Abstract: The present invention provides adjuvants, vaccines and therapies in which antigen presentation is enhanced through inhibition of negative immune regulators. The compositions and methods are useful for generating immune responses against antigens, including microbial pathogens and tumor-associated antigens, by way of inhibiting a negative immune regulator in a cell and providing a proinflammatory stimulus. In particular, nucleotides encoding inhibitors of negative immune regulators, antigens, and co-stimulatory molecules are contacted with immune cells in order to elicit a therapeutic or prophylactic response.

Abstract: This invention relates to an expression vector wherein said expression vector comprises a polynucleotide promoter sequence, a polynucleotide encoding a signal sequence, a polynucleotide encoding an antigen protein or peptide, a polynucleotide encoding a cell binding element, and a polynucleotide polyadenylation sequence all operatively linked. More particularly, it relates to the method of eliciting an immune response directed against an antigen in a mammal comprising the steps of introducing the expression vector into a cell, expressing the vector to produce an antigen under conditions wherein the antigen is secreted from the cell, endocytosing the secreted antigen into the cell, processing the antigen, and presenting fragments to a receptor to elicit a T-cell response. In addition, this invention relates to a vaccine and a method of use. The invention also relates to the method of identifying MHC-II restricted epitopes.

Abstract: The invention includes compositions and methods for enhancing immunopotency of an immune cell by way of inhibiting a negative immune regulator in the cell. The present invention provides vaccines and therapies in which antigen presentation is enhanced through inhibition of negative immune regulators. The present invention also provides a mechanism to break self tolerance in tumor vaccination methods that rely on presentation of self tumor antigens.

Abstract: The present invention relates to regulation of antigen presentation by cytokine signaling regulators in antigen presenting cells, such as dendritic cells. The invention provides methods of modulating antigen presentation through modulation of cytokine signaling regulators, such as SOCS (SOCS1-7, CIS), SHP (SHP-1 and SHP-2) or PIAS (PIAS1, PIAS3, PIASx and PIASy). The present invention provides vaccines and therapies in which antigen presentation is enhanced through modulation of cytokine signaling regulators. The present invention also provides a mechanism to break self tolerance in tumor vaccination methods that rely on presentation of self tumor antigens.

Abstract: The present invention provides adjuvants, vaccines and therapies in which antigen presentation is enhanced through inhibition of negative immune regulators. The compositions and methods are useful for generating immune responses against antigens, including microbial pathogens and tumor-associated antigens, by way of inhibiting a negative immune regulator in a cell and providing a proinflammatory stimulus. In particular, nucleotides encoding inhibitors of negative immune regulators, antigens, and co-stimulatory molecules are contacted with immune cells in order to elicit a therapeutic or prophylactic response.

Abstract: This invention relates to an expression vector wherein said expression vector comprises a polynucleotide promoter sequence, a polynucleotide encoding a signal sequence, a polynucleotide encoding an antigen protein or peptide, a polynucleotide encoding a cell binding element, and a polynucleotide polyadenylation sequence all operatively linked. More particularly, it relates to the method of eliciting an immune response directed against an antigen in a mammal comprising the steps of introducing the expression vector into a cell, expressing the vector to produce an antigen under conditions wherein the antigen is secreted from the cell, endocytosing the secreted antigen into the cell, processing the antigen, and presenting fragments to a receptor to elicit a T-cell response. In addition, this invention relates to a vaccine and a method of use. The invention also relates to the method of identifying MHC-II restricted epitopes.

Abstract: This invention relates to an expression vector wherein said expression vector comprises a polynucleotide promoter sequence, a polynucleotide encoding a signal sequence, a polynucleotide encoding an antigen protein or peptide, a polynucleotide encoding a cell binding element, and a polynucleotide polyadenylation sequence all operatively linked. More particularly, it relates to the method of eliciting an immune response directed against an antigen in a mammal comprising the steps of introducing the expression vector into a cell, expressing the vector to produce an antigen under conditions wherein the antigen is secreted from the cell, endocytosing the secreted antigen into the cell, processing the antigen, and presenting fragments to a receptor to elicit a T-cell response. In addition, this invention relates to a vaccine and a method of use. The invention also relates to the method of identifying MHC-II restricted epitopes.

Abstract: This invention relates to an expression vector wherein said expression vector comprises a polynucleotide promoter sequence, a polynucleotide encoding a signal sequence, a polynucleotide encoding an antigen protein or peptide, a polynucleotide encoding a cell binding element, and a polynucleotide polyadenylation sequence all operatively linked. More particularly, it relates to the method of eliciting an immune response directed against an antigen in a mammal comprising the steps of introducing the expression vector into a cell, expressing the vector to produce an antigen under conditions wherein the antigen is secreted from the cell, endocytosing the secreted antigen into the cell, processing the antigen, and presenting fragments to a receptor to elicit a T-cell response. In addition, this invention relates to a vaccine and a method of use. The invention also relates to the method of identifying MHC-II restricted epitopes.

