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Abstract

Methods of inducing an immune response which protects a susceptible animal subject from lethal infection with Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis) are provided. One method comprises administering an effective amount of wild-type, or preferably a mutated form of, B. anthracis lethal factor (LF) or an immunogenic fragment thereof to the subject. A second method comprises administering an effective amount of a mutated LF protein or an immunogenic fragment of an LF protein and an effective amount of the B anthracis protective antigen (PA) or an immunogenic fragment of the PA protein to the subject A third method comprises administering a polynucleotide or nucleic acid comprising a sequence encoding a mutated B. anthracis LF protein or an immunogenic fragment of an LF protein to the subject. A fourth method comprises administering a polynucleotide which comprises a coding sequence for a mutated LF protein or an immunogenic fragment of an LF protein and a polynucleotide which comprises a coding sequence for the B. anthracis PA protein or an immunogenic fragment thereof to the subject. The present invention also relates to a protein or peptide based-immunogenic composition for preparing a vaccine which is capable of prophylactically protecting a subject against lethal effects of infection with B. anthracis or exposure to a toxic agent which is produced by B. anthracis. The protein or peptide based immunogenic composition comprises a purified or recombinant LF protein or immunogenic fragment thereof and a purified or recombinant PA protein or immunogenic fragment thereof. The present invention also relates to a nucleic acid-based immunogenic composition comprising a nucleic acid which comprises a sequence encoding the LF protein or an immunogenic fragment thereof and a polynucleotide which comprises a sequence encoding the PA protein or an immunogenic fragment thereof.

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First Claim