Abstract: The present invention describes an efficient vaccine against a Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct). The vaccine is based on recombinant fusion molecules that are capable of generating a high titered neutralizing antibody response that is protective against various Ct serovars. Our invention furthermore describe the combination of these antibody promoting fragments with Ct antigens that are targets for T cells with the aim to provide a vaccine that activate both arms of the immune system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of vaccines with adjuvants comprising cationic liposomes where neutral lipids has been incorporated into the liposomes to change the gel-liquid phase transition and thereby modifying the IgG sub-type response and enhancing the CD8 response of the liposomal adjuvant. This technology can be used to increase the production of IgG2 antibodies. This sub-type of antibodies (IgG2 in mice corresponding to IgG3 in humans) have been shown to selectively engage Fc activatory receptors on the surface of innate immune cells leading to enhanced proinflammatory responses and thereby a more efficient immune response with higher levels of protection in animal models of e.g. malaria and Chlamydia. The use of adjuvants which selectively give rise to higher levels of IgG2 antibodies will improve the effect of vaccines e.g. against intracellular infections. Furthermore the technology can be used to induce a CD8 response which has been reported to improve the effect of vaccines against e.g.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the production of correctly folded Pfs48/45. This is achieved in the lactococcus lactis when Pfs48/45 or fractions thereof are fused genetically to a glutamate rich protein, e.g. GLURP from Plasmodium falciparum.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to the need for novel, reliable, fast and inexpensive approaches to diagnosing, including detecting and characterizing microbial infections in humans and animals or methods for detecting and characterizing microbial infections in various environments, such as in a food or feed sample. The present invention provides compositions, platforms, kits and methods for diagnosing, detecting and/or characterizing a microbial infection or contamination. In particular the present invention relates to such compositions, platforms, kits and methods for diagnosing, detecting and/or characterizing a urinary tract infection.

Abstract: Dermatophytes which belong to one of the three genera Epidermophyton, Trichophyton and Microsporum are the main cause of fungal infections of skin, hair and nails. Traditional diagnostic procedures consist of microscopy and culture, but due to the slow growth rate of dermatophytes typically two to four weeks are needed before a final diagnosis is obtained. The present invention is a rapid DNA extraction method extracting nucleic acids from fungi (e.g. dermatophytes and other pathogenic fungi) which can be performed from directly on hair, nail or skin specimens from humans, from naturally or experimentally infected animals or from cultured fungal colonies for the use in PCR amplification and detection assays. The present invention also includes specific primer sets for detection of any dermatophyte and for species specific detection of Trichophyton rubrum and Epidermophyton floccosum by PCR and a kit for diagnosing fungal infections.

Abstract: The invention discloses a method for the formation of liposomes by using high shear mixing of aqueous solution of lipid powder; the lipid powder can be produced by any known technique. Components of the liposomes include but are not limited to cationic lipids, immunostimulatory/immunopotentiators and macromolecules as components for the liposome formation. The disclosed method describes the formulation of stable liposomes solitary or complexing high concentrations of macromolecules such as proteins, DNA and RNA having opposite charge of the liposomes by high shear mixing where aggregation is avoided due to the formulation method.

Abstract: The invention is related to an immunogenic composition, vaccine or pharmaceutical composition for preventing, boosting or treating infection caused by a species of the tuberculosis complex (M. tuberculosis, M. Bovis, M. africanum, M. microti). The immunogenic composition, vaccine or pharmaceutical composition comprise a fusion polypeptide, which comprises one or more starvation antigens from M. tuberculosis, the units of the fusion polypeptide being M. tuberculosis antigens. Further, the invention is related to the use of a vaccine comprising a fusion polypeptide sequence or nucleic acid sequence of the invention given at the same time as BCG, either mixed with BCG or administered separately at different sites or routes for preparing said immunogenic composition, vaccine, or pharmaceutical composition.

Abstract: Here we identify MMG and its alpha- and ketomycolic acid derivatives as highly bioactive lipids derived from M. bovis BCG (Copenhagen) capable of stimulating and activating human DC's at exceedingly low doses. In addition to their direct role as immunostimulators of human DC's we demonstrate their use in the development of a new generation of adjuvants suitable for human administration. We furthermore identify a number of highly active synthetic MMG analogues with great potential in cancer treatment, and for vaccine adjuvants against both infectious disease and disorders like Alzheimers disease.

Abstract: Vaccination with the combination of Ag85B-TB10.4 and IC31® adjuvant generated a high amount of polyfunctional CD4+T cells expressing high levels of IFN-?, TNF-?, and IL-2. This in turn led to significant protection against infection with M. tuberculosis in the mouse aerosol challenge model of tuberculosis. Both the immunogenicity of the vaccine and its ability to protect against TB infection was highly dependent on the antigen dose. Thus, whereas the standard antigen dose of 5 ?g, as well as 15 ?g, did not induce significant protection against M. tuberculosis, reducing the dose to 0.5 ?g increased both the immunogenicity of the vaccine as well as its protective efficacy to a level comparable to that observed in BCG vaccinated mice. Thus, the IC31® adjuvant, with the specified antigen dose, can induce a strong protective Th1 response against M. tuberculosis.

Abstract: Therapeutic vaccines comprising polypeptides expressed during the latent stage of mycobacteria infection are provided, as are multiphase vaccines, and methods for treating and preventing tuberculosis.

