Article
Microbiology
Siqi Li, Hyesuk Seo, Ipshita Upadhyay, Weiping Zhang
Summary: This study improved the adhesin MEFA-II to generate functional antibodies against ETEC adhesins, but not the toxins STa and LT.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Carolina Y. Garcia, Hyesuk Seo, David A. Sack, Weiping Zhang
Summary: This study demonstrates the broad immunogenicity of a multivalent ETEC subunit vaccine candidate and suggests that it can be effectively delivered via the intradermal route. The vaccine induces functional antibodies against ETEC adhesins and toxins when administered intradermally.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Nicole Maier, Shannon L. Grahek, Jane Halpern, Suzanne Restrepo, Felipe Troncoso, Janet Shimko, Olga Torres, Jaime Belkind-Gerson, David A. Sack, Ann-Mari Svennerholm, Bjorn Gustafsson, Bjorn Sjostrand, Nils Carlin, A. Louis Bourgeois, Chad K. Porter
Summary: The efficacy of an oral whole cell ETEC vaccine against travelers' diarrhea was reevaluated using novel outcome and immunologic measures. The vaccine showed effectiveness against both severe and mild ETEC-associated diarrhea, and its efficacy was related to immunologic response and TD severity. These findings highlight the importance of improving vaccine formulation and suggest the inclusion of TD severity score as an endpoint in future studies.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ipshita Upadhyay, Shafiullah M. D. Parvej, Siqi Li, Kathryn L. Lauder, Yiyang Shen, Weiping Zhang
Summary: An effective vaccine against ETEC is lacking, which is a primary cause of children's and traveler's diarrhea and a global health threat. The key challenge in ETEC vaccine development is the expression of heterogeneous virulence determinants by ETEC bacteria. This study utilized a unique vaccinology platform to develop a polyvalent antigen that demonstrated broad immunogenicity and functions against targeted ETEC strains.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Essie Komla, Oscar B. Torres, Rashmi Jalah, Agnieszka Sulima, Zoltan Beck, Carl R. Alving, Arthur E. Jacobson, Kenner C. Rice, Gary R. Matyas
Summary: Opioid use disorder is a serious health issue that has been increasing significantly in the past decade. Developing a conjugate vaccine to generate high affinity antibodies and neutralize opioids before they reach the brain is a complementary strategy to combat the crisis. The vaccine components include an opioid hapten conjugated to a carrier protein with adjuvants, and preexisting immunity to the carrier protein does not affect the immunogenicity and efficacy of the vaccine.
Article
Microbiology
Ipshita Upadhyay, Kathryn L. Lauder, Siqi Li, Galen Ptacek, Weiping Zhang
Summary: Currently, there is no licensed vaccine for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), a major cause of diarrhea in developing countries and among travelers. A protein-based multivalent vaccine candidate called MecVax has been shown to induce antibodies that neutralize ETEC toxins and inhibit bacterial adherence. In this study, adult rabbits immunized with MecVax showed a significant reduction in intestinal colonization by ETEC, suggesting that MecVax may be an effective vaccine candidate against ETEC.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Fatemeh Mohammadkhani, Seyed Latif Mousavi Gargari, Shahram Nazarian, Maryam Mafi
Summary: This study aimed to produce IgY antibodies against CEL chimeric protein and evaluate its protective effects against ETEC. The results showed that anti-CEL IgY at a concentration of 2 mg ml(-1) could decrease bacterial adhesion to HT-29 cells by 74%, and at a concentration of 750 μg ml(-1), the IgY antibody managed to neutralize the disruptive LT toxin effect on the Y1 cell line. Passive immunotherapy with anti-CEL IgY can prevent bacterial colonization and toxicity, thus facilitating in controlling enteric diseases caused by ETEC infection.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Richard I. Walker, A. Louis Bourgeois
Summary: Oral immunization is an effective strategy against mucosal enteric pathogens. Inactivated whole bacterial cells can also induce protective immunity. Developing a safe and simple delivery format with controlled immunogenic amounts of complex antigens is essential. Enhancing the efficacy of whole cell vaccines can be achieved through genetic engineering and the use of mucosal adjuvants. The development of ETVAX, a vaccine candidate against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), has shown promising results.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Hyesuk Seo, Carolina Garcia, Xiaosai Ruan, Qiangde Duan, David A. Sack, Weiping Zhang
Summary: The lack of licensed vaccines for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) poses a significant challenge, however, researchers have developed a novel epitope-based multiepitope fusion antigen (MEFA) vaccinology platform to construct two chimeric multivalent proteins that induced protective antibodies against key toxins and adhesins associated with ETEC. The resulting protein-based multivalent ETEC vaccine, MecVax, demonstrated broad immunogenicity and protection against ETEC diarrhea in preclinical models, highlighting its potential as an effective injectable vaccine for ETEC.
