Abstract: The present invention provides an inhibitor of an autoimmune response to a periodontal bacterial enzymatic degradation product of keratin in gingival epithelium in a mammal having a periodontal bacterium in the oral cavity, containing a substance having affinity to the keratin or a degradation product thereof and/or a substance having affinity to an autoantibody to the degradation product, an agent for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of a periodontal disease and/or a complication thereof; a RANKL expression inhibitor containing a substance having affinity to the keratin or a degradation product thereof; and a method of diagnosing a periodontal disease including detecting the keratin or a degradation product thereof and/or an autoantibody thereto.

Abstract: A nutrient-germinant composition to aid in spore germination and a method for increased spore germination efficiency. The composition comprises L-amino acids, D-glucose and/or D-fructose, a phosphate buffer, an industrial preservative, and may include bacteria spores or they may be separately combined for germination. The method comprises providing a nutrient-germinant composition and bacteria spores, preferably of one or more Bacillus species, and heating to a preferred elevated temperature range of 41° C. to 44° C. for an incubation period of around 2 to 60 minutes. The nutrient-germinant composition is preferably in a concentrated liquid form that is diluted just prior to initiating the germination/incubation method at the point of use. The method may also include dispensing a germinated spore solution to a point-of-use/consumption, such as animal feed, water, or bedding, or a wastewater system or drain.

Abstract: The present invention provides antigenic polypeptides expressed during an infection by a pathogenic organism, such as Acinetobacter and compositions comprising these polypeptides. The invention further provides compositions for use in treating, preventing or detecting a bacterial infection, in particular vaccine compositions using the antigenic polypeptides. The invention further provides antibodies directed to said antigenic polypeptides.

Abstract: The present invention provides antigenic polypeptides expressed during an infection by a pathogenic organism, such as Acinetobacter and compositions comprising these polypeptides. The invention further provides compositions for use in treating, preventing or detecting a bacterial infection, in particular vaccine compositions using the antigenic polypeptides. The invention further provides antibodies directed to said antigenic polypeptides.

Abstract: Described herein are assays for identifying piericidins and piericidin compositions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a therapy for treating or preventing several diseases in animals, based on the administration of a highly concentrated avian derived immunoglobulins formulation, obtained from the egg yolk from hens previously hiper-immunized with a vaccine formulation comprising infectious agents or toxins antigens, a light mineral oil and a particulate adjuvant.

Abstract: Herein is reported a method for determining bacterial endotoxin at low concentrations in a sample of an antibody (that has been produced using bacterial cells) comprising the following steps in the following order: i) adding magnesium ions to the sample, ii) diluting the sample, iii) dialyzing the sample having a pH-value of 5.7-8.0 against an endotoxin-free aqueous solution, and iv) determining bacterial endotoxin in the sample using a bacterial endotoxin test, particularly the limulus amoebocyte lysate assay.

Abstract: The invention features probiotic bacteria expressing Clostridium difficile SlpA, or fragment thereof, and its use for the treatment or prevention of Clostridium difficile infection and gut colonization.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are described for inducing an immune response against extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) to thereby provide immune protection against diseases associated with ExPEC. In particular, compositions and methods are described for using conjugates of E. coli polysaccharide antigens O25B, O1A, O2, and O6A covalently bound to a detoxified exotoxin A of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (EPA) carrier protein as vaccines for the prevention of invasive ExPEC disease caused by ExPEC serotypes O1A, O2, O6A and O25B.

Abstract: A method and system for the treatment of honey bees (Apis mellifera), bats, and butterflies protects them from various life threatening conditions, including Colony Collapse Disorder, white nose syndrome, etc. and in particular, provides honey bees, bats and butterflies with the ability to assimilate and degrade neonicotinoids.

Abstract: Bivalent immunogenic compositions against anthrax and plague are disclosed herein. One bivalent immunogenic composition comprises a triple fusion protein containing three antigens, F1 and V from Yersinia pestis and PA antigen from Bacillus anthracia fused in-frame and retaining structural and functional integrity of all three antigens. Another bivalent immunogenic composition comprises bacteriophage nanoparticles arrayed with these three antigens on the capsid surface of the bacteriophage nanoparticles. These bivalent immunogenic compositions are able to elicit robust immune response in a subject administered said the bivalent immunogenic compositions and provide protection to the subject against sequential or simultaneous challenge with both anthrax and plague pathogens.

