MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES IN VACCINE FORMULATIONS
Vaccine formulations which provide for active or passive immunity against infection by pathogens. The active component of the vaccines of the present invention comprises a monoclonal antibody or a fragment of the monoclonal antibody which contains the idiotype of the molecule. Vaccine formulations which provide for active immunization of a host against a particular pathogen, are prepared using monoclonal antibodies or idiotypic fragments that bear the conformational image of a specific receptor of the pathogen. Vaccine formulations which provide for passive immunity are prepared from anti-idiotypic antibodies or idiotypic fragments thereof that bear the conformational image of a ligand that binds specifically to a receptor of the pathogen. In either approach, the pathogen is not required to prepare the antibody which comprises the active component of the vaccine formulation.