interaction with pUL89. Knowing this important information, antibodies directed against this sequence or peptides derived from this sequence could be useful to invalidate the interaction of pUL56 to pUL89 and thus to treat HCMV related diseases. Thus, the present invention relates to an isolated anti-pUL56 antibody, binding to the SEQ ID NO:1 or a peptide comprising the amino acids sequence: WMVVKYMGFF (SEQ ID NO: 1) or a function-conservative variant thereof for use in the treatment of HCMV related diseases.

Disclosed is an expression system for expressing a herpesvirus glycoprotein complex. The expression system may include a vector inserted with two or more nucleic acid sequences that encode two or more subunits of a herpesvirus glycoprotein complex linked by one or more linking sequences such that the subunits are co-expressed simultaneously and self-processed to assemble into a glycoprotein complex. Also disclosed are vaccine compositions comprising the expression system or the vector and methods of preventing or treating herpesvirus infections using the vaccine compositions.