Fusion peptide inhibitors of human coronavirus 229E are provided. The fusion peptide inhibitors of HCoV-229E include peptide #1 (SEQ ID NO: 1: SLTQINTTLLDLTYEMLSLQQVVKALNESYIDLKEL), peptide #4 (SEQ ID NO: 2: SLTQINWTLLDLTYEMESLQQVVKALNESYIDLKEL), and peptide #11 (SEQ ID NO: 11: SLTQINTTLLDLEYEMRSLEEVVKKLNESYIDLKEL. The fusion peptide inhibitors of HCoV-229E may be administered to a subject in need thereof to inhibit or prevent HCoV-229E cellular entry or infection with HCoV-229E. The fusion peptide inhibitors of HCoV-229E may also be used in HCoV-229E inhibition assays.

The present invention further relates to using vaccinia virus complement control protein (VCP), factor H and/or a complement control protein (CCP)-containing protein as modulator of the entry and/or replication of pathogen(s), wherein the pathogen is a virus or bacteria. The present invention further relates to a method of prevention and/or treatment of influenza A virus (IAV) infection in a subject of need thereof and to a method of modulation of the entry and/or replication of pathogen(s) in a subject of need thereof.

A plant produced vaccine for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) is provided where the Spike protein of the virus is expressed in a plant by introducing into a plant a construct comprising a promoter preferentially directing expression to seed of said plant, a nucleoic acid encoding the Spike protein and a nucleic acid targeting expression to the endoplasmic reticulum of the plant. The plant expresses the S1 polypeptide at levels of at least 10 mg/kg of seed of said plant. When orally administered to an animal, a protective response is observed including a serum antibody response.

Disclosed is a new class of conjugated virus-like particles (VLPs). These conjugated VLPs bind a wide variety of tumors and comprise epitopes recognized by a prior T cell immune response already existing in a host. These epitopes are derived from pathogens or previous vaccinations (such as early childhood vaccines). This provokes the body's pre-existing cytotoxic immunity obtained through previous infection or previous childhood vaccination to be redirected to the tumor cells for the elimination of cancer, and form long-term anti-tumor immunity. The described conjugated VLPs are useful for tailoring a broad range of tumors towards a response from existing immunity circumventing the need to identify tumor antigens or generate tumor-specific immune responses. Importantly, the compositions and methods described herein broadens opportunities for treatment for all cancer types in subjects who previously had un-targetable cancers due to various technological and biological limitations of currently available immuno-therapeutic drugs.

A pharmaceutical composition formulated for delivery of a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vector comprising an AAV capsid and a vector genome having human galactosylceramidase (GALC) coding sequence is provided. Also provided are 5 methods and uses of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a rAAV for the treatment of Krabbe disease.

The present invention relates to the preparation of mesenchymal stem cells, which are for the proliferation of viral vectors and viruses, and enable virus production and release timing control such that tumor targeting can be improved and viruses can be mass-produced. In addition, the tumorigenesis of mesenchymal stem cells of the present invention can be fundamentally blocked, safety is secured by enabling virus production and release to be controlled at desired time points, and antitumor effects can be maximized.

Disclosed are compositions comprising an interferon-alpha binding protein and combined anti-retroviral therapy (cART). In some aspects, the interferon-alpha binding protein is B18R. In some aspects, the compositions further comprise a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Disclosed are methods of treating a subject with HIV associated neurogenerative disorder (HAND) comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of B18R and cART. Disclosed are methods of reversing behavioral abnormalities in subjects having HAND comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of B18R.

Disclosed are compositions comprising an interferon-alpha binding protein and combined anti-retroviral therapy (cART). In some aspects, the interferon-alpha binding protein is B18R. In some aspects, the compositions further comprise a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Disclosed are methods of treating a subject with HIV associated neurogenerative disorder (HAND) comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of B18R and cART. Disclosed are methods of reversing behavioral abnormalities in subjects having HAND comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of B18R.

A hepatitis B virus-derived polypeptide exhibits anti-viral effects not only on HIV-1 and HBV but also on all viruses by increasing the expression of type I interferon. The hepatitis B virus-derived polypeptide has a synergistic effect when co-administered with a conventional anti-viral agent. The hepatitis B virus-derived polypeptide is effectively usable in the treatment of virus-related diseases such as AIDS or liver diseases.

The present disclosure relates to hybrid hepadnavirus core antigens including one or more epitopes of a human hepatitis B vims (HBV) antigen. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to hybrid hepadnavirus core antigens in the form of fusion proteins containing a fragment of the PreS1 region of the HBV surface antigen inserted in a woodchuck hepadnavirus core antigen. The present disclosure further relates to hybrid hepadnavirus core antigens in the form of fusions proteins containing a truncated HBV core antigen and woodchuck hepadnavirus core antigen. Also provided are nucleic acids encoding the hybrid core antigens, and the use of the hybrid core antigens and nucleic acids for treating HBV-infected individuals.