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Zhen Long, Chen Wei, Robert Ross, Xi Luo, Xiao Ma, Yingzi Qi, Ruiping Chai, Jianming Cao, Min Huang, Tao Bo
Summary: This study investigated the effects of formaldehyde on industrial TTd and DTd, revealing the detoxification process and structural changes of toxoids. The results showed that TTd and DTd obtained from mild detoxification conditions had higher glycosylation and less impact on foreign proteins. Thus, it is suggested to use mild detoxification conditions when preparing TTd and DTd.
JOURNAL OF CHROMATOGRAPHY B-ANALYTICAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE BIOMEDICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Ian E. Hollifield, Natalya I. Motyka, Sydney R. Stewart, Michelle D. Blyth, Kaylynn A. Fernando, Kristen L. Clement, Jacob P. Bitoun
Summary: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains cause childhood diarrhea by producing heat-stable or heat-labile enterotoxins that alter intracellular signaling and result in water and electrolyte secretion in the intestines. The study investigated the impact of enterotoxins on luminal ion concentrations and the expression of colonization factors (CFs) and toxins. The researchers found that luminal chloride increased significantly while luminal magnesium and iron decreased with the production of the heat-stable enterotoxin. The study also demonstrated that iron restriction influenced the duration of ETEC fecal shedding in mice.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Lijun Shang, Fengjuan Yang, Yushu Wei, Ziqi Dai, Qingyun Chen, Xiangfang Zeng, Shiyan Qiao, Haitao Yu
Summary: This study investigated the effects of gentamicin treatment on the gut microbiota composition and metabolite profile using susceptible piglet models. It was found that gentamicin significantly alleviated diarrhea and intestinal injury, increased the species richness but decreased community evenness of the gut microbiota. Gentamicin treatment also led to the formation of a novel metabolite composition profile. The KEGG database annotation revealed that arachidonic acid metabolism was downregulated while vancomycin resistance pathway was upregulated after gentamicin treatment. Furthermore, the study identified seven possible targets of gentamicin closely related to these two functional pathways through a comprehensive analysis.
Article
Immunology
Ann-Mari Svennerholm, Anna Lundgren, Susannah Leach, Marjahan Akhtar, Firdausi Qadri
Summary: The ETVAX oral vaccine demonstrated the potential to induce strong mucosal immune responses in a majority of vaccinated Swedish adults and individuals of different age groups, including infants, in Bangladesh, showing promise in combating enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Shahnawaz Butt, Jeffrey Gagnon, Mazen Saleh
Summary: This study investigates the interaction between heat-stable enterotoxin b (STb) and glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) in L cells. It is found that STb disrupts intestinal fluid homeostasis and promotes cell death, while GLP-2 enhances cell proliferation and inhibits enterocyte apoptosis. The study also reveals that STb stimulates GLP-2 secretion in L cells, but high levels of GLP-2 can counteract the toxicity of STb. GLP-2 or receptor agonists may have the potential to improve cell viability in response to toxins.
Article
Microbiology
Ian E. Hollifield, Natalya I. Motyka, Kaylynn A. Fernando, Jacob P. Bitoun
Summary: Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) is a common cause of secretory diarrhea in children and adults. The ability of ETEC to survive within macrophages and their interaction with the host immune system is not well understood.
Editorial Material
Infectious Diseases
Hyesuk Seo, Weiping Zhang
LANCET INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2020)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ti Lu, Rodney A. Moxley, Weiping Zhang
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
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Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Qiangde Duan, Wenwen Wu, Shengmei Pang, Zhiming Pan, Weiping Zhang, Guoqiang Zhu
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Hyesuk Seo, Qiangde Duan, Weiping Zhang
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Eric Cox, Meryem Aloulou, James M. Fleckenstein, Christina Schaeffer, Asa Sjoling, Stephanie Schuller, Kurt Hanevik, Bert Devriendt, Weiping Zhang, Ann-Mari Svennerholm, Edward G. Dudley
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Immunology
Hyesuk Seo, Carolina Garcia, Xiaosai Ruan, Qiangde Duan, David A. Sack, Weiping Zhang
Summary: The lack of licensed vaccines for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) poses a significant challenge, however, researchers have developed a novel epitope-based multiepitope fusion antigen (MEFA) vaccinology platform to construct two chimeric multivalent proteins that induced protective antibodies against key toxins and adhesins associated with ETEC. The resulting protein-based multivalent ETEC vaccine, MecVax, demonstrated broad immunogenicity and protection against ETEC diarrhea in preclinical models, highlighting its potential as an effective injectable vaccine for ETEC.
