| abstract |
Protein antigens are provided. The protein antigens typically include a peptide antigen conjugated or fused to a chaperone protein to form a "chaperone-antigen" that increases lymph node uptake; improves an immune response; or a combination thereof relative to the peptide antigen alone. The immune response can be, for example, increased antigen-specific proliferation, enhanced cytokine production, stimulation of differentiation and/or effector functions, promotion of survival, rescue from exhaustion and/or anergy of T cells, or a combination thereof. Chaperon-antigens can also be used to induce tolerance and increase immune suppressive responses. In the most preferred embodiments, the peptide antigen is fused to the chaperone protein to form a fusion protein. The "chaperone-antigen" can be combined with an adjuvant to form a vaccine and administered to a subject to modulate an immune response to the antigen. Methods of increasing immune responses, treating cancer and infectious diseases and inducing tolerance are also provided. |