Review
Microbiology
Mark R. Alderson, Jo Anne Welsch, Katie Regan, Lauren Newhouse, Niranjan Bhat, Anthony A. Marfin
Summary: Globally, efforts are being made to control meningitis through vaccination, but challenges still exist in prevention, such as restrictions, incomplete coverage, and unaffordable vaccines.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Peter A. Maple, Alberto Ascherio, Jeffrey I. Cohen, Gary Cutter, Gavin Giovannoni, Claire Shannon-Lowe, Radu Tanasescu, Bruno Gran
Summary: There is increasing evidence that Epstein-Barr virus infection is linked to multiple sclerosis (MS). However, no licensed EBV vaccines are currently available. An EBV vaccine to prevent infectious mononucleosis (IM) is the most likely population-based strategy to be tested and adopted.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Kaymarlin Govender, Patrick Nyamaruze, Neil McKerrow, Anna Meyer-Weitz, Richard G. Cowden
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the African continent, with challenges in vaccine supply and inadequate health infrastructure contributing to low vaccination rates. Accelerating adult vaccination and prioritizing vulnerable children and adolescents is crucial in mitigating the social, economic, and health impacts of this crisis.
Review
Microbiology
Celia Sousa, Edson Marchiori, Ali Youssef, Tan-Lucien Mohammed, Pratik Patel, Klaus Irion, Romulo Pasini, Alexandre Mancano, Arthur Souza, Alessandro C. Pasqualotto, Bruno Hochhegger
Summary: Endemic fungal infections can result in high morbidity and mortality rates in certain regions of the world. The diagnosis and management of these infections pose a challenge due to lack of disease awareness, variable symptoms, and often overlooked clinical presentations. Imaging findings are nonspecific and can be misinterpreted as more common infectious or malignant diseases. Patient demographics, clinical history, and travel history can provide important clues for a proper diagnosis.
Review
Microbiology
Gabriel Augusto Pires de Souza, Raissa Prado Rocha, Ricardo Lemes Goncalves, Cyntia Silva Ferreira, Breno de Mello Silva, Renato Froes Goulart de Castro, Joao Francisco Vitorio Rodrigues, Joao Carlos Vilela Vieira Junior, Luiz Cosme Cotta Malaquias, Jonatas Santos Abrahao, Luiz Felipe Leomil Coelho
Summary: Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are a global public health concern, and vaccination is considered an effective strategy. Nanoparticles have shown potential as new vaccine platforms against medically important arboviruses, particularly Chikungunya virus, Dengue virus, Zika virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, and West Nile virus. Research has demonstrated that nanoparticles can enhance neutralizing antibody production in mice, but further efforts are needed to fully utilize their potential as vaccines for arboviruses.
Editorial Material
Virology
Kenji Yamamoto
Summary: A recent study published in The Lancet suggests that immune function among individuals who received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine becomes lower after 8 months compared to those who were unvaccinated. Therefore, frequent booster shots may not be feasible according to recommendations from the European Medicines Agency. The decrease in immunity could be caused by various factors and could explain the association found between COVID-19 vaccination and shingles. It is important to discontinue further booster vaccinations as a safety measure and to record the date of vaccination for patients' medical records.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Konstantin Chumakov, Michael S. Avidan, Christine S. Benn, Stefano M. Bertozzi, Lawrence Blatt, Angela Y. Chang, Dean T. Jamison, Shabaana A. Khader, Shyam Kottilil, Mihai G. Netea, Annie Sparrow, Robert C. Gallo
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a rapid development of vaccines targeting the virus, but global deployment will take time. Innate immunity plays a crucial role in defending against pathogens and can provide protection through induction of interferons and other cytokines.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Mycology
Verena Zerbato, Stefano Di Bella, Riccardo Pol, Francesco D'Aleo, Andrea Angheben, Claudio Farina, Marco Conte, Francesco Luzzaro, Gianluigi Lombardi, AMCLI Mycology Comm, Roberto Luzzati, Luigi Principe
Summary: This study conducted a systematic review on endemic systemic mycoses reported in Italy from 1914 to now, finding 105 cases of histoplasmosis, 15 cases of paracoccidioidomycosis, 10 cases of coccidioidomycosis, 10 cases of blastomycosis, and 3 cases of talaromycosis. Most cases were reported in returning travelers and immigrants, with 32 patients having no history of traveling to an endemic area. Among 46 HIV/AIDS patients, immunosuppression was the major risk factor for contracting these infections and experiencing severe outcomes. The study provides an overview on the microbiological characteristics and clinical management principles of systemic endemic mycoses, focusing on cases reported in Italy.
