Polypeptide films and methods

1. A multilayer film, said film comprising two or more layers of polyelectrolytes, wherein adjacent layers comprise oppositely charged polyelectrolytes,

wherein a first layer polyelectrolye comprises a hybrid polypeptide comprising a first polypeptide segment and a second polypeptide segment covalently joined by one or more non-peptidic linikages;

wherein the first polypeptide segment comprises a polypeptide segment having a magnitude of net charge per residue of greater than or equal to 0.4, and a length of greater than or equal to about 12 amino acid residues;

wherein the second polypeptide segment comprises an antigenic determinant region selected from the group consisting of a viral antigen, a bacterial antigen, a fungal antigen, a parasite antigen, a tumor antigen, or a combination thereof;

the N-terminus of the first polypeptide segment is joined to the C-terminus of the second polypeptide segment, the N-terminus of the first polypeptide segment is joined to the N-terminus of the second polypeptide segment, the C-terminus of the first polypeptide segment is joined to the C-terminus of the second polypeptide segment, or the C-terminus of the first polypeptide segment is joined to the N-terminus of the second polypeptide segment; and

wherein a second layer comprises a second layer polyelectrolyte comprising a polycationic material or a polyanionic material having a molecular weight of greater than 1,000 and at least 5 charges per molecule, and a charge opposite that of the first layer polypeptide.

2. The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid polypeptide has an aqueous solubility at pH 4 to 10 of greater than 50 μg/mL.

3. The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solubility of the hybrid polypeptide at pH 4 to 10 is greater than or equal to about 1 mg/mL.

4. The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein second polypeptide segment comprises an antigenic determinant region comprising 3 to about 250 amino acid residues, and wherein the hybrid polypeptide has an aqueous solubility at pH 4 to 10 of greater than 50 μg/mL.

5. The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid polypeptide comprises a third segment, wherein the third segment comprises a polypeptide segment having a magnitude of net charge per residue of greater than or equal to 0.4, and a length of greater than or equal to about 12 amino acid residues.

6. The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein the film is in the form of a microcapsule.

7. The multilayer film of claim 6 , wherein the microcapsule comprises a core, and the core comprises a protein, a drug, or a combination thereof.

8. The multilayer film of claim 7 , wherein the protein or drug is in crystallized form.

9. The multilayer film of claim 7 , wherein the protein or drug is in liquid form.

10. The multilayer film of claim 1 , comprising at least 4 pairs of alternately charged layers.

11. The multilayer film of claim 1 , having a thickness of 1 nm to 100 nm.

12. The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein the film is formed on a substrate.

13. The multilayer film of claim 12 , wherein the film comprises a medical device.

14. The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein the non-peptidic linkage comprises disuccinimidyl glutarate, disuccinimidyl tartarate, N-[k -maleirnidoundecanoyloxy]sulfosuccinirnide ester), (sulfosuccinimidyl 4-[p-maleimidophenyl ]butyrate), (N-[p-maleimidophenyl]isocyanate), (1-ethyl-3[-3-dimethylaminopropyl]carbodiimide hydrochloride), Styrene monomer- PEG 4 , or (N-[k -maleimidoundecanoic acid]hydrazide).

15. The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid polypeptide is a non-branched polypeptide.

16. The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein the viral antigen is selected from the group consisting of an HIV-1 antigen: a hepatitis A, B or C antigen; an influenza virus antigen; a measles viral antigen; a rubella virus antigen; a rotavirus antigen; a cytomegalovirus antigen; a respiratory syncytial viral antigen; a herpes simplex viral antigen; a varicella zoster virus antigen; a Japanese encephalitis virus antigen; and a rabies virus antigen.

17. The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein the bacterial antigen is selected from the group consisting of a pertussis bacterial antigen, a diptheria bacterial antigen, a tetanus bacterial antigen, a streptococcal bacterial antigen, a gram-negative bacilli bacterial antigen, a Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterial antigen, a Helicobacter pylori bacterial antigen, a pneumococcal bacterial antigen, a haemophilus influenza bacterial antigen, an anthrax bacterial antigen, and a rickettsiae bacterial antigen.

18. The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein the fungal antigen is selected from the group consisting of a candida fungal antigen, a histoplasma fungal antigen, a cryptococcal fungal antigen, a coccidiodes fungal antigen, and a tinea fungal antigen.

19. The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein the parasite antigen is selected from the group consisting of a plasmodia antigen, a toxoplasma antigen, a schistosomae antigen, a leishmania antigen, and a trypanosoma cruzi antigen.

20. The multilayer film of claim 1 , wherein the tumor antigen is prostate specific antigen, telomerase, a multidrug resistance protein, MAGE-1, alpha fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen, mutant p53, papillomavirus antigens, and a ganglioside components of melanoma.

21. A multilayer film, said film comprising two or more layers of polyelectrolytes, wherein adjacent layers comprise oppositely charged polyelectrolytes,

wherein a first layer polyelectrolye comprises a hybrid polypeptide comprising a first polypeptide segment and a second polypeptide segment covalently joined by one or more non-peptidic linkages;

wherein the first polypeptide segment comprises a polypeptide segment having a magnitude of net charge per residue of greater than or equal to 0.4, and a length of greater than or equal to about 12 amino acid residues;

wherein the second polypeptide segment comprises an antigen involved in autoimmunity selected from the group consisting of myelin basic protein, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, the proteolipid protein of multiple sclerosis and the CII collagen protein of rheumatoid arthritis;

wherein the N-terminus of the first polypeptide segment is joined to the C-terminus of the second polypeptide segment, the N-terminus of the first polypeptide segment is joined to the N-terminus of the second polypeptide segment, the C-terminus of the first polypeptide segment is joined to the C-terminus of the second polypeptide segment, or the C-terminus of the first polypeptide segment is joined to the N-terminus of the second polypeptide segment,

wherein a second layer comprises a second layer polyelectrolyte comprising a polycationic material or a polyanionic material having a molecular weight of greater than 1,000 and at least 5 charges per molecule, and a charge opposite that of the first layer polypeptide.