Article
Cell Biology
Alec W. Freyn, Caroline Atyeo, Patricia L. Earl, Jeffrey L. Americo, Gwo-Yu Chuang, Harini Natarajan, Tiffany R. Frey, Jason G. Gall, Juan I. Moliva, Ruth Hunegnaw, Guha Asthagiri Arunkumar, Clinton O. Ogega, Arshan Nasir, Genesis Santos, Rafael H. Levin, Anusha Meni, Patricia A. Jorquera, Hamilton Bennett, Joshua A. Johnson, Michael A. Durney, Guillaume Stewart-Jones, Jay W. Hooper, Tonya M. Colpitts, Galit Alter, Nancy J. Sullivan, Andrea Carfi, Bernard Moss
Summary: Researchers have found that an mRNA-based MPXV vaccine can provide robust protection against VACV and is more effective than current vaccines. The vaccine also generates stronger neutralizing activity against MPXV and VACV, and efficiently inhibits spread between cells. Additionally, the vaccine induces stronger humoral immunity and provides protection against multiple MPXV antigens and VACV homologs.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
An Fang, Yueming Yuan, Baokuen Sui, Zhihui Wang, Yuan Zhang, Ming Zhou, Huanchun Chen, Zhen F. Fu, Ling Zhao
Summary: This study reveals a novel function of miRNA-200b-3p in negatively regulating IFN-I production during viral infection through MAPK pathway. Application of miR-200b-3p inhibitors exhibits potent antiviral effects. These findings provide fresh insight into host-virus interactions and reveal a potential therapeutic target for common antiviral intervention.
Article
Virology
Laura A. VanBlargan, Pavle S. Milutinovic, Leslie Goo, Christina R. DeMaso, Anna P. Durbin, Stephen S. Whitehead, Theodore C. Pierson, Kimberly A. Dowd
Summary: This study reveals that minor sequence variations among virus strains impact the neutralization of Dengue virus serotype 1 by polyclonal antibodies, suggesting that neutralization sensitivity is influenced by various factors beyond variation within antibody epitopes. Understanding the antibody targets and factors governing their access to antibodies has significant implications for the design and evaluation of Dengue virus immunogens.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Yaru Mu, Quan Xie, Weikang Wang, Hao Lu, Mingjun Lian, Wei Gao, Tuofan Li, Zhimin Wan, Hongxia Shao, Aijian Qin, Jianqiang Ye
Summary: A novel live-attenuated vaccine candidate for FAdV-4, FAdV4-RFP_F1, was developed in this study and demonstrated high stability and efficient protection in both in vitro and in vivo experiments, offering new hope for the control and prevention of FAdV-4.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jiao Hu, Qi Zhang, Peipei Peng, Rumeng Li, Jun Li, Xiaoquan Wang, Min Gu, Zenglei Hu, Shunlin Hu, Xiaowen Liu, Mei Mei, Xinan Jiao, Daxin Peng, Xiufan Liu
Summary: This study generated a H7N9 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine and evaluated its efficacy in chickens and mice. The H7N9 VLP induced robust antibody immune responses and provided complete clinical protection against H7N9 virus challenge in both animal models. Additionally, the vaccine significantly reduced virus shedding and alleviated pulmonary lesions. Moreover, the H7N9 VLP also induced high T cell immunity and decreased the expression of inflammatory cytokines in mouse lungs. These findings highlight the potential of VLP-based vaccines as an alternative to traditional egg-based vaccines for controlling H7N9 influenza virus in both humans and poultry.
VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ruka Nakasone, Mariko Ashina, Takumi Kido, Harunori Miyauchi, Masafumi Saito, Shigeaki Inoue, Masakazu Shinohara, Kandai Nozu, Kazumichi Fujioka
Summary: The study investigates the impact of initial low-dose septic challenge on neonatal sepsis mortality, showing that prior exposure to a non-lethal challenge significantly reduces the occurrence of lethal sepsis.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Michelle Felicia Lee, Guan Zhong Voon, Hui Xuan Lim, Mun Lok Chua, Chit Laa Poh
Summary: Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that poses significant public health concerns in tropical and subtropical countries. The dengue virus has evolved various strategies to manipulate the host's immune responses, and miRNAs and DENV non-structural proteins (NS) are promising targets for anti-dengue therapeutics.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Ji Eun Oh, Eric Song, Miyu Moriyama, Patrick Wong, Sophia Zhang, Ruoyi Jiang, Shirin Strohmeier, Steven H. Kleinstein, Florian Krammer, Akiko Iwasaki
Summary: Research shows that intranasal immunization induces local IgA secretion in the bronchoalveolar space, providing effective protection against respiratory virus infections; single-cell RNA sequencing reveals a heterogeneous population of IgA-expressing cells within the respiratory mucosa, including tissue-resident memory B cells, plasmablasts, and plasma cells.
