Sample records for l2 dnak immunogen

  1. Mutations in the C-terminal fragment of DnaK affecting peptide binding.

    PubMed Central

    Burkholder, W F; Zhao, X; Zhu, X; Hendrickson, W A; Gragerov, A; Gottesman, M E

    1996-01-01

    Escherichia coli DnaK acts as a molecular chaperone through its ATP-regulated binding and release of polypeptide substrates. Overexpressing a C-terminal fragment (CTF) of DnaK (Gly-384 to Lys-638) containing the polypeptide substrate binding domain is lethal in wild-type E. coli. This dominant-negative phenotype may result from the nonproductive binding of CTF to cellular polypeptide targets of DnaK. Mutations affecting DnaK substrate binding were identified by selecting noncytotoxic CTF mutants followed by in vitro screening. The clustering of such mutations in the three-dimensional structure of CTF suggests the model that loops L1,2 and L4,5 form a rigid core structure critical for interactions with substrate. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 PMID:8855230

  2. Immunogenicity of an HPV-16 L2 DNA vaccine

    PubMed Central

    Hitzeroth, Inga I.; Passmore, Jo-Ann S.; Shephard, Enid; Stewart, Debbie; Müller, Martin; Williamson, Anna-Lise; Rybicki, Edward P.; Kast, W. Martin

    2009-01-01

    The ability to elicit cross-neutralizing antibodies makes human papillomavirus (HPV) L2 capsid protein a possible HPV vaccine. We examined and compared the humoral response of mice immunised with a HPV-16 L2 DNA vaccine or with HPV-16 L2 protein. The L2 DNA vaccine elicited a non-neutralising antibody response unlike the L2 protein. L2 DNA vaccination suppressed the growth of L2-expressing C3 tumor cells, which is a T cell mediated effect, demonstrating that the lack of non-neutralizing antibody induction by L2 DNA was not caused by lack of T cell immunogenicity of the construct. PMID:19559114

  3. The DnaK Chaperone Uses Different Mechanisms To Promote and Inhibit Replication of Vibrio cholerae Chromosome 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jha, Jyoti K.; Li, Mi; Ghirlando, Rodolfo

    Replication of Vibrio cholerae chromosome 2 (Chr2) depends on molecular chaperone DnaK to facilitate binding of the initiator (RctB) to the replication origin. The binding occurs at two kinds of site, 12-mers and 39-mers, which promote and inhibit replication, respectively. Here we show that DnaK employs different mechanisms to enhance the two kinds of binding. We found that mutations inrctBthat reduce DnaK binding also reduce 12-mer binding and initiation. The initiation defect is suppressed by second-site mutations that increase 12-mer binding only marginally. Instead, they reduce replication inhibitory mechanisms: RctB dimerization and 39-mer binding. One suppressing change was in amore » dimerization domain which is folded similarly to the initiator of an iteron plasmid—the presumed progenitor of Chr2. In plasmids, DnaK promotes initiation by reducing dimerization. A different mutation was in the 39-mer binding domain of RctB and inactivated it, indicating an alternative suppression mechanism. Paradoxically, although DnaK increases 39-mer binding, the increase was also achieved by inactivating the DnaK binding site of RctB. This result suggests that the site inhibits the 39-mer binding domain (via autoinhibition) when prevented from binding DnaK. Taken together, our results reveal an important feature of the transition from plasmid to chromosome: the Chr2 initiator retains the plasmid-like dimerization domain and its control by chaperones but uses the chaperones in an unprecedented way to control the inhibitory 39-mer binding. IMPORTANCE The capacity of proteins to undergo remodeling provides opportunities to control their function. However, remodeling remains a poorly understood aspect of the structure-function paradigm due to its dynamic nature. Here we have studied remodeling of the initiator of replication ofVibrio choleraeChr2 by the molecular chaperone, DnaK. We show that DnaK binds to a site on the Chr2 initiator (RctB) that promotes initiation by

  4. Influence of Oxidation and Multimerization on the Immunogenicity of a Thioredoxin-L2 Prophylactic Papillomavirus Vaccine

