Abstract: The invention relates to pneumoviral virions comprising a viral genome that has a mutation in a gene coding for a protein that is essential for infectivity of the pneumovirus, whereby the mutation causes a virus produced from only the viral genome to lack infectivity, and whereby the virion comprises the protein in a form and in an amount that is required for infectivity of the virion. The invention also relates to methods for producing the pneumoviral virions and for using the virions in the treatment or prevention of pneumoviral infection and disease. A preferred pneumoviral virion is a virion of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in which preferably the gene for the G attachment protein is inactivated and complemented in trans.

Abstract: Outer-membrane vesicles, Class 1 outer membrane proteins of Neisseria meningitidis, fragments or oligopeptides containing epitopes of the Class I OMP can be used to immunize against meningococcal disease.

Abstract: The subject invention lies in the field of vaccines. Specifically new compounds that can be used as adjuvants are provided. Recombinant LPS having a reduced number of secondary acyl chains per molecule of LPS vis a vis the corresponding non modified LPS molecule, said secondary acyl chains being bound to primary acyl chains, said primary acyl chains being bound to the glucosamine of said recombinant LPS molecule, said recombinant LPS being homogenous in acylation pattern is an example of such a compound. Also recombinant LPS having a phosphate group attached to the glucosamine at the non reducing end of the LPS molecule and a phosphate group attached to the glucosamine at the reducing end of the molecule per recombinant LPS molecule provides a further example.

Abstract: A novel method of covalently coupling polysaccharides to other biopolymers is provided, using an amino-thiol linker represented by formula (1): H2N—[(CH2)m—CHR1—CR2R3—A]q—CHR4—(CHR5)p—CHR6—S—R7 wherein A is a direct bond or a group having the formula —{Z—(CH2)m—CHR1—CHR2R3}nZ—, m is an integer form 0 to 5; n is an integer form 0 to 3; p is an integer from 0 to 2; q is the integer 0 or 1; R1 is hydrogen or C1-C6 alkyl, optionally substituted by amino, hydroxyl, carboxyl, C1-C4 alkoxycarbonyl, carbamoyl, mono- or di(C1-C4alkyl)carbamoyl or N-(&agr;-carboxyalkyl)carbamoyl, or, if m ≠0, R1 is hydroxyl, amino or peptidylamino; R2 and R3 are independently hydrogen or C1-C4 alkyl, or together from an oxo group; R4 is hydrogen, C1-C4 alkyl, carboxyl, C1-C4 alkoxycarbonyl, carbamoly, mono-or di(C1-C4 alkyl)carbamoyl or N-(&agr;-carboxyalkyl) carbamoyl; R5 is hydrogen, methyl, hydroxy or C1-C7 acyloxy; R6 is hydro

Abstract: A method and primary pair and kit for the in vitro amplification of nucleic acid using amplification primers in amplification reactions. There is used a pair of primers comprising oligonucleotide sequences complementary to a part of a Direct Repeat sequence of a microorganism belonging to the M tuberculosis complex of microorganisms, whereby hybridization to a Direct Repeat occurs and subsequently elongation of the hybridized primer takes place. The primers are such that elongation in the amplification reaction occurs for one primer in a 5' direction and for the other primer in a 3' direction.

Abstract: Dibenzodihydropyridinecarboxylic esters are provided which comply with formula (1) or (2), wherein: R.sub.1 is substituted alkyl or cyano; R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are independently hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl or substituted aryl; R.sub.4 is hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl or substituted aryl; R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are independently alkyl, alkoxy or another substituent which is relatively resistant to oxidation; m and n are integers from 0 to 4; wherein, if m or n is at least 2, two groups R.sub.5 or R.sub.6 may be linked together; and Z is oxygen or sulphur. The new compounds are used in a method as chemiluminogenic reagents for detecting the presence of peroxidase activity at extremely low levels (10.sub.-20 moles). A kit containing the dibenzodihydropyridine-carboxylic esters for use in assaying peroxidase activity has also been described.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an immunity providing B cell activating molecule derived from a meningococcal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) having at least one epitope, said molecule comprising at least the communal part of the oligosaccharide part (core region) of lipopolysaccharides specific for at least two meningococcal immunotypes, preferably immunotypes L2 and L3 and wherein in galactose is absent in the B cell activating part, as well as derivatives of the molecules with immuno reaction inducing capacity. The invention is also directed at an outer membrane vesicle provided with a group of polypeptides having at least the immunoactivity of outer membrane proteins (OMP's) bound to a membrane, a polypeptide from the group of said outer membrane vesicles being a membrane anchored OMP or OMP fragment with a mutation in one of the surface loops, preferably in a 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 or 8-loop of a class I OMP.

