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The four dengue virus (DENV) serotypes (DENV-1 to DENV-4) are the most important arthropod-borne flaviviruses in terms of morbidity and geographic distribution. Up to 100 million DENV infections occur every year, mostly in tropical and subtropical areas where vector mosquitoes are abundant. Infection with any of the DENV serotypes may be asymptomatic or may lead to classic dengue fever or more severe dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS), which are increasingly common in the dengue endemic areas.

The catalytic subunit of the DNA-dependent protein kinase complex (DNA-PKcs) has been shown to be important in DNA repair and VDJ recombination in lymphocytes. The inventors have discovered that DNA-PKcs also plays novel, important roles in energy regulation and neurological function. The inventors observed that mature DNA-PKcs-deficient mice (also known as SCID mice) have a lower proportion of fat, resist obesity, and have significantly greater physical endurance than wild-type control mice, particularly with increasing age.

HIV Gag has been included in nearly all HIV vaccines entering clinical trials because of its importance in SIV models and its correlation with protection in HIV-infected long-term non-progressors. However, HIV Gag has proven less immunogenic than Env in phase I clinical trial studies. Through sequence comparison, two regions in HIV Gag have been identified as contributing to the decreased immunogenicity observed for HIV Gag. Replacement of these regions with corresponding SIV sequences significantly increased the resulting T-cell response to HIV Gag in mice.

This invention relates to improved methods of preparing Bacillus anthracis protective antigen (PA) for use in vaccines. PA is a secreted, non-toxic protein with a molecular weight of 83 KDa. PA is a major component of the currently licensed human vaccine (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed, AVA).

Available for licensing and commercial development are compositions and methods for the treatment and inhibition of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a dangerous human pathogen. The invention concerns immunogenic peptides that can be used to induce protective immunity against MRSA, including phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) peptides.

Ixodes scapularis is a blood-sucking tick and the principal vector of Lyme disease, a spirochetal illness caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and now the most common vector-borne infection in the United States; more than 50,000 cases have been reported during the last ten years. The salivary gland of I. scapularis has a number of pharmacologically active molecules that help the tick to successfully feed on blood, such as inhibitors of complement system, in addition to coagulation and platelet aggregation inhibitors.

Dengue virus is a positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the Flavivirus genus of the family Flaviviridae. Dengue virus is widely distributed throughout the tropical and semitropical regions of the world and is transmitted to humans by mosquito vectors. Dengue virus is a leading cause of hospitalization and death in children in at least eight tropical Asian countries.

Available for licensing and commercial development are compositions and methods for preventing and/or treating infection caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV). The invention is based on mapping studies conducted by the inventors of two epitopes within HCV E2: epitope I and epitope II. It has been discovered that epitope I is involved in virus neutralization but that epitope II mediates antibody interference, probably an adaptation of the virus to obfuscate the immune system.

Available for licensing and commercial development is a patent estate and related biological materials for producing therapeutic or prophylactic vaccines against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). The claimed vaccine strategy relates to the engineering and creation of live-attenuated RSV vaccine candidates by shifting the position of one or more viral genes relative to the viral promoter (aka promoter-proximal attenuation). The gene shifts can be constructed by insertion, deletion or rearrangement of genes or genome segments within the recombinant genome or antigenome.

The technology offered for licensing is in the field of Therapeutics. More specifically, the technology relates to biological ligands and their use as modulators of the production of Interferon gamma as a means to treat a broad spectrum of diseases. The invention describes and claims antibodies and other ligands that can stimulate Natural Killer (NK) immune cells to produce Interferon gamma which contributes to the combat against foreign pathogens.