    PubMed Central

    Seitz, Hanna; Dantheny, Tatiana; Burkart, Frank; Ottonello, Simone

    2013-01-01

    Current commercial prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are based on virus-like particles assembled from the major capsid protein L1 and show excellent safety and efficacy profiles. Still, a major limitation is their rather narrow range of protection against different HPV types. In contrast, the minor capsid protein L2 contains a so-called major cross-neutralizing epitope that can induce broad-range protective responses against multiple HPV types. This epitope is conserved among different papillomaviruses (PV) and contains two cysteine residues that are present in the L2 proteins of all known PV types. The main challenge in developing L2-directed vaccines is to overcome the intrinsically low immunogenicity of the L2 protein. Previously, we developed a recombinant L2-based prototype vaccine by inserting peptide epitopes spanning the cross-neutralizing L2 sequence into a bacterial thioredoxin (Trx) scaffold. These antigens induced high-titer neutralizing antibodies in mice. Here, we address the question of whether Trx scaffold multimerization may further enhance the immunogenicity of the TrxL2 vaccine. We also demonstrate that the oxidation state of the conserved cysteine residues is not essential for vaccine functionality, but it contributes to immunogenicity. PMID:23677323

  5. A passive physical model for DnaK chaperoning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uhl, Lionel; Dumont, Audrey; Dukan, Sam

    2018-03-01

    Almost all living organisms use protein chaperones with a view to preventing proteins from misfolding or aggregation either spontaneously or during cellular stress. This work uses a reaction-diffusion stochastic model to describe the dynamic localization of the Hsp70 chaperone DnaK in Escherichia coli cells during transient proteotoxic collapse characterized by the accumulation of insoluble proteins. In the model, misfolded (‘abnormal’) proteins are produced during alcoholic stress and have the propensity to aggregate with a polymerization-like kinetics. When aggregates diffuse more slowly they grow larger. According to Michaelis-Menten-type kinetics, DnaK has the propensity to bind with misfolded proteins or aggregates in order to catalyse refolding. To match experimental fluorescence microscopy data showing clusters of DnaK-GFP localized in multiple foci, the model includes spatial zones with local reduced diffusion rates to generate spontaneous assemblies of DnaK called ‘foci’. Numerical simulations of our model succeed in reproducing the kinetics of DnaK localization experimentally observed. DnaK starts from foci, moves to large aggregates during acute stress, resolves those aggregates during recovery and finally returns to its initial punctate localization pattern. Finally, we compare real biological events with hypothetical repartitions of the protein aggregates or DnaK. We then notice that DnaK action is more efficient on protein aggregates than on protein homogeneously distributed.

  6. Francisella DnaK Inhibits Tissue-nonspecific Alkaline Phosphatase*

    PubMed Central

    Arulanandam, Bernard P.; Chetty, Senthilnath Lakshmana; Yu, Jieh-Juen; Leonard, Sean; Klose, Karl; Seshu, Janakiram; Cap, Andrew; Valdes, James J.; Chambers, James P.

    2012-01-01

    Following pulmonary infection with Francisella tularensis, we observed an unexpected but significant reduction of alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme normally up-regulated following inflammation. However, no reduction was observed in mice infected with a closely related Gram-negative pneumonic organism (Klebsiella pneumoniae) suggesting the inhibition may be Francisella-specific. In similar fashion to in vivo observations, addition of Francisella lysate to exogenous alkaline phosphatase (tissue-nonspecific isozyme) was inhibitory. Partial purification and subsequent proteomic analysis indicated the inhibitory factor to be the heat shock protein DnaK. Incubation with increasing amounts of anti-DnaK antibody reduced the inhibitory effect in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, DnaK contains an adenosine triphosphate binding domain at its N terminus, and addition of adenosine triphosphate enhances dissociation of DnaK with its target protein, e.g. alkaline phosphatase. Addition of adenosine triphosphate resulted in decreased DnaK co-immunoprecipitated with alkaline phosphatase as well as reduction of Francisella-mediated alkaline phosphatase inhibition further supporting the binding of Francisella DnaK to alkaline phosphatase. Release of DnaK via secretion and/or bacterial cell lysis into the extracellular milieu and inhibition of plasma alkaline phosphatase could promote an orchestrated, inflammatory response advantageous to Francisella. PMID:22923614

