Article
Immunology
Masamitsu Kono, Takuro Iyo, Daichi Murakami, Hideki Sakatani, Denisa Nanushaj, Muneki Hotomi
Summary: This study aimed to achieve immunity against Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) in infants through maternal immunization with pneumococcal common antigen, pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA). The results showed that offspring born to immunized mothers had more anti-PspA antibody producing cells in the spleen and higher levels of anti-PspA IgG in their sera. These induced specific antibodies demonstrated protective efficacy against systemic pneumococcal infection. Maternal immunization is suggested to provide sustained immune memory to offspring, making this study a milestone in the development of a universal pneumococcal vaccine through maternal immunization.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Elnaz Afshari, Reza Ahangari Cohan, Mohammad Sadegh Shams Nosrati, Seyed Fazlollah Mousavi
Summary: This study investigates the protective potential of co-immunization with pneumococcal PhtD and novel rPspA proteins in mice against pneumococcal sepsis infection. The results demonstrate that the co-administration of rPspA+PhtD formulation induces a strong immune response, increases antibody levels, and exhibits effective bacterial clearance.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Giovanna Brito Carneiro, Julia Tavares Castro, Marilyne Davi, Eliane Namie Miyaji, Daniel Ladant, Maria Leonor Sarno Oliveira
Summary: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common pathogen causing important human diseases. Current vaccines have limited efficacy and can only protect against specific serotypes. Pneumococcal Surface Protein A (PspA) is an important vaccine candidate due to its role in evading the host immune system. Researchers have tested a delivery system based on the Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin to induce immune responses against PspA in mice.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Hanfang Jiang, Qing Meng, Xiaorong Liu, Hongyu Chen, Chunqing Zhu, Yunsheng Chen
Summary: This study characterizes the molecular epidemiology of invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae in Shenzhen. The coverage of PCV13 was 88.9%, and nonvaccine serotypes included 15b, 16F, and 20. The multidrug resistance rate was 91.3%, with nonmeningitis isolates showing no resistance to penicillin and 98.8% of all isolates being resistant to erythromycin. Continued surveillance is needed to monitor antibiotic-resistant nonvaccine serotypes and highly virulent serotypes.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Greiciely O. Andre, Mayara T. Borges, Lucas Assoni, Lucio F. C. Ferraz, Piplani Sakshi, Penelope Adamson, David L. Gordon, Abiodun D. Ogunniyi, Henrietta Venter, Thiago R. Converso, Michelle Darrieux
Summary: The implementation of polysaccharide-based vaccines reduced the incidence of pneumococcal diseases, but concerns remain over serotype replacement and antibiotic resistance. Novel vaccine strategies utilizing conserved pneumococcal antigens like PhtD show promise in providing serotype-independent protection in mouse models.
Article
Immunology
Feixia Gao, Xueying Liu, Yudong Dang, Peng Duan, Wenting Xu, Xin Zhang, Shilei Wang, Jian Luo, Xiuling Li
Summary: In this study, a candidate vaccine based on the H5N8 virus was constructed and evaluated for its immunogenicity with different adjuvants. The results showed that the AddaVax-adjuvanted H5N8 inactivated vaccine induced a stronger immune response and achieved a dose-sparing effect.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesca Berni, Ermioni Kalfopoulou, Ana M. Gimeno Cardells, Filippo Carboni, Daan van der Es, Felipe Romero-Saavedra, Diana Laverde, Karmela Miklic, Suzana Malic, Tihana L. Rovis, Stipan Jonjic, Sara Ali, Herman S. Overkleeft, Cornelis H. Hokke, Angela van Diepen, Roberto Adamo, Jesus Jimenez-Barbero, Gijsbert A. van der Marel, Johannes Huebner, Jeroen D. C. Codee
Summary: This study developed and employed a monoclonal antibody against a synthetic TA for molecular-level binding analysis using TA microarrays, ELISA, SPR analyses, and STD-NMR spectroscopy. The findings showed that the number and chirality of GroP residues are crucial for interaction, and that the sugar appendage contributes to the presentation of the backbone to the binding site of the antibody.
