Methods of and compositions for breaking down a biofilm or inhibiting, preventing or treating a microbial infection that produces a biofilm are disclosed, which involves administration of an interfering agent capable of specifically competing, titrating, or inhibiting the binding of an HU protein to a microbial DNA. By competing with HU proteins that bind to DNA scaffold in the biofilm, these interfering agents destabilize the biofilm leading to destruction and removal of the biofilm by the immune system. Further method and composition aspects are contemplated in relation to infections caused by bacteria that export an HU protein.

In one aspect, the invention relates to an immunogenic composition that includes a mutant Clostridium difficile toxin A and/or a mutant Clostridium difficile toxin B. Each mutant toxin includes a glucosyltransferase domain having at least one mutation and a cysteine protease domain having at least one mutation, relative to the corresponding wild-type C. difficile toxin. The mutant toxins may further include at least one amino acid that is chemically crosslinked. In another aspect, the invention relates to antibodies or binding fragments thereof that binds to said immunogenic compositions. In further aspects, the invention relates to isolated nucleotide sequences that encode any of the foregoing, and methods of use of any of the foregoing compositions.

Described is a vaccine composition comprising an effective amount of at least one polypeptide selected from the group of IdeSsuis, rIdeSsuis, an analogue or a fragment thereof, or a polynucleotide encoding the same. This vaccine composition is used in the prophylactic, metaphylactic or therapeutic treatment of a Streptococcus suis infections in pigs or humans.

Provided herein are methods, compositions, kits, and systems for diagnosing, predicting, and treating gastric cancer for a subject based on the presence and level of antibodies against particular H. pylori proteins in a biological sample obtained from the subject. In particular, provided herein are methods for identifying a subject having increased risk of developing gastric cancer, methods for detecting gastric cancer in a subject, methods for determining an H. pylori antibody signature comprising antibodies, contained in a biological sample from a subject, that specifically bind to immobilized H. pylori antigens, and kits comprising components and instructions for performing the methods of this disclosure.

The subject relates to an isolated antibody that specifically binds to O25b antigen of multi drug resistant (MDR) E. coli strains, its medical and diagnostic use, method of producing the antibody, including an isolated nucleotide sequence, plasmids and host cells as used in the production of the antibody; and further an isolated epitope recognized the specific antibody.

The present disclosure relates to an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof that specifically bind to α-toxin of Staphylococcal aureus. The present disclosure also relates to a pharmaceutical composition, a method for treating and/or preventing diseases and/or disorders caused by Staphylococcal aureus infection in a subject in need, and a method for detecting α-toxin of Staphylococcal aureus in a sample.

Described in certain example embodiments herein are methods of treating or preventing a Borrelia burgdorferi (B. burgdorferi) infection, a symptom thereof, or a disease, disorder or condition resulting therefrom in a subject in need thereof that include reducing or eliminating a B. burgdorferi peptidoglycan-associated protein (PAP), optionally neutrophil attracting protein A (NapA), a function thereof, activity thereof, or any combination thereof in the subject in need thereof. Also described herein are methods of diagnosing and/or prognosing B. burgdorferi infection in a subject that include detecting a B. burgdorferi PAP, optionally NapA.

The present invention is directed to improved microbial antigen vaccines, pharmaceutical compositions, immunogenic compositions and antibodies and their use in the treatment of microbial infections, particularly those of bacterial origin, including Staphylococcal origin. Ideally, the present invention is directed to a recombinant staphylococcal MSCRAMM or MSCRAMM-like proteins, or fragment thereof, with reduced binding to its host ligand, for use in therapy.

The presently-disclosed subject matter relates to crosslinkers, compositions, and methods for trapping a target of interest on a substrate of interest. The methods may be used to inhibit and treat pathogen infection and provide contraception. The methods may be used to trap or separate particles and other substances. The subject matter further relates to methods of identifying and preparing optimal crosslinkers and methods for manipulating targets of interest.

The present invention aims at providing a specific antibody that can simply and rapidly detect Mycoplasma pneumoniae which is a causative bacterium of mycoplasma pneumonia, with high sensitivity, and also an immunological detection method and a kit containing the same antibody. The present invention makes it possible to diagnose infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae more rapidly and specifically than the conventional method, by producing an antibody recognizing a specific epitope of P30 protein of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and performing an immunological detection using the antibody. Also, the present invention enables easy and rapid detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and diagnosis of infection with the same at a hospital or the like without need of specialized instruments or skilled techniques.