The present invention provides antigen-specific, tolerance-inducing microparticles for the targeted delivery of therapeutic agents to immune cells. In addition, the present invention allows for sustained release of therapeutic agents for a prolonged period of time. Also provided are therapeutic uses of the present invention for the prevention and/or treatment of immune diseases and autoimmune disorders. In a specific embodiment, the present invention provides treatment for type 1 diabetes.

Provided herein are vaccine compositions containing at least one retrievable biocompatible macrocapsule containing immuno-isolated allogeneic cells that secrete an immunomodulator such as GM-CSF (granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor) and an antigenic component such as autologous tumor cells or infectious agents. Also provided are kits and pharmaceutical compositions containing the vaccine compositions as well as methods of use thereof for therapeutic or preventative vaccination against tumors or infectious agents.

A process for producing a peptide antigen conjugate suitable for administration to a mammal is disclosed. The peptide antigen conjugate comprises a peptide antigen linked to a hydrophobic block. The process comprises reacting a hydrophobic block fragment with a peptide antigen fragment comprising the peptide antigen in a pharmaceutically acceptable organic solvent in a hydrophobic block fragment to peptide antigen fragment molar ratio of 1:1 or greater under conditions to directly or indirectly link the peptide antigen to the hydrophobic block and obtaining a product solution comprising the peptide antigen conjugate, unreacted hydrophobic block fragment and pharmaceutically acceptable organic solvent.

The present invention provides nanoparticles comprising: (a) an amphiphilic polymer with a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 20,000 g/mol or less; and (b) a peptide that is covalently linked to the polymer, wherein the peptide comprises 8 to 50 amino acids, including an N-terminal linker sequence comprising at least one Arg amino acid residue and a sequence comprising an MHC binding sequence comprising a T cell receptor epitope.

The present invention further comprises compositions comprising respective nanoparticles and a liquid or lyophilized carrier as well as nanoparticles and compositions of the invention for use in inducing tolerance to a therapeutic compound (protein, viral vector, lipid vesicle), an allergen or to an autoantigen or for treating an allergy, an autoimmune disease, an exogenous antigen (transplantation antigens, drugs) or a food intolerance.

The present invention relates to peptides, nucleic acids and cells for use in immunotherapeutic methods. In particular, the present invention relates to the immunotherapy of cancer. The present invention furthermore relates to tumor-associated cytotoxic T cell (CTL) peptide epitopes, alone or in combination with other tumor-associated peptides that serve as active pharmaceutical ingredients of vaccine compositions that stimulate anti-tumor immune responses. The present invention relates to 30 peptide sequences and their variants derived from HLA class I and class II molecules of human tumor cells that can be used in vaccine compositions for eliciting anti-tumor immune responses.

The invention provides an aqueous acidic formulation suitable for use as in the preparation of a pharmaceutically acceptable fluorocarbon-linked peptide formulation, which aqueous formulation comprises a first fluorocarbon-linked peptide, wherein: the peptide linked to the fluorocarbon is at least 20 amino acid residues long, comprises at least 50% hydrophobic amino acid residues and has an isoelectric point greater than or equal to 7; and the fluorocarbon-linked peptide is present in micelles.

The present invention relates to peptides, nucleic acids and cells for use in immunotherapeutic methods. In particular, the present invention relates to the immunotherapy of cancer. The present invention furthermore relates to tumor-associated cytotoxic T cell (CTL) peptide epitopes, alone or in combination with other tumor-associated peptides that serve as active pharmaceutical ingredients of vaccine compositions that stimulate anti-tumor immune responses. The present invention relates to 30 peptide sequences and their variants derived from HLA class I and class II molecules of human tumor cells that can be used in vaccine compositions for eliciting anti-tumor immune responses.

The present invention provides a vesicle, a conjugate, a composition comprising the vesicle or the conjugate, for use in delivering a drug to the brain, and a method for administering the same. The composition of the present invention is a composition for administration to a subject according to a dosing regimen, comprising a carrier for drug delivery, wherein the dosing regimen comprises administering the composition to a subject who has been fasted or caused to have hypoglycemia and inducing an increase in blood glucose level in the subject, and the carrier is modified at the outer surface thereof with a GLUT1 ligand.

Vaccines of preferential administration via mucous membranes, for the control of viral diseases generated by infectious agents that use heparan sulfate (HS) as a cellular receptor consisting of an immunogenic formulation for veterinary use, comprising an antigen whose cellular receptor is heparan sulfate (HS), a vehicle for oral, intranasal or parenteral administration, wherein said vehicle corresponds to D-glucosamine and functionalized N-acetyl-D-glucosamine biopolymers, with sulfur atoms, and/or functionalized chitosan biopolymer, with sulfur atoms, and where the antigen is microencapsulated by said types of functionalized biopolymers.

The invention relates to the use of melanin, complexed with an antigen, as a immunostimulatory composition.