Codon Deoptimized (CD) Poliovirus Seed Strains for Use in an Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine

Polio is a disabling and potentially fatal infectious disease. Sabin Oral Poliovirus Vaccine (OPV) and Salk Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV) have been crucial in the global poliovirus eradication efforts and substantial decrease in disease incidence rates. However, recent findings showed that Sabin OPV strains, due to their genetic instability, may revert to virulence and spread among communities, resulting in circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV). Salk IPV, which is made by inactivating live poliovirus,

New Cholera Vaccine and Method for Conjugating Bacterial Polysaccharides to Proteins

A new conjugate vaccine for cholera has been developed. The invention includes a new method to conjugate the O-specific polysaccharide-core part of the bacterial lipopolysaccharide and protein subcomponents. Conventional technology has entailed chemical treatment of both components to introduce linkers, which made them amenable for covalent linking. The new method simplifies production by utilizing squaric acid chemistry for conjugating the free amine-containing species (e.g. polysaccharides) directly to amine-containing species (e.g.

Monoclonal Antibodies to HIV-1 Vpr

Available for licensing are monoclonal antibodies against HIV-1 viral protein R (Vpr) and the respective hybridoma cell lines expressing the same. The antibodies provide a means for detecting HIV-1 Vpr. Currently, the mechanism of HIV pathogenesis believed to involve viral replication inside immune cells and other cells. At present, there are no clinical assays for detecting HIV-1 Vpr. Vpr circulates at detectable levels in the blood and is likely derived from degraded virions or released from infected cells. Vpr facilitates viral replication and disrupt normal cell function.

Modified Bacterial Strain for Otitis Media Vaccine

This invention relates to a strain of Moraxella catarrhalis containing a gene mutation that prevents endotoxic lipooligosaccharide (LOS) synthesis and potential use of the mutant for developing novel vaccines against the pathogen, for which there is currently no licensed vaccine. M. catarrhalis is one of the causative agents of otitis media (middle ear infection), sinusitis, and lung infections. The mutant is defective in the lpxA gene, whose enzyme product is relevant in lipid A biosynthesis (lipid A is part of the LOS).

Anti-Plasmodium Compositions and Methods of Use

This invention describes methods and compositions of peptides that inhibit the binding of Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) to erythrocytes. Malarial parasites enter the red blood cell through several erythrocyte receptors, each being specific for a given species of Plasmodia. For P. falciparum, the erythrocyte binding antigen (EBA-175) is the ligand of the plasmodia merozoites that interacts with the receptor glycophorin A on the surface of red blood cells.

TTP as a Regulator of GM-CSF mRNA Deadenylation and Stability

The disclosed invention provides materials and methods to treat granulocytopenia (low white cell count in the blood) which is characterized by a reduced number of granulocytes (relative) or an absence of granulocytes (absolute). This condition is commonly associated with cancer chemotherapy, but is seen less frequently in a number of conditions including the use of propylthiouracil, radiotherapy for marrow ablation for bone marrow transplantation, aplastic anemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, AIDS and a variety of other situations.

Attenuated Human Parainfluenza Virus (PIV) for Use as Live, Attenuated Vaccines and as Vector Vaccines

The identified technologies describe self-replicating infectious recombinant paramyxoviruses with one or more attenuating mutations, such as a separate variant polynucleotide encoding a P protein and a separate monocistronic polynucleotide encoding a V protein, or at least one temperature sensitive mutation and one non-temperature sensitive mutation. Compositions and methods for recovering, making and using the infectious, recombinant paramyxoviruses as described are also included (e.g. recombinant human parainfluenza virus type 2 (HPIV2)).

Infectious Clone of Human Parvovirus B19 and Methods of Use

This technology described in this patent application relates the first reported infectious human parvovirus B19 clone, methods of cloning the parvovirus B19 genome as well as other viral genomes that have secondary DNA structures that are unstable in bacterial cells. The infectious clone and methods of producing the same would be useful in producing infectious virus, which can in turn be used, among other things, to identify and develop therapeutic agents for treatment and/or prevention of human parvovirus B19 infections. The infectious parvovirus B19 clone is also available for licensing.

Recombinant MVA Viruses Expressing Clade A/G and Clade B Modified HIV Env, Gag and Pol Genes Useful for HIV Vaccine Development

The current technology relates to the construction, characterization and immunogenicity of modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) recombinant viruses. The MVA double recombinant viruses express modified/truncated HIV-1 Env and mutated HIV Gag Pol under the control of vaccinia virus early/late promoters. This technology describes the MVA double recombinant viruses made by homologous recombination of single MVA recombinants, one expressing Env and one expressing Gag Pol. These single MVA recombinants are made using a transiently expressed GFP marker that is deleted in the final viruses.