  7. Francisella DnaK inhibits tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase.

    PubMed

    Arulanandam, Bernard P; Chetty, Senthilnath Lakshmana; Yu, Jieh-Juen; Leonard, Sean; Klose, Karl; Seshu, Janakiram; Cap, Andrew; Valdes, James J; Chambers, James P

    2012-10-26

    Following pulmonary infection with Francisella tularensis, we observed an unexpected but significant reduction of alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme normally up-regulated following inflammation. However, no reduction was observed in mice infected with a closely related gram-negative pneumonic organism (Klebsiella pneumoniae) suggesting the inhibition may be Francisella-specific. In similar fashion to in vivo observations, addition of Francisella lysate to exogenous alkaline phosphatase (tissue-nonspecific isozyme) was inhibitory. Partial purification and subsequent proteomic analysis indicated the inhibitory factor to be the heat shock protein DnaK. Incubation with increasing amounts of anti-DnaK antibody reduced the inhibitory effect in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, DnaK contains an adenosine triphosphate binding domain at its N terminus, and addition of adenosine triphosphate enhances dissociation of DnaK with its target protein, e.g. alkaline phosphatase. Addition of adenosine triphosphate resulted in decreased DnaK co-immunoprecipitated with alkaline phosphatase as well as reduction of Francisella-mediated alkaline phosphatase inhibition further supporting the binding of Francisella DnaK to alkaline phosphatase. Release of DnaK via secretion and/or bacterial cell lysis into the extracellular milieu and inhibition of plasma alkaline phosphatase could promote an orchestrated, inflammatory response advantageous to Francisella.

  8. Trigger Factor and DnaK possess overlapping substrate pools and binding specificities.

    PubMed

    Deuerling, Elke; Patzelt, Holger; Vorderwülbecke, Sonja; Rauch, Thomas; Kramer, Günter; Schaffitzel, Elke; Mogk, Axel; Schulze-Specking, Agnes; Langen, Hanno; Bukau, Bernd

    2003-03-01

    Ribosome-associated Trigger Factor (TF) and the DnaK chaperone system assist the folding of newly synthesized proteins in Escherichia coli. Here, we show that DnaK and TF share a common substrate pool in vivo. In TF-deficient cells, deltatig, depleted for DnaK and DnaJ the amount of aggregated proteins increases with increasing temperature, amounting to 10% of total soluble protein (approximately 340 protein species) at 37 degrees C. A similar population of proteins aggregated in DnaK depleted tig+ cells, albeit to a much lower extent. Ninety-four aggregated proteins isolated from DnaK- and DnaJ-depleted deltatig cells were identified by mass spectrometry and found to include essential cytosolic proteins. Four potential in vivo substrates were screened for chaperone binding sites using peptide libraries. Although TF and DnaK recognize different binding motifs, 77% of TF binding peptides also associated with DnaK. In the case of the nascent polypeptides TF and DnaK competed for binding, however, with competitive advantage for TF. In vivo, the loss of TF is compensated by the induction of the heat shock response and thus enhanced levels of DnaK. In summary, our results demonstrate that the co-operation of the two mechanistically distinct chaperones in protein folding is based on their overlap in substrate specificities.

  9. Expression of the Caulobacter heat shock gene dnaK is developmentally controlled during growth at normal temperatures.

