The invention principally relates to a method of detecting a disease agent in blood, comprising: (i) creating a sample infra-red spectrum representative of the blood, with one or more spectral components, each having a wavenumber and absorbance value; (ii) providing a reference database of spectral models, each model having one or more database spectral components of a wavenumber and an absorbance value, wherein the database spectral components identify disease agents; (iii) determining whether one or more database spectral components corresponds to one or more sample spectral components; and (iv) compiling a list of corresponding database components identified.

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.

This disclosure describes a subunit vaccine for a flavivirus, methods of making the vaccine, and methods of using the vaccine. The flavivirus may include, is a mosquito-borne flavivirus, for example, Zika virus (ZIKV), dengue virus (DENV), Yellow Fever (YF) virus, and West Nile Virus (WNV). The subunit vaccine may be administered with an adjuvant.

The present invention discloses a method and its variations for simultaneous detection of antibodies against two or more antigens of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and determination of approximate time (duration) post HIV infection, thereby confirming the infection, and determination of recency of an HIV infection. The number of individuals with recently infected HIV in a given period may be further used to estimate incidence of HIV in a population.

The present invention refers to methods and compositions to prevent viral entry into cells expressing the CD169/sialoadhesin surface receptor by inhibiting the coupling of the sialyllactose molecule contained in the viral membrane gangliosides to the CD 169/sialoadhesin receptor. The invention also pertains to vaccine compositions based on dendritic cells loaded with an antigen of interest whereby the vaccine is provided together with a composition capable of preventing viral entry into cells expressing the CD169/sialoadhesin. Moreover, the invention relates to diagnostic and therapeutic compositions that can be specifically delivered to enveloped virions wherein the diagnostic/therapeutic agent is coupled to CD169/sialoadhesin.

Methods, uses, compositions and kits for modulating HIV replication based on PD-1 modulation are disclosed. Methods, uses, compositions and kits useful for the elimination of latent HIV reservoirs based on PD-1 inhibition are also disclosed. Methods and kits useful for identifying agents useful for modulating HIV replication are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a method for detecting and/or quantifying human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) specific antibodies in a sample of a subject comprising the step of determining the presence and/or amount of antibodies binding to a) a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence AIVCTRPNNNTRKSIRIGPGQVFYT (SEQ. ID No. 1), or b) a homolog having at least 70% identity with a peptide of a), or c) a fragment of a peptide of a) or b) consisting of 15 to 24 amino acid residues in said sample.

The invention relates to in vitro method for quantitating the antibodies specific for High mobility group box I (HMGB1) contained in a sample, in particular a serum sample or a cerebrospinal fluid sample obtained from a patient, and the use of this method in the prognostic and/or diagnosis of neurological disorders. These methods are in particular applicable to the monitoring of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection of a subject who is known to be infected with HIV and in the prognostic and/or diagnostic of the state of progression of Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or the state of progression toward AIDS, in particular the state of progression or the state of progression toward neurological disorders associated with AIDS. Finally, the invention is also about method to determine the immune deficiency or level of immune activation of a patient, in particular a HIV-infected patient.

The subject invention provides materials and methods for detecting the presence and progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in the presence of a substance of abuse and/or at least one therapeutic agent. Preferred embodiments provide that the detection of HIV infection is accomplished by applying electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to an apparatus comprising cultured cells of the central nervous system (CNS) such as, for example, human astrocytes (HA), and/or of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) in contact with at least one sensing electrode. In some embodiments, the detection apparatus can be integrated with electronic components such as, for example, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), and miniaturized potentiostats. Advantageously, technology provided herein enables rapid (e.g., less than 20 minute) assessment of HIV infections suitable for point-of-care (POC) disease monitoring and treatment.

A method for the evaluation of the efficacy of a drug aiming to eradicate a cellular reservoir of mammalian cells infected with a mammalian immunodeficiency virus, the method including: a) quantifying, the presence of lymphocyte cells expressing a CD32 differentiation marker on their surface; and b) concluding that the drug is efficient to eradicate the cellular reservoir of mammalian cells infected with the mammalian immunodeficiency virus when lymphocyte cells expressing a CD32a differentiation marker are absent.