Article
Immunology
Samy Taha, Muhamed-Kheir Taha, Ala-Eddine Deghmane
Summary: Mandatory vaccination against meningococci serogroup C in France has led to a significant decrease in cases among children under 2 years old and a decreasing trend in the 2-14 years old group. However, the vaccine coverage among adolescents and young adults remains low, resulting in no significant decrease among the 15-25 years old group. Genomic analysis identified cyclic variations of two major genotypes, providing important insights for vaccination strategy.
Article
Microbiology
Henju Marjuki, How-Yi Chang, Nadav Topaz, Melissa J. Whaley, Jeni Vuong, Alexander Chen, Laurel T. Jenkins, Fang Hu, Susanna Schmink, Adam C. Retchless, Jennifer D. Thomas, Anna M. Acosta, Lucy A. McNamara, Heidi M. Soeters, Sarah Mbaeyi, Xin Wang
Summary: The MenB-FHbp vaccine did not impact carriage of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B strains in university students, regardless of vaccination status. The distribution of vaccine antigen peptides was similar between vaccinated and unvaccinated participants, indicating insignificant vaccine selective pressure on the carriage population. The majority of carriage isolates harbored intact fHbp genes, and strains recovered from repeat carriers retained the same vaccine antigen profile.
Review
Immunology
Mark McMillan, Abira Chandrakumar, Hua Lin Rachael Wang, Michelle Clarke, Thomas R. Sullivan, Ross M. Andrews, Mary Ramsay, Helen S. Marshall
Summary: Meningococcal conjugate C, ACWY, and OMV vaccines are effective in reducing invasive meningococcal disease, while monovalent C conjugate vaccines can reduce pharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis. There is no evidence that multivalent MenACWY, OMV, or recombinant MenB vaccines can reduce carriage, which has implications for immunization strategies.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Melissa J. Whaley, Jeni T. Vuong, Nadav Topaz, How-Yi Chang, Jennifer Dolan Thomas, Laurel T. Jenkins, Fang Hu, Susanna Schmink, Evelene Steward-Clark, Marsenia Mathis, Lorraine D. Rodriguez-Rivera, Adam C. Retchless, Sandeep J. Joseph, Alexander Chen, Anna M. Acosta, Lucy McNamara, Heidi M. Soeters, Sarah Mbaeyi, Henju Marjuki, Xin Wang
Summary: This study found that the majority of meningococcal carriage isolates collected from student populations at three US universities were unable to be classified into specific serogroups, either due to capsule null or mutations within the capsule locus. Several mutations were found to be reversible, allowing the bacteria to switch between encapsulated and non-encapsulated states. These findings have important implications for strategies to control and prevent diseases caused by this pathogen.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Sara Morselli, Valeria Gaspari, Alessia Cantiani, Melissa Salvo, Claudio Foschi, Tiziana Lazzarotto, Antonella Marangoni
Summary: The study found a negative association between Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a cohort of men having sex with men, with meningococcal carriage being more common in younger individuals.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Nichlas Hovmand, Lene Fogt Lundbo, Gitte Kronborg, Sidsel Skou Voss, Hakon Sandholdt, Steen Hoffmann, Palle Valentiner-Branth, Thomas Ben
Summary: In Denmark, the incidence of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W has increased, with higher mortality compared to other serogroups. Age and manifestation are associated with increased risk of infection and death.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wearn-Xin Yee, Grace Barnes, Hayley Lavender, Christoph M. Tang
Summary: Neisseria meningitidis uses fHbp to interact with human CFH, allowing it to evade the immune system and cause meningitis. The interaction between fHbp and CFH is crucial for the development of invasive meningococcal disease. Understanding this interaction has informed the design of vaccines to combat meningococcal infections and accelerate disease elimination.
TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jeremy P. Carr, Jenny M. MacLennan, Emma Plested, Holly B. Bratcher, Odile B. Harrison, Parvinder K. Aley, James E. Bray, Susana Camara, Charlene M. C. Rodrigues, Kimberly Davis, Angela Bartolf, David Baxter, J. Claire Cameron, Richard Cunningham, Saul N. Faust, Katy Fidler, Rohit Gowda, Paul T. Heath, Stephen Hughes, Sujata Khajuria, David Orr, Mala Raman, Andrew Smith, David P. J. Turner, Elizabeth Whittaker, Christopher J. Williams, Christos S. Zipitis, Andrew J. Pollard, Jennifer Oliver, Begonia Morales-Aza, Aiswarya Lekshmi, Stephen A. Clark, Ray Borrow, Hannah Christensen, Caroline Trotter, Adam Finn, Martin C. Maiden, Matthew D. Snape
Summary: The MenACWY vaccination program in the UK has shown positive impact on reducing carriage rates of serogroup W and Y meningococci among school students aged 15 to 19 years. The study supports the use of quadrivalent MenACWY conjugate vaccine for indirect (herd) protection.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Mark McMillan, Ann P. Koehler, Andrew Lawrence, Thomas R. Sullivan, Jana Bednarz, Jenny M. MacLennan, Martin C. J. Maiden, Shamez N. Ladhani, Mary E. Ramsay, Caroline Trotter, Ray Borrow, Adam Finn, Charlene M. Kahler, Jane Whelan, Kumaran Vadivelu, Peter C. Richmond, Helen S. Marshall
Summary: The study showed that increased uptake of 4CMenB vaccine in adolescents did not lead to a decline in carriage of disease-associated meningococci. Therefore, 4CMenB immunization programs should focus more on providing direct protection for groups at highest risk of the disease.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Arianna Neri, Massimo Fabiani, Anna Maria Barbui, Caterina Vocale, Alessandro Miglietta, Cecilia Fazio, Anna Carannante, Annapina Palmieri, Paola Vacca, Paola Stefanelli, Luigina Ambrosio
Summary: This study evaluated the presence of neutralizing antibodies over time in different cohorts of children vaccinated against serogroup C Neisseria meningitidis. The results showed a significant decline in antibody titers every year, particularly in children vaccinated with the MCC vaccine.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ala-Eddine Deghmane, Muhamed-Kheir Taha
Summary: Bexsero (R) is a multicomponent vaccine that provides protection against invasive meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B isolates. It has good immunogenicity and requires booster doses in infants and young children. It may also be effective against non-B isolates.
HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Marco Aurelio P. Safadi, Federico Martinon-Torres, Lidia Serra, Cynthia Burman, Jessica Presa
Summary: Recombinant MenB vaccines are valuable tools for healthcare professionals in protecting against invasive meningococcal disease. These vaccines have been extensively evaluated and shown to be safe and effective in real-world studies, but there are still many unanswered questions.
EXPERT REVIEW OF VACCINES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Kathryn A. Matthias, Kristie L. Connolly, Afrin A. Begum, Ann E. Jerse, Andrew N. Macintyre, Gregory D. Sempowski, Margaret C. Bash
Summary: Recent studies have found that Neisseria meningitidis vaccines lacking specific proteins can provide protection against Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in mice, and the antibodies produced can cross-react with N. gonorrhoeae. This finding supports the development of a cross-protective vaccine against Neisseria infections.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Alicia R. Feagins, Adodo Yao Sadji, Nadav Topaz, Mark Itsko, Jacqueline Wemboo Afiwa Halatoko, Alessou Dzoka, Joseph Labite, Yao Kata, Sylvain Gomez, Komlan Kossi, Hamadi Assane, Christelle Nikiema-Pessinaba, Ryan Novak, Henju Marjuki, Xin Wang
Summary: The recent outbreak of invasive NmC strain in Togo highlights the changing epidemiology of bacterial meningitis in the meningitis belt post-MACV. The study emphasizes the need for effective molecular surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, and a multivalent vaccine that is effective against all circulating serogroups.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Yunyi Zhang, Xuan Deng, Yan Jiang, Junyan Zhang, Li Zhan, Lingling Mei, Hangjing Lu, Pingping Yao, Hanqing He