Abstract: A method for stimulating the immune system in immunocompromised patients in order to treat opportunistic infection. The method involves the infusion of intentionally mismatched allogeneic cells. In order to prevent graft vs. host disease complications, the allogeneic cells can be irradiated prior to infusion.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method for selecting lactic acid bacterial strains effective for preventing bone loss in humans and strains that have been selected according to the presented method. The selection method is based on the strains capability of reestablishing an altered microbial community to normal and/or harboring at least one of four specific SNPs.

Abstract: It is described a Clostridium difficile (C-difficile) toxins A and/or B as a target for therapy, including passive immunotherapy, and particularly prevention of C-difficile intoxication in human or other animals. It is also described a polypeptide comprising a portion of C-difficile toxins A and/or B sequence being an epitope for anti-toxins A and/or B antibody. It is also disclosed a method for generating a neutralizing antibody directed against C-difficile toxins A and/or B. It is also provided a novel formulation that combines key toxins A and/or B epitope antibodies, located in three key domains of toxins A and/or B, for neutralizing toxins A and/or B, at any stage of toxins A and/or B intoxication related to C-difficile infection. The novel formulation of toxins A and/or B epitope antibodies are useful in immunotherapy, for therapeutic and/or prophylactic mediation of C-difficile intoxication.

Abstract: Cold spot genes of S. pneumoniae are disclosed that encode surface proteins that are universally conserved among known strains and have exceptionally low incidence of allelic variation. Cold spot polypeptides encoded by the genes that are antigenic on the S. pneumoniae cells on which they are expressed are candidates for immunogenic compositions capable of eliciting antibodies able to react with all or nearly all strains of S. pneumoniae, thus providing an improvement over currently available S. pneumoniae vaccines that protect inoculated individuals against a maximum of about 23 of the 94 or so known serotypes of S. pneumonia.

Abstract: The invention relates to a recombinant Mycobacterium cell for use as an immunotherapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer, particularly in the treatment of solid tumors. More particularly, the invention relates to the immunotherapy of bladder carcinoma.

Abstract: The present invention provides an antigen chimera, comprising: a fusion protein of an antigen and a mucosal immune adjuvant protein monomer capable of forming a multimer; and the mucosal immune adjuvant protein monomer capable of forming the multimer; wherein the mucosal immune adjuvant protein monomer capable of forming the multimer is one selected from cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) and E. coli heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit (LTB), the multimer is a pentamer, and in the chimera the molar ratio between the fusion protein and the mucosal immune adjuvant protein monomer capable of forming multimers is 1:4. In the present invention, a characteristic that a mucosal immune adjuvant protein can form a pentamer is used to form a chimeric structure, so as to form an antigen having a higher potency. Moreover, a mucosal immune adjuvant protein is used to improve an immune effect, so as to improve an effect of enhancing antigen immunogenicity.

Abstract: The invention relates to a food supplement comprising or consisting of Archaebacteria, and particularly methanogenic Archaebacteria, to be used as a probiotic adjunct for animal feed. The supplement can be provided to e.g. farmed animals in addition to standard feed or as a food composition. Such a supplement is particularly useful in aquaculture and proves able in increasing animal growth rates, reducing animal susceptibility to parasitic infections and/or ameliorating animal faecal waste impact on environment. Also encompassed by the present invention are methods of manufacturing a composition comprising the bioactive food supplement as well as uses thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions comprising bacterial strains for treating and preventing inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Abstract: The M01573 sequence of meningococcal fHbp offers poor coverage in a vaccine. The invention addresses this poor coverage in two ways. In a first aspect, a fHbp-based vaccine includes two family I fHbp sequences, one which is more closely related to MC58 than to M01573, and vice versa. In a second aspect, a multi-family fHbp-based vaccine uses a family I fHbp sequence which is more closely related to MC58 than to M01573, in combination with a family III fHbp sequence.