The disclosure describes compositions containing PEGylated compounds using linkers, bivalent polysaccharide covalent PEG compounds, and methods of bivalent polysaccharide-PEG compounds in the development of multivalent vaccines. PEGylated conjugation of capsular polysaccharides to carrier proteins is carried out using homo-bifunctional and/or hetero-bifunctional linkers of specific lengths. Incorporation of bifunctional PEG linkers induces higher titers of functional antibodies with high avidity, eliciting higher immunologic memory, and reduced carrier protein effect. This provides immunochemically cross-reactive capsular polysaccharides wherein one or more cross-reactive capsular polysaccharides are covalently PEG compounded sequentially or concurrently to carrier protein using bifunctional linkers bearing the same or different functional groups. Such a linker and the size of the capsular polysaccharides provides an effective multivalent vaccine with high antibody titers and a reduced carrier effect, with a reduction in the content of the capsular polysaccharide and protein per dose of vaccine which reduces reactogenicity.

Covalently modified polypeptide antigens having improved immunogenicity and/or stability, as well as compositions, cells, and methods relating thereto, are described herein. Polypeptide antigens are covalently conjugated to a one or more of steroid acid moieties to improve their stability and/or to trigger improved cellular immunity, or improved cellular and humoral immunity, against the antigen upon administration to a subject. The steroid acids include bile acids and bile acid analogs that enhance endocytosis and/or endosomal escape of endosomally trapped cargoes by potentiating enzymatic cleavage of sphingomyelin to ceramide within endosomal membranes. The steroid acid moieties may be pre-conjugated to a peptide, and the steroid acid-peptide moiety subsequently conjugated to the polypeptide antigen. The peptide may comprise one or more domains that impart an additional functionality to the modified polypeptide antigen.

Cellulose nanoparticle formulations, containing cellulose nanocrystals or nanofibrils, for use as vaccine adjuvants and/or as antigen delivery systems, and the use of the adjuvant formulations in immunogenic and vaccine compositions with different antigens. Cellulose nanoparticle formulations demonstrate enhancements in humoral and cellular immunogenicity of vaccine antigens, particularly subunit vaccine antigens, when utilized alone or in combination with immunostimulatory agents. Further identification of physical and chemical properties of the cellulose nanoparticle formulations can be manipulated to enhance antigen efficiency and adjuvant tolerability in vivo. Relating to the use of the formulations in the treatment of diseases of humans and animals.

The present invention relates to novel 6-acetylmorphine analogs, and methods for their synthesis and use. Such analogs are designed to provide a convenient linkage chemistry for coupling under mild conditions to a suitable group on a target protein, polypeptide, solid phase or detectable label.

The invention provides eTEC linked glycoconjugates comprising a saccharide covalently conjugated to a carrier protein through a (2-((2-oxoethyl)thio)ethyl)carbamate (eTEC) spacer, immunogenic compositions comprising such glycoconjugates, and methods for the preparation and use of such glycoconjugates and immunogenic compositions.

The present invention relates to a vaccine comprising a nucleic acid construct such as a DNA construct especially a nucleic acid construct comprising sequences encoding invariant chain operatively linked to antigenic protein or peptide encoding sequences. The present vaccine stimulates an enhanced immune response.

The present disclosure is directed to individual peptide immunogen constructs targeting portions of the Interleukin-6 (IL-6) protein, compositions containing the constructs, antibodies elicited by the constructs, and methods for making and using the constructs and compositions thereof. The disclosed IL-6 peptide immunogen constructs contain a B cell epitope from IL-6 linked to a heterologous T helper cell (Th) epitope directly or through an optional heterologous spacer. The IL-6 peptide immunogen constructs stimulate the generation of highly specific antibodies directed to the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) binding site for the prevention and/or treatment of diseases impacted by IL-6 dysregulation.

Provided herein are glycoproteins containing O-linked glycosylation recognition motifs, and methods of making, for example, for use in the production of conjugate vaccines.

This invention relates to chimeric virus-like particles (VLPs) assembled from a polypeptide comprising a papilloma virus (PV) L1 protein or L1/L2 protein and a target peptide comprising a CD8+ T cell epitope derived from a human pathogen. This invention also relates to methods using the chimeric VLPs as antigen-specific redirectors of immune responses.

Covalently modified polypeptide antigens having improved immunogenicity and/or stability, as well as compositions, cells, and methods relating thereto, are described herein. Polypeptide antigens are covalently conjugated to a one or more of steroid acid moieties to improve their stability and/or to trigger improved cellular immunity, or improved cellular and humoral immunity, against the antigen upon administration to a subject. The steroid acids include bile acids and bile acid analogs that enhance endocytosis and/or endosomal escape of endosomally trapped cargoes by potentiating enzymatic cleavage of sphingomyelin to ceramide within endosomal membranes. The steroid acid moieties may be pre-conjugated to a peptide, and the steroid acid-peptide moiety subsequently conjugated to the polypeptide antigen. The peptide may comprise one or more domains that impart an additional functionality to the modified polypeptide antigen.