Article
Cell Biology
Joseph R. Francica, Barbara J. Flynn, Kathryn E. Foulds, Amy T. Noe, Anne P. Werner, Ian N. Moore, Matthew Gagne, Timothy S. Johnston, Courtney Tucker, Rachel L. Davis, Britta Flach, Sarah O'Connell, Shayne F. Andrew, Evan Lamb, Dillon R. Flebbe, Saule T. Nurmukhambetova, Mitzi M. Donaldson, John-Paul M. Todd, Alex Lee Zhu, Caroline Atyeo, Stephanie Fischinger, Matthew J. Gorman, Sally Shin, Venkata Viswanadh Edara, Katharine Floyd, Lilin Lai, Seyhan Boyoglu-Barnum, Renee Van de Wetering, Alida Tylor, Elizabeth McCarthy, Valerie Lecouturier, Sophie Ruiz, Catherine Berry, Timothy Tibbitts, Hanne Andersen, Anthony Cook, Alan Dodson, Laurent Pessaint, Alex Van Ry, Marguerite Koutsoukos, Cindy Gutzeit, I-Ting Teng, Tongqing Zhou, Dapeng Li, Barton F. Haynes, Peter D. Kwong, Adrian McDermott, Mark G. Lewis, Tong Ming Fu, Roman Chicz, Robbert van der Most, Kizzmekia S. Corbett, Mehul S. Suthar, Galit Alter, Mario Roederer, Nancy J. Sullivan, Daniel C. Douek, Barney S. Graham, Danilo Casimiro, Robert A. Seder
Summary: The adjuvanted preS dTM vaccine induced multifunctional humoral responses in NHPs, providing significant protection against SARS-CoV-2. Rapid anamnestic antibody responses in the lung may be a key protective mechanism.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Bryan J. Neth, Mason J. Webb, Ian F. Parney, Ugur T. Sener
Summary: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a common and aggressive brain tumor, and the immunosuppressive microenvironment in GBMs has led to interest in immunotherapy. While therapeutic vaccines have shown limited efficacy in GBMs and other cancers, recent results from the DCVax-L trial suggest promise for vaccine therapy in GBMs. Combination therapies with vaccines and immunomodulating agents may enhance antitumor immune responses. Clinicians should consider novel therapeutic strategies like vaccinations and await the results of ongoing and future trials.
Article
Immunology
Alexandra Tauzin, Mehdi Benlarbi, Halima Medjahed, Yves Gregoire, Josee Perreault, Gabrielle Gendron-Lepage, Laurie Gokool, Chantal Morrisseau, Pascale Arlotto, Cecile Tremblay, Daniel E. Kaufmann, Valerie Martel-Laferriere, Ines Levade, Marceline Cote, Gaston De Serres, Renee Bazin, Andres Finzi
Summary: The Omicron BQ.1.1 variant has become the dominant strain of SARS-CoV-2 in many countries. Due to the extensive mutations in its Spike glycoprotein, this variant is resistant to the immune responses induced by single-dose mRNA vaccines. To enhance immune responses against Omicron subvariants, bivalent mRNA vaccines have been approved in several countries. This study demonstrates that a fourth dose of mono- or bivalent mRNA vaccine improves the recognition and neutralization of the ancestral Spike, and individuals with recent infections show better recognition and neutralization of the BQ.1.1 Spike, regardless of the mRNA vaccine used, compared to those without recent infections.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Takuya Tada, Hao Zhou, Belinda M. Dcosta, Marie I. Samanovic, Vidya Chivukula, Ramin S. Herati, Stevan R. Hubbard, Mark J. Mulligan, Nathaniel R. Landau
Summary: This study found that the Omicron variant has significantly reduced sensitivity to neutralization by vaccines and vaccine-elicited antibodies. However, a booster immunization can enhance the neutralizing effect against Omicron. In addition, individuals with a history of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection showed increased neutralizing activity against Omicron. Different monoclonal antibodies showed varying effectiveness against the Omicron variant.
