Described is a method for identification, isolation and production ofhyperimmune serum-reactive antigens from aspecific pathogen, a tumor, an allergen or a tissue or host prone toautoimmunity, said antigens being suited for use in a vaccine for agiven type of animal or for humans, which is characterized by the followingsteps: - providing an antibody preparation from a plasmapool of said given type of animal or from a human plasma pool or individualsera with antibodies against said specific pathogen,tumor, allergen or tissue or host prone to auto-immunity, - providing at leastone expression library of said specific pathogen, tumor,allergen or tissue or host prone to auto-immunity, - screening said at leastone expression library with said antibody preparation, - identifyingantigens which bind in said screening to antibodies in said antibodypreparation, - screening the identified antigens withindividual antibody preparations from individual sera from individuals withantibodies against said specific pathogen, tumor, allergenor tissue or host prone to auto-immunity, - identifying the hyperimmune serum-reactive antigen portion of said identified antigens andwhich hyperimmune serum-reactive antigens bind to a relevant portion of saidindividual antibody preparations from said individualsera and - optionally isolating said hyperimmune serum-reactive antigens andproducing said hyperimmune serum-reactive antigensby chemical or recombinant methods.
