Abstract: Methods for eliciting or enhancing immune responses to antigens, including tumor antigens, and/or DNA vaccines are provided. The methods employ polypeptides or nucleic acid compositions that contain at least a biologically active portion of a Leishmania braziliensis or Leishmania major homologue of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4A, or a variant thereof. Such polypeptides and compositions are useful for enhancing or eliciting a patient's cellular and/or humoral immune response, for instance within methods for treating tumors.

Abstract: Compounds and methods for stimulating and enhancing immune responses and for evaluating patient immune responses are disclosed. Disclosed compounds include polypeptides that contain at least a biologically active portion of a Leishmania braziliensis homolog of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4A, or a variant thereof. Such compounds are useful for stimulating a Th1 immune response and IL-12 production in patients, as well as in isolated cells and cell cultures. The polypeptides of this invention are further useful for the evaluation and treatment of patients, who may be afflicted with leishmaniasis or other disorders.

Abstract: Methods for eliciting or enhancing immune responses to antigens, including tumor antigens, are provided. The methods employ polypeptides or nucleic acid compositions that contain at least a biologically active portion of a Leishmania braziliensis or Leishmania major homologue of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4A, or a variant thereof. Such polypeptides and compositions are useful for enhancing or eliciting a patient's cellular and/or humoral immune response, for instance within methods for treating tumors.

Abstract: Compounds and methods for treating and diagnosing prostate cancer are disclosed. The compounds provided include polypeptides that contain at least a portion of a secreted or cell associated prostate cell protein. Such polypeptides may be formulated into vaccines and/or pharmaceutical compositions for immunotherapy of prostate cancer. Alternatively, or in addition, the polypeptides may be used to generate antibodies useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of prostate cancer.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for preventing, treating and detecting leishmaniasis and stimulating immune responses in patients are disclosed. The compounds provided include polypeptides that contain at least an immunogenic portion of one or more Leishmania antigens, or a variant thereof. Vaccines and pharmaceutical compositions comprising such polypeptides are also provided and may be used, for example, for the prevention and therapy of leishmaniasis, as well as for the detection of Leishmania infection.

Abstract: Compounds and methods for diagnosing Trypanosoma cruzi infection, or for screening for T. cruzi or Leishmania infection, are disclosed. The disclosed compounds are polypeptides, or antibodies thereto, that contain one or more antigenic epitopes of T. cruzi proteins. The compounds are useful in a variety of immunoassays for detecting T. cruzi infection. The polypeptide compounds are further useful in vaccines and pharmaceutical compositions for preventing Chagas' disease in individuals exposed to T cruzi.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of treating a mammal infected with a macrophage pathogen comprising administering an effective amount of a TGF-.beta. antagonist. Macrophage pathogens include any pathogenic microorganism that replicates within macrophage cell hosts as their exclusive or primary host cells. TGF-.beta. antagonists include blocking antibodies specific for a human TGF-.beta., soluble TGF-.beta. receptors, protease inhibitors that inactivate a protease responsible for activating a precursor TGF-.beta. into an active, mature TGF-.beta., and combinations thereof.

Abstract: There is disclosed an isolated 230 Kd antigen which is present in Leishmania chagasi and Leishmania donovani, and an isolated polypeptide comprising one or a plurality of K39 repeat antigens. Also disclosed are DNAs encoding the 230 Kd antigen and the K39 repeat antigen, and vaccine compositions comprising the antigens.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of treating a mammal infected with a macrophage pathogen comprising administering an effective amount of a TGF-.beta. antagonist. Macrophage pathogens include any pathogenic microorganism that replicates within macrophage cell hosts as their exclusive or primary host cells. TGF-.beta. antagonists include blocking antibodies specific for a human TGF-.beta., soluble TGF-.beta. receptors, protease inhibitors that inactivate a protease responsible for activating a precursor TGF-.beta. into an active, mature TGF-.beta., and combinations thereof.