Article
Oncology
Karita Peltonen, Sara Feola, Husen M. Umer, Jacopo Chiaro, Georgios Mermelekas, Erkko Ylosmaki, Sari Pesonen, Rui M. M. Branca, Janne Lehtio, Vincenzo Cerullo
Summary: This study explores a novel oncolytic adenovirus vaccine platform as immunotherapy in resistant tumors, customized for improved tumor targeting based on experimentally discovered tumor antigens; the pipeline may be applied for designing personalized therapeutic cancer vaccines, which is crucial for broader design and utility of therapeutic cancer vaccines. The study integrates immunopeptidome analysis-driven antigen discovery with a therapeutic cancer vaccine platform for improved personalized oncolytic immunotherapy, showing promising control of established tumors using a flexible and specific tumor targeting oncolytic adenovirus platform.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Nese Saltoglu, Harika Oyku Dinc, Ilker Inanc Balkan, Gunay Can, Dogukan Ozbey, Ayse Nur Beytur, Elif Keskin, Beyhan Budak, Okan Aydogan, Bilgul Mete, Ridvan Karaali, Sevgi Ergin, Bekir Kocazeybek
Summary: The objective of this study was to evaluate the antibody responses of healthcare workers who received a booster dose of BNT162b2 vaccine 6 months after two doses of the CoronaVac vaccine. The results showed that antibody titers increased 8-fold after the booster dose, indicating that the administration of mRNA vaccine as a booster can provide more effective protection against COVID-19.
DIAGNOSTIC MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Shih-Pin Chen, Tsubasa Takizawa, Koji Sekiguchi, Jin Nakahara, Shuu-Jiun Wang
Summary: Recent pharmacovigilance studies found that cluster headache could be a potential adverse effect after COVID-19 vaccination. Detailed case studies are needed to explore the potential link and pathogenic mechanisms.
Article
Immunology
Yuxin Chen, Liguo Zhu, Weijin Huang, Xin Tong, Hai Wu, Yue Tao, Bei Tong, Haibin Huang, Jiachen Chen, Xiangan Zhao, Yang Lou, Chao Wu
Summary: A study found that a DNA priming protein boost vaccination strategy successfully induced potent antibodies capable of neutralizing various SARS-CoV-2 variants, potentially providing a new avenue for effective therapeutics and diagnostics.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Muhammad S. Khan, Eun Kim, Shaohua Huang, Thomas W. Kenniston, Andrea Gambotto
Summary: This study presents a new approach to enhance the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. The immunogenicity of unadjuvanted wild-type and variant-specific S1 subunit protein vaccines was evaluated in BALB/c mice. The results show that a trivalent approach induces a broader humoral response and provides better coverage against distinct variants compared to a monovalent approach. This study demonstrates the potential of protein subunit vaccines against COVID-19 and provides insights into the impact of variant-specific vaccine approaches on the immune response.
Review
Immunology
Bhupendra Singh Rawat, Deepak Kumar, Vijay Soni, Eric H. Rosenn
Summary: Metabolomics is a useful tool for understanding immunometabolism and developing effective therapies. It can provide valuable insights into the impact of immune metabolism on diseases and vaccinations. By integrating with other biology tools, metabolomics can enhance treatment outcomes and control drug-resistant strains.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Chen Xi Hu, Yang Xiu Yue Xu, Hui Nan Hao, Ruo Dan Liu, Peng Jiang, Shao Rong Long, Zhong Quan Wang, Jing Cui
Summary: The study successfully constructed a recombinant Lactobacillus plantarum encoding Trichinella spiralis inorganic pyrophosphatase, which induced a significant immune protection against T. spiralis infection in mice through oral vaccination. The vaccine led to higher levels of specific serum antibodies, mucosal IgA response, and Th1/Th2 immune response, resulting in a reduction of intestinal infective larvae, adult worms, and muscle larvae in the infected mice.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Pamela Rosa-Goncalves, Luciana Pereira de Sousa, Flavia Lima Ribeiro-Gomes, Leonardo Jose Moura Carvalho, Claudio Tadeu Daniel-Ribeiro