ACS CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luis Eduardo R. Cunha, Adilson A. Stolet, Marcelo A. Strauch, Victor A. R. Pereira, Carlos H. Dumard, Andre M. O. Gomes, Fabio L. Monteiro, Luiza M. Higa, Patricia N. C. Souza, Juliana G. Fonseca, Francisco E. Pontes, Leonardo G. R. Meirelles, Jose W. M. Albuquerque, Carolina Q. Sacramento, Natalia Fintelman-Rodrigues, Tulio M. Lima, Renata G. F. Alvim, Federico F. Marsili, Marcella Moreira Caldeira, Russolina B. Zingali, Guilherme A. P. de Oliveira, Thiago M. L. Souza, Alexandre S. Silva, Rodrigo Muller, Daniela Del Rosario Flores Rodrigues, Luciana Jesus da Costa, Arthur Daniel R. Alves, Marcelo Alves Pinto, Andrea C. Oliveira, Herbert L. M. Guedes, Amilcar Tanuri, Leda R. Castilho, Jerson L. Silva
Summary: The study utilized recombinant trimeric spike glycoprotein in horses to produce hyperimmune globulins against SARS-CoV-2, resulting in significant clinical improvement and reduced viral load in challenge studies in hamsters. The F(ab')(2) preparation from immunized animals showed 150-fold higher neutralizing titers compared to human convalescent plasma, supporting its potential for clinical treatment of COVID patients.
Article
Biology
Remi Porte, Rita Silva-Gomes, Charlotte Theroude, Raffaella Parente, Fatemeh Asgari, Marina Sironi, Fabio Pasqualini, Sonia Valentino, Rosanna Asselta, Camilla Recordati, Marta Noemi Monari, Andrea Doni, Antonio Inforzato, Carlos Rodriguez-Gallego, Ignacio Obando, Elena Colino, Barbara Bottazzi, Alberto Mantovani
Summary: Ptx3 plays an important role in invasive pneumococcal infection by regulating inflammation and resistance. It is strongly induced in non-hematopoietic cells, particularly endothelial cells, and its expression is regulated by the IL-1β/MyD88 axis. Ptx3-deficient mice have more severe infections, but overexpression of PTX3 does not enhance phagocytosis.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Muhammed F. Haq, Basya S. Pearlmutter, Jennifer L. Cadnum, Curtis J. Donskey
Summary: We evaluated the effectiveness of 23 disinfectants used in healthcare facilities against Candida auris isolates from the four major clades. Sporicidal disinfectants consistently showed good efficacy, while quaternary-ammonium disinfectants had limited activity. Quaternary-ammonium-alcohol and hydrogen-peroxide-based disinfectants varied in their effectiveness against C. auris.
INFECTION CONTROL AND HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jocelyne Piret, Nathalie Goyette, Guy Boivin
Summary: Letermovir (LTV) exhibits similar susceptibility against clinical HCMV isolates and recombinant viruses with similar drug susceptibility phenotypes to currently-approved DNA polymerase inhibitors or maribavir.
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biology
Mohsen Mohamed Elsharkawy, Raghda M. Sakran, Abdelmonim Ali Ahmad, Said Behiry, Ahmed Abdelkhalek, Mohamed M. Hassan, Amr Ahmed Khedr
Summary: Research shows that Pseudomonas spp. can promote rice growth, enhance seed germination, and effectively reduce the incidence of sheath blight disease, offering an environmentally friendly option for rice cultivation.
Article
Entomology
Waqas Wakil, Nickolas G. Kavallieratos, Muhammad Usman Ghazanfar, Muhammad Usman, Amer Habib, Hamadttu A. F. El-Shafie
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the pathogenic potential of different fungal isolates against four stored-grain insect pests. The results showed that Beauveria bassiana caused higher mortality compared to Metarhizium anisopliae, with isolates WG-50 and WG-51 being the most effective in controlling the pests.
JOURNAL OF STORED PRODUCTS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
E. M. Keizer, I. D. Valdes, G. Forn-Cuni, E. Klijn, A. H. Meijer, F. Hillman, H. A. B. Wosten, H. de Cock
Summary: Results from comparing the virulence of five Aspergillus fumigatus isolates in four different infection models showed significant differences in virulence of different strains between infection models, with reference strain Af293 being less virulent compared to other strains. This suggests that the predictive value of different model systems varies, as relative virulence across fungal strains does not hold up across different infection model systems.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ji-Young Hwang, Yunhwa Kim, Kyung-Min Lee, Ok Sarah Shin, Jeong-An Gim, Younchul Shin, Hosun Park
Summary: This study investigated the cross-reactivity of antibodies induced by clade 2 genotype varicella vaccine strains against varicella-zoster viruses (VZV) strains belonging to other clades. The results showed that both Korean MAV/06 and Japanese Oka vaccines induced cross-reactive humoral immunity against various clades of VZV.
HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sophie Owen, Christopher T. Williams, Gala Garrod, Alice J. Fraser, Stefanie Menzies, Lisa Baldwin, Lottie Brown, Rachel L. Byrne, Andrea M. Collins, Ana Cubas-Atienzar, Margaretha de Vos, Thomas Edwards, Camille Escadafal, Daniela M. Ferreira, Tom Fletcher, Angela Hyder-Wright, Grant A. Kay, Konstantina Kontogianni, Jenifer Mason, Elena Mitsi, Tim Planche, Jilian A. Sacks, Joseph Taylor, Stacy Todd, Caroline Tully, Luis E. Cuevas, Emily R. Adams
Summary: The evaluation of 12 LFAs showed varying sensitivity and specificity, with improved sensitivity for IgM/IgG over time since symptom onset. Compared to the EuroImmun IgG ELISA, LFAs exhibited different levels of sensitivity and specificity.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2022)
Review
Pediatrics
Karina F. Rizzardi, Elora da Silva Toledo, Lucio F. C. Ferraz, Michelle Darrieux, Raquel Girardello, Fernando A. de Lima Marson, Thais M. Parisotto
Summary: The study confirmed the relationship between childhood asthma and enamel defects in teeth, with majority of articles supporting this connection. However, findings on the influence of asthma medication on enamel defects were inconsistent. New well-designed clinical investigations with a prospective design are needed to further strengthen the results.
PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Maria Eduarda Souza Guerra, Giulia Destro, Brenda Vieira, Alice S. Lima, Lucio Fabio Caldas Ferraz, Anders P. Hakansson, Michelle Darrieux, Thiago Rojas Converso
Summary: The ability to form biofilms is crucial for the virulence of Klebsiella pneumoniae, and biofilms play a significant role in bacterial infections. This review discusses the characteristics of K. pneumoniae biofilms, factors influencing their development, and their contribution to infections. It also explores different model systems used to study biofilm formation in this species. The establishment and maintenance of biofilms in K. pneumoniae are influenced by numerous factors, highlighting the importance of this mechanism for bacterial fitness. Some of these factors could be utilized in future vaccines. However, more in vivo models are needed to evaluate the impact of biofilm development on disease pathogenesis.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Natalha T. Waz, Sheila Oliveira, Raquel Girardello, Nilton Lincopan, Giovana Barazzone, Thais Parisotto, Anders P. Hakansson, Thiago Rojas Converso, Michelle Darrieux
Summary: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a globally prevalent pathogen with a highly immunogenic polysaccharide capsule. Indolicidin, an antimicrobial peptide, has bactericidal effects against this pathogen, but the capsule variability may influence its susceptibility.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Douglas Borges de Figueiredo, Kan Kaneko, Tasson da Costa Rodrigues, Ronan MacLoughlin, Eliane Namie Miyaji, Imran Saleem, Viviane Maimoni Goncalves
Summary: Pneumococcal disease is a global burden, and the current vaccines are becoming less effective due to serotype replacement. This study investigated the use of polymeric nanoparticles to deliver PspA, a candidate for new pneumococcal vaccines, and found that PGA-co-PDL/HCl-CS or PLGA/HCl-CS nanoparticles with encapsulated or adsorbed PspA provided serotype-independent protection.
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Carlos Henrique Alves, Karolayne Larissa Russi, Natalia Conceicao Rocha, Fabio Bastos, Michelle Darrieux, Thais Manzano Parisotto, Raquel Girardello
Summary: In recent decades, there have been significant advances in ortho-aesthetic-functional rehabilitation with the introduction of implantology. However, there is still a percentage of failures in implantology surgeries, mainly due to infections caused by bacterial proliferation, fungi presence, and biofilm formation, leading to peri-implantitis. Various studies have been conducted to explore the interaction between the host-oral microbiome and the development of peri-implantitis. Peri-implantitis is associated with a diversity of bacterial species, with Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Tannerella forsythia being identified in higher proportions of peri-implantitis samples. In addition, the injury of peri-implant tissue triggers an inflammatory response mediated by the activation of innate immune cells, such as macrophages, dendritic cells, mast cells, and neutrophils. Activation of the host immune system may disrupt the balance of oral microbiota, leading to dysbiosis and the production of various substances that contribute to implant loss.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thiago Rojas Converso, Cibelly Goulart, Dunia Rodriguez, Maria Eduarda Souza Guerra, Michelle Darrieux, Luciana C. C. Leite
Summary: The hybrid protein rPotD-PdT can induce stronger immune responses, but is not sufficient to provide full protection against highly virulent pneumococcal strains. Therefore, combination with other antigens may be necessary for sufficient protection.
