Abstract: Methods of preparing mutants of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with one or more disrupted genes are presented, where the disrupted genes include ctpV, rv0990c, rv0971c, and/or rv0348. Compositions containing mutants with attenuated virulence and pathogenesis, which are capable of stimulation of an immune response against tuberculosis, are described. Compositions and methods relating to immunogenic compositions, which include an attenuated M. tb strain in which the M. tb genome includes a disruption of at least one of the ctpV gene, the rv0990c gene, the rv0971c gene, and the rv0348 gene, are also provided.

Abstract: The instant invention relates to a qualitative predictive method, to a method, use and kit applied to the early differential diagnosis of the most prevalent forms of bacterial and viral meningitis, enabling to detect and distinguish the different forms of meningitis. The invention uses a qualitative predictive method based on combined detection and sequential analysis of the presence/absence of at least three out of four specific biomarkers.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a Salmonella paratyphi A with an O-antigen having an extended carbohydrate chain and uses thereof. The method comprises the following steps: inactivating an cld gene encoding an enzyme controlling chain length of O-antigen of a Salmonella paratyphi A strain to obtain a Salmonella paratyphi A with deletion of cld gene; allowing overexpression of cldLT2 gene encoding an enzyme controlling chain length of O-antigen of Salmonella typhimurium in Salmonella paratyphi A deficient in the cld gene encoding an enzyme controlling chain length of O-antigen, so as to extend carbohydrate chain length of O-antigen. Both of the Salmonella paratyphi A O-polysaccharide-recombinant fusion protein conjugate vaccines rCTB45733-OPSSpty50973 and rEPA4573-OPSSpty50973 as prepared by using Salmonella paratyphi A with an O-antigen having an extended carbohydrate chain can induce mice to generate specific antibodies against Salmonella paratyphi A, and their antibody titers are significantly improved.

Abstract: The present invention relates to vaccines comprising an effective amount of at least one antigen in a water-in-oil-in-water (WOW) emulsion and an additional adjuvant, and to the methods of preparation and uses thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions suitable for the treatment of chronic diseases associated with the presence of abnormal or an abnormal distribution of microflora in the gastrointestinal tract of a mammalian host, which compositions comprise viable non-pathogenic or attenuated pathogenic Clostridia. The compositions further comprise one or more additional viable non-pathogenic or attenuated pathogenic microorganisms selected from the group consisting of Bacteroides, Eubacteria, Fusobacteria, Propionibacteria, Lactobacilli, anaerobic cocci, Ruminococcus, E. coli, Gemmiger, Desulfomonas, Peptostreptococcus, and fungi. The present invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions suitable for the treatment of the same chronic diseases comprising viable non-pathogenic or attenuated pathogenic Escherichia coli, at least one strain of viable non-pathogenic or attenuated pathogenic Bacteroides and at least one strain of viable non-pathogenic or attenuated pathogenic microorganism.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an extracellular polysaccharide produced by Ceriporia lacerata, a culture medium of Ceriporia lacerata hyphae including the extracellular polysaccharide, a composition for immunoregulation containing, as an active ingredient, dried powder of the hyphae culture medium or an extract of the hyphae culture medium, a pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating an immune disease, and a health food for immunoregulation. The composition of the present invention has an excellent effect on immune enhancement and overactive immune response inhibition.

Abstract: Methods of assessing expression of a PrfA mediated expression construct in a Listerial host cell are provided. Aspects of the methods include maintaining a Listerial host cell that includes a PrfA mediated expression construct in a defined medium containing a reducing agent and evaluating expression of a product from the expression construct to assess expression of the PrfA mediated expression construct. Also provided are methods of producing and using a Listerial vaccine, as well as defined media for use in such methods.

