Abstract: Methods of treating autoimmune diseases, such as vitiligo, by using compositions comprising DNA encoding a variant inducible heat shock protein 70 (HSP70i) having a mutation in the dendritic cell binding region thereof (HSP70i435-447) or an isolated variant gene product in the form of HSP70i with a modification in the dendritic cell activating region thereof (HSP70i435-447).

Abstract: Methods of treating autoimmune diseases, such as vitiligo, by using compositions comprising DNA encoding a variant inducible heat shock protein 70 (HSP70i) having a mutation in the dendritic cell binding region thereof (HSP70i435-447) or an isolated variant gene product in the form of HSP70i with a modification in the dendritic cell activating region thereof (HSP70i435-447).

Abstract: Methods of treating autoimmune diseases, such as vitiligo, by using compositions comprising DNA encoding a variant inducible heat shock protein 70 (HSP70i) having a mutation in the dendritic cell binding region thereof (HSP70i435-447) or an isolated variant gene product in the form of HSP70i with a modification in the dendritic cell activating region thereof (HSP70i435-447).

Abstract: A vaccine and method of treatment suitable for treating autoimmune diseases, such as Vitiligo, by using variant peptides representing a sequence of amino acids found in heat shock protein 70. The vaccine includes a peptide derived from inducible heat shock protein 70 and a plasmid containing a full inducible heat shock protein 70 DNA sequence encoding the peptide.

Abstract: Liposomal system formed from a peptide having a ubiquitinatable region and an antigenic region, a pH-sensitive liposomal carrier; and a bilayer-associated adjuvant, such as MPL are useful as vaccine compositions. These compositions are surprisingly effective in inducing an in vivo immune response to the antigen corresponding to the antigenic region.

Abstract: Therapeutic libraries of minigenes encoding at least one characteristic epitope of a target antigen and degenerate variants of major histocompatability class I restricted epitopes are prepared by constructing a population of minigenes of comparable structure (that is having parallel components at each location in the minigene), each species in the population encoding at least one characteristic epitope of the target antigen and one of a plurality a degenerate variants of an MHC Class I-restricted epitope; screening the population of minigenes in an in vitro or in vivo system to confirm the induction of immunological response against the target antigen; and optionally repeating a screening step on one or more subpopulations of the minigenes to select for immunologically-effective subpopulations, which may comprise as few as a single species of the minigene construct.