Agents that engage antigen-presenting cells through dendritic cell asialoglycoprotein receptor (DC-ASGPR)

1. An isolated immunoglobulin that binds human dendritic cell asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) or an antigen binding fragment thereof, wherein the immunoglobulin or fragment thereof comprises an immunoglobulin heavy chain selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 5, 7, 9, or 11, and a light chain; and wherein an antigen is attached to the immunoglobulin or antigen binding fragment thereof.

2. The immunoglobulin of claim 1 , wherein the antigen is a fusion protein with the immunoglobulin.

3. The immunoglobulin of claim 1 , wherein the antigen comprises a bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoan or cancer protein.

4. The immunoglobulin of claim 1 , wherein the immunoglobulin is attached to a cohesin or a dockerin domain capable of forming a cohesin/dockerin binding pair.

5. The immunoglobulin of claim 4 , further comprising a complementary cohesin or dockerin domain attached to the antigen that forms a complex with the immunoglobulin.

6. The immunoglobulin of claim 4 , further comprising a complementary cohesin or dockerin domain that is a fusion protein with an antigen.

7. The immunoglobulin of claim 1 , wherein the fragment comprises at least an Fab fragment, an Fab′ fragment, an F(ab) 2 fragment, an Fv fragment, an Fabc fragment, or an Fab fragment with portions of the Fc domain.

8. The immunoglobulin of claim 1 , wherein the immunoglobulin is bound to a toxin selected from the group consisting of a radioactive isotope, metal, enzyme, botulin, tetanus, ricin, cholera, diphtheria, aflatoxins, perfringens toxin, mycotoxins, shigatoxin, staphylococcal enterotoxin B, T2, seguitoxin, saxitoxin, abrin, cyanoginosin, alphatoxin, tetrodotoxin, aconotoxin, snake venom and spider venom.

9. The immunoglobulin of claim 1 , wherein the antigen comprises a peptide obtained from a cancer cell or portion thereof selected from T- and B cell lymphoproliferative diseases, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, head and neck cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, gastrointestinal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer or non small cell lung cancer.

10. The immunoglobulin of claim 1 , wherein the immunoglobulin is chimeric.

11. A vaccine comprising an isolated immunoglobulin that binds human dendritic cell asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) or an antigen binding fragment thereof, wherein the immunoglobulin or fragment thereof comprises an immunoglobulin heavy chain selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 5, 7, 9, or 11, and a light chain, and wherein an antigen is attached to the immunoglobulin or antigen binding fragment thereof that forms an immunoglobulin-antigen complex, wherein the antigen is processed and presented by a dendritic cell that has been contacted with the immunoglobulin-antigen complex.

12. The vaccine of claim 11 , wherein the antigen is a fusion protein with the immunoglobulin.

13. The vaccine of claim 11 , wherein the antigen comprises a bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoan or cancer protein.

14. The vaccine of claim 11 , wherein the fragment comprises at least an Fab fragment, an Fab′ fragment, an F(ab) 2 fragment, an Fv fragment, an Fabc fragment, or an Fab fragment with portions of the Fc domain.

15. The vaccine of claim 11 , wherein the antigen comprises a peptide obtained from a cancer cell or portion thereof selected from T- and B-cell lymphoproliferative diseases, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, head and neck cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, gastrointestinal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer or non small cell lung cancer.

16. The vaccine of claim 11 , wherein the immunoglobulin is chimeric.

17. A vaccine comprising an isolated immunoglobulin that binds human dendritic cell asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) or an antigen binding fragment thereof, wherein the immunoglobulin or fragment thereof comprises an immunoglobulin heavy chain selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 5, 7, 9, or 11, and a light chain; and wherein an antigen is attached to the immunoglobulin or antigen fragment thereof; wherein the antigen is processed and presented by a dendritic cell that expresses the dendritic cell asialoglycoprotein receptor when contacted with the vaccine, and wherein the vaccine is effective for triggering an immune response.

18. The vaccine of claim 17 , wherein the immunoglobulin is chimeric.

19. The vaccine of claim 17 , wherein the antigen is a fusion protein with the immunoglobulin.

20. The vaccine of claim 17 , wherein the antigen comprises a bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoan or cancer protein.

21. The vaccine of claim 17 , wherein the fragment comprises at least an Fab fragment, an Fab′ fragment, an F(ab) 2 fragment, an Fv fragment, an Fabc fragment, or an Fab fragment with portions of the Fc domain.

22. The vaccine of claim 17 , wherein the antigen is a peptide obtained from a cancer cell or portion thereof selected from T- and B-cell lymphoproliferative diseases, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, head and neck cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, gastrointestinal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer or non small cell lung cancer.

23. An isolated immunoglobulin that binds human dendritic cell asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) or an antigen binding fragment thereof, wherein the immunoglobulin or fragment thereof comprises an immunoglobulin heavy chain, and a light chain selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 6, 8, 10, or 12; and wherein an antigen is attached to the immunoglobulin or antigen binding fragment thereof.

24. The immunoglobulin of claim 23 , wherein the antigen is a fusion protein with the immunoglobulin.

25. The immunoglobulin of claim 23 , wherein the antigen comprises a bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoan or cancer protein.

26. The immunoglobulin of claim 23 , wherein the immunoglobulin is attached to a cohesin or a dockerin domain capable of forming a cohesin/dockerin binding pair.

27. The immunoglobulin of claim 26 , further comprising a complementary cohesin or dockerin domain attached to the antigen that forms a complex with the immunoglobulin.

28. The immunoglobulin of claim 26 , further comprising a complementary cohesin or dockerin domain that is a fusion protein with an antigen.

29. The immunoglobulin of claim 23 , wherein the fragment comprises at least an Fab fragment, an Fab′ fragment, an F(ab) 2 fragment, an Fv fragment, an Fabc fragment, or an Fab fragment with portions of the Fc domain.

30. The immunoglobulin of claim 23 , wherein the immunoglobulin is further bound to a toxin is selected from the group consisting of a radioactive isotope, metal, enzyme, botulin, tetanus, ricin, cholera, diphtheria, aflatoxins, perfringens toxin, mycotoxins, shigatoxin, staphylococcal enterotoxin B, T2, seguitoxin, saxitoxin, abrin, cyanoginosin, alphatoxin, tetrodotoxin, aconotoxin, snake venom and spider venom.

31. The immunoglobulin of claim 23 , wherein the antigen comprises a peptide obtained from a cancer cell or portion thereof selected from T- and B-cell lymphoproliferative diseases, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, head and neck cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, gastrointestinal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer or non small cell lung cancer.

32. The immunoglobulin of claim 23 , wherein the immunoglobulin is chimeric.

33. A vaccine comprising an isolated immunoglobulin that binds human dendritic cell asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) or an antigen binding fragment thereof, wherein the immunoglobulin or fragment thereof comprises an immunoglobulin heavy chain, and a light chain selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 6, 8, 10, or 12, wherein an antigen is attached to the immunoglobulin or antigen binding fragment thereof that forms an immunoglobulin-antigen complex, and wherein the antigen is processed and presented by a dendritic cell that has been contacted with the immunoglobulin-antigen complex.

34. The vaccine of claim 33 , wherein the immunoglobulin is chimeric.

35. The vaccine of claim 33 , wherein the antigen is a fusion protein with the immunoglobulin.

36. The vaccine of claim 33 , wherein the antigen comprises a bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoan or cancer protein.

37. The vaccine of claim 33 , wherein the fragment comprises at least an Fab fragment, an Fab′ fragment, an F(ab) 2 fragment, an Fv fragment, an Fabc fragment, or an Fab fragment with portions of the Fc domain.

38. The vaccine of claim 33 , wherein the antigen comprises a peptide obtained from a cancer cell or portion thereof selected from T- and B cell lymphoproliferative diseases, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, head and neck cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, gastrointestinal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer or non small cell lung cancer.

39. A vaccine comprising isolated immunoglobulin that binds human dendritic cell asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) or an antigen binding fragment thereof, wherein the immunoglobulin or fragment thereof comprises an immunoglobulin heavy chain, and a light chain selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 6, 8, 10, or 12; wherein an antigen is attached to the immunoglobulin or fragment thereof; wherein the antigen is processed and presented by a dendritic cell that expresses the dendritic cell asialoglycoprotein receptor when contacted with the vaccine, and wherein the vaccine is effective for triggering an immune response.

40. The vaccine of claim 39 , wherein the immunoglobulin is chimeric.

41. The vaccine of claim 39 , wherein the antigen is a fusion protein with the immunoglobulin.

42. The vaccine of claim 39 , wherein the antigen comprises a bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoan or cancer protein.

43. The vaccine of claim 39 , wherein the fragment comprises at least an Fab fragment, an Fab′ fragment, an F(ab) 2 fragment, an Fv fragment, an Fabc fragment, or an Fab fragment with portions of the Fc domain.

44. The vaccine of claim 39 , wherein the antigen comprises a peptide obtained from a cancer cell or portion thereof selected from T- and B cell lymphoproliferative diseases, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, head and neck cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, gastrointestinal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer or non small cell lung cancer.