Disclosed herein are alphavirus vectors that include neoantigen-encoding nucleic acid sequences derived from a tumor of a subject. Also disclosed are nucleotides, cells, and methods associated with the vectors including their use as vaccines.

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Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for determining the structure of a membrane protein. An epitope from a membrane-proximal external region (MPER) from a viral envelope protein can be grafted on to a variety of diverse membrane proteins to allow for binding structurally characterized antibody fragments, which can aid structural studies. t,25

The disclosure relates to nucleic acids mosaic clade M HIV-1 Env polypeptides and to compositions and vectors comprising same. The nucleic acids are suitable for use in inducing an immune response to HIV-1 in a human.

The invention provides structurally constrained viral peptides for use as therapeutic and vaccination agents, and for the production of antibodies for use in a number of applications including as therapeutic agents. The invention further provides methods and kits for use of the structurally constrained peptides and antibodies of the instant invention. The invention is based, at least in part, on the result provided herein demonstrating that viral hydrocarbon stapled helical peptides display excellent proteolytic, acid, and thermal stability, restore the native helical structure of the peptide, are highly effective in interfering with the viral fusogenic process, and possess superior pharmacokinetic properties compared to the corresponding unmodified peptides.

The present relation relates to recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus for use as prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines for infectious diseases of AIDS. The present invention encompasses the preparation and purification of immunogenic compositions which are formulated into the vaccines of the present invention.

The present invention relates to an immunogenic composition comprising an antigenic peptide of formula (I) below: Nt-S-X1-X2-X3-K-X4-Ct (I) [SEQ ID No 1], wherein —Nt consists of a peptide having from 0 to 50 amino acids in length, —Ct consists of a peptide having from 0 to 50 amino acids in length, —each of X1 to X4 consists of an amino acid residue, wherein: —(i) X1 means the specific amino acid W or (ii) X1 means any amino acid residue excepted W, —(i) X2 means the specific amino acid S or (ii) X2 means any amino acid residue excepted S, —(i) X3 means the specific amino acid N or (ii) X3 means any amino acid residue excepted N, —(i) X4 means the specific amino acid S or (ii) X4 means any amino acid residue excepted S, with the proviso that —three out of the four amino acid residues X1, X2, X3 and X4 mean the specific amino acid defined in their respective meaning (i) above, and —the remaining amino acid residue among X1 to X4 means any amino acid residue excepted the specific amino acid residue defined in its meaning (i), for preventing and/or treating an infection of an individual with an HIV-1 virus.

Disclosed are chimeric polypeptides based on viral membrane fusion proteins. More particularly, the present invention discloses chimeric polypeptides that comprise a virion surface exposed portion of a viral fusion protein and a heterologous structure-stabilizing moiety, and to complexes of those chimeric polypeptides. The present invention also discloses the use of these complexes in compositions and methods for eliciting an immune response to a fusion protein of an enveloped virus, or complex of the fusion protein, and/or for treating or preventing an enveloped virus infection. The present invention further discloses the use of the heterologous structure-stabilizing moiety for oligomerizing heterologous molecules of interest.

Therapeutic compositions and methods for treating HIV including identification and manipulation of particular domains associated with immunogenicity.

Stable immunogens comprising portions of the inner domain (ID) of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) gp120 protein are provided. These ID immunogens selectively present the gp120 C1/C2 region in its CD4-bound state within a minimal structure. These ID immunogens can be used to vaccinate subjects against infection with HIV, the causative agent of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The immunogens can also be used as targets in screening to identify small molecule or peptide inhibitors that block HIV-1 viral entry and attachment steps, and as probes for identifying gp120 C1/C2 region-specific antibodies.

In certain aspects the invention provides a selection of HIV-1 envelopes suitable for use as immunogens, and methods of using these immunogens to induce neutralizing antibodies. In certain embodiments, the immunogens are designed to trimerize. In other embodiments, the immunogens comprise an immune modulating component.