Disclosed herein are expanded NK cells and methods of using thereof for treating, preventing, reducing, and/or inhibiting a microbial infection.

Methods for generating immune responses using adenovirus vectors that allow multiple vaccinations with the same adenovirus vector and vaccinations in individuals with preexisting immunity to adenovirus are provided.

A vaccine is disclosed that promotes CD4+ T cell-independent host defense mechanisms to defend against infection by fungi such as Pneumocystis spp. The vaccine may be used to prevent or to treat fungal infections. The novel vaccine can provide protective immunity, even for immunocompromised individuals such as HIV patients having reduced levels of CD4+ T cells.

This invention relates to stable formulations that can be prepared to high concentration of active agent using low amounts of detergents and to methods for producing such formulations. In particular, this invention relates to formulations containing the L19-TNFα immunocytokine.

What is described is a peptide which consists of 7-20, especially 7-17, adjacent amino acids and comprises the hexamer TX.sub.1EX.sub.2X.sub.3E where X.sub.1, X.sub.2 and X.sub.3 may be any natural or unnatural amino acid, where the peptide does not have any TNF receptor binding activity and is cyclized, for use for the treatment and avoidance of the pulmonary form of altitude sickness.

The present invention provides methods for selecting treatment methods for rheumatoid arthritis based on an objective selection process (algorithm). The present invention also provides methods for treating rheumatoid arthritis with treatment methods selected based on the algorithm disclosed herein. The methods of the present invention provide a more effective means for treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

A method for overcoming mild to moderate immune suppression includes the steps of inducing production of naive T-cells and restoring T-cell immunity. A method of vaccine immunotherapy includes the steps of inducing production of naive T-cells and exposing the naive T-cells to endogenous or exogenous antigens at an appropriate site. Additionally, a method for unblocking immunization at a regional lymph node includes the steps of promoting differentiation and maturation of immature dendritic cells at a regional lymph node and allowing presentation of processed peptides by resulting mature dendritic cells, thus, for example, exposing tumor peptides to T-cells to gain immunization of the T-cells. Further, a method of treating cancer and other persistent lesions includes the steps of administering an effective amount of a natural cytokine mixture as an adjuvant to endogenous or exogenous administered antigen to the cancer or other persistent lesions.

A method for overcoming mild to moderate immune suppression includes the steps of inducing production of naive T-cells and restoring T-cell immunity. A method of vaccine immunotherapy includes the steps of inducing production of naive T-cells and exposing the naive T-cells to endogenous or exogenous antigens at an appropriate site. Additionally, a method for unblocking immunization at a regional lymph node includes the steps of promoting differentiation and maturation of immature dendritic cells at a regional lymph node and allowing presentation of processed peptides by resulting mature dendritic cells, thus, for example, exposing tumor peptides to T-cells to gain immunization of the T-cells. Further, a method of treating cancer and other persistent lesions includes the steps of administering an effective amount of a natural cytokine mixture as an adjuvant to endogenous or exogenous administered antigen to the cancer or other persistent lesions.

The present invention relates in general to the field of TNF ligand family members. In more detail the present invention relates to polypeptides comprising at least three components A, each of which comprises the sequence of a TNF homology domain (THD) of a TNF ligand family member, or a functional derivative thereof, and comprising at least one component B consisting of a V.sub.L region and a V.sub.H region linked directly to each other with a linker sequence L which has a length of <12 amino acids. Furthermore, the present invention also relates to nucleic acids encoding such polypeptides and pharmaceutical compositions thereof.

Provided are nanoparticles comprising heparin, chitosan, and at least one immunomodulatory agent, e.g. a cytokine. The cytokine can be selected from the group consisting of TNF, IL-12, IL-2, IL-23, IL-1α, IL-10, IL-18, and combinations thereof. Further provided are methods of making a nanoparticle comprising mixing a first composition comprising heparin with a second composition comprising chitosan in the presence of at least one cytokine to form a third composition. Further provided are methods of modulating an immune response comprising co-administering to a subject an antigen or vaccine with nanoparticles comprising heparin, chitosan, and at least one cytokine.