Stress protein compositions and methods for prevention and treatment of cancer and infectious disease

1. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a stress protein complex and a physiologically acceptable carrier, wherein the stress protein complex comprises an hsp110 or grp170 polypeptide and an immunogenic polypeptide, wherein the immunogenic polypeptide has been denatured so as to enhance binding of the hsp110 or grp170 polypeptide to the immunogenic polypeptide.

2. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the immunogenic polypeptide has been denatured by heating.

3. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 2 , wherein the heating comprises incubation at a temperature of at least 43° C.

4. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the complex comprises a fusion protein.

5. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the complex is derived from a tumor.

6. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the complex is derived from a cell infected with an infectious agent.

7. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the stress protein complex further comprises a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of members of the hsp70, hsp90, grp78 and grp94 stress protein families.

8. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the stress protein complex comprises hsp110 complexed with hsp70 and hsp25.

9. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the immunogenic polypeptide is associated with a cancer.

10. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 9 , wherein the immunogenic polypeptide comprises a her-2/neu peptide.

11. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 10 , wherein the her-2/neu peptide is derived from the extracellular domain of her-2/neu.

12. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 10 , wherein the her-2/neu peptide is derived from the intracellular domain of her-2/neu.

13. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 9 , wherein the immunogenic polypeptide comprises a gp100 peptide.

14. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the immunogenic polypeptide is associated with an infectious disease.

15. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 14 , wherein the immunogenic polypeptide comprises a M. tuberculosis antigen.

16. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 15 , wherein the M. tuberculosis antigen is Mtb8.4 or Mtb39.

17. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 3 , wherein the incubation is about 30 minutes in duration.

18. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , further comprising an adjuvant.

19. A method for producing T cells directed against a tumor cell comprising contacting a T cell with an antigen presenting cell (APC), wherein the APC is modified by contact with an hsp110 or grp170 polypeptide and an immunogenic polypeptide associated with the tumor cell, wherein the immunogenic polypeptide has been denatured so as to enhance binding of the hsp110 or grp170 polypeptide to the immunogenic polypeptide.

20. The method of claim 10 , wherein the T cell is a CD4+ or a CD8+ T cell.

21. A method for producing T cells directed against a M. tuberculosis -infected cell comprising contacting a T cell with an antigen presenting cell (APC), wherein the APC is modified by contact with an hsp110 or grp170 polypeptide and an immunogenic polypeptide associated with the M. tuberculosis -infected cell, wherein the immunogenic polypeptide has been denatured so as to enhance binding of the hsp110 or grp170 polypeptide to the immunogenic polypeptide.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the T cell is a CD4+ or a CD8+ T cell.

23. A method for reducing the severity of M. tuberculosis - infection in a subject, comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition of claim 15 , and thereby reducing the severity of M. tuberculosis - infection in the subject.

24. A method for inhibiting tumor growth in a subject having a tumor, comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition of claim 9 , thereby inhibiting tumor growth in said subject.

25. A method for inhibiting tumor growth in a subject having a precancerous condition, comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a stress protein complex and a physiological acceptable carrier, wherein the stress protein complex comprises an hsp110 or grp170 polypeptide, wherein the immunogenic polypeptide has been denatured so as to enhance binding of the hsp110 or grp170 polypeptide to the immunogenic polypeptide, and wherein the immunogenic polypeptide is associated with the precancerous condition.

26. A method of enhancing an immune response to an antigen administered to a subject comprising administering an hsp110 or grp170 polypeptide and the antigen to the subject, wherein the antigen has been heated so as to enhance binding of the hsp10 or grp170 polypeptide to the antigen.

27. A method of enhancing the immunogenicity of a stress protein complex comprising heating the stress protein complex, wherein the stress protein complex comprises an hsp110 or grp170 polypeptide and an immunogenic polypeptide associated with cancer or infectious disease, wherein the heating comprises incubating the stress protein complex at a temperature of at least 43° C.

28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the antigen has been heated by incubation at a temperature of at least 43° C.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the incubation is about 30 minutes in duration.

30. The method of claim 27 , wherein the incubating is about 30 minutes in duration.

31. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 9 , wherein the stress protein complex comprises hsp110 and gp100.

32. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 12 , wherein the stress protein complex comprises hsp110 and the intracellular domain of her-2/neu.

33. A method of enhancing the immunogenicity of a stress protein complex comprising heating the stress protein complex, wherein the stress protein complex comprises hsp110 and an immunogenic polypeptide associated with cancer or infectious disease.