Summary: From 2011 to July 2021, there were 55 reported cases of Neisseria meningitidis in Zhejiang Province, China. The predominant serogroup was MenB, with an increasing incidence over the years. This study provided valuable data on the temporal epidemiological characteristics of meningococcal disease and healthy carriage.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mike Flint, Payel Chatterjee, David L. Lin, Laura K. McMullan, Punya Shrivastava-Ranjan, Eric Bergeron, Michael K. Lo, Stephen R. Welch, Stuart T. Nichol, Andrew W. Tai, Christina F. Spiropoulou
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2019)
Article
Immunology
Luke R. Green, Neelam Dave, Adeolu B. Adewoye, Jay Lucidarme, Stephen A. Clark, Neil J. Oldfield, David P. J. Turner, Ray Borrow, Christopher D. Bayliss
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2019)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Meagan E. Peterson, You Li, Heather Shanks, Rebecca Mile, Harish Nair, Moe H. Kyaw, Daniela Amicizia, Christopher D. Bayliss, Leila Carvalho Campos, Paul Robert Cleary, Valerie Delbos, Susanna Esposito, Paul A. Kristiansen, Sarah A. Mbaeyi, Neil J. Oldfield, Donatella Panatto, Fernanda Rodrigues, Heidi M. Soeters, David P. J. Turner, Aiqiang Xu
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mary K. Yates, Payel Chatterjee, Mike Flint, Yafet Arefeayne, Damjan Makuc, Janez Plavec, Christina F. Spiropoulou, Katherine L. Seley-Radtke
Article
Immunology
Mahab A. K. Aljannat, Neil J. Oldfield, Hibah M. Albasri, Louise K. G. Dorrington, Radhica L. Ohri, Karl G. Wooldridge, David P. J. Turner
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2020)
Correction
Microbiology
Ronni A. G. da Silva, Andrey V. Karlyshev, Neil J. Oldfield, Karl G. Wooldridge, Christopher D. Bayliss, Ali Ryan, Ruth Griffin
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Luke R. Green, Ali A. Al-Rubaiawi, Mohammad A. R. M. Al-Maeni, Odile B. Harrison, Matthew Blades, Neil J. Oldfield, David P. J. Turner, Martin C. J. Maiden, Christopher D. Bayliss
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Merryn Voysey, Sue Ann Costa Clemens, Shabir A. Madhi, Lily Y. Weckx, Pedro M. Folegatti, Parvinder K. Aley, Brian Angus, Vicky L. Baillie, Shaun L. Barnabas, Qasim E. Bhorat, Sagida Bibi, Carmen Briner, Paola Cicconi, Andrea M. Collins, Rachel Colin-Jones, Clare L. Cutland, Thomas C. Darton, Keertan Dheda, Christopher J. A. Duncan, Katherine R. W. Emary, Katie J. Ewer, Lee Fairlie, Saul N. Faust, Shuo Feng, Daniela M. Ferreira, Adam Finn, Anna L. Goodman, Catherine M. Green, Christopher A. Green, Paul T. Heath, Catherine Hill, Helen Hill, Ian Hirsch, Susanne H. C. Hodgson, Alane Izu, Susan Jackson, Daniel Jenkin, Carina C. D. Joe, Simon Kerridge, Anthonet Koen, Gaurav Kwatra, Rajeka Lazarus, Alison M. Lawrie, Alice Lelliott, Vincenzo Libri, Patrick J. Lillie, Raburn Mallory, Ana V. A. Mendes, Eveline P. Milan, Angela M. Minassian, Alastair McGregor, Hazel Morrison, Yama F. Mujadidi, Anusha Nana, Peter J. O'Reilly, Sherman D. Padayachee, Ana Pittella, Emma Plested, Katrina M. Pollock, Maheshi N. Ramasamy, Sarah Rhead, Alexandre V. Schwarzbold, Nisha Singh, Andrew Smith, Rinn Song, Matthew D. Snape, Eduardo Sprinz, Rebecca K. Sutherland, Richard Tarrant, Emma C. Thomson, M. Estee Torok, Mark Toshner, David P. J. Turner, Johan Vekemans, Tonya L. Villafana, Marion E. E. Watson, Christopher J. Williams, Alexander D. Douglas, Adrian V. S. Hill, Teresa Lambe, Sarah C. Gilbert, Andrew J. Pollard
Summary: The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine has been shown to have an acceptable safety profile and effectiveness against symptomatic COVID-19, with higher efficacy observed in the group that received a low dose followed by a standard dose.
Article
Immunology
Sheyda Azimi, Lee M. Wheldon, Neil J. Oldfield, Dlawer A. A. Ala'Aldeen, Karl G. Wooldridge
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2020)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jonathan C. Holmes, Luke R. Green, Neil J. Oldfield, David P. J. Turner, Christopher D. Bayliss
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Maxime Bessieres, Elzbieta Plebanek, Payel Chatterjee, Punya Shrivastava-Ranjan, Mike Flint, Christina F. Spiropoulou, Dawid Warszycki, Andrzej J. Bojarski, Vincent Roy, Luigi A. Agrofoglio
