The present invention relates to polymer particles and uses thereof. In particular the present invention relates to functionalised polymer particles, processes of production and uses thereof in eliciting a cell-mediated immune response and in the treatment or prevention of diseases or conditions including those caused by intracellular pathogens.

Methods and compositions for the treatment of Brucella induced diseases and disorders are disclosed herein. In preferred embodiments, the invention relates to a vaccine compositions and methods of vaccinating comprising: a Brucella canis comprising one or more attenuating gene knockouts; and a pharmaceutically acceptable vaccine carrier.

Contemplated compositions, devices, and methods comprise immunodominant antigens from selected human pathogens (Burkholderia pseudomallei, Borrelia burgdorferi, Brucella melitensis, Chlamydia muridarum, Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, human Herpes virus 1 and 2, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Plasmodium falciparum, and Vaccinia virus) can be used as a vaccine, as diagnostic markers, and as therapeutic agents. In particularly preferred aspects, the antigens have quantified and known relative reactivities with respect to sera of a population infected with the pathogen, and have a known association with a disease parameter.

Contemplated compositions, devices, and methods are drawn to various antigens from the pathogen M. tuberculosis and their use in vaccines, therapeutic agents, and various diagnostic tests. In particularly preferred aspects, the antigens are immunodominant and have quantified and known relative reactivities with respect to sera of a population infected with the pathogen, and/or have a known association with a disease parameter

This invention relates to the identification of peptide binding to ligands, and in particular to identification of epitopes expressed by microorganisms and by mammalian cells. The present invention provides polypeptides comprising the epitopes, and vaccines, antibodies and diagnostic products that utilize or are developed using the epitopes.