Summary: Malaria, caused by protozoa of the genus Plasmodium, is an ancient parasitic disease characterized by fever, headache, sweating, and chills. Neurological, neurocognitive, and behavioral alterations, as well as poor school performance, can develop in survivors. Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the cognitive dysfunctions associated with malaria. Vaccination with type 2 immune response elicitors, such as the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine, may have a beneficial effect in alleviating neuroinflammation and mitigating neurocognitive deficits.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Wei Zhang, Xiaolin Song, Lina Zhai, Jianshu Guo, Xinying Zheng, Lili Zhang, Meng Lv, Lingfei Hu, Dongsheng Zhou, Xiaolu Xiong, Wenhui Yang
Summary: The study compared the immunoprotection against pneumonic plague provided by different vaccines and different administration methods. The results showed that aerosolized intratracheal delivery of rF1-V10 vaccine in a powder formulation may be a promising strategy to provide protective immunity against pneumonic plague.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chen-Yu Lin, Ching-Chia Wang, Jui-Zhi Loh, Tsai-Chen Chiang, Te- Weng, Ding-Cheng Chan, Kuan-Yu Hung, Chih-Kang Chiang, Shing-Hwa Liu
Summary: The study found that LIPUS treatment effectively alleviated symptoms such as decreased body weight, renal functional impairment, renal pathological changes, and fibrosis in CKD mice, and slowed down the progression of CKD by inhibiting EMT and senescence-related signals.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Ines Co-Rives, Ann Ying-An Chen, Anne C. Moore
Summary: The advantages of skin-based vaccination include strong immunity, dose-sparing, and easy administration. Although it is more conventionally used in veterinary medicine, skin-based vaccination of pigs is highly relevant due to their similarities to humans and the zoonotic diseases they carry. However, there is a lack of consistent terminology and research on the underlying mechanisms and breadth of responses. Further research is needed to develop enhanced skin vaccine strategies for pigs, other animals, and humans.
Letter
Hematology
Francesco Marchesi, Fulvia Pimpinelli, Eleonora Sperandio, Elena Papa, Paolo Falcucci, Martina Pontone, Simona di Martino, Luisa de Latouliere, Giulia Orlandi, Aldo Morrone, Gennaro Ciliberto, Andrea Mengarelli
BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY
(2022)
Letter
Oncology
Fulvia Pimpinelli, Francesco Marchesi, Giulia Piaggio, Diana Giannarelli, Elena Papa, Paolo Falcucci, Antonio Spadea, Martina Pontone, Simona Di Martino, Valentina Laquintana, Antonia La Malfa, Enea Gino Di Domenico, Ornella Di Bella, Gianluca Falzone, Fabrizio Ensoli, Branka Vujovic, Aldo Morrone, Gennaro Ciliberto, Andrea Mengarelli
Summary: Among 42 Philadelphia negative myeloproliferative neoplasm patients receiving systemic active treatment, those with myelofibrosis showed significantly lower response to the anti-SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 vaccine compared to patients with essential thrombocythemia and polycythemia vera in terms of IgG titers and seroprotection rates. The ongoing treatment with Ruxolitinib in some patients may be associated with reduced vaccine immunogenicity, but further large prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding.
JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY & ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Stefano Scalera, Marco Mazzotta, Giacomo Corleone, Francesca Sperati, Irene Terrenato, Eriseld Krasniqi, Laura Pizzuti, Maddalena Barba, Patrizia Vici, Enzo Gallo, Simonetta Buglioni, Paolo Visca, Edoardo Pescarmona, Daniele Marinelli, Francesca De Nicola, Ludovica Ciuffreda, Frauke Goeman, Maurizio Fanciulli, Raffaele Giusti, Andrea Vecchione, Ruggero De Maria, Federico Cappuzzo, Paolo Marchetti, Gennaro Ciliberto, Marcello Maugeri-Sacca
Summary: The study explored the impact of KEAP1/STK11 alterations on immunotherapy efficacy in lung adenocarcinoma, revealing the importance of multimodal data integration for clinically exploitable taxonomy. Subtyping based on KEAP1/TP53 mutations identified distinct molecular and clinical characteristics, with different survival outcomes observed in KEAP1 single-mutant and KEAP1/TP53 double-mutant tumors in two independent cohorts.
