Conjugates of synthetic nanocarriers, complexed with syngeneic (self) proteins adducted with haptens or other poorly immunogenic antigens (antigens of low immunogenicity), elicit selective humoral responses or antibodies against the hapten or antigen and not to self-protein. Compositions include these conjugates, which can be used as vaccines. Methods of making and using them are described herein. In a typical embodiment, a conjugate including a hapten or antigen of low immunogenicity associated with a particular disease (e.g., infection, cancer) can be used as a vaccine by eliciting antibodies that specifically neutralize the hapten or antigen. These hapten (and other poorly immunogenic antigen)-carrying nanocarriers selectively target antigen presenting cells resulting in a strong anti-hapten humoral response, and thus find use in vaccines for cancer (e.g., cancers of lung, cervix, breast, brain, liver pancreas, ovaries, skin, etc.), infectious diseases and inflammatory-mediated diseases, as well as for autoimmune disorders.
