Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julia Figl, Heike Koehler, Nadine Wedlich, Elisabeth M. Liebler-Tenorio, Leander Grode, Gerald Parzmair, Gopinath Krishnamoorthy, Natalie E. Nieuwenhuizen, Stefan H. E. Kaufmann, Christian Menge
Summary: A more effective vaccine against tuberculosis is urgently needed. The recombinant vaccine VPM1002 has been found to be safer and more efficacious than the existing vaccine BCG in mice models. In this study, the safety and immunogenicity of VPM1002 and its derivatives, PDX and NUOG, were assessed in juvenile goats. The results showed that VPM1002 and NUOG induced anti-tuberculous immunity with a comparable safety profile to BCG.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mark F. Cotton, Shabir A. Madhi, Angelique K. Luabeya, Michele Tameris, Anneke C. Hesseling, Justin Shenje, Elisma Schoeman, Mark Hatherill, Sajjad Desai, Dhananjay Kapse, Sina Bruckner, Anthonet Koen, Lisa Jose, Andrew Moultrie, Sutika Bhikha, Gerhard Walzl, Andrea Gutschmidt, Leigh A. Kotze, Devon L. Allies, Andre G. Loxton, Umesh Shaligram, Maria Abraham, Hilary Johnstone, Leander Grode, S. H. E. Kaufmann, Prasad S. Kulkarni
Summary: This study compared the safety and immunogenicity of VPM1002 and BCG in HIV exposed and unexposed newborn babies, showing that VPM1002 was less reactogenic than BCG, with differences in immunogenic responses.
LANCET INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Valdone Miseviciene, Gintare Liakaite, Elena Suciliene, Inga Ivaskeviciene
Summary: BCG-induced osteomyelitis is an extremely rare systemic adverse reaction in immunocompetent children after BCG vaccination, with correct diagnosis frequently missed. This article presented 4 clinical cases reported over a 10-year period in Lithuania, a high TB incidence country, and briefly reviewed the clinical, management, and treatment features of the disease.
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Lei Zhang, Yuqing Li, Lingli Zhou, Houhong Zhou, Liefu Ye, Tong Ou, Huaishan Hong, Shiwen Zheng, Ziyu Zhou, Kang Wu, Zeqin Yan, Jean Paul Thiery, Jun Cui, Song Wu
Summary: YTHDF2 is upregulated in bladder cancer and promotes tumor growth by inhibiting RIG-I-mediated immune signaling, highlighting the significance of m(6)A modifications in bladder cancer and providing therapeutic opportunities.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marek Fol, Piotr Kozinski, Jakub Kulesza, Piotr Bialecki, Magdalena Druszczynska
Summary: Recent studies suggest that chronic inflammation related to mycobacteria may be a possible mechanism of cancer pathogenesis. Different types of mycobacterial infections, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, non-tuberculous Mycobacterium avium complex, and Mycobacterium ulcerans, have been associated with increased risks of lung cancer and skin carcinogenesis. The relationship between chronic mycobacterial infections and tumor development is thought to involve various host effector mechanisms at different stages of oncogenesis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Frederik Schaltz-Buchholzer, Peter Aaby, Ivan Monteiro, Luis Camala, Simone Faurholt Simonsen, Hannah Nortoft Frankel, Kristina Lindberg Larsen, Christian N. Golding, Tobias R. Kollmann, Nelly Amenyogbe, Christine Stabell Benn, Morten Bjerregaard-Andersen
Summary: Providing BCG + OPV vaccination to neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit was shown to be safe and possibly protective against fatal infections, particularly in reducing infectious deaths. However, there was no effect of BCG vaccination on deaths due to prematurity and perinatal complications.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria A. Duarte C., Jeismar M. Carballo O., Yetsenia M. De Gouveia, Angie Garcia, Diana Ruiz, Teresa Gledhill, Eglys Gonzalez-Marcano, Ana F. Convit
Summary: ConvitVax is a personalized vaccine for breast cancer treatment, which has been shown to be safe and effective in preclinical studies on BALB/c mice.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Saraswathi Subramanian, Sreenidhi Srinivasan, Kathiravan Ramaiyan Selvaraju, Priyadharshini Michael Vinoli, Suganya Selladurai, Boominathan Ramasamy, Karthik Kumaragurubaran, Douwe Bakker, Martin Vordermeier, Vivek Kapur, Dhinakar Raj Gopal
Summary: The BCG vaccine provides partial protection against bovine tuberculosis in cattle. A peptide-based defined antigen skin test (DST) has been developed to differentiate between BCG-vaccinated and bTB-infected animals. This study demonstrates that DST retains its diagnostic specificity even after revaccination with BCG.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Juan Wu, Zhidong Hu, Shui-Hua Lu, Xiao-Yong Fan
Summary: This study examined the ability of a DNA vaccine expressing a fusion of antigens Rv2299c and Ag85A to boost BCG immunity and protection against tuberculosis. The results showed that the DNA boost significantly amplified Th1-type cell-mediated immunity and reduced bacterial loads and histological damage in the lung.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Khethiwe Nomcebo Bhengu, Pragalathan Naidoo, Ravesh Singh, Miranda N. Mpaka-Mbatha, Nomzamo Nembe, Zamathombeni Duma, Roxanne Pillay, Zilungile L. Mkhize-Kwitshana
Summary: Helminth infections and tuberculosis are neglected tropical diseases affecting billions globally, and their coexistence can influence the host's immune response. Limited and contradictory research data require further investigation into the complex immunity of coinfected patients.