Review
Microbiology
Maria Guadalupe Frias-De-Leon, Rodolfo Pinto-Almazan, Rigoberto Hernandez-Castro, Eduardo Garcia-Salazar, Patricia Meza-Meneses, Carmen Rodriguez-Cerdeira, Roberto Arenas, Esther Conde-Cuevas, Gustavo Acosta-Altamirano, Erick Martinez-Herrera
Summary: Co-infections of COVID-19 with various fungal diseases mainly occur in males over the age of 40 with immunosuppression as the primary risk factor. Challenges exist in diagnosis and treatment, and there is a need to increase awareness of fungal infections.
Editorial Material
Immunology
Wedad Saeed Al-Qahtani, Fatmah Ahmed Alsafhi
Summary: SARS-CoV-2, also known as COVID-19, continues to be a global pandemic issue, prompting worldwide efforts in developing vaccines and disease control measures. Vaccination is currently seen as the most economically viable solution, though concerns about side effects and global health safety challenges exist. Scientists and companies globally are collaborating to research COVID-19, develop vaccines, and address potential risks from a global health safety perspective.
Review
Immunology
Arturo Casadevall
Summary: Invasive fungal diseases are rare in individuals with intact immunity, thanks to powerful immune mechanisms and elevated temperatures that create a thermal restriction zone. Susceptibility to fungal diseases is usually associated with major disturbances of immune function, involving both the cellular and humoral innate and adaptive immunity. Tissue fungal invasion is controlled through neutrophil or granulomatous inflammation depending on the fungal species, with neutrophils critical against Candida spp. and Aspergillus spp., and macrophages essential for controlling mycoses due to Cryptococcus spp., Histoplasma spp., and other fungi. However, the increasing number of immunocompromised patients and climate change may lead to a higher prevalence of fungal diseases.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Steven Blake, Paul T. Bremer, Bin Zhou, Nikolai Petrovsky, Lauren C. Smith, Candy S. Hwang, Kim D. Janda
Summary: This study demonstrates the use of endogenously generated antibodies through active vaccination to reduce the effect of opioids, while exploring different adjuvants and storage conditions to improve opioid vaccine efficacy and shelf life. The results show promising advancements towards a clinically feasible opioid vaccine.
MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Virology
David A. Swan, Ashish Goyal, Chloe Bracis, Mia Moore, Elizabeth Krantz, Elizabeth Brown, Fabian Cardozo-Ojeda, Daniel B. Reeves, Fei Gao, Peter B. Gilbert, Lawrence Corey, Myron S. Cohen, Holly Janes, Dobromir Dimitrov, Joshua T. Schiffer
Summary: Clinical trials of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines assess efficacy against symptomatic disease, but may not fully differentiate between preventing infection or preventing symptoms. Using mathematical modeling, it is shown that high vaccine efficacy not only requires preventing transmission after infection, but also minimizing symptoms post-infection. Different vaccines may achieve high efficacy through varying mechanisms, with vaccines that offer complete protection against infection or transmission reducing the number of vaccinations needed for herd immunity.
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Seyyed-Mahdi Hosseini-Motlagh, Mohammad Reza Ghatreh Samani, Parnian Farokhnejad
Summary: This paper proposes control strategies for ordering COVID-19 vaccines and assigning recipients to immunisation stations to minimize shortages. A fuzzy periodic review model is used to determine the optimal quantity of vaccines to order. Vaccine recipients are prioritized based on factors like occupation, age cohort, and pre-existing conditions. A queuing framework is utilized to model waiting times and improve vaccination effectiveness. The rolling planning horizon approach and possibilistic chance-constrained programming are found to improve network performance and reduce costs and vaccine shortages.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRODUCTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Arghadip Samaddar, Anuradha Sharma
Summary: Recent global emergence of emergomycosis caused by a novel dimorphic fungus Emergomyces species has been observed among immunocompromised individuals. Taxonomic revisions have led to the classification of various fungi under a new genus Emergomyces. Diagnosis and treatment of emergomycosis remain challenging, with no consensus guidelines for treatment and the need for an affordable and reliable diagnostic test in endemic regions.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