Abstract: The present specification discloses a composition for preventing hair loss or promoting hair growth comprising, as an active ingredient, extracellular follicles derived from lactic acid bacteria, and a method for preparing the extracellular follicles derived from lactic acid bacteria. The composition has an effect of preventing and prohibiting hair from falling off from the scalp or becoming thin or tapered. In addition, the composition has an effect of implementing a hair growth function for generating new hair, or a function for promoting the hair growth, as well as a function of promoting a delay from an anagen to a catagen phase of a hair cycle and a function of growing the existing hair healthy.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods of modulating immune cells in a patient by altering microbiota of the patient. The invention also relates to methods of modulating treatments or therapies in a subject organism by altering microbiota of the subject. The invention also relates to cell populations, systems, arrays, cells, RNA, kits and other means for effecting this. In an example, advantageously selective targeting of a particular species in a human gut microbiota using guided nucleic acid modification is carried out to effect the alteration.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of modifying a targeted site of gram-positive bacterium of a double stranded DNA. The method includes contacting the double-stranded DNA with a complex of a nucleic acid sequence-recognizing module that specifically binds to a target nucleotide sequence in a given double stranded DNA and a nucleic acid base converting enzyme to convert, delete, or insert one or more nucleotides in the targeted site without cleaving at least one strand of the double stranded DNA in the targeted site, by introducing the nucleic acid encoding the complex into the gram-positive bacterium. The invention also provide a nucleic acid-modifying enzyme complex of a nucleic acid sequence-recognizing module that specifically binds to a target nucleotide sequence in a double stranded DNA of a gram-positive bacterium and a nucleic acid base converting enzyme bonded to each other, which complex is used for the method.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for treating or preventing microbial (eg, bacterial) infections and means for performing these methods. In particular, treatment of infections requiring rapid and durable therapy is made possible, such as for treating acute conditions such as septicemia, sepsis, SIRS or septic shock. The invention is particularly useful, for example, for treatment of microbes such as for environmental, food and beverage use. The invention relates inter alia to methods of controlling microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) or biofouling of a substrate or fluid in an industrial or domestic system. The invention also useful for the treatment of pathogenic bacterial infections in subjects receiving a treatment for a disease or condition, such as a transplant or a treatment for cancer, a viral infection or an autoimmune disease.

Abstract: Protein complex variants, compositions, and methods of use thereof are provided. The protein complex variant includes a cholera toxin B subunit variant having one or more modifications thereto. The method of use thereof includes treating a disease by administering an effective amount of a composition including a cholera toxin B subunit variant to a subject in need thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of immune activation which is effective for eliciting a non-antigen-specific immune response in a member of the bovine species. The method is particularly effective for protecting a member of the bovine species from infectious disease and treating animals inflicted with infectious disease.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to a system for isolating or separating a target from a sample. In certain aspects, processes performed by the target capture system include introducing a plurality of magnetic particles, in which a plurality of the particles include at least one binding moiety specific to a target, into a sample to form at least one target/particle complex and applying a magnetic field to isolate the magnetic particle/target complexes from the sample. The process starts at inputting a sample into the system and ends at delivering a capture target or nucleic acids of the target into a container for further analysis.

Abstract: The invention is directed to recombinant probiotic bacteria, especially for use in the treatment of an inflammatory skin dysfunction, as well as a method for treating an inflammatory skin dysfunction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions comprising Haemophilus influenzae Protein E and Pilin A. More particularly, the present application relates to fusion proteins and immunogenic compositions comprising Protein E and PilA, vaccines comprising such immunogenic compositions and therapeutic uses of the same.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for the diagnosing, prognosing, monitoring, differentiating, treating, and managing of Lyme disease in a subject. The methods according to the invention are characterized by the detection of a biomarker signature comprised of a combination of two or more analytes indicative of disease.

Abstract: Precipitated bacterial capsular polysaccharides can be efficiently re-solubilised using alcohols as solvents. The invention provides a process for purifying a bacterial capsular polysaccharide, comprising the steps of (a) precipitation of said polysaccharide, followed by (b) solubilisation of the precipitated polysaccharide using ethanol. CTAB can be used for step (a). The material obtained, preferably following hydrolysis and sizing, can be conjugated to a carrier protein and formulated as a vaccine. Also, in vaccines comprising saccharides from both serogroups A and C, the invention provides that the ratio (w/w) of Men A saccharide:MenC saccharide is >1.

Abstract: Longer chain antigenic O-polysaccharide chains for use as a hapten in conjugate vaccines can be produced in a controlled manner using recombinant Gram-negative bacteria that overexpress native or heterologous genes of the wzz family, for example wzzB. Bacteria expressing a chosen wzz gene have modified O-polysaccharide chain lengths, allowing the bacteria to produce lipopolysaccharides having the longer O-polysaccharides. The LPS produced by the bacteria can be hydrolyzed to form core-O-polysaccharide molecules that can be conjugated to a carrier molecule, for example flagellin, to produce a vaccine. The invention also provides recombinant bacteria producing the longer chain O-polysaccharides, the polysaccharide molecules, themselves, conjugated vaccines comprising the O-polysaccharides, pharmaceutical compositions and kits.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a blood pressure lowering composition which contains as an active ingredient exopolysaccharide produced by means of Ceriporia lacerata, a Ceriporia lacerata mycelium culture medium comprising same, or dry powder or an extract of same. The composition can be used as an antihypertensive for preventing or treating hypertension or cerebral apoplexy or as a functional health food having antihypertensive effect.