Review
Immunology
Junli Li, Lingjun Zhan, Chuan Qin
Summary: BCG vaccine, proven to be effective against tuberculosis, also shows non-specific protective effects against various diseases. The recent COVID-19 outbreak has brought BCG vaccine, a classic vaccine, back into the spotlight, prompting further research into its specific and non-specific protection mechanisms.
Article
Biology
Utpala Nanda Chowdhury, Md Omar Faruqe, Md Mehedy, Shamim Ahmad, M. Babul Islam, Watshara Shoombuatong, A. K. M. Azad, Mohammad Ali Moni
Summary: The study found that the BCG vaccine may have an impact on the severity and mortality of COVID-19, identifying genetic variations through analyzing shared DEGs and PPI network, and discovering potential therapeutic candidates. Further investigation into the genetic interactions between the BCG vaccine and SARS-CoV-2 could help combat the spread of COVID-19.
COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Peng Lu, Yu Zhang, Qiao Liu, Xianyan Ding, Wen Kong, Limei Zhu, Wei Lu
Summary: The study found that individuals with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing tuberculosis, especially when they are not overweight. Targeted screening should be considered based on these findings.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Leontine van Balveren, Eugene P. van Puijenbroek, Linda Davidson, Florence van Hunsel
Summary: Reactivation of BCG scar is observed after COVID-19 vaccination with mRNA and viral vector vaccines, characterized by erythema and pain within a few days. The exact mechanism remains unknown, but heat shock protein 65 may be involved.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Marta Rodriguez-Izquierdo, Carmen G. Del Canizo, Carolina Rubio, Ignacio A. Reina, Mario Hernandez Arroyo, Alfredo Rodriguez Antolin, Marta Duenas Porto, Felix Guerrero-Ramos
Summary: BCG has been the standard treatment for high-risk, non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, but a significant proportion of patients progress to muscle-invasive disease. The current follow-up methods, cytology and cystoscopy, impose a burden on both patients and healthcare systems. Identifying responders and non-responders to BCG treatment is crucial for offering the best treatment and avoiding unnecessary adverse events.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Neil C. Dalvie, Andrew M. Biedermann, Sergio A. Rodriguez-Aponte, Christopher A. Naranjo, Harish D. Rao, Meghraj P. Rajurkar, Rakesh R. Lothe, Umesh S. Shaligram, Ryan S. Johnston, Laura E. Crowell, Seraphin Castelino, Mary K. Tracey, Charles A. Whittaker, J. Christopher Love
Summary: Genetically engineered Komagataella phaffii strain was developed to produce RBD protein without methanol induction, increasing production efficiency. This engineered strain enables scalability for manufacturing RBD-based vaccine antigens and other variants for future vaccines.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Saurabh Attarde, Ashwin Iyer, Suyog Khochare, Umesh Shaligram, Mayur Vikharankar, Kartik Sunagar
Summary: Snake envenomation causes high mortality and morbidity rates in the Indian subcontinent. Commercial Indian antivenoms, however, have poor performance in neutralizing venom and require large volumes for treatment, resulting in harmful side effects. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of chromatographic purification in enhancing the dose efficacy of antivenom therapy, improving venom recognition and neutralization potential, and countering the morbid effects of highly venomous snakes in India.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Neil C. Dalvie, Lisa H. Tostanoski, Sergio A. Rodriguez-Aponte, Kawaljit Kaur, Sakshi Bajoria, Ozan S. Kumru, Amanda J. Martinot, Abishek Chandrashekar, Katherine McMahan, Noe B. Mercado, Jingyou Yu, Aiquan Chang, Victoria M. Giffin, Felix Nampanya, Shivani Patel, Lesley Bowman, Christopher A. Naranjo, Dongsoo Yun, Zach Flinchbaugh, Laurent Pessaint, Renita Brown, Jason Velasco, Elyse Teow, Anthony Cook, Hanne Andersen, Mark G. Lewis, Danielle L. Camp, Judith Maxwell Silverman, Gaurav S. Nagar, Harish D. Rao, Rakesh R. Lothe, Rahul Chandrasekharan, Meghraj P. Rajurkar, Umesh S. Shaligram, Harry Kleanthous, Sangeeta B. Joshi, David B. Volkin, Sumi Biswas, J. Christopher Love, Dan H. Barouch
Summary: Authorized vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are not widely available in low- and middle-income countries due to supply shortages, high costs, and complex storage requirements. However, a new vaccine candidate using widely available, safe adjuvants has shown promising results in animal trials, eliciting protective immunity and demonstrating the potential benefits of a low-cost modular vaccine platform for SARS-CoV-2 and other variants.
