| abstract |
The present invention relates to methods and compositions for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, and cancers. The methods of the invention comprises administering (a) a composition comprising a population of complexes of antigenic proteins or antigenic peptides derived from antigenic cells or viral particles and one or more different heat shock proteins; and (b) a non-heat shock protein and non-alpha-2-macroglobulin-based treatment modality. The population or the protein preparation used to produce the antigenic peptides comprises at least 50% of the different proteins or at least 50 different proteins of the antigenic cells or viral particles. Methods for making antigenic peptides comprise digesting a protein preparation of antigenic cells, a cellular fraction thereof, or of viral particles with one or more proteases, or exposing the protein preparation to ATP, guanidium hydrochloride, and/or acidic conditions. |