    PubMed Central

    Gomes, S L; Gober, J W; Shapiro, L

    1990-01-01

    Caulobacter crescentus has a single dnaK gene that is highly homologous to the hsp70 family of heat shock genes. Analysis of the cloned and sequenced dnaK gene has shown that the deduced amino acid sequence could encode a protein of 67.6 kilodaltons that is 68% identical to the DnaK protein of Escherichia coli and 49% identical to the Drosophila and human hsp70 protein family. A partial open reading frame 165 base pairs 3' to the end of dnaK encodes a peptide of 190 amino acids that is 59% identical to DnaJ of E. coli. Northern blot analysis revealed a single 4.0-kilobase mRNA homologous to the cloned fragment. Since the dnaK coding region is 1.89 kilobases, dnaK and dnaJ may be transcribed as a polycistronic message. S1 mapping and primer extension experiments showed that transcription initiated at two sites 5' to the dnaK coding sequence. A single start site of transcription was identified during heat shock at 42 degrees C, and the predicted promoter sequence conformed to the consensus heat shock promoters of E. coli. At normal growth temperature (30 degrees C), a different start site was identified 3' to the heat shock start site that conformed to the E. coli sigma 70 promoter consensus sequence. S1 protection assays and analysis of expression of the dnaK gene fused to the lux transcription reporter gene showed that expression of dnaK is temporally controlled under normal physiological conditions and that transcription occurs just before the initiation of DNA replication. Thus, in both human cells (I. K. L. Milarski and R. I. Morimoto, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83:9517-9521, 1986) and in a simple bacterium, the transcription of a hsp70 gene is temporally controlled as a function of the cell cycle under normal growth conditions. Images PMID:2345134

  10. Heat shock of Escherichia coli increases binding of dnaK (the hsp70 homolog) to polypeptides by promoting its phosphorylation.

    PubMed Central

    Sherman, M Y; Goldberg, A L

    1993-01-01

    The "molecular chaperone", dnaK, is induced in Escherichia coli upon heat shock and promotes ATP-dependent refolding or degradation of damaged proteins. When cells were grown at 25 degrees C and disrupted, a small fraction of the dnaK bound to affinity columns containing unfolded polypeptides (e.g., a fusion protein named CRAG or casein) and could be dissociated by ATP-Mg2+. After shifting cells to 42 degrees C for 30 min, up to 5-fold more dnaK bound to these columns than after growth at 25 degrees C. This enhanced binding capacity was reversed after shifting cells back to 25 degrees C. It resulted from a covalent modification, which decreases dnaK's electrophoretic mobility and isoelectric point. This modification appears to be phosphorylation; after treatment with phosphatases, the ATP-eluted dnaK resembled the predominant form in electrophoretic and binding properties. In addition, after incubating cells with [32P]orthophosphate at 42 degrees C, the 32P-labeled dnaK bound quantitatively to the CRAG column, unlike the nonlabeled protein. Thus, the phosphorylated dnaK is a special form of the chaperone with enhanced affinity for unfolded proteins. Its accumulation at high temperatures may account for dnaK's function as the "cellular thermometer." Images Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Fig. 7 PMID:8378342

  11. Glutathionylation of the Bacterial Hsp70 Chaperone DnaK Provides a Link between Oxidative Stress and the Heat Shock Response.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Hong; Yang, Jie; Wu, Si; Gong, Weibin; Chen, Chang; Perrett, Sarah

    2016-03-25

    DnaK is the major bacterial Hsp70, participating in DNA replication, protein folding, and the stress response. DnaK cooperates with the Hsp40 co-chaperone DnaJ and the nucleotide exchange factor GrpE. Under non-stress conditions, DnaK binds to the heat shock transcription factor σ(32)and facilitates its degradation. Oxidative stress results in temporary inactivation of DnaK due to depletion of cellular ATP and thiol modifications such as glutathionylation until normal cellular ATP levels and a reducing environment are restored. However, the biological significance of DnaK glutathionylation remains unknown, and the mechanisms by which glutathionylation may regulate the activity of DnaK are also unclear. We investigated the conditions under which Escherichia coli DnaK undergoesS-glutathionylation. We observed glutathionylation of DnaK in lysates of E. coli cells that had been subjected to oxidative stress. We also obtained homogeneously glutathionylated DnaK using purified DnaK in the apo state. We found that glutathionylation of DnaK reversibly changes the secondary structure and tertiary conformation, leading to reduced nucleotide and peptide binding ability. The chaperone activity of DnaK was reversibly down-regulated by glutathionylation, accompanying the structural changes. We found that interaction of DnaK with DnaJ, GrpE, or σ(32)becomes weaker when DnaK is glutathionylated, and the interaction is restored upon deglutathionylation. This study confirms that glutathionylation down-regulates the functions of DnaK under oxidizing conditions, and this down-regulation may facilitate release of σ(32)from its interaction with DnaK, thus triggering the heat shock response. Such a mechanism provides a link between oxidative stress and the heat shock response in bacteria. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  12. Genetic heterogeneity of the dnaK gene locus including transcription terminator region (TTR) in Campylobacter lari.

