Abstract: Described herein are methods of inducing an immune response directed towards preventing or reducing the risk of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in a mammalian subject. The subject is administered an effective amount of a composition containing IgM antibodies directed to an epitope of an envelope protein of the HIV virus. Also disclosed here are vaccine compositions comprising IgM antibodies directed to one or more epitopes of one or more human immunodeficiency virus envelope proteins. Also disclosed are recombinant immunoglobulin M compositions containing a Fc? fragment of an immunoglobulin G.

Abstract: There is described a method of synthesizing a family of oligopeptides of predetermined amino acid sequence, which together make up from 7 amino acids to the complete amino acid sequence of a target protein, which comprises: synthesizing a nucleic acid construct which codes for a fusion protein composed of overlapping peptides derived from the desired portion of the target protein, interspersed with regions which code for protease cleavage sites, expressing the nucleic acid construct in a suitable expression vector, harvesting the fusion protein corresponding to the nucleic acid sequence, and digesting the fusion protein with a protease selective for the cleavage sites to generate the oligopeptides. The oligopeptides may be generated in vitro or in vitro and may be used as vaccines against viral infections and in epitope mapping.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for the treatment and prevention of immune disorders.

Abstract: The present invention is based, at least in part, on methods to select pure and functional dendritic cells from a heterogeneous population of cells. Accordingly, the invention features a method of selecting dendritic cells from a heterogeneous population of cells comprising contacting said cells with an antibody against dendritic cell-specific adhesion receptor (DC-SIGN), preferably DCN46, or a fragment thereof, and identifying dendritic cells based on binding of said antibody to said cells, thereby selecting dendritic cells from a heterogeneous population of cells.