Abstract: The invention relates to immunogenic complexes such as two-dimensional lamellae having a honeycomb structure and in particular three-dimensional iscoms, which immunogenic complexes are composed of at least one sterol, one saponin and, in the case of iscoms, also a phospholipid and also, optionally, at least one antigen generating an immune reaction. The saponin used is at least one of the fractions which are derived from Quil A by means of hydrophobic interaction chromatography and have the designations QA 1 to QA 23, as is shown in the figure by the numerals 1 to 23. Preferably, the saponin used is one or more of the fractions derived from Quil A having the designations QA 3, QA 17 and QA 23.

Abstract: A polypeptide having amino acid sequence 172-192 of a Mycobacterium bovis BCG 64 kD polypeptide, said sequence having the formula ##STR1## as well as polypeptides derived therefrom, in the amino acid sequence of which sequence 172-179 and/or sequence 189-192 is (are) entirely or partially absent, were found to be useful as immunogens inducing resistance to auto-immune arthritis and similar auto-immune diseases.The invention relates to these polypeptides, to polypeptides showing sequential homology with these polypeptides, and to derivatives and multimers thereof. Also, microorganisms expressing the polypeptides either as such or as part of a fusion protein or as a multimer form part of the invention.Finally, the invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions, diagnostic compositions and test kits comprising a compound according to the invention.

Abstract: A polypeptide having amino acid sequence 172-192 of a Mycobacterium bovis BCG 64 kD polypeptide, said sequence having the formula ##STR1## as well as polypeptides derived therefrom, in the amino acid sequence of which sequence 172-179 and/or sequence 189-192 is (are) entirely or partially absent, were found to be useful as immunogens inducing resistance to auto-immune arthritis and similar auto-immune diseases.The invention relates to these polypeptides, to polypeptides showing sequential homology with these polypeptides, and to derivatives and multimers thereof. Also, microorganisms expressing the polypeptides either as such or as part of a fusion protein or as a multimer form part of the invention.Finally, the invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions, diagnostic compositions and test kits comprising a compound according to the invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing immunogenic complexes in which an amphiphatic antigenic protein or peptide in dissolved or solubilized form is contacted with a solution containing a detergent, a sterol, and a glycoside comprising hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions, in at least the critical micelle forming concentration, the detergent is removed, and the immunogenic complex formed is purified. Optionally, the solution with which the antigenic protein or peptide is contacted also contains a phospholipid, preferably phosphatidylethanolamine. The preferred sterol is cholesterol, and preferred glycosides are saponins, espeically Quil A.The immunogenic complex is useful as a vaccine. Its immunogenic power is higher than that of corresponding micelles formed by aggregation of the antigens, and is also higher than that of the antigens incorporated in liposomes.

Abstract: Cultivation tank (1) for continuous cultivation of cells or micro-organisms, containing a rotating separating device (11,12) for separating suspended cells from cultivation liquid (10) supplied continuously through a supply (4) and passed through the separating device (11,12) from the outside to the inside, cell free liquid being continuously discharged from within the separating device (11,12), the rotating parts (11,12) of the separating device being formed so that within the outer circumference a zone (15) is formed of a vortex-free, vertical rotating column of cultivation liquid from which the cells are radially thrown out by centrifugal forces into the surrounding liquid (10) through openings in the outlet circumference (11) of the separating device (11,12) are considerably greater than the size of the cells.