Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions designed for the treatment, management or prevention of cancer. The methods of the invention comprise the administration of an effective amount of one or more antagonists of Integrin &agr;V&bgr;3 alone or in combination with the administration of an effective amount of one or more other agents useful for cancer therapy. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising one or more antagonists of Integrin &agr;V&bgr;3 and/or one or more other agents useful for cancer therapy. In particular, the invention is directed to methods of treatment and prevention of cancer by the administration of a therapeutically or prophylactically effective amount of one or more antagonists of Integrin &agr;V&bgr;3 alone or in combination with standard and experimental therapies for treatment or prevention of cancer.

Abstract: Ultra high affinity antibodies with binding affinities in the range of 1010 M−1, and even 1011 M−1 are disclosed. Such antibodies include antibodies having novel high affinity complementarity determining regions (CDRs), especially those with framework and constant regions derived from either humans or mice. Methods of preparing and screening such antibodies, as well as methods of using them to prevent and/or treat disease, especially virus-induced diseases, are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of stimulating an immune response in a primate utilizing compositions comprising bacterial adhesin proteins and/or immunogenic fragments thereof. The compositions are useful for the prevention and treatment of bacterial induced diseases involving bacterial adherence to a target cell, such as diseases of the urinary tract. More specifically, the invention relates to the vaccination of primates, preferably humans, with protein complexes, such as a purified FimH polypeptides, a purified FimC-FimH (FimCH) polypeptide complex, or immunogenic fragments thereof, to stimulate protective immunity in the recipient against infection by pathogenic bacteria, including all types of Enterobacteriaceae, preferably E. coli to produce specific immunoglobin molecules in the serum and urine or mucosal secretions of the subject.

Abstract: A vaccine composition is disclosed that comprises polypeptides and fragments of polypeptides containing histidine triad residues or coiled-coil regions, some of which polypeptides or fragments lie between 80 and 680 residues in length. Also disclosed are processes for preventing infection caused by S. pneumoniae comprising administering of vaccine compositions.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for vaccine priming, using co-treatment, at a temporally similar or at a previous time, with a priming antibody capable of priming, or enhancing, or potentiating the effects of a vaccine, or vaccine composition. Also disclosed are methods of using this process to prevent or treat disease.

Abstract: The present invention provides bacterial immunogenic agents for administration to humans and non-human animals to stimulate an immune response. It particularly relates to the vaccination of mammalian species with pneumococcal derived polypeptides that include an alpha helix but exclude a choline binding region as a mechanism for stimulating production of antibodies that protect the vaccine recipient against infection by pathogenic bacterial species. In another aspect the invention provides antibodies against such proteins and protein complexes that may be used as diagnositics and/or as protective/treatment agents for pathogenic bacterial species.

Abstract: The present invention provides bacterial immunogenic agents for administration to humans and non-human animals to stimulate an immune response. It particularly relates to the vaccination of mammalian species with heteropolymeric protein complexes as a mechanism for stimulating production of antibodies that protect the vaccine recipient against infection by pathogenic bacterial species. In another aspect the invention provides antibodies against such proteins and protein complexes that may be used as diagnostics and/or as protective/treatment agents for pathogenic bacterial species. A novel vector for expressing the FimC-H complex at optimal levels is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention encompasses novel antibodies and fragments thereof which immunospecifically bind to one or more RSV antigens and compositions comprising said antibodies and antibody fragments. The present invention encompasses methods preventing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in a human, comprising administering to said human a prophylactically effective amount of one or more antibodies or fragments thereof that immunospecifically bind to one or more RSV antigens, wherein a certain serum titer of said antibodies or antibody fragments is achieved in said human subject. The present invention also encompasses methods for treating or ameliorating symptoms associated with a RSV infection in a human, comprising administering to said human a therapeutically effective amount of one or more antibodies or fragments thereof that immunospecifically bind to one or more RSV antigens, wherein a certain serum titer of said antibodies or antibody fragments is achieved in said human subject.

Abstract: The present invention provides an assay for measuring the immunogenicity of a vaccine, wherein the vaccine contains an epitope having a conformation associated with an immunogenically active form of the vaccine and a fragment having a conformation associated with an immunogenically inactive form of the vaccine, wherein the method includes exposing a sample of the vaccine to a first ligand capable of binding to the epitope in the conformation associated with the immunogenically active form of the vaccine and a second ligand capable of binding to the fragment in the conformation associated with the immunogenically inactive form of the vaccine and measuring the amount of first ligand bound to the vaccine sample and the amount of the second ligand bound to the vaccine sample.

Abstract: A method of disassembly/reassembly of papillomavirus VLPs is provided. The resultant VLPs have enhanced homogeneity, present conformational, neutralizing PV epitopes, and therefore are useful prophylactic and diagnostic agents. Further, these VLPs can be used to encapsulate desired moieties, e.g., therapeutic or diagnostic agents, or “marker” DNAs, and the resultant VLPs used as in vivo delivery vehicles or as pseudovirions for evaluating vaccine efficacy.

Abstract: A method of disassembly/reassembly of papillomavirus VLPs is provided. The resultant VLPs have enhanced homogeneity, present conformational, neutralizing PV epitopes, and therefore are useful prophylactic and diagnostic agents. Further, these VLPs can be used to encapsulate desired moieties, e.g., therapeutic or diagnostic agents, or “marker” DNAs, and the resultant VLPs used as in vivo delivery vehicles or as pseudovirions for evaluating vaccine efficacy.

Abstract: The present invention relates to stable HPV capsomeres which express at least one virus-neutralizing conformational epitope of a native HPV L1 protein which are substantially incapable of assembly into virus-like particles. These capsomeres, because of their smaller size, and immunogenic properties are well suited for use in HPV vaccines and as diagnostic agents. Moreover, because of their smaller size (relative to VLPs), these stable capsomeres may be easily purified and should result in HPV vaccines of enhanced homogeneity.

Abstract: This invention relates to a human antibody which contains the one CDR from each variable heavy and variable light chain of at least one murine monoclonal antibody, against respiratory syncytial virus which is MAb1129 and the use thereof for the prevention and/or treatment of RSV infection.

Abstract: A vector and a prokaryote transformed therewith which includes nucleic acid sequences which make possible the autocatalytic deletion of nucleotide sequences encoding an antibiotic resistance phenotype. The prokaryote can be a bacterium, and in particular a mycobacterium. Such transformed mycobacteria may be employed in vaccines, thereby eliminating the attendant risk of vaccines including antibiotic resistance markers.

Abstract: An expression vector for expressing a protein or polypeptide in a bacterium, which comprises a first DNA sequence encoding at least a secretion signal of a lipoprotein, and a second DNA sequence encoding a protein or fragment thereof, or polypeptide or peptide heterologous to the bacterium which expresses the protein or fragment thereof, or polypeptide or peptide. The bacterium expresses a fusion protein a lipoprotein or lipoprotein segment and the protein or fragment thereof, or polypeptide or peptide heterologous to the bacterium which expresses the protein or fragment thereof, or polypeptide or peptide. Such expression vectors increase the immunogenicity of the protein or fragment thereof, or polypeptide or peptide by enabling the protein or fragment thereof, or polypeptide or peptide to be expressed on the surface of the bacterium. Bacteria which may be transformed with the expression vector include mycobacteria such as BCG.