A medical treatment method includes administering to a recipient a first composition comprising dendritic cells (DC) which are immunologically compatible with the recipient and which are associated with a target antigen. The method also includes administering to the recipient a second composition comprising at least a portion of the target antigen in soluble form and a co-stimulatory antibody effective for activating T-cells and/or the dendritic cells (DC), wherein the second composition is administered at least 1 day subsequent to administration of the first composition. The dendritic cells are preferably autologous dendritic cells.

The present invention relates to compositions and kits comprising a peptide that activate the immune response and methods of using the composition for immunotherapy and cancer treatments. The peptide comprises an active peptide sequence of VQATQSNQHTPR. In some embodiments, the peptide may be tetravalent. For example, the peptide has the structure [(VQATQSNQHTPRGGGS).sub.2K].sub.2KNH.sub.2. In some embodiments, the compositions and methods are directed to the treatment of cancer and/or infections.

Peptides that specifically bind erythrocytes are described. These are provided as peptidic ligands having sequences that specifically bind, or as antibodies or fragments thereof that provide specific binding, to erythrocytes. The peptides may be prepared as molecular fusions with therapeutic agents, tolerizing antigens, or targeting peptides. Immunotolerance may be created by use of the fusions and choice of an antigen on a substance for which tolerance is desired.

The invention provides methods or compositions for enhancing the potency of a targeted cancer immunotherapy in a subject by using a superantigen in combination with an immunopotentiator (for example, a PD-1 inhibitor).

Methods and compositions are provided that can be used to vaccinate against and treat HIV. Specifically contemplated are vaccine compositions and methods of using these compositions treat HIV in patients. Aspects of the disclosure relate to an anti-CD40 antibody-HIV antigen fusion protein comprising (i) an anti-CD40 heavy chain (HCD40)-HIV antigen (Ag) fusion protein comprising the formula: HCD40-Ag, wherein Ag is a polypeptide with at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:1; and (ii) an anti-CD40 light chain (LCD40).

The invention relates a compound comprising (a) a peptide and (b) a carrier, wherein said peptide having at least the motif X-X-X-X-X-X-X, wherein at least one amino acid residue X is glycosylated, said peptide being linked to the peptide binding protein and said carrier comprises at least a MHC binding motif being linked to said peptide as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising said compound and the use of said compound or pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of a disease, such as an inflammatory joint disease. The subject matter of the application is exemplified with peptides derived from type II collagen such as peptides having at least the sequence AGFKGEA, or IAGFKGEQPKG, or the peptide AAAKAAA. Preferably a hydroxylysine in the peptides are glycosylated.

Provided is an antigen fused with a porcine Fc fragment, a vaccine composition having a self-adjuvanting effect by binding an Fc fragment to various antigens, and a method of producing the antigen.

The invention provides methods or compositions for enhancing the potency of a targeted cancer immunotherapy in a subject by using a superantigen in combination with an immunopotentiator (for example, a PD-1 inhibitor).

Disclosed is an immunogen comprising a fusion protein, wherein the fusion protein comprises a Zika virus (ZIKV) envelope protein, optionally a signal peptide, and a multimerization domain. The signal peptide is a premembrane (prM) signal peptide, an IgG signal peptide, or a human secretory signal peptide hidden Markov model, and the multimerization domain is an immunoglobulin Fc domain, a T4 fibritin foldon trimerization domain, or a human collagen XV trimerization domain. Nucleic acids, vectors, and microneedle arrays including these compositions are disclosed. Methods of producing an immune response to ZIKV are also disclosed.

The present disclosure includes a fusion protein, called a Seldeg, including a targeting component that specifically binds to a cell surface receptor or other cell surface molecule at near-neutral pH, and an antigen component fused directly or indirectly to the targeting component. The antigen component is configured to specifically bind a target antigen-specific antibody. The present disclosure also includes a method of depleting a target antigen-specific antibody from a patient by administering to the patient a Seldeg having an antigen component configured to specifically bind the target antigen-specific antibody.