This invention relates to the identification of peptide binding to ligands, and in particular to identification of epitopes expressed by microorganisms and by mammalian cells. The present invention provides polypeptides comprising the epitopes, and vaccines, antibodies and diagnostic products that utilize or are developed using the epitopes.

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.

Disclosed herein are methods for generating a protective immunogenic response via intranasal administration of an immunogenic composition (e.g., vaccine)/therapeutic immunogenic composition in a mammalian subject. Certain dosing positions of the subject during the administration of immunogenic agents, such that nostrils are tilted upwards, while in a modified sitting, reclining and/or supine posture, is surprisingly correlated with the generation of a strong immunogenic response in both humans and animals.

Described are vaccine compositions, methods of manufacture thereof, and methods of treating or preventing certain bacterial infections in humans and other mammals. For example, described are compositions comprising bacterial cell extracts that have undergone pretreatment such that lipid moieties have been cleaved from bacterial lipoproteins, thereby forming a vaccine composition that can stimulate a desired mammalian immune response while avoiding unwanted negative effects.

The present invention relates to the field of veterinary vaccinology, namely to combination vaccines for swine. In particular the invention relates to a combination vaccine for protection against a pathogenic infection with porcine circo vims type 2 (PCV2) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhyo) comprising non-replicating immunogen of PCV2 and non-replicating immunogen of Mhyo. The vaccine is characterized in that it is an oil-in-water emulsion comprising squalane, vitamin E-acetate and silica. In another embodiment, the invention relates to a combination vaccine for protection against a pathogenic infection with PCV2 and Mhyo by intradermal administration.

The present invention pertains to a vaccine comprising in combination non-replicating immunogen of porcine circo virus type 2 and live attenuated PRRS virus for use in prophylactically treating an animal against an infection with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and an infection with PRRS virus by administration of the vaccine into the dermis of the animal.

A vaccine comprising nanoparticles in association with a Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae bacterin, wherein the nanoparticles comprise a cationic polysaccharide and an anionic phospholipid.

Disclosed are an attenuated live vaccine against mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine (MPS) and use thereof. In the present invention, pathological lung tissues of swine having typical Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhp) infection and no obvious other pathogenic infections are screened, and subcultured 100 generations in lungs of newborn rabbits; then, Mhp strains are isolated and serially subcultured in a medium; and the Mhp strain AN306 is obtained by screening a plurality of strains, which is deposited with an accession number: CCTCC NO. M2012431. Also disclosed is a live vaccine formulation against MPS prepared on the basis of the attenuated strain and comprising live attenuated strain, a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient, and optionally an adjuvant and immunogens of other pathogens.

The present invention relates to modified Mannheimia haemolytica (M. haemolytica) lktCA gene cluster cassettes, compositions comprising such cassettes, methods of using such cassettes and compositions, and kits comprising such cassettes and compositions. Also described herein are Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) protective antigens, compositions comprising such antigens, methods of using such antigens and compositions, and kits comprising such antigens and compositions. Also described herein are modified M. haemolytica lktCA gene cluster cassettes engineered to express M. bovis protective antigens, compositions comprising such cassettes, methods of using such cassettes and compositions, and kits comprising such cassettes and compositions.

The present invention describes a process for the preparation of an antigen composition, which antigen composition can be used to prepare a ready-to-use vaccine for swine, for preventing or reducing infection by M. hyo or PCV2 and associated signs of disease. The process is characterised in that it comprises a step of admixing a PCV2 antigen to a pre-formed antigen/adjuvant complex of an M. hyo antigen adsorbed to an Aluminium-hydroxide adjuvant. This way a PCV2/M. hyo combination vaccine can be prepared that is highly effective already after a single administration, against infection and disease by M. hyo and PCV2 either when in single or in combined infections. Also the vaccine has very good safety upon administration, is ready-to-use, and is economically feasible.