Provided herein are methods for preventing or treating diseases, said methods comprising (i) inhibiting entry of bacteriophages and/or component(s) thereof into microbiota, bodily fluid(s) or tissue(s) of the mammals and/or (ii) inactivating or modifying bacteriophages and/or component(s) thereof present in microbiota, bodily fluid(s) or tissues of the mammals and/or (iii) inactivating or modifying bacteriophages and/or component(s) thereof in one or more of food, drinking water, water for washing, water for air humidification, air, or habitat object of the mammals.

Bivalent immunogenic compositions against anthrax and plague are disclosed herein. One bivalent immunogenic composition comprises a triple fusion protein containing three antigens, F1 and V from Yersinia pestis and PA antigen from Bacillus anthracis fused in-frame and retaining structural and functional integrity of all three antigens. Another bivalent immunogenic composition comprises bacteriophage nanoparticles arrayed with these three antigens on the capsid surface of the bacteriophage nanoparticles. These bivalent immunogenic compositions are able to elicit robust immune response in a subject administered said the bivalent immunogenic compositions and provide protection to the subject against sequential or simultaneous challenge with both anthrax and plague pathogens.

The invention relates to a virus-like particle (VLP) based vaccine. The virus-like particle constitutes a non-naturally occurring, ordered and repetitive antigen array display scaffold which can obtain a strong and long-lasting immune response in a subject. The VLP-based vaccine may be used for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of a disease including, but is not limited to, cancer, cardiovascular, infectious, chronic, neurological diseases/disorders, asthma, and/or immune-inflammatory diseases/disorders.

The invention relates to a virus-like particle (VLP) based vaccine. The virus-like particle constitutes a non-naturally occurring, ordered and repetitive antigen array display scaffold which can obtain a strong and long-lasting immune response in a subject. The VLP-based vaccine may be used for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of a disease including, but is not limited to, cancer, cardiovascular, infectious, chronic, neurological diseases/disorders, asthma, and/or immune-inflammatory diseases/disorders.

A melt processed viral nanoparticle construct for delivery of virus or virus-like particles to a site of interest includes a degradable polymer matrix and a plurality of virus or virus-like particles encapsulated within the degradable polymer matrix. The nanoparticle construct upon administration to the site of interest providing a sustained release of the virus or virus-like particles and/or nanoparticles upon degradation of the polymer matrix.

A melt processed viral nanoparticle construct for delivery of virus or virus-like particles to a site of interest includes a degradable polymer matrix and a plurality of virus or virus-like particles encapsulated within the degradable polymer matrix. The nanoparticle construct upon administration to the site of interest providing a sustained release of the virus or virus-like particles and/or nanoparticles upon degradation of the polymer matrix.

The invention provides processes for the producing compositions comprising (i) a virus-like particle, wherein said virus-like particle is a virus-like particle of an RNA bacteriophage, and (ii) an oligonucleotide, wherein said oligonucleotide is packaged into said virus-like particle. The invention further provides processes for producing nucleotide compositions comprising oligonucleotides suitable to be used in the processes mentioned before. The invention further provides nucleotide compositions obtainable by the processes of the invention and uses thereof. The invention further provides compositions comprising (i) a virus-like particle, wherein said virus-like particle is a virus-like particle of an RNA bacteriophage, and (ii) an oligonucleotide, wherein said oligonucleotide is packaged into said virus-like particle, wherein said compositions are obtainable by the processes of the invention and wherein said compositions preferably comprises a purity of at least 98%, most preferably of at least 99%.

The present invention discloses a recombinant bacteriophage comprising a phage genome polynucleotide including a gene encoding a heterologous antigen protein(s) and a killing gene encoding a protein that is capable of killing a host bacterium. Such a recombinant bacteriophage is designed to prime a subject's immune response and to kill the bacterium that it infects such that the prime and kill bacteriophage provides two lines of protection against infectious disease.

The present invention discloses a recombinant bacteriophage comprising a phage genome polynucleotide including a gene encoding a heterologous antigen protein(s) and a killing gene encoding a protein that is capable of killing a host bacterium. Such a recombinant bacteriophage is designed to prime a subject's immune response and to kill the bacterium that it infects such that the prime and kill bacteriophage provides two lines of protection against infectious disease.

Certain embodiments are directed to composition for inducing an immune response against xCT that is directed to cancer stem cells expressing xCT.