SCIENCE IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Jose Angel Regla-Nava, Ying-Ting Wang, Camila R. Fontes-Garfias, Yang Liu, Thasneem Syed, Mercylia Susantono, Andrew Gonzalez, Karla M. Viramontes, Shailendra Kumar Verma, Kenneth Kim, Sara Landeras-Bueno, Chun-Teng Huang, Daniil M. Prigozhin, Joseph G. Gleeson, Alexey Terskikh, Pei-Yong Shi, Sujan Shresta
Summary: Zika virus and dengue virus co-circulate in many countries. This study found that Zika virus strains passaged in cultured mosquito cells exhibit increased pathogenesis in dengue virus-immune mice. A specific mutation was identified to enhance Zika virus replication.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ruixue Hou, Lewis E. Tomalin, Jessica Pintado Silva, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, Stephen S. Whitehead, Ana Fernandez-Sesma, Anna P. Durbin, Mayte Suarez-Farinas
Summary: Understanding the immune response to dengue virus is crucial for dengue vaccine development. This study showed that the tetravalent vaccine has better protective effects against DENV compared to the trivalent admixture. Additionally, differences in immune responses between Black and White participants were observed.
Article
Immunology
John T. Schroeder, Anja P. Bieneman
Summary: COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has become a global pandemic with significant health and socioeconomic consequences. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 can lead to lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), possibly due to a dysregulated innate immune response or cytokine release syndrome (CRS). The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 plays a crucial role in the infection process, and recent research has shown that the S1 subunit can activate monocytes to produce cytokines associated with CRS in COVID-19.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Virology
Leqiang Sun, Yajie Tang, Keji Yan, Huawei Zhang
Summary: PRV GDFS-delgI/gE/US9/US2 strain is a potential new live attenuated vaccine against emerging PRV variant strain infections in China.
Article
Microbiology
Meng Hao, Ting Bian, Guangcheng Fu, Yi Chen, Ting Fang, Chuanyi Zhao, Shuling Liu, Changming Yu, Jianmin Li, Wei Chen
Summary: This study focuses on Rift valley fever virus (RVFV), a bunyavirus transmitted by mosquitoes that causes severe diseases in animals and humans. The researchers developed a potential vaccine and tested its immunogenicity and protective efficacy in mice, showing promising results. However, further research is needed to confirm its efficacy in a natural animal host and to potentially progress as a vaccine candidate for humans.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Lianpan Dai, Kun Xu, Jinhe Li, Qingrui Huang, Jian Song, Yuxuan Han, Tianyi Zheng, Ping Gao, Xuancheng Lu, Huabing Yang, Kefang Liu, Qianfeng Xia, Qihui Wang, Yan Chai, Jianxun Qi, Jinghua Yan, George F. Gao
Summary: Gao and colleagues developed a ZIKV vaccine that induced sterilizing immunity and fetal protection in mice, while avoiding ADE following subsequent DENV infection.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yeye Hu, Wei Zhang, Xiaozhong Chu, Aoran Wang, Ziliang He, Chuan-Ling Si, Weicheng Hu
Summary: This paper reviews and compares DC surface receptors and their specific coupling natural ligands and antibodies, describes reaction mechanisms, and demonstrates the synergistic effects of immune adjuvants. Moreover, extracellular-targeting antigen-delivery strategies and intracellular stimulus responses are reviewed to promote the rational design of polymer delivery systems.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Higo Fernando Santos Souza, Arthur Baruel Zaneti, Bianca da Silva Almeida, Jessica Amaral Martinho, Marcio Massao Yamamoto, Daniela Santoro Rosa, Renata Denzegrini Slhessarenko, Silvia Beatriz Boscardin
Summary: Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that is prevalent in many tropical and subtropical countries. The study found that the DENV-2 envelope protein produced in fruit fly S2 cells is more frequently recognized, while the protein produced in bacteria shows better correlation with the DENV-2 sera neutralization capacity.
IMMUNOLOGIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Barbara Batista Salgado, Fabio Carmona de Jesus Maues, Maele Jordao, Renato Lemos Pereira, Daniel A. Toledo-Teixeira, Pierina L. Parise, Fabiana Granja, Higo Fernando Santos Souza, Marcio Massao Yamamoto, Jannifer Oliveira Chiang, Livia Caricio Martins, Silvia Beatriz Boscardin, Jaila Dias Borges Lalwani, Pedro Fernando C. Vasconcelos, Jose Luiz Proenca-Modena, Pritesh Lalwani
Summary: This study investigated the serological response of residents in Manaus, Brazil, and found that 74.52% of participants had IgG positivity, 93.7% were seropositive for at least one DENV serotype, and there was a high degree of cross-reactivity with yellow fever and other flaviviruses. The study suggests that the population in the Manaus-Amazon region may be susceptible to emerging and endemic arboviruses.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Virology
Janaina Macedo-da-Silva, Livia Rosa-Fernandes, Vinicius de Morais Gomes, Veronica Feijoli Santiago, Deivid Martins Santos, Catarina Maria Stanischesk Molnar, Bruno Rafael Barboza, Edmarcia Elisa de Souza, Rodolfo Ferreira Marques, Silvia Beatriz Boscardin, Edison Luiz Durigon, Claudio Romero Farias Marinho, Carsten Wrenger, Suely Kazue Nagahashi Marie, Giuseppe Palmisano
Summary: We found that SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to increased protein arginylation, and inhibition of this process has potential therapeutic value.
Article
Immunology
Natalia S. Ferreira, Nathalia F. Lima, Fernando B. Sulczewski, Irene S. Soares, Marcelo U. Ferreira, Silvia B. Boscardin
Summary: Regulatory and effector cell responses to Plasmodium vivax infection were studied in a group of 38 Amazonian adults. The study found increased frequency of CD4(+)CD45RA(-)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) T regulatory cells and expanded population of CD21(-)CD27(-) atypical memory cells within the CD19(+) B-cell compartment during acute infection. The study also identified changes in cell populations that had not been described in human malaria, such as increased frequency of CTLA-4(+) T follicular regulatory cells and decreased frequency of circulating CD24(hi)CD27(+) B regulatory cells. These findings contribute to the understanding of naturally acquired immunity in P. vivax malaria.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fernanda Caroline Coirada, Edgar Ruz Fernandes, Lucas Rodrigues de Mello, Viviane Schuch, Gubio Soares Campos, Carla Torres Braconi, Silvia Beatriz Boscardin, Daniela Santoro Rosa
Summary: This study evaluated the immunogenicity of two DNA vaccines (a non-targeted and a dendritic cell-targeted vaccine) against CHIKV and highlights the importance of the E2(CHIKV) protein for the development of a CHIKV vaccine. The heterologous non-targeted DNA prime-E2*(CHIKV) protein boost strategy resulted in high levels of neutralizing antibodies, specific IFN-γ producing cells, and polyfunctional CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. Immunization with recombinant E2*(CHIKV) combined with the adjuvant AS03 presented the highest humoral response with neutralizing capacity. The non-targeted pVAX-E2 DNA vaccine prime followed by E2* protein + AS03 boost was identified as a promising combination to elicit a broad humoral and cellular immune response.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Karla R. Castro, Grazielle O. Setti, Tassia R. de Oliveira, Monica J. Rodrigues-Jesus, Viviane F. Botosso, Ana P. Perini de Araujo, Edson L. Durigon, Luis C. S. Ferreira, Ronaldo C. Faria
Summary: An electrochemical immunoassay using magnetic beads and enzyme-labeled antibodies was developed for the detection of anti-ZIKV antibodies. The method showed high efficiency in detecting anti-ZIKV antibodies in serum samples, offering promising perspectives for the development of fast, simple, and affordable point-of-care diagnosis devices for ZIKV.
Article
Virology
Maria Fernanda de Castro-Amarante, Samuel Santos Pereira, Lennon Ramos Pereira, Lucas Souza Santos, Alexia Adrianne Venceslau-Carvalho, Eduardo Gimenes Martins, Andrea Balan, Luis Carlos de Souza Ferreira
Summary: This study evaluated the cross-inhibition effect of the DV2 peptide against Zika virus (ZIKV) and found that it efficiently inhibited ZIKV infectivity and reduced mortality in mice. These findings suggest that synthetic stem-based peptides have therapeutic potential against ZIKV infections.
Article
Virology
Carlos Roberto Prudencio, Vivaldo Gomes da Costa, Leticia Barboza Rocha, Hernan Hermes Monteiro da Costa, Diego Jose Belato Orts, Felipe Rocha da Silva Santos, Paula Rahal, Nikolas Alexander Borsato Lino, Pamela Joyce Previdelli da Conceicao, Cintia Bittar, Rafael Rahal Guaragna Machado, Edison Luiz Durigon, Joao Pessoa Araujo Jr, Juliana Moutinho Polatto, Miriam Aparecida da Silva, Joyce Araujo de Oliveira, Thais Mitsunari, Lennon Ramos Pereira, Robert Andreata-Santos, Luis Carlos de Souza Ferreira, Daniela Luz, Roxane Maria Fontes Piazza
Summary: This study successfully developed serological tests for the detection of Zika virus infection, which can enhance the sensitivity of detecting Zika virus-infected subjects.