JOURNAL OF THORACIC ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Letter
Oncology
Francesco Marchesi, Fulvia Pimpinelli, Diana Giannarelli, Livia Ronchetti, Elena Papa, Paolo Falcucci, Martina Pontone, Enea Gino Di Domenico, Simona di Martino, Valentina Laquintana, Chiara Mandoj, Laura Conti, Iole Cordone, Antonia La Malfa, Caterina Viggiani, Daniela Renzi, Francesca Palombi, Atelda Romano, Francesco Pisani, Svitlana Gumenyuk, Ornella Di Bella, Branka Vujovic, Aldo Morrone, Gennaro Ciliberto, Fabrizio Ensoli, Andrea Mengarelli
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Antonella Conforti, Emanuele Marra, Fabio Palombo, Giuseppe Roscilli, Micol Rava, Valeria Fumagalli, Alessia Muzi, Mariano Maffei, Laura Luberto, Lucia Lione, Erika Salvatori, Mirco Compagnone, Eleonora Pinto, Emiliano Pavoni, Federica Bucci, Grazia Vitagliano, Daniela Stoppoloni, Maria Lucrezia Pacello, Manuela Cappelletti, Fabiana Fosca Ferrara, Emanuela D'Acunto, Valerio Chiarini, Roberto Arriga, Abraham Nyska, Pietro Di Lucia, Davide Marotta, Elisa Bono, Leonardo Giustini, Eleonora Sala, Chiara Perucchini, Jemma Paterson, Kathryn Ann Ryan, Amy-Rose Challis, Giulia Matusali, Francesca Colavita, Gianfranco Caselli, Elena Criscuolo, Nicola Clementi, Nicasio Mancini, Ruediger Gross, Alina Seidel, Lukas Wettstein, Jan Muench, Lorena Donnici, Matteo Conti, Raffaele De Francesco, Mirela Kuka, Gennaro Ciliberto, Concetta Castilletti, Maria Rosaria Capobianchi, Giuseppe Ippolito, Luca G. Guidotti, Lucio Rovati, Matteo Iannacone, Luigi Aurisicchio
Summary: This study reports the preclinical evaluation of a novel COVID-19 vaccine candidate based on the electroporation of engineered, synthetic cDNA encoding a viral antigen in the skeletal muscle. The vaccine showed strong immunogenicity and significant protection in animal models, suggesting its potential as an ideal COVID-19 vaccine candidate for clinical development.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Suhuur Osman, Claus Bendtsen, Samantha Peel, Linda Yrlid, Daniel Muthas, John Simpson, Keith R. Willison, David R. Klug
Summary: The cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) is widely used to study drug-target engagement, especially in early stage drug discovery. Single-cell CETSA can accurately count active FOXO1 molecules and observe its stability and destabilization in the presence of small molecule inhibitors. The successful use of the MAC chip for single-cell CETSA enables the study of precious clinical samples and underlying population heterogeneity in cellular systems.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Anna Morena D'Alise, Guido Leoni, Maria De Lucia, Francesca Langone, Linda Nocchi, Fabio Giovanni Tucci, Elisa Micarelli, Gabriella Cotugno, Fulvia Troise, Irene Garzia, Rosa Vitale, Veronica Bignone, Elena Di Matteo, Rosa Bartolomeo, Deborah H. Charych, Armin Lahm, Jonathan Zalevsky, Alfredo Nicosia, Elisa Scarselli
Summary: The addition of a third component to the combination of anti-PD-1 and vaccine led to complete eradication of large tumors and reduction of tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells. These findings support the concept that integrating three steps of the cancer immunity cycle can achieve higher cure rates by expanding neoantigen-specific T cells, reversing exhausted T cell phenotype, and reducing intratumoral Tregs.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Susan Costantini, Andrea Polo, Francesca Capone, Marina Accardo, Angela Sorice, Rita Lombardi, Palmina Bagnara, Federica Zito Marino, Martina Amato, Michele Orditura, Maddalena Fratelli, Gennaro Ciliberto, Alfredo Budillon
Summary: In this study, the expression profiles of twenty-five human selenoproteins in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) were analyzed. It was found that five selenoproteins were specifically dysregulated in TNBC. Additionally, selenoprotein S and its interacting protein valosin-containing protein (VCP/p97) were identified as mechanistically related proteins whose coordinated over-expression was associated with poor prognosis in TNBC.
