Nucleic acid molecules and compositions comprising one or more nucleotide sequences that encode a consensus Merkel Cell Polyomavirus (MCV) T antigen. Immunomodulatory methods and methods of inducing an immune response against MCV are disclosed. Method of treating infection by MCV and methods of treating or preventing Merkel Cell Carcinoma associated with MCV are disclosed. Modified consensus MCV T antigens are disclosed.

The present invention is directed to novel polynucleotides, polypeptides, and polyproteins of Mycoplasma surface proteins, all of which are useful in detecting infection and for the preparation of vaccines for treating and preventing diseases in swine and other animals. Vaccines provided according to the practice of the invention are effective against Mycoplasma infections. Detection and therapeutic polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies are also a feature of the present invention. Assays, kits, systems, and nanoparticle encapsulated compositions related to the polynucleotides, polypeptides, polyproteins, antibodies or fragments, derivatives, and variants thereof are also disclosed.

The present invention provides capsular polysaccharides from Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes identified using NMR. The present invention further provides polysaccharide-protein conjugates in which capsular polysaccharides from one or more of these serotypes are conjugated to a carrier protein such as CRM197. Polysaccharide-protein conjugates from one or more of these serotypes may be included in multivalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines having polysaccharides from multiple additional Steptococcus pneumoniae serotypes.

The present invention relates to polynucleotides comprising a sequence of a live, infectious, attenuated Flavivirus wherein a nucleotide sequence encoding at least a part of a arenavirus glycoprotein protein is located at the intergenic region between the E and NS1 gene of said Flavivirus, such that a chimeric virus is expressed, characterised in that the encoded sequence C terminally of the E protein of said Flavivirus and N terminally of the signal peptide of the NS1 protein of said Flavivirus comprises in the following order:—a further signal peptide of a Flavivirus NS1 protein,—an arenavirus Glycoprotein protein lacking the N terminal signal sequence and the GP2 transmembrane domain,—a TM1 and TM2 domain of a flaviviral E protein.

Compositions and methods are provided for reducing the mammalian transmission of Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) through the administration to mammalian subjects of vaccine compositions comprising at least one immunogenic polypeptide comprising a S. pneumoniae protein or a fragment or variant thereof that is required for or involved in transmission of the bacteria between mammalian hosts. These vaccine compositions also serve to reduce the incidence rate of at least one invasive disease caused by S. pneumoniae. Methods are also provided for identifying additional genetic factors involved in mammalian transmission of S. pneumoniae.

The present disclosure is the first to identify a host cell protein and its function with which MPT63 and MPT64, secreted antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, interact, and to construct a recombinant MPT protein including each domain of MPT63 and MPT64 interacting with the host cell protein, and the recombinant MPT protein may be applied to a use for the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis by confirming that the recombinant MPT protein targets the Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected macrophages and increases the ROS level and inflammatory cytokine expression in macrophages, thereby inducing the death of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. And MPT protein of the present disclosure can improve the vaccine effect by the BCG vaccine so that it can be used as a tuberculosis vaccine and/or vaccine adjuvant either alone or together with known tuberculosis vaccines.

Provided is a recombinant BCG employing a pMyong2 vector system to express HIV-1 p24 and a use thereof as a HIV-1 vaccine. rBCG-pMyong2-p24, which is a pMyong2 vector system, was found to induce the upregulation of HIV-1 p24 gag expression in rBCG and infected antigen-presenting cells (APC) and to induce improved p24-specific immune responses in vaccinated mice, compared to rBCG-pAL-p24 in a pAL5000 derived vector system. rBCG-pMyong2-p24 was identified to exhibit a higher p24-specific Ab production level than rSmeg-pMyong2-p24 in the same pMyong2 vector system. Therefore, the recombinant BCG employing rBCG-pMyong2-p24 to express HIV-1 p24 according to the present invention is identified to elicit enhanced immune responses to HIV-1 infection in mouse model systems and thus can be expected to be used as a prime vaccine in the heterologous prime-boost vaccination strategy against HIV-1 infection.

The present invention relates to an anticancer vaccine which includes polynucleotides or polypeptides, methods of treatment of cancer wherein such an anticancer vaccine is used as well as methods for producing the vaccine. The vaccine includes a polynucleotide with a nucleotide sequence encoding a targeting unit, a dimerization unit, a first linker and an antigenic unit. The antigenic unit includes from 3 to 50 antigenic subunits separated by a second linker with each antigenic subunit having at least a part of a cancer neoepitope sequence. The vaccine can include a polypeptide encoded by the polynucleotide or a dimeric protein with two polypeptides encoded by the polynucleotide.

Recombinant paramyxoviruses including a viral genome encoding a heterologous gene are provided. In several embodiments, the recombinant paramyxovirus is a recombinant parainfluenza virus, such as a recombinant PIV3 including a viral genome encoding a heterologous respiratory syncytial virus F ectodomain linked to the transmembrane domain and the cytoplasmic tail of the F protein from the PIV3. Nucleic acid molecules including the genome of a recombinant paramyxoviruses are also provided. The recombinant viruses may advantageously be used in vaccine formulations, such as for vaccines against parainfluenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus.

Embodiments of immunogens comprising a recombinant Mumps (MuV) F ectodomain trimer stabilized in a prefusion conformation or a recombinant Measles (MeV) F ectodomain trimer stabilized in a prefusion conformation are provided. Also provided are embodiments of immunogens comprising chimeric proteins comprising the recombinant MuV or MeV F ectodomain trimer and one or more MuV HN or MeV H ectodomains. Also disclosed are nucleic acids encoding the immunogens and methods of their production. Methods for inducing an immune response in a subject by administering a disclosed immunogen to the subject are also provided. In some embodiments, the immune response treats or inhibits MuV and/or MeV infection in a subject.