Article
Immunology
Alexandra M. Blossey, Sina Brueckner, Marcus May, Gerald P. Parzmair, Hitt Sharma, Umesh Shaligram, Leander Grode, Stefan H. E. Kaufmann, Mihai G. Netea, Christoph Schindler
Summary: This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of VPM1002 vaccination as prophylaxis against severe respiratory tract infections, including COVID-19, in elderly population. The results showed that VPM1002 vaccination is well tolerated and has a prophylactic effect against severe respiratory diseases in the elderly population, with lower incidence of self-reported fever and fewer hospitalizations.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Amy L. Slogrove, Shani Tamlyn de Beer, Emma Kalk, Andrew Boulle, Mark Cotton, Heinrich Cupido, Barbara Laughton, Marguerite Marlow, Ushma Mehta, Ncumisa Msolo, Landon Myer, Kathleen M. Powis, Elisma Schoeman, Mark Tomlinson, Moleen Zunza, Paige Williams, Mary-Ann Davies
Summary: The CHERISH study aims to establish a sustainable system for measuring in utero and postnatal exposures and outcomes in HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) and HIV-unexposed children in South Africa. The study will compare survival, hospitalization, growth, and neurodevelopment in these children. The study involves prospectively enrolling pregnant individuals with and without HIV and following them for 3 years after the child's birth. Data on exposures and outcomes are collected through healthcare documentation, interviews, and measurements at in-person visits. The findings of the study will be disseminated through various channels, including peer-reviewed journals.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Charlene Goosen, Sebastian Proost, Jeannine Baumgartner, Kashish Mallick, Raul Y. Tito, Shaun L. Barnabas, Mark F. Cotton, Michael B. Zimmermann, Jeroen Raes, Renee Blaauw
Summary: This study aimed to determine the associations of HIV and iron status with gut microbiota composition, gut inflammation, and gut integrity in South African school-age children. The findings showed that iron deficiency is associated with gut inflammation, and both HIV and iron status have an impact on gut microbiota.
JOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Penelope C. Rose, Etienne De la Rey Nel, Mark F. Cotton, Kennedy Otwombe, Sara H. Browne, Lisa J. Frigati, Helena Rabie, Steve Innes
Summary: This study evaluated changes in hepatic steatosis in adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV switching to dolutegravir-containing antiretroviral therapy. The results showed that switching to dolutegravir improved hepatic steatosis, cholesterol, and triglycerides in adolescents with no excess weight gain.
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Victor Dzau, Soumya Swaminathan, Charlotte Baker, Ricka A. Bright, Jose Castillo, Tan Chorh Chuan, Ruxandra Draghia-Akli, Ranna Eardley-Patel, George F. Gao, Ken Ishii, Yenew Kebede Tebeje, Teresa Lambe, Shingai Machingaidze, John-Arne Rottingen, Umesh Shaligram, Mariangela Simao, Renu Swarup, Jean-Francois Toussaint, Niteen S. Wairagkar
Article
Immunology
Shrikant Thorat, Pratik Ogale, Manish Gautam, Umesh Shaligram, Sunil Gairola
Summary: We have developed and validated a CE-SDS method for analyzing the purity of components in acellular Pertussis vaccine. The method demonstrated specificity and excellent linearity over a concentration range. CE-SDS showed better resolution capabilities compared to SDS-PAGE.
