Abstract: The present disclosure relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising a non-naturally occurring fusion molecule and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, formulated for oral delivery to a subject, and designed to provide for improved, effective therapies for treatment of, e.g., inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, cancer, metabolic disorders, and growth deficiency disorders.

Abstract: A detoxified recombinant E. coli heat-labile enterotoxin mutant, LTS61K, is employed as a carrier protein to conjugate polysaccharide. The LTS61K contains a mutated mature sub-unit A (LTA) that includes lysine at amino acid position 61 and a wild-type mature sub-unit B (LTB). Various types of bacterial capsular polysaccharide antigens were chemically conjugated with the LTS61K protein by a reductive amination reaction. The conjugated polysaccharide-LTS61K products were physically, chemically and biochemically identified as soluble form. Rabbits were immunized intramuscularly to determine the immunogenicity of conjugated vaccines by ELISA to detect anti-polysaccharide antigen IgG titers and serum bactericidal assay thereby determining the functional activity of the antibodies. Study results show that conjugated polysaccharide-LTS61K vaccines induce higher polysaccharide-specific IgG titers and greater bactericidal activity in sera than that of polysaccharide alone or polysaccharide mixed with LTS61K.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising a non-naturally occurring fusion molecule and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, formulated for oral delivery to a subject, and designed to provide for improved, effective therapies for treatment of, e.g., inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, cancer, metabolic disorders, and growth deficiency disorders.

Abstract: The invention relates to composition comprising an L3 and/or an L5 source and optionally an adjuvant for the preparation of a medicine for the treatment or prevention of a parasitic disease and to its diagnostic use of said parasitic disease.

Abstract: Pneumonia due to the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii is a life-threatening infection that occurs in immunocompromised patients. The inability to culture the organism as well as the lack of a sequenced genome has hindered antigen discovery that could be useful in developing effective vaccines, therapeutic antibodies and diagnostic methods. A method of surface proteomics of Pneumocystis murina that reliably detects surface proteins that are conserved in Pneumocystis jirovecii is described. In particular, eight identified P. murina surface proteins are described. Methods of eliciting immune responses against the identified proteins, generating therapeutic antibodies against the identified proteins, as well as diagnostic methods based on the identified peptides are described.

Abstract: Probiotic Bifidobacterium strain AH1714 is significantly immunomodulatory following oral consumption. The strain is useful as an immunomodulatory biotherapeutic agent.

Abstract: Chimeric double peptide vaccines are disclosed, useful for inducing active immunity against Candida fungal infections. The chimeric peptide comprises an Fba peptide and an Met6 peptide, covalently linked to one another, with or without an intermediate linker. Fba and Met6 are cell surface components of Candida. When used as a vaccine, the chimeric double peptide vaccine induces stronger protective immunity against fungal infection than does the Fba peptide alone, or the Met6 peptide alone, or a mixture (not covalently linked) of the two peptides.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a free parietal fraction of Propionibacterium acnes and granulosum, obtained by delipidation and controlled crushing of the strain ATCC51277 or DSM20458. Said free fraction is particularly useful as an immunomodulating agent for a series of pathologies, being further characterized in that it has a high inhibitory effect against the symptoms associated with disorders. The fraction obtained can moreover be formulated in pharmaceutical compositions for local topical use, for example in gels.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a monoclonal antibody that inhibits immunosuppressive functions of pathogens, antigen-binding fragment thereof, and hybridomas producing such antibody. The monoclonal antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof bind to a peptide consisting an amino acid sequence represented by MEKVGKDGVITVE (SEQ ID NO: 1). The present invention also discloses use of the invented monoclonal antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof, and method of preparation for such hybridomas.

Abstract: Provided are novel, non-naturally occurring chagasin scaffold proteins derived from chagasin or chagasin-like protease inhibitor proteins. Also provided are libraries of non-naturally occurring chagasin scaffold proteins and methods of using such libraries to generate non-naturally occurring chagasin scaffold proteins that specifically bind to a target ligand. The present invention further provides methods of using non-naturally occurring chagasin protein scaffold that bind to a target ligand, including diagnostic and therapeutic compositions and methods. The invention also provides novel non-naturally occurring chagasin scaffold proteins that specifically bind low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) and novel non-naturally occurring chagasin scaffold proteins that specifically bind vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions comprising randomized in-frame fusion polynucleotides and methods for introducing them into a host organism to obtain desirable phenotypic changes that modulate tolerance to stress, thus creating novel characteristics of the transformed organism.

Abstract: The present invention relates to polypeptides or fragments thereof for use as malaria vaccines. It also relates to nucleic acid molecules coding for the polypeptides of the invention. It further relates to compositions comprising such polypeptides or fragments thereof or the nucleic acid molecules, in particular combinations of such polypeptides or fragments thereof, and the use of such compositions as malaria vaccines.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to camel id antibodies that inhibit growth, and colonization of Salmonella serovars. The present disclosure also relates to a modified Lactobacillus as a delivery vehicle for controlling Salmonella in a host organism.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for eliciting heterologous protective immunity in animals against Leptospira spp. The Leptospira spp. immunoprotective peptides disclosed herein elicit protective immunity against subsequent challenge or exposure to at least two Leptospira spp. serovars.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of detecting a microorganism, in particular Staphylococcus aureus, in a sample, comprising the steps of a) incubating the sample with a slow off-rate modified aptamer (SOMAmer) comprising a fluorescent label, b) optionally washing the sample, c) analyzing the sample by a fluorescence-based detection method. The invention further relates to a slow off-rate modified aptamer comprising a fluorescent label, wherein the SOMAmer comprises a nucleotide sequence specific for Staphylococcus aureus, its use for detecting Staphylococcus aureus cells in a sample, and to a microarray or biosensor and a kit comprising at least one of such SOMAmers comprising a fluorescent label.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lactobacillus that improves hyperuricemia, fatty liver and a lifestyle-related disease, and a composition containing the lactobacillus.

Abstract: This invention provides a novel means that allows efficient secretion and production of a target protein in a host cell. This invention concerns a novel polypeptide having an activity of improving the secretion productivity of a target protein, a gene comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding such polypeptide, a vector comprising such gene, a transformant obtained by transforming a host cell with such vector, and a method for producing a protein comprising a step of culturing such transformant and recovering a target protein from the culture product.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of maintaining a gram negative bacterium plasmid without the use of antibiotic selection pressure. Further, the invention relates to the drugless plasmids produced including drugless plasmids containing a heterologous gene. The invention also provides formulations and/or compositions comprising the drugless plasmids comprising a heterologous gene, formulations and/or compositions comprising a protein or an immunogen expressed using the drugless plasmids, and methods of administering such formulations and/or compositions to a host. The invention relates to gram negative bacteria containing the drugless plasmids.

Abstract: Described herein are bacterial microcompartments shell proteins modified to stably incorporate iron-sulfur clusters. Such bacterial microcompartments shell proteins exhibit redox cycling and confer electron transfer functionality to bacterial microcompartment shells.

Abstract: The present invention provides IRM conjugates that includes an IRM moiety and a second active moiety covalently linked to the IRM moiety in which the covalent link does not depend on UV irradiation.