    PubMed

    Shitara, M; Tsuboi, Y; Sekizuka, T; Tazumi, A; Moorei, J E; Millar, B C; Taneike, I; Matsuda, M

    2008-01-01

    Nucleotide sequences of approximately 3.1 kbp consisting of the full-length open reading frame (ORF) for grpE, a non-coding (NC) region and a putative ORF for the full-length dnaK gene (1860 bp) were identified from a urease-positive thermophilic Campylobacter (UPTC) CF89-12 isolate. Then, following the construction of a new degenerate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer pair for amplification of the dnaK structural gene, including the transcription terminator region of C. lari isolates, the dnaK region was amplified successfully, TA-cloned and sequenced in nine C. lari isolates. The dnaK gene sequences commenced with an ATG and terminated with a TAA in all 10 isolates, including CF89-12. In addition, the putative ORFs for the dnaK gene locus from seven UPTC isolates consisted of 1860 bases, and the four urease-negative (UN) C. lari isolates included C. lari RM2100 reference strain 1866. Interestingly, different probable ribosome binding sites and hypothetically intrinsic p-independent terminator structures were identified between the seven UPTC and four UN C. lari isolates, respectively. Moreover, it is interesting to note that 20 out of a total of 28 polymorphic sites occurred among amino acid sequences of the dnaK ORF from 11 C. lari isolates, identified to be alternatively UPTC-specific or UN C. lari-specific. In the neighbour-joining tree based on the nucleotide sequence information of the dnaK gene, C. lari forms two major distinct clusters consisting of UPTC and UN C. lari isolates, respectively, with UN C. lari being more closely related to other thermophilic campylobacters than to UPTC.

  13. Comparison of immunogenicity and protective efficacy of genital herpes vaccine candidates herpes simplex virus 2 dl5-29 and dl5-29-41L in mice and guinea pigs.

    PubMed

    Hoshino, Yo; Pesnicak, Lesley; Dowdell, Kennichi C; Lacayo, Juan; Dudek, Timothy; Knipe, David M; Straus, Stephen E; Cohen, Jeffrey I

    2008-07-29

    A replication-defective herpes simplex virus (HSV)-2 vaccine, dl5-29, which is deleted for two essential early genes, UL5 and UL29, is highly immunogenic and protective in mice and guinea pigs. In a prior study, a derivative of HSV-2 dl5-29 termed dl5-29-41L, which has an additional deletion in UL41 (that encodes the virion-host shut-off protein), was more immunogenic and protective against challenge with wild-type HSV-2 in mice when compared with dl5-29. To determine if deletion of UL41 improves the efficacy of dl5-29 in protecting guinea pigs from HSV-2, animals were immunized with dl5-29, dl5-29-41L, or PBS. The geometric mean neutralizing antibody titers from the dl5-29 and dl5-29-41L recipients were comparable (10(1.97) and 10(2.19), respectively, p=0.15). After intravaginal challenge with wild-type HSV-2, the dl5-29-41L and dl5-29 recipients shed similar titers of HSV-2 from the vagina. Mean acute disease severity scores, numbers of recurrences during 3 months after infection, and latent viral loads in sacral ganglia were similar for dl5-29 and dl5-29-41L (all p values >0.05). dl5-29 and dl5-29-41L completely protected mice from lethal challenge with HSV-2 and induced virus-specific CD8(+) T cells in the spleens of the animals. Thus, dl5-29 was as immunogenic and protective as dl5-29-41L under these conditions. dl5-29 was at least 250,000-fold less virulent than parental virus by intracranial inoculation in healthy mice, and caused no disease in SCID mice. Both dl5-29-41L and dl5-29 are equally effective and immunogenic in guinea pigs, and dl5-29 is very safe in immunocompromised animals.

  14. Gene structure and transcriptional organization of the dnaK operon of Bifidobacterium breve UCC 2003 and application of the operon in bifidobacterial tracing.