Article
Immunology
Inci Aydin, Marcus May, Fabio Pisano, Nontsikelelo Mpofu-Maetzig, Leander Grode, Sameer Parekh, Pramod Pujari, Sunil Shewale, Shivani Desai, Hitt Sharma, Harish Rao, Manish Gautam, Sunil Gairola, Umesh Shaligram
Summary: This study evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of a new booster vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd (SIIPL Tdap) against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. The results showed that SIIPL Tdap is non-inferior to the comparator Tdap in terms of safety and immunogenicity, with higher antibody concentrations.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francois Leboutte, Christian Engesser, Leutrim Zahiti, Cyrill A. Rentsch, Helge Seifert, Ralf Anding, Margret Hund-Georgiadis, Sandra Mohr, Matthias Walter, Silvio Maringhini
Summary: This retrospective exploratory study investigated the prevalence of unfavorable findings during video-urodynamic studies (VUDS) in patients with minimally conscious state (MCS)/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and whether management of the lower urinary tract (LUT) was adjusted accordingly. The study found a high prevalence of neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) and detrusor sphincter dyssynergia (DSD) in these patients, indicating the importance of VUDS in adapting LUT management.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Prasad S. Kulkarni, Abhijit Kadam, Sheela Godbole, Varsha Bhatt, Abhishek Raut, Sunil Kohli, Santanu Tripathi, Praveen Kulkarni, Rakhi Ludam, Madhav Prabhu, Ashish Bavdekar, Nithya J. Gogtay, Sushant Meshram, Tamilarasu Kadhiravan, Sonali Kar, D. H. Ashwath Narayana, Clarence Samuel, Govind Kulkarni, Abhay Gaidhane, Dipu Sathyapalan, Sidram Raut, Vijay Hadda, Hira Lal Bhalla, Chetanraj Bhamare, Abhijeet Dharmadhikari, Joyce S. Plested, Shane Cloney-Clarke, Mingzhu Zhu, Melinda Pryor, Stephanie Hamilton, Madhuri Thakur, Ashwini Shete, Manish Gautam, Nivedita Gupta, Samiran Panda, Umesh Shaligram, Cyrus S. Poonawalla, Barlam Bhargava, Bhagwat Gunale, Dhananjay Kapse
Summary: This study evaluated the immune bridging study of SII-NVX-CoV2373 vaccine in India, and the results showed that SII-NVX-CoV2373 is comparable to NVX-CoV2373 in terms of immune response and safety.
LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH - SOUTHEAST ASIA
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Moritz C. Neubauer, Guillaume P. Nicolas, Andreas Bauman, Melpomeni Fani, Egbert Nitzsche, Ali Afshar-Oromieh, Flavio Forrer, Cyril Rentsch, Frank Stenner, Arnoud Templeton, Niklaus Schaefer, Damian Wild, Alin Chirindel
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate early tumor response using quantified SPECT/CT and its correlation with clinical outcomes in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients treated with (177)Lutetium-PSMA I&T therapy. Stable or decreased PSMA-positive total tumor volumes (TTV) and serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were associated with longer overall survival (OS) in mCRPC patients.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Bhagwat Gunale, Dhananjay Kapse, Sonali Kar, Ashish Bavdekar, Sunil Kohli, Sanjay Lalwani, Sushant Meshram, Abhishek Raut, Praveen Kulkarni, Clarence Samuel, Renuka Munshi, Madhu Gupta, Joyce S. Plested, Shane Cloney-Clark, MingZhu Zhu, Melinda Pryor, Stephanie Hamilton, Madhuri Thakar, Ashwini Shete, Abhijeet Dharmadhikari, Chetanraj Bhamare, Umesh Shaligram, Cyrus S. Poonawalla, Raburn M. Mallory, Gregory M. Glenn, Prasad S. Kulkarni
Summary: The SII-NVX-CoV2373 vaccine has been found to be safe and highly immunogenic in children and adolescents, indicating its potential for pediatric COVID-19 vaccination.
Article
Oncology
Jack V. W. Bacon, David C. Muller, Elie Ritch, Matti Annala, Sarah G. Dugas, Cameron Herberts, Gillian Vandekerkhove, Helge Seifert, Tobias Zellweger, Peter C. Black, Lukas Bubendorf, Alexander W. Wyatt, Cyrill A. Rentsch
Summary: This study investigates the association between genomic alterations and BCG resistance in high-risk NMIBC, and identifies ARID1A mutation and CCNE1 amplification as potential predictors of relapse. Pre- and post-BCG tumors share common driver alterations, but somatic profiles can change over time. The findings highlight the importance of recent biopsy in considering targeted therapies.
EUROPEAN UROLOGY ONCOLOGY
(2022)