Article
Cell Biology
Anna Morena D'Alise, Nadia Brasu, Carlo De Intinis, Guido Leoni, Valentina Russo, Francesca Langone, Denis Baev, Elisa Micarelli, Luca Petiti, Simone Picelli, Marwan Fakih, Dung T. Le, Michael J. Overman, Anthony F. Shields, Katrina S. Pedersen, Manish A. Shah, Sarbajit Mukherjee, Thea Faivre, Patricia Delaite, Elisa Scarselli, Luigia Pace
Summary: Targeting tumor neoepitopes with gorilla adenovirus (Ad) vaccines can enhance antitumor immune response and improve immunogenicity when combined with anti-PD-1 therapy. The combination treatment increases the number of polyfunctional neoantigen-specific CD8(+) T cells and enhances the infiltration of immune cells in tumors.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarah Cherkaoui, Stephan Durot, Jenna Bradley, Susan Critchlow, Sebastien Dubuis, Mauro Miguel Masiero, Rebekka Wegmann, Berend Snijder, Alaa Othman, Claus Bendtsen, Nicola Zamboni
Summary: Cancer cells reprogram their metabolism to support growth and invasion. The metabolic types of cancer cells are associated with lipid, TCA cycle, and carbohydrate metabolism. Markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition are strongly associated with cancer cell metabolism types, indicating their potential as therapeutic vulnerabilities. These findings provide insights into the metabolic mechanisms of cancer cells and offer new targets for treatment.
MOLECULAR SYSTEMS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Anna Morena D'Alise, Elisa Scarselli
Summary: Cancer vaccines are gaining renewed attention due to recent progress in immunotherapy, especially immune checkpoint inhibitors. Neoantigens have become the preferred antigens for cancer vaccines and have been evaluated in clinical trials. This review discusses the recent results from neoantigen-based vaccines in melanoma patients and explores avenues for improvement.
CURRENT OPINION IN ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Donagh Egan, Martina Kreileder, Myriam Nabhan, Luis F. Iglesias-Martinez, Simon J. Dovedi, Viia Valge-Archer, Amit Grover, Robert W. Wilkinson, Timothy Slidel, Claus Bendtsen, Ian P. Barrett, Donal J. Brennan, Walter Kolch, Vadim Zhernovkov
Summary: Single-cell technologies cannot be used in a clinical diagnostic setting, while bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has become routine for research and clinical applications. We developed a workflow using coexpression networks (regulons) inferred from single-cell RNA-seq data to analyze immune functional states in bulk RNA-seq data. Our results show that regulons can identify different cell states associated with therapy response and provide informative markers for identifying immune checkpoint inhibitor responders in bulk RNA-seq data.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Anna Morena D'Alise, Linda Nocchi, Irene Garzia, Laura Secli, Luigia Infante, Fulvia Troise, Gabriella Cotugno, Simona Allocca, Giuseppina Romano, Armin Lahm, Guido Leoni, Emanuele Sasso, Elisa Scarselli, Alfredo Nicosia
Summary: Virus vectored genetic vaccines (Vvgv) are a promising approach for immune protection against infectious diseases and cancer. However, combining adjuvants with genetic vaccines has been challenging. In this study, the researchers developed a novel approach using an adenovirus vector to synchronize the activity of the genetic adjuvant with the vaccine. The results showed that this approach enhanced immune responses to viral and tumor antigens, suggesting its potential for more effective genetic vaccines.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Laura Secli, Luigia Infante, Linda Nocchi, Maria De Lucia, Gabriella Cotugno, Guido Leoni, Elisa Micarelli, Irene Garzia, Lidia Avalle, Giulia Sdruscia, Fulvia Troise, Simona Allocca, Giuseppina Romano, Elisa Scarselli, Anna Morena D'Alise
Summary: The researchers demonstrated that intratumoral administration of MVA-IL-12 can inhibit tumor growth, alter the proportion of immune regulatory cells, and enhance the immune system's attack on tumors.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Raul Pellini, Aldo Venuti, Fulvia Pimpinelli, Elva Abril, Giovanni Blandino, Flaminia Campo, Laura Conti, Armando De Virgilio, Federico De Marco, Enea Gino Di Domenico, Ornella Di Bella, Simona Di Martino, Fabrizio Ensoli, Diana Giannarelli, Chiara Mandoj, Valentina Manciocco, Paolo Marchesi, Francesco Mazzola, Silvia Moretto, Gerardo Petruzzi, Fabrizio Petrone, Barbara Pichi, Martina Pontone, Jacopo Zocchi, Antonello Vidiri, Branka Vujovic, Giulia Piaggio, Aldo Morrone, Gennaro Ciliberto
Summary: The study found that 99.5% of healthcare workers developed a humoral immune response after vaccination, with female and young participants showing an increased capacity for humoral immune responses. Body mass index and hypertension seem to have no association with the differences in immune response to the vaccine.
