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.

The disclosure relates to anti-idiotypic antibodies and related influenza virus vaccines.

The present invention includes compositions and methods for the expression, secretion and use of novel compositions for use as, e.g., vaccine and antigen delivery vectors, to delivery antigens to antigen presenting cells. In one embodiment, the vector is an anti-CD40 antibody, or fragments thereof, and one or more antigenic peptides linked to the anti-CD40 antibody or fragments thereof, including humanized antibodies.

Isolated MHC-derived human peptides, particularly an isolated MHC-derived human peptide including a SDVGE-X-R (SEQ ID NO: 13) 7 amino acids motif that is selected from: NQEESVRFDSDVGEFR (Hpep 1-SEQ ID NO:1), NREEYARFDSDVGEFR (Hpep2-SEQ ID NO:2), NREEYVRFDSDVGEYR (Hpep4-SEQ ID NO:4) and any peptide with a length of 16 amino acids including the SDVGE-X-R (SEQ ID NO: 13) motif and having an amino acid sequence with at least 80, 85, 86, 87, 88, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 or 99% identity with SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4. Also, the use of these peptides in methods for inducing an immune tolerance, for preventing or reducing transplant rejection or graft versus host disease (GVHD), and in methods for isolating and expanding a population of CD8.sup.+CD45RC.sup.low Tregs or for expanding a population of CD8.sup.+CD45RC.sup.low Tregs and stimulating its immunosuppressive activity.

The present invention relates to a peptide-MHC-I-antibody fusion protein for use as a therapeutic medicament administered to a patient, wherein a cellular cytotoxic immune response towards the virus-derived peptide has been amplified in the patient. The therapeutic medicament may be used in a kit of parts and administered in combination with an amplifying medicament and optionally an inducing medicament. The inducing medicament and the amplifying medicament may be for use in a method of making a patient susceptible for a treatment with the peptide-MHC-I-antibody fusion protein. The medicament(s) may be used for the treatment of diseases, such as cancer or a viral infection.

The disclosure pertains to methods of immunotherapy for treating diseases and disorders which involve cellular Fc receptor mediated immune responses in humans and animals.

The disclosure relates to vaccination compositions, for example, against human papillomavirus, Zika virus, and flu virus. The disclosure also relates to vectors for producing the virus-like particles and immune complex platforms of the vaccination compositions.

The present invention provides CD20-binding proteins that bind to and rapidly internalize in a CD20-mediated fashion from a cell surface location to the interior of the cell. CD20-binding proteins of the invention comprise a CD20 binding region and a Shiga toxin effector region. Certain of the disclosed CD20-binding proteins kill cells that express CD20 on their surface. Further, the presently disclosed CD20-binding proteins can comprise additional exogenous materials, such as, e.g., antigens, and are capable of targeted delivery of these additional exogenous materials into the interior of CD20 expressing cells. These CD20-binding proteins have uses in methods such as, e.g., methods involving the efficient cellular internalization of CD20, targeted killing of CD20 expressing cells, delivering exogenous materials inside CD20 expressing cells, detecting CD20 expressing cells, and treating a variety of conditions involving CD20 expressing cells including cancers, tumors, growth abnormalities, and immune disorders.

The present invention includes compositions and methods for the expression, secretion and use of novel compositions for use as, e.g., vaccines and antigen delivery vectors, to delivery antigens to antigen presenting cells. In one embodiment, the vector is an anti-CD40 antibody, or fragments thereof, and one or more antigenic peptides linked to the anti-CD40 antibody or fragments thereof, including humanized antibodies.

Embodiments relate to novel vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV-related diseases, including multiple types of cancers. The HPV vaccines are composed of anti-human dendritic cell (DC) surface receptor antibodies, including CD40, and E6/7 proteins of HPV16 and 18. The technology described is not limited to making vaccines against HPV16- and HPV18-related diseases and can be applied to making vaccines carrying E6/7 from any type of HPV. The HPV vaccines described can target DCs, major and professional antigen presenting cells (APCs), and can induce and activate potent HPV E6/7-specific and strong CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses. The HPV vaccines can be used for the prevention of HPV infection and HPV-related diseases as well as for the treatment of HPV-related diseases, including cancers.