Methods and compositions for altering the microenvironment of a tumor are provided. The methods comprise reducing the population of tumor-residing immune suppressive regulatory T-cells, increasing the population of tumor lysing T-cells (such as CD8+ T-cells) and improving the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. The compositions comprise the use of cationic lipids optionally combined with autologous antigens, non-autologous antigens, or tumor-associated antigens.

The present invention provides an agent for the treatment or prophylaxis of arteriosclerosis comprising an expression vector encoding a chimeric Hepatitis B virus core antigen polypeptide inserted with an amino acid sequence containing a specific epitope of apolipoprotein (a), wherein the amino acid sequence containing the specific epitope is inserted between the amino acid residues 80 and 81 of the hepatitis B virus core antigen polypeptide.

Methods and products for diagnosing, treating and/or delaying onset of chronic allograft rejection, including cardiac allograft vasculopathy. In an exemplary embodiment of a noninvasive method of screening a cardiac allograft recipient for being at-risk for developing cardiac allograft vasculopathy of the present disclosure, the method comprises the steps of withdrawing at least one biological sample from a cardiac allograft recipient; and analyzing the at least one biological sample for one or more biomarkers indicative of the presence of fibrin deposits within the cardiac allograft microvasculature; wherein detection of the one or more biomarkers indicates that the cardiac allograft recipient is at-risk for or developing cardiac allograft vasculopathy.

Methods and compositions for altering the microenvironment of a tumor are provided. The methods comprise reducing the population of tumor-residing immune suppressive regulatory T-cells, increasing the population of tumor lysing T-cells (such as CD8+ T-cells) and improving the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. The compositions comprise the use of cationic lipids optionally combined with autologous antigens, non-autologous antigens, or tumor-associated antigens.

Disclosed herein are methods of eliciting an anti-cancer immune response by administering tumor-associated antigens, cells containing tumor-associated antigens, and/or nucleic acids encoding tumor-associated antigens. inducing immunogenic cell death in the cells expressing or containing the tumor-associated antigens. and optionally generating hyperactivated dendritic cells. Expression of tumor-associated antigens in a separate anatomical site generates a tumor avatar, which mimics the antigenic, but not immunosuppressive, environment of the tumor, with the generation of hyperactivated dendritic cells enhancing antigen presentation to elicit a robust anti-tumor T cell and antibody response. Also provided are compositions and kits containing nucleic acids and other components for use in the methods provided herein.

Disclosed herein are vectors that include antigen-encoding nucleic acid sequences and co-express immune modulators. Also disclosed are nucleotides, cells, and methods associated with the vectors including their use as vaccines.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to nucleic acid vaccines. The vaccines include at least one RNA polynucleotides having a open reading frame encoding at least varicella zoster virus (VZV) antigen. Methods for preparing and using such vaccines are also described.

Immunoconjugates for impeding weight gain and treating obesity in a subject are disclosed. The immunoconjugates comprise a ghrelin mimetic polypeptide hapten, a spacer moiety comprising one of more polyethylene glycol (PEG) units, and a protein carrier moiety. Immunoconjugates optionally include a conjugation moiety for conjugating the polypeptide hapten with a linker moiety or the protein carrier moiety and a linker moiety for conjugating the conjugation moiety with the protein carrier moiety.

The present invention relates to a immunogen comprising at least two fragments of Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), wherein at least two fragments comprise at least 8 consecutive amino acid residues of amino acid residues 150 to 170 and/or 205 to 225 of PCSK9 (SEQ ID NO:9).

The present disclosure relates to antigen specific tolerogenic antigen presenting cells presenting antigenic portions of an autoantigen and to related compositions, methods and systems.