ARTIFICIAL PROMISCUOUS T HELPER CELL EPITOPES AS IMMUNE STIMULATORS FOR SYNTHETIC PEPTIDE IMMUNOGENS

1 . A promiscuous artificial T helper cell (Th) epitope selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 32-52.

2 . A peptide immunogen construct represented by the following formulae:

(A) n -(Target antigenic site)-(B) o -(Th) m -(A) n -X

or

(A) n -(Th) m -(B) o -(Target antigenic site)-(A) n -X

or

(A) n -(Th) m -(B) o -(Target antigenic site)-(B) o -(Th) m -(A) n -X

or

{(A) n -(Th)p-(B) o -(Target antigenic site)-(B) o -(Th) p -(A) n -X} m

wherein:

each A is independently an amino acid;

each B is independently a heterologous spacer;

each Th is independently a promiscuous artificial Th epitope selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-52;

the Target antigenic site is a B cell epitope from a foreign-antigen protein, a self-antigen protein, a CTL epitope, a Tumor-Associated Carbohydrate Antigen (TACA), a B cell epitope from a neoantigen, a small molecule drug, or an immunologically reactive analogue thereof;

X is an amino acid, α-COOH, or α-CONH 2 ;

n is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10;

m is 1, 2, 3, or 4; and

o is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10; and

p is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.

3 . (canceled)

4 . The peptide immunogen construct of claim 2 , wherein the target antigenic site is a B cell epitope from a self-antigen protein selected from the group consisting of:

(a) an Aβ peptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 56, 57, 58, 59, or 60;

(b) an alpha-Syn peptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 61;

(c) an IgE EMPD peptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 62;

(d) a Tau peptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 63, 69, 70, or 71;

(e) an IL-31 peptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 64 or 72; and

(f) an IL-6 peptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 145.

5 . The peptide immunogen construct of claim 2 , wherein the heterologous spacer of component B is selected from the group consisting of an amino acid, Lys-, Gly-, Lys-Lys-Lys-, (α, ε-N)Lys, ε-N-Lys-Lys-Lys-Lys (SEQ ID NO: 53), Lys-Lys-Lys-εNLys (SEQ ID NO: 54), Gly-Gly, Pro-Pro-Xaa-Pro-Xaa-Pro (SEQ ID NO: 55), and any combination thereof.

6 .- 11 . (canceled)

12 . The peptide immunogen construct of claim 2 , wherein the target antigenic site is a CTL epitope having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 76-144.

13 .- 17 . (canceled)

18 . The peptide immunogen construct of claim 2 , wherein the target antigenic site is a TACA selected from the group consisting of GD3, GD2, Globo-H, GM2, Fucosyl GM1, GM2, PSA, Le y , Le x , SLe x , SLe a , Tn, TF, and STn.

19 . The peptide immunogen construct of claim 2 , wherein the target antigenic site is a B cell epitope from a neoantigen selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 73-75.

20 . The peptide immunogen construct of claim 2 , wherein the target antigenic site is a small molecule drug.

21 .- 22 . (canceled)

23 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the peptide immunogen construct according to claim 2 .

24 . A method of preventing and/or treating a disease, condition, or ailment in a subject comprising administering a pharmaceutically affective amount of the pharmaceutical composition of claim 23 to the subject.

25 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein the disease, condition, or ailment is HIV and wherein the target antigenic site is a CTL epitope from HIV selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 76-82.

26 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein the disease, condition, or ailment is HSV and wherein the target antigenic site is a CTL epitope from HSV selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 83-106.

27 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein the disease, condition, or ailment is FMDV and wherein the target antigenic site is a CTL epitope from FMDV selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 107-123.

28 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein the disease, condition, or ailment is PRRSV and wherein the target antigenic site is a CTL epitope from PRRSV selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 124-142.

29 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein the disease, condition, or ailment is CSFV and wherein the target antigenic site is a CTL epitope from CSFV selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 143-144.

30 . (canceled)

31 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein the disease, condition, or ailment is cancer and wherein the target antigenic site is a TACA selected from the group consisting of GD3, GD2, Globo-H, GM2, Fucosyl GM1, GM2, PSA, Ley, Lex, SLex, SLea, Tn, TF, and STn.

32 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein the disease, condition, or ailment is cancer and wherein the target antigenic site is a B cell epitope from a neoantigen selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 73-75.

33 . A method for tailoring an immune response in a subject comprising:

(a) preparing more than one peptide immunogen construct according to claim 2 , wherein the Target antigenic site remains constant and the Th epitope is different on each peptide immunogen construct;

(b) preparing more than one pharmaceutical composition, each of which comprises one of the peptide immunogen constructs prepared in (a) and a pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvant or carrier;

(c) administering each of the pharmaceutical compositions prepared in (b) to different subjects;

(d) monitoring the immune response in each of the subjects; and

(e) selecting the pharmaceutical composition that produces a desired immune response.

34 . The method according to claim 33 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvant or carrier in each of the pharmaceutical compositions is the same.

35 . The method according to claim 33 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvant or carrier in each of the pharmaceutical compositions is different.