Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions which may be used to immunize infant mammals against a target antigen, wherein an immunogenically effective amount of a nucleic acid encoding a relevant epitope of a desired target antigen is administered to the infant. It is based, at least in part, on the discovery that such genetic immunization of infant mammals could give rise to effective cellular and humoral immune responses against target antigens.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions which may be used to immunize infant mammals against a target antigen, wherein an immunogenically effective amount of a nucleic acid encoding a relevant epitope of a desired target antigen is administered to the infant. It is based, at least in part, on the discovery that such genetic immunization of infant mammals could give rise to effective cellular and humoral immune responses against target antigens.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions which may be used to immunize infant mammals against a target antigen, wherein an immunogenically effective amount of a nucleic acid encoding a relevant epitope of a desired target antigen is administered to the infant. It is based, at least in part, on the discovery that such genetic immunization of infant mammals could give rise to effective cellular and humoral immune responses against target antigens.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions which may be used to immunize infant mammals against a target antigen, wherein an immunogenically effective amount of a nucleic acid encoding a relevant epitope of a desired target antigen is administered to the infant. It is based, at least in part, on the discovery that such genetic immunization of infant mammals could give rise to effective cellular and humoral immune responses against target antigens.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions which may be used to immunize infant mammals against a target antigen, wherein an immunogeniclly effective amount of a nuclic acid encoding a relevant epitope of a desired target antigen is administered to the infant. It is based, at least in part, on the discovery that such genetic immunization of infant mammals could give rise to effective cellular and humoral immune responses against target antigens.

Abstract: The present invention relates to chimeric antibodies which comprise a B cell epitope, a T cell epitope, and/or an antigen binding site. The chimeric antibodies may be produced by replacing at least a portion of an immunoglobulin molecule with the desired epitope or antigen binding site such that the functional capabilities of the epitope and the parent immunoglobulin are retained. The chimeric antibodies of the invention may be used to enhance an immune response against pathogens and tumor cells in subjects in need of such treatment.

Abstract: A process is provided for preparing immunological adjuvants (which are unusual in that they do not contain mycolic acids, mycolic acid esters or lipopolysaccharides, and can increase the immune response in animals of soluble and particulate antigens without the presence of oil or oily vehicles, and without inducing adjuvant arthritis or other undesirable side effects) by solvent extraction from a species of Amycolata, a genus of filamentous branching bacteria known as Amycolata, as well as pharmaceutical compositions containing such adjuvants, and a process for increasing the immune response of antigens in animals by administration of such adjuvants.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for obtaining agents having mitogenic and/or adjuvant properties, from Nocardia cells.According to this process Nocardia whole cells are subjected to a rupturing treatment of their walls within an aqueous medium, particularly distilled water. After the separation of the non-ruptured cells and of the wall fragments of the ruptured cells, mitogenic agents are extracted from the remaining aqueous phase. The fractions obtained are useful as laboratory reagents and for the production of medicamentous compositions in which they are associated with a pharmaceutical vehicle.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a mitrogenic agent and to a process for obtaining same.It comprises the steps of cultivating Nocardiae cells, collecting them, subjecting them to a treatment for rupturing the integrity of their walls, such as by lysis, discarding the solid residue and collecting the aqueous fraction, causing the peptidoglycane fragments contained in this aqueous fraction to be separated therefrom and recovering the remaining fraction containing the mitogenic agent.