Article
Immunology
Tinashe K. Nyazika, Lusako Sibale, Joseph Phiri, Megan De Ste Croix, Zydrune Jasiunaite, Christopher Mkandawire, Rose Malamba, Anstead Kankwatira, Miriam Manduwa, Daniela M. Ferreira, Tonney S. Nyirenda, Marco R. Oggioni, Henry C. Mwandumba, Kondwani C. Jambo
Summary: Compared to HIV-uninfected adults, people living with HIV (PLHIV) have impaired ability of alveolar macrophages (AM) to eliminate S. pneumoniae, which may contribute to their increased risk of pneumococcal pneumonia.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Respiratory System
Caz Hales, Laura Burnet, Maureen Coombs, Andrea M. Collins, Daniela M. Ferreira
Summary: Pneumococcal pneumonia is the main cause of community-acquired pneumonia, with obesity being a risk factor. Obesity impairs immune responses, which are crucial for defense against pneumococcal disease. The hormone leptin has been identified as playing a significant role in the relationship between obesity, pulmonary infections, and host defense mechanisms.
EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY REVIEW
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tanila Wood dos Santos, Pedro Almeida Goncalves, Dunia Rodriguez, Jose Aires Pereira, Carlos Augusto Real Martinez, Luciana C. C. Leite, Lucio F. C. Ferraz, Thiago Rojas Converso, Michelle Darrieux
Summary: This study found that the rPspA-PlD1 fusion protein provides protection against pneumococcal pneumonia in mice, and the protection is correlated with an early and controlled local inflammatory response.
Article
Immunology
Giovanna Brito Carneiro, Julia Tavares Castro, Marilyne Davi, Eliane Namie Miyaji, Daniel Ladant, Maria Leonor Sarno Oliveira
Summary: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common pathogen causing important human diseases. Current vaccines have limited efficacy and can only protect against specific serotypes. Pneumococcal Surface Protein A (PspA) is an important vaccine candidate due to its role in evading the host immune system. Researchers have tested a delivery system based on the Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin to induce immune responses against PspA in mice.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
N. M. S. Sansone, M. N. Boschiero, M. Darrieux, F. A. L. Marson
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of flu vaccination on the mortality of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Brazil. The analysis of epidemiological data revealed that receiving the flu vaccine may lower the risk of death among COVID-19 patients. This finding is important for vaccine promotion and prevention efforts.
Article
Respiratory System
Katerina S. Cheliotis, Christopher P. Jewell, Carla Solorzano, Britta Urban, Andrea M. Collins, Elena Mitsi, Sherin Pojar, Elissavet Nikolaou, Esther L. German, Jesus Reine, Stephen B. Gordon, Simon P. Jochems, Jamie Rylance, Daniela M. Ferreira
Summary: This study investigated the seasonal and environmental factors influencing susceptibility to nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae, and found that male patients had a lower risk of carriage, while cooler temperatures and lower concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were associated with higher risk of carriage.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Elena Mitsi, Jesus Reine, Britta C. Urban, Carla Solorzano, Elissavet Nikolaou, Angela D. Hyder-Wright, Sherin Pojar, Ashleigh Howard, Lisa Hitchins, Sharon Glynn, Madlen C. Farrar, Konstantinos Liatsikos, Andrea M. Collins, Naomi F. Walker, Helen C. Hill, Esther L. German, Katerina S. Cheliotis, Rachel L. Byrne, Christopher T. Williams, Ana Cubas-Atienzar, Tom E. Fletcher, Emily R. Adams, Simon J. Draper, David Pulido, Rohini Beavon, Christian Theilacker, Elizabeth Begier, Luis Jodar, Bradford D. Gessner, Daniela M. Ferreira
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and Streptococcus pneumoniae in different populations, and found that pneumococcal infection reduces host immune responses to the virus.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2022)