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Carolina Y. Garcia, Hyesuk Seo, David A. Sack, Weiping Zhang
Summary: This study demonstrates the broad immunogenicity of a multivalent ETEC subunit vaccine candidate and suggests that it can be effectively delivered via the intradermal route. The vaccine induces functional antibodies against ETEC adhesins and toxins when administered intradermally.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Richard M. Jones, Hyesuk Seo, Weiping Zhang, David A. Sack
Summary: The study developed a multi-epitope fusion antigen (MEFA) vaccine candidate and tested its protective effect against colonization of Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) using a rabbit model. The results showed that the vaccine generated antibodies against multiple colonization factors and prevented colonization of a challenge strain in the rabbit small intestine.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hyesuk Seo, Qiangde Duan, Ipshita Upadhyay, Weiping Zhang
Summary: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a major cause of children's diarrhea and travelers' diarrhea, but there are currently no licensed vaccines against ETEC. Recent studies have shown that the protein-based vaccine candidate MecVax can generate functional antibodies against ETEC toxins and adhesins, providing protection in animal models. This study further confirms the broad immunogenicity of MecVax and evaluates the effect of vaccine antigen dose on antibody response and functional activities against ETEC toxins and bacterial adherence in mice, providing useful information for future human trials and the development of MecVax as an effective ETEC vaccine.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Siqi Li, Xinfeng Han, Ipshita Upadhyay, Weiping Zhang
Summary: This study identified functional epitopes of IpaB protein, particularly from the N terminus, and proposed using them for the development of a cross-protective Shigella vaccine. Three identified epitopes showed potential for inducing protective antibodies against Shigella invasion, indicating their usefulness in vaccine development.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Ipshita Upadhyay, Kathryn L. Lauder, Siqi Li, Galen Ptacek, Weiping Zhang
Summary: Currently, there is no licensed vaccine for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), a major cause of diarrhea in developing countries and among travelers. A protein-based multivalent vaccine candidate called MecVax has been shown to induce antibodies that neutralize ETEC toxins and inhibit bacterial adherence. In this study, adult rabbits immunized with MecVax showed a significant reduction in intestinal colonization by ETEC, suggesting that MecVax may be an effective vaccine candidate against ETEC.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Kyle Brumfield, Hyesuk Seo, Nnebuefe Idegwu, Chad Artman, Laura Gonyar, James Nataro, Weiping Zhang, David Sack, James Geyer, Julius Goepp
Summary: This research evaluates the feasibility of using avian immunoglobulins (IgY) to prevent diarrheal illness caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). The results show that IgY can inhibit the adhesion of ETEC and has the potential to be a prophylactic treatment for diarrheal diseases.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ipshita Upadhyay, Siqi Li, Galen Ptacek, Hyesuk Seo, David A. Sack, Weiping Zhang
Summary: By using a multiepitope fusion antigen vaccinology platform, researchers constructed a polyvalent protein immunogen that can induce immune response and cross-protection. The immunogen was shown to generate antibodies against various virulence factors of Vibrio cholerae and provide protection against bacterial colonization and related diseases.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ipshita Upadhyay, Shafiullah M. D. Parvej, Siqi Li, Kathryn L. Lauder, Yiyang Shen, Weiping Zhang
Summary: An effective vaccine against ETEC is lacking, which is a primary cause of children's and traveler's diarrhea and a global health threat. The key challenge in ETEC vaccine development is the expression of heterogeneous virulence determinants by ETEC bacteria. This study utilized a unique vaccinology platform to develop a polyvalent antigen that demonstrated broad immunogenicity and functions against targeted ETEC strains.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Qiangde Duan, Shengmei Pang, Wenwen Wu, Boyu Jiang, Weiping Zhang, Siguo Liu, Xiaojun Wang, Zhiming Pan, Guoqiang Zhu
VETERINARY RESEARCH
(2020)