Abstract: The present invention provides for peptide conjugate compositions, methods of using the peptide conjugate compositions, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the peptide conjugate compositions. The peptide conjugate compositions comprise peptides with amino acid sequences similar to the gp 120 principal neutralizing domain (PND) of HIV, gp41, and Nef (p27) of HIV and carriers which enhance immunogenicity. The peptide conjugate compositions of the present invention may comprise a multivalent cocktail of several different peptide conjugates. Also provided by present invention is a method for reducing the level of HIV titers in a mammal by administering to the mammal a peptide composition of the present invention in an amount effective to reduce the level of HIV titers. The peptide conjugate compositions of the present invention induce prolonged antibody response in serum, a high level of antibody in the mucosa, and the production of cytotoxic lymphocytes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to live attenuated gram-negative vaccine carrier strains which are useful for expression and delivery of heterologous O-antigens (O-PS) from gram-negative pathogens. Said strains are deficient in the expression of homologous O-PS due to a defined genetic modification, preferably a deletion, and, thus, capable of efficiently expressing a desired heterologous O-PS in such a way that it is covalently coupled either to homologous or heterologous LPS core lipid A. The present invention furthermore relates to live vaccine carrier strains containing a heterologous gene or a set of heterologous genes encoding O-PS. Preferably, said strains additionally contain genes necessary for the synthesis of complete smooth heterologous LPS. The present invention also relates to live vaccines comprising said strains, preferably for immunization against gram-negative enteric pathogens.

Abstract: The present invention provides for peptide conjugate compositions, methods of using the peptide conjugate compositions, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the peptide conjugate compositions. The peptide conjugate compositions comprise peptides with amino acid sequences similar to the gp120 principal neutralizing domain (PND) of HIV, gp41, and Nef (p27) of HIV and carriers which enhance immunogenicity. The peptide conjugate compositions of the present invention may comprise a multivalent cocktail of several different peptide conjugates. Also provided by present invention is a method for reducing the level of HIV titers in a mammal by administering to the mammal a peptide composition of the present invention in an amount effective to reduce the level of HIV titers. The peptide conjugate compositions of the present invention induce prolonged antibody response in serum, a high level of antibody in the mucosa, and the production of cytotoxic lymphocytes.

Abstract: The present invention provides for peptide conjugate compositions, methods of using the peptide conjugate compositions, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the peptide conjugate compositions. The peptide conjugate compositions comprise peptides with amino acid sequences similar to the gp120 principal neutralizing domain (PND) of HIV, gp41, and Nef (p27) of HIV and carriers which enhance immunogenicity. The peptide conjugate compositions of the present invention may comprise a multivalent cocktail of several different peptide conjugates. Also provided by present invention is a method for reducing the level of HIV titers in a mammal by administering to the mammal a peptide composition of the present invention in an amount effective to reduce the level of HIV titers. The peptide conjugate compositions of the present invention induce prolonged antibody response in serum, a high level of antibody in the mucosa, and the production of cytotoxic lymphocytes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing an E. coli vaccine and to the vaccine produced thereby. The method involves purifying lipopolysaccharide from E. coli expressing complete O-polysaccharide sidechains;isolating the O-polysaccharide region of the lipopolysaccharide molecule by hydrolysis in dilute acetic acid and purifying it essentially free of lipid A; and covalently coupling lipid A-free O-polysaccharide via at least one hydroxyl or carboxyl group of the polysaccharide to a carrier protein. Polyvalent vaccines are prepared by combining two or more monovalent vaccines for different serotypes prepared according to the present invention. The present also relates to conjugates used in the vaccines. The conjugates of the present invention are the O-polysaccharide region of an E. coli lipoplysaccharide molecule covalently coupled to a carrier protein.

Abstract: Polysaccharide-protein conjugates were synthesized utilizing polysaccharide derived from hydrolyized Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysacharide covalently coupled to either tetanus toxoid or P. aeruginosa toxin A, utilizing a spacer molecule and a coupling agent. Conjugates produced in such a manner possess a molecular weight of greater than 350,000, are nontoxic and non-pyrogenic, and upon immunization of animals induced protective anti-LPS antibody and antibody which neutralizes the lethal effect of tetanus toxin or toxin A. The polysaccharide-tetanus toxoid conjugate and polysaccharide-toxin A conjugate are safe and immunogenic when parenterally administered to humans.

Abstract: The present invention relates to immunogenic preparations of Klebsiella species serotype-specific capsular polysaccharides. The invention involves the treatment of Klebsiella capsular polysaccharides in dilute sodium hydroxide to detoxify co-purified toxic lipopolysaccharides and to yield immunogenic vaccine preparations safe for parenteral administration to humans. The polyvalent vaccines prepared by use of the above vaccine are effective at providing protection against infections caused by Klebsiella species bacilli.

Abstract: A nontoxic, immunologically crossreactive toxin A protein produced by a PAO-PR1 mutant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The protein, in activated form, has substantially no adenosine diphosphate-ribosylating activity, and is nontoxic to cells known to be susceptible to the parent PAO-1 strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from which strain PAO-PR1 was derived. The nontoxic toxin A protein is immunologically indistinguishable from, and has a molecular weight similar to, native toxin A protein produced by the PAO-1 strain.