Summary: Novel 2-substituted-6-[(4-substituted-1-piperidyl)methyl]-1H-benzimidazoles were designed and synthesized as potential Ebola virus inhibitors, with compounds 25a and 26a demonstrating high potency and selectivity by blocking viral entry through NPC1 inhibition. This study suggests the development of small molecule drugs capable of inhibiting Ebola virus, particularly at the viral entry step.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Merryn Voysey, Sue Ann Costa Clemens, Shabir A. Madhi, Lily Y. Weckx, Pedro M. Folegatti, Parvinder K. Aley, Brian Angus, Vicky L. Baillie, Shaun L. Barnabas, Qasim E. Bhorat, Sagida Bibi, Carmen Briner, Paola Cicconi, Elizabeth A. Clutterbuck, Andrea M. Collins, Clare L. Cutland, Thomas C. Darton, Keertan Dheda, Christina Dold, Christopher J. A. Duncan, Katherine R. W. Emary, Katie J. Ewer, Amy Flaxman, Lee Fairlie, Saul N. Faust, Shuo Feng, Daniela M. Ferreira, Adam Finn, Eva Galiza, Anna L. Goodman, Catherine M. Green, Christopher A. Green, Melanie Greenland, Catherine Hill, Helen C. Hill, Ian Hirsch, Alane Izu, Daniel Jenkin, Carina C. D. Joe, Simon Kerridge, Anthonet Koen, Gaurav Kwatra, Rajeka Lazarus, Vincenzo Libri, Patrick J. Lillie, Natalie G. Marchevsky, Richard P. Marshall, Ana V. A. Mendes, Eveline P. Milan, Angela M. Minassian, Alastair McGregor, Yama F. Mujadidi, Anusha Nana, Sherman D. Padayachee, Daniel J. Phillips, Ana Pittella, Emma Plested, Katrina M. Pollock, Maheshi N. Ramasamy, Adam J. Ritchie, Hannah Robinson, Alexandre V. Schwarzbold, Andrew Smith, Rinn Song, Matthew D. Snape, Eduardo Sprinz, Rebecca K. Sutherland, Emma C. Thomson, M. Estee Torok, Mark Toshner, David P. J. Turner, Johan Vekemans, Tonya L. Villafana, Thomas White, Christopher J. Williams, Alexander D. Douglas, Adrian V. S. Hill, Teresa Lambe, Sarah C. Gilbert, Andrew J. Pollard
Summary: The AZD1222 vaccine has been approved for emergency use in the UK with an interval of 4-12 weeks between doses. Analysis shows that the vaccine is efficacious with two doses and provides immunoprotection after the first dose before the second dose is administered.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Katherine R. W. Emary, Tanya Golubchik, Parvinder K. Aley, Cristina Ariani, Brian Angus, Sagida Bibi, Beth Blane, David Bonsall, Paola Cicconi, Sue Charlton, Elizabeth A. Clutterbuck, Andrea M. Collins, Tony Cox, Thomas C. Darton, Christina Dold, Alexander D. Douglas, Christopher J. A. Duncan, Katie J. Ewer, Amy L. Flaxman, Saul N. Faust, Daniela M. Ferreira, Shuo Feng, Adam Finn, Pedro M. Folegatti, Michelle Fuskova, Eva Galiza, Anna L. Goodman, Catherine M. Green, Christopher A. Green, Melanie Greenland, Bassam Hallis, Paul T. Heath, Jodie Hay, Helen C. Hill, Daniel Jenkin, Simon Kerridge, Rajeka Lazarus, Vincenzo Libri, Patrick J. Lillie, Catherine Ludden, Natalie G. Marchevsky, Angela M. Minassian, Alastair C. McGregor, Yama F. Mujadidi, Daniel J. Phillips, Emma Plested, Katrina M. Pollock, Hannah Robinson, Andrew Smith, Rinn Song, Matthew D. Snape, Rebecca K. Sutherland, Emma C. Thomson, Mark Toshner, David P. J. Turner, Johan Vekemans, Tonya L. Villafana, Christopher J. Williams, Adrian V. S. Hill, Teresa Lambe, Sarah C. Gilbert, Merryn Voysey, Maheshi N. Ramasamy, Andrew J. Pollard
Summary: A post-hoc analysis was conducted on the efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine against the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the UK. The vaccine showed reduced neutralisation activity against the B.1.1.7 variant in vitro, but still demonstrated efficacy against the B.1.1.7 variant of the virus.
Article
Virology
Stephen R. Welch, Jessica R. Spengler, Sarah C. Genzer, Payel Chatterjee, Mike Flint, Eric Bergeron, Joel M. Montgomery, Stuart T. Nichol, Cesar G. Albarino, Christina F. Spiropoulou
Summary: A recombinant reporter virus system was developed to evaluate antiviral compounds against the highly pathogenic Lujo virus, identifying six compounds with robust anti-LUJV activity, including potential new pan-arenavirus antivirals. This provides critical evidence for developing broad-spectrum antivirals against high-consequence arenaviruses.
Article
Virology
Caitlin M. Cossaboom, Natalie M. Wendling, Nathaniel M. Lewis, Hannah Rettler, Robert R. Harvey, Brian R. Amman, Jonathan S. Towner, Jessica R. Spengler, Robert Erickson, Cindy Burnett, Erin L. Young, Kelly Oakeson, Ann Carpenter, Markus H. Kainulainen, Payel Chatterjee, Mike Flint, Anna Uehara, Yan Li, Jing Zhang, Anna Kelleher, Brian Lynch, Adam C. Retchless, Suxiang Tong, Ausaf Ahmad, Paige Bunkley, Claire Godino, Owen Herzegh, Jan Drobeniuc, Jane Rooney, Dean Taylor, Casey Barton Behravesh
Summary: From July-November 2020, an increase in mortality rates among minks in 12 Utah farms was caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Epidemiological investigations on six farms revealed evidence of virus transmission between minks and humans, as well as other animal species. This highlights the importance of a One Health approach to prevent and manage emerging zoonotic diseases.