Abstract: A nucleic acid delivery system is described. The delivery system contains a fusion protein having a target moiety and a nucleic acid binding moiety, and a nucleic acid sequence bound to the nucleic acid binding moiety of the fusion protein. The target moiety can be an antibody or a ligand. The use of this nucleic acid delivery system to transienntly or stably express a desired nucleic acid sequence in a cell is disclosed. Also disclosed is the use of this delivery system to target a cell and deliver a desired product.

Abstract: The invention includes compositions and methods for enhancing immunopotency of an immune cell by way of inhibiting a negative immune regulator in the cell. The present invention provides vaccines and therapies in which antigen presentation is enhanced through inhibition of negative immune regulators. The present invention also provides a mechanism to break self tolerance in tumor vaccination methods that rely on presentation of self tumor antigens.

Abstract: The present invention relates to regulation of antigen presentation by cytokine signaling regulators in antigen presenting cells, such as dendritic cells. The invention provides methods of modulating antigen presentation through modulation of cytokine signaling regulators, such as SOCS (SOCS1-7, CIS), SHP (SHP-1 and SHP-2) or PIAS (PIAS1, PIAS3, PIASx and PIASy). The present invention provides vaccines and therapies in which antigen presentation is enhanced through modulation of cytokine signaling regulators. The present invention also provides a mechanism to break self tolerance in tumor vaccination methods that rely on presentation of self tumor antigens.

Abstract: This invention relates to an expression vector wherein said expression vector comprises a polynucleotide promoter sequence, a polynucleotide encoding a signal sequence, a polynucleotide encoding an antigen protein or peptide, a polynucleotide encoding a cell binding element, and a polynucleotide polyadenylation sequence all operatively linked. More particularly, it relates to the method of eliciting an immune response directed against an antigen in a mammal comprising the steps of introducing the expression vector into a cell, expressing the vector to produce an antigen under conditions wherein the antigen is secreted from the cell, endocytosing the secreted antigen into the cell, processing the antigen, and presenting fragments to a receptor to elicit a T-cell response. In addition, this invention relates to a vaccine and a method of use. The invention also relates to the method of identifying MHC-II restricted epitopes.

Abstract: This invention relates to an expression vector wherein said expression vector comprises a polynucleotide promoter sequence, a polynucleotide encoding a signal sequence, a polynucleotide encoding an antigen protein or peptide, a polynucleotide encoding a cell binding element, and a polynucleotide polyadenylation sequence all operatively linked. More particularly, it relates to the method of eliciting an immune response directed against an antigen in a mammal comprising the steps of introducing the expression vector into a cell, expressing the vector to produce an antigen under conditions wherein the antigen is secreted from the cell, endocytosing the secreted antigen into the cell, processing the antigen, and presenting fragments to a receptor to elicit a T-cell response. In addition, this invention relates to a vaccine and a method of use. The invention also relates to the method of identifying MHC-II restricted epitopes.

Abstract: A nucleic acid delivery system is described. The delivery system contains a fusion protein having a target moiety and a nucleic acid binding moiety, and a nucleic acid sequence bound to the nucleic acid binding moiety of the fusion protein. The target moiety can be an antibody or a ligand. The use of this nucleic acid delivery system to transienntly or stably express a desired nucleic acid sequence in a cell is disclosed. Also disclosed is the use of this delivery system to target a cell and deliver a desired product.

Abstract: This invention relates to an expression vector wherein said expression vector comprises a polynucleotide promoter sequence, a polynucleotide encoding a signal sequence, a polynucleotide encoding an antigen protein or peptide, a polynucleotide encoding a cell binding element, and a polynucleotide polyadenylation sequence all operatively linked. More particularly, it relates to the method of eliciting an immune response directed against an antigen in a mammal comprising the steps of introducing the expression vector into a cell, expressing the vector to produce an antigen under conditions wherein the antigen is secreted from the cell, endocytosing the secreted antigen into the cell, processing the antigen, and presenting fragments to a receptor to elicit a T-cell response. In addition, this invention relates to a vaccine and a method of use. The invention also relates to the method of identifying MHC-II restricted epitopes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the identification of MHC-I and MHC-II hTRT restricted epitopes and the use of these identified epitopes to elicit an immune response against the epitope. More particularly, the identified epitopes are administered to a subject to treat hyperproliferative diseases.

Abstract: This invention relates to an expression vector wherein said expression vector comprises a polynucleotide promoter sequence, a polynucleotide encoding a signal sequence, a polynucleotide encoding an antigen protein or peptide, a polynucleotide encoding a cell binding element, and a polynucleotide polyadenylation sequence all operatively linked. More particularly, it relates to the method of eliciting an immune response directed against an antigen in a mammal comprising the steps of introducing the expression vector into a cell, expressing the vector to produce an antigen under conditions wherein the antigen is secreted from the cell, endocytosing the secreted antigen into the cell, processing the antigen, and presenting fragments to a receptor to elicit a T-cell response. In addition, this invention relates to a vaccine and a method of use. The invention also relates to the method of identifying MHC-II restricted epitopes.