    PubMed

    Ventura, Marco; Zink, Ralf; Fitzgerald, Gerald F; van Sinderen, Douwe

    2005-01-01

    The incorporation and delivery of bifidobacterial strains as probiotic components in many food preparations expose these microorganisms to a multitude of environmental insults, including heat and osmotic stresses. We characterized the dnaK gene region of Bifidobacterium breve UCC 2003. Sequence analysis of the dnaK locus revealed four genes with the organization dnaK-grpE-dnaJ-ORF1, whose deduced protein products display significant similarity to corresponding chaperones found in other bacteria. Northern hybridization and real-time LightCycler PCR analysis revealed that the transcription of the dnaK operon was strongly induced by osmotic shock but was not induced significantly by heat stress. A 4.4-kb polycistronic mRNA, which represented the transcript of the complete dnaK gene region, was detected. Many other small transcripts, which were assumed to have resulted from intensive processing or degradation of this polycistronic mRNA, were identified. The transcription start site of the dnaK operon was determined by primer extension. Phylogenetic analysis of the available bifidobacterial grpE and dnaK genes suggested that the evolutionary development of these genes has been similar. The phylogeny derived from the various bifidobacterial grpE and dnaK sequences is consistent with that derived from 16S rRNA. The use of these genes in bifidobacterial species as an alternative or complement to the 16S rRNA gene marker provides sequence signatures that allow a high level of discrimination between closely related species of this genus.

  15. Chemical Screens Against A Reconstituted Multi-Protein Complex: Myricetin Blocks DnaJ Regulation of DnaK through an Allosteric Mechanism

    PubMed Central

    Chang, Lyra; Miyata, Yoshinari; Ung, Peter M. U.; Bertelsen, Eric B.; McQuade, Thomas J.; Carlson, Heather A.; Zuiderweg, Erik R. P.; Gestwicki, Jason E.

    2011-01-01

    SUMMARY DnaK is a molecular chaperone responsible for multiple aspects of proteostasis. The intrinsically slow ATPase activity of DnaK is stimulated by its co-chaperone, DnaJ, and these proteins often work in concert. To identify inhibitors, we screened plant-derived extracts against a re-constituted mixture of DnaK and DnaJ. This approach resulted in the identification of flavonoids, including myricetin, which inhibited activity by up to 75%. Interestingly, myricetin prevented DnaJ-mediated stimulation of ATPase activity, with minimal impact on either DnaK’s intrinsic turnover rate or its stimulation by another co-chaperone, GrpE. Using NMR, we found that myricetin binds DnaK at an unanticipated site between the IB and IIB subdomains and that it allosterically blocked binding of DnaJ. Together, these results highlight a “gray box” screening approach, which approximates a limited amount of the complexity expected in physiological, multi-protein systems. PMID:21338918

  16. Measurement of neutralizing serum antibodies of patients vaccinated with human papillomavirus L1 or L2-based immunogens using furin-cleaved HPV Pseudovirions.

    PubMed

    Wang, Joshua W; Jagu, Subhashini; Wang, Chenguang; Kitchener, Henry C; Daayana, Sai; Stern, Peter L; Pang, Susana; Day, Patricia M; Huh, Warner K; Roden, Richard B S

    2014-01-01

    Antibodies specific for neutralizing epitopes in either Human papillomavirus (HPV) capsid protein L1 or L2 can mediate protection from viral challenge and thus their accurate and sensitive measurement at high throughput is likely informative for monitoring response to prophylactic vaccination. Here we compare measurement of L1 and L2-specific neutralizing antibodies in human sera using the standard Pseudovirion-Based Neutralization Assay (L1-PBNA) with the newer Furin-Cleaved Pseudovirion-Based Neutralization Assay (FC-PBNA), a modification of the L1-PBNA intended to improve sensitivity towards L2-specific neutralizing antibodies without compromising assay of L1-specific responses. For detection of L1-specific neutralizing antibodies in human sera, the FC- PBNA and L1-PBNA assays showed similar sensitivity and a high level of correlation using WHO standard sera (n = 2), and sera from patients vaccinated with Gardasil (n = 30) or an experimental human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) L1 VLP vaccine (n = 70). The detection of L1-specific cross-neutralizing antibodies in these sera using pseudovirions of types phylogenetically-related to those targeted by the L1 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines was also consistent between the two assays. However, for sera from patients (n = 17) vaccinated with an L2-based immunogen (TA-CIN), the FC-PBNA was more sensitive than the L1-PBNA in detecting L2-specific neutralizing antibodies. Further, the neutralizing antibody titers measured with the FC-PBNA correlated with those determined with the L2-PBNA, another modification of the L1-PBNA that spacio-temporally separates primary and secondary receptor engagement, as well as the protective titers measured using passive transfer studies in the murine genital-challenge model. In sum, the FC-PBNA provided sensitive measurement for both L1 VLP and L2-specific neutralizing antibody in human sera. Vaccination with TA-CIN elicits weak cross-protective antibody in a subset of