Abstract: The invention is related to an immunogenic composition, vaccine or pharmaceutical composition for preventing, boosting or treating infection caused by a species of the tuberculosis complex (M. tuberculosis, M. Bovis, M. africanum, M. microti). The immunogenic composition, vaccine or pharmaceutical composition comprise a fusion polypeptide, which comprises one or more starvation antigens from M. tuberculosis, the units of the fusion polypeptide being M. tuberculosis antigens. Further, the invention is related to the use of a vaccine comprising a fusion polypeptide sequence or nucleic acid sequence of the invention given at the same time as BCG, either mixed with BCG or administered separately at different sites or routes for preparing said immunogenic composition, vaccine, or pharmaceutical composition.

Abstract: The invention is related to an immunogenic composition, vaccine or pharmaceutical composition for preventing, boosting or treating infection caused by a species of the tuberculosis complex (M. tuberculosis, M. Bovis, M. africanum, M. microti). The immunogenic composition, vaccine or pharmaceutical composition comprise a fusion polypeptide, which comprises one or more starvation antigens from M. tuberculosis, the units of the fusion polypeptide being M. tuberculosis antigens. Further, the invention is related to the use of a vaccine comprising a fusion polypeptide sequence or nucleic acid sequence of the invention given at the same time as BCG, either mixed with BCG or administered separately at different sites or routes for preparing said immunogenic composition, vaccine, or pharmaceutical composition.

Abstract: Described herein are vaccines and the use of naked DNA and/or RNA encoding hemagglutinin (HA) from pandemic influenza, e.g., the 1918 H1N1 and/or the 1957 H2N2 and/or the 1968 H3N2 influenza A virus, as a vaccine component against present day and coming H1, H2, H3, H5, N1, N2 containing influenza A infections in humans and swine optionally with the naked DNA and/or RNA encoding Neuraminidase (NA) and/or matrix protein (M) and/or the nucleoprotein (NP) from pandemic influenza virus included. If the vaccine components are used as DNA or RNA vaccines with or without the corresponding protein, the codons can optionally be “humanized” using preferred codons from highly expressed mammalian genes and the administration of this DNA vaccine can be by saline or buffered saline injection of naked DNA or RNA, or injection of DNA plasmid or linear gene expressing DNA fragments coupled to particles. Addition of the matrix protein (M) and/or the nucleoprotein (NP) from the 1918 influenza strain is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to liposome formulations that are physically stable. In particular the present invention relates to steric stabilization of cationic liposomes by incorporating glycolipids into the liposomes. The stabilized liposomes can be used either as an adjuvant for antigenic components or as a drug delivery system. In particular the invention relates to vaccines with adjuvants in aqueous media for immunization, where the final product is stable.

Abstract: MRSA CC398 is a clone of S. aureus that has recently emerged in pigs and other domestic animals worldwide. As any other MRSA, the clone displays high levels of antibiotic resistance and poses a serious threat to human health because of the risk of antibiotic treatment failure in human patients. We developed a new diagnostic test for identification of MRSA CC398 using a single one-step PCR that is very easily performed within a few hours. The test is based on the principle that clonal differences within S. aureus are reflected in the sequence of a gene (sau1hsdS1) located on the chromosome of this bacterial species. Accordingly, such a gene represents an optimal target for S. aureus and MRSA identification at the clone level. The test includes detection of the gene conferring methicillin resistance (mecA), therefore allowing rapid discrimination between methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant variants of the clone.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vaccine adjuvant consisting of a combination of a surfactant i.e. dimethyldeoctadecylammonium-bromide/chloride (DDA) and a lipid extract from Mycobacterium bovis BCG. The total lipid extract contains both apolar lipids, polar lipids, and lipids of intermediate polarity of which the apolar lipids were found to induce the most powerful immune responses. The total lipids may be extracted with chloroform/methanol and re-dissolved in water before the addition of surfactant. This preparation may be used to induce prominent cell-mediated immune responses in a mammal in order to combat pathogens, or as a treatment for cancer.

Abstract: A convenient way of inducing a broad recognition of dominant and subdominant responses to epitopes of any given antigen of importance for prophylaxis or treatment of a chronic disease is provided. The method involves immunizing with pools of overlapping fragments (synthetic peptides, e.g., 10-30 mers with 2-20 aa overlap) of the desired antigen in appropriate adjuvants. The T cell repertoire is primed to include not only the immunodominant epitope recognized when the intact molecule is used for immunization and induced by the chronic infection itself, but induce a much broader and balanced response to a number of the subdominant epitopes as well. The vaccination with peptide mix induces a T-cell response that includes response to subdominant epitopes is important for protection against chronic disease that on their own induces a response focused only on immunodominant epitopes.

Abstract: The invention is related to an immunogenic composition, vaccine or pharmaceutical composition for preventing, boosting or treating infection caused by a species of the tuberculosis complex (M. tuberculosis, M. Bovis, M. africanum, M. microti). The immunogenic composition, vaccine or pharmaceutical composition comprise a fusion polypeptide, which comprises one or more starvation antigens from M. tuberculosis, the units of the fusion polypeptide being M. tuberculosis antigens. Further, the invention is related to the use of a vaccine comprising a fusion polypeptide sequence or nucleic acid sequence of the invention given at the same time as BCG, either mixed with BCG or administered separately at different sites or routes for preparing said immunogenic composition, vaccine, or pharmaceutical composition.

Abstract: Therapeutic vaccines comprising polypeptides expressed during the latent stage of mycobacteria infection are provided, as are multiphase vaccines, and methods for treating and preventing tuberculosis.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a vaccine or immunogenic composition that can be administered to latently infected individuals to prevent reactivation of latent tuberculosis infection caused by species of the tuberculosis complex microorganisms (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. africanum). The invention is base on a number of M. tuberculosis derived proteins and protein fragments which are constitutively expressed in different stages of the infection. The invention is directed to the use of these polypeptides, immunologically active fragments thereof and the genes encoding them for immunological compositions such as vaccines.