Article
Immunology
Victoria Alves Santos Lunardelli, Bianca da Silva Almeida, Juliana de Souza Apostolico, Thais Rezende, Marcio Massao Yamamoto, Samuel Santos Pereira, Maria Fernanda Campagnari Bueno, Lennon Ramos Pereira, Karina Inacio Carvalho, Renata Dezengrini Slhessarenko, Luis Carlos de Souza Ferreira, Silvia Beatriz Boscardin, Daniela Santoro Rosa
Summary: This study evaluated the features of different recombinant forms of Zika virus proteins produced in bacterial or insect cells. The results showed that proteins produced in bacterial cells had better sensitivity and specificity, and were able to induce higher levels of Zika virus neutralizing antibodies. In addition, proteins produced in insect cells also induced specific cellular immune responses.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Wesley L. Fotoran, Jamile Ramos da Silva, Christiane Glitz, Luis Carlos de Souza Ferreira, Gerhard Wunderlich
Summary: This study demonstrated that cationic lipid-encapsulated self-amplifying mRNA (samRNA) constructs could achieve efficient gene transfection and antibody production in mouse skin, using a Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) vector. These results suggest that intradermal delivery of samRNA constructs with cationic lipid encapsulation is a feasible approach for developing malaria vaccines.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jose Luis Corchero, Marianna T. P. Favaro, Merce Marquez-Martinez, Jara Lascorz, Carlos Martinez-Torro, Julieta M. Sanchez, Hector Lopez-Laguna, Luis Carlos de Souza Ferreira, Esther Vazquez, Neus Ferrer-Miralles, Antonio Villaverde, Eloi Parlade
Summary: By using protein engineering techniques, recombinant proteins can be assembled into functional materials such as nanoparticles or secretory microparticles for drug delivery purposes. The use of histidine-rich tags and divalent cations allows the construction of these materials from pure polypeptide samples. The selection of the protein biofabrication platform is crucial in determining the biophysical properties of the resulting products.
Article
Microbiology
Suelen S. Santos, Eline Rampazo, Carlos P. Taborda, Joshua D. Nosanchuk, Silvia B. Boscardin, Sandro R. Almeida
Summary: Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, a common endemic fungus in Latin American countries. Vaccines targeting strong T cell-mediated immune responses are being developed. The P10 peptide derived from the fungus has shown promise in inducing immune responses when targeted to dendritic cells (DC) with a monoclonal antibody to the DEC205 receptor. In experiments with mice, treatment with the aDEC/P10 chimeric antibody resulted in increased IFN-γ and IL-4 levels, reduced fungal burdens, and normal lung tissue architecture. This strategy shows potential for vaccination and therapy against PCM.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Freddy A. Nunez, Ana C. H. Castro, Isabela P. Daher, Edecio Cunha-Neto, Jorge Kalil, Silvia B. Boscardin, Alexandre J. C. Lanfredi, Vivian L. de Oliveira, Wendel A. Alves
Summary: The evaluation of serological responses to COVID-19 is crucial for population-level surveillance, developing new vaccines, and evaluating the efficacy of different immunization programs. A biosensor based on immobilization of the recombinant S protein on ZnONRs was employed for serological evaluation. The technology shows great potential for vaccine assessment and monitoring seroprevalence.
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Guilherme Antonio de Souza-Silva, Fernando Bandeira Sulczewski, Silvia Beatriz Boscardin
Summary: Dendritic cells play a central role in immune development and initiate antigen-specific immune responses. This review discusses the biology of dendritic cells and how their division into subsets affects immune responses. The use of chimeric monoclonal antibodies to deliver antigens to dendritic cells shows promise in modulating immune responses and improving vaccine efficacy against different pathogens.
EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Jamille Ramos Oliveira, Cesar Manuel Remuzgo Ruiz, Rafael Rahal Guaragna Machado, Jhosiene Yukari Magawa, Isabela Pazotti Daher, Alysson Henrique Urbanski, Gabriela Justamante Haendel Schmitz, Helen Andrade Arcuri, Marcelo Alves Ferreira, Greyce Luri Sasahara, Giuliana Xavier de Medeiros, Roberto Carlos Vieira Silva Jr, Edison Luiz Durigon, Silvia Beatriz Boscardin, Daniela Santoro Rosa, Deborah Schechtman, Helder. I. I. Nakaya, Edecio Cunha-Neto, Gabriele Gadermaier, Jorge Kalil, Veronica Coelho, Keity Souza Santos
Summary: This study used an RBD peptide microarray to identify differences in immunodominant regions between COVID-19 convalescents and vaccinated individuals. They found that a specific peptide, P44, was recognized by 68% of convalescents and correlated with neutralizing antibody titers. This suggests that P44 is a relevant and potential target for neutralizing activity.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)