  17. Monitoring conformational heterogeneity of the lid of DnaK substrate-binding domain during its chaperone cycle.

    PubMed

    Banerjee, Rupa; Jayaraj, Gopal Gunanathan; Peter, Joshua Jebakumar; Kumar, Vignesh; Mapa, Koyeli

    2016-08-01

    DnaK or Hsp70 of Escherichia coli is a master regulator of the bacterial proteostasis network. Allosteric communication between the two functional domains of DnaK, the N-terminal nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) and the C-terminal substrate- or peptide-binding domain (SBD) regulate its activity. X-ray crystallography and NMR studies have provided snapshots of distinct conformations of Hsp70 proteins in various physiological states; however, the conformational heterogeneity and dynamics of allostery-driven Hsp70 activity remains underexplored. In this work, we employed single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (sm-FRET) measurements to capture distinct intradomain conformational states of a region within the DnaK-SBD known as the lid. Our data conclusively demonstrate prominent conformational heterogeneity of the DnaK lid in ADP-bound states; in contrast, the ATP-bound open conformations are homogeneous. Interestingly, a nonhydrolysable ATP analogue, AMP-PNP, imparts heterogeneity to the lid conformations mimicking the ADP-bound state. The cochaperone DnaJ confers ADP-like heterogeneous lid conformations to DnaK, although the presence of the cochaperone accelerates the substrate-binding rate by a hitherto unknown mechanism. Irrespective of the presence of DnaJ, binding of a peptide substrate to the DnaK-SBD leads to prominent lid closure. Lid closure is only partial upon binding to molten globule-like authentic cellular substrates, probably to accommodate non-native substrate proteins of varied structures. © 2016 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

  18. Bacterial Hsp70 (DnaK) and mammalian Hsp70 interact differently with lipid membranes.

    PubMed

    Lopez, Victor; Cauvi, David M; Arispe, Nelson; De Maio, Antonio

    2016-07-01

    The cellular response to stress is orchestrated by the expression of a family of proteins termed heat shock proteins (hsp) that are involved in the stabilization of basic cellular processes to preserve cell viability and homeostasis. The bulk of hsp function occurs within the cytosol and subcellular compartments. However, some hsp have also been found outside cells released by an active mechanism independent of cell death. Extracellular hsp act as signaling molecules directed at activating a systemic response to stress. The export of hsp requires the translocation from the cytosol into the extracellular milieu across the plasma membrane. We have proposed that membrane insertion is the initial step in this export process. We investigated the interaction of the major inducible hsp from mammalian (Hsp70) and bacterial (DnaK) species with liposomes. We found that mammalian Hsp70 displayed a high specificity for negatively charged phospholipids, such as phosphatidyl serine, whereas DnaK interacted with all lipids tested regardless of the charge. Both proteins were inserted into the lipid bilayer as demonstrated by resistance to acid or basic washes that was confirmed by partial protection from proteolytic cleavage. Several regions of mammalian Hsp70 were inserted into the membrane with a small portion of the N-terminus end exposed to the outer phase of the liposome. In contrast, the N-terminus end of DnaK was inserted into the membrane, exposing the C-terminus end outside the liposome. Mammalian Hsp70 was found to make high oligomeric complexes upon insertion into the membranes whereas DnaK only formed dimers within the lipid bilayer. These observations suggest that both Hsp70s interact with lipids, but mammalian Hsp70 displays a high degree of specificity and structure as compared with the bacterial form.

  19. Initiation of lambda DNA replication. The Escherichia coli small heat shock proteins, DnaJ and GrpE, increase DnaK's affinity for the lambda P protein.

    PubMed

    Osipiuk, J; Georgopoulos, C; Zylicz, M

    1993-03-05

    It is known that the initiation of bacteriophage lambda replication requires the orderly assembly of the lambda O.lambda P.DnaB helicase protein preprimosomal complex at the ori lambda DNA site. The DnaK, DnaJ, and GrpE heat shock proteins act together to destabilize the lambda P.DnaB complex, thus freeing DnaB and allowing it to unwind lambda DNA near the ori lambda site. The first step of this disassembly reaction is the binding of DnaK to the lambda P protein. In this report, we examined the influence of the DnaJ and GrpE proteins on the stability of the lambda P.DnaK complex. We present evidence for the existence of the following protein-protein complexes: lambda P.DnaK, lambda P.DnaJ, DnaJ.DnaK, DnaK.GrpE, and lambda P.DnaK.GrpE. Our results suggest that the presence of GrpE alone destabilizes the lambda P.DnaK complex, whereas the presence of DnaJ alone stabilizes the lambda P.DnaK complex. Using immunoprecipitation, we show that in the presence of GrpE, DnaK exhibits a higher affinity for the lambda P.DnaJ complex than it does alone. Using cross-linking with glutaraldehyde, we show that oligomeric forms of DnaK exhibit a higher affinity for lambda P than monomeric DnaK. However, in the presence of GrpE, monomeric DnaK can efficiently bind lambda P protein. These findings help explain our previous results, namely that in the GrpE-dependent lambda DNA replication system, the DnaK protein requirement can be reduced up to 10-fold.

  20. Introduction of a unique tryptophan residue into various positions of Bacillus licheniformis DnaK.

    PubMed

    Chen, Bo-En; Lin, Min-Guan; Lo, Huei-Fen; Wang, Tzu-Fan; Chi, Meng-Chun; Lin, Long-Liu

    2013-01-01

    Site-directed mutagenesis together with biochemical and biophysical techniques were used to probe effects of single-tryptophan-incorporated mutations on a bacterial molecular chaperone, Bacillus licheniformis DnaK (BlDnaK). Specifically, five phenylalanine residues (Phe(120), Phe(174), Phe(186), Phe(378) and Phe(396)) of BlDnaK were individually replaced by single tryptophans, thus creating site-specific probes for the fluorescence analysis of the protein. The steady-state ATPase activity for BlDnaK, F120W, F174W, F186W, F378W, and F396W was determined to be 76.01, 52.82, 25.32, 53.31, 58.84, and 47.53 nmol Pi/min/mg, respectively. Complementation test revealed that the single mutation at codons 120, 186, and 378 of the dnaK gene still allowed an Escherichia coli dnaK756-Ts strain to grow at a stringent temperature of 44°C. Simultaneous addition of co-chaperones and NR-peptide did not synergistically stimulate the ATPase activity of F174W and F396W, and these two proteins were unable to assist the refolding of GdnHCl-denatured luciferase. The heat-induced denaturation of all variants could be fitted adequately to a three-state model, in agreement with the observation for the wild-type protein. By CD spectral analysis, GdnHCl-induced unfolding transition for BlDnaK was 1.51 M corresponding to ΔG(N-U) of 1.69 kcal/mol; however, the transitions for mutant proteins were 1.07-1.55 M equivalent to ΔG(N-U) of 0.94-2.93 kcal/mol. The emission maximum of single-tryptophan-incorporated variants was in the range of 333.2-335.8 nm. Acrylamide quenching analysis showed that the mutant proteins had a dynamic quenching constant of 3.0-4.2 M(-1). Taken together, these results suggest that the molecular properties of BlDnaK have been significantly changed upon the individual replacement of selected phenylalanine residues by tryptophan. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Detection of the host immune response to Burkholderia mallei heat-shock proteins GroEL and DnaK in a glanders patient and infected mice.

    PubMed

    Amemiya, Kei; Meyers, Jennifer L; Deshazer, David; Riggins, Renaldo N; Halasohoris, Stephanie; England, Marilyn; