Immunogenic compositions and methods of use

A method of eliciting an immune response in a vertebrate organism comprising administering into the vertebrate organism an immunogenic composition comprising,

• a multilayer film comprising two or more layers of polyelectrolytes, wherein adjacent layers comprise oppositely charged polyelectrolytes,
• wherein a first layer polyelectrolye comprises an antigenic polypeptide comprising one or more surface adsorption regions covalently linked to one or more antigenic determinant regions, wherein the antigenic polypeptide and the one or more surface adsorption regions have the same polarity,
• wherein the one or more surface adsorption regions comprises one or more amino acid sequence motifs, the one or more amino acid sequence motifs consisting of 5 to 15 amino acids and having a magnitude of net charge per residue of greater than or equal to 0.4, and
• wherein the one or more antigenic determinant regions comprises 3 to about 250 amino acid residues,
• wherein the antigenic polypeptide is not a homopolymer, is at least 15 amino acids long, and has an aqueous solubility at pH 4 to 10 of greater than 50 μg/ml;
• 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.

A method of making an immunogenic composition, the method comprising:

• depositing a first layer polyelectrolyte on a surface of a substrate to form a first layer;
• wherein, a first layer polyelectrolye comprises a first antigenic polypeptide comprising one or more surface adsorption regions covalently linked to one or more antigenic determinant regions, wherein the antigenic polypeptide and the one or more surface adsorption regions have the same polarity,
• wherein the one or more surface adsorption regions comprises one or more amino acid sequence motifs, the one or more amino acid sequence motifs consisting of 5 to 15 amino acids and having a magnitude of net charge per residue of greater than or equal to 0.4, and
• wherein the one or more antigenic determinant regions comprises 3 to about 250 amino acid residues,
• wherein the first antigenic polypeptide is not a homopolymer, is at least 15 amino acids long, and has an aqueous solubility at pH 4 to 10 of greater than 50 μg/ml;
• depositing a second layer polyelectrolyte on the first layer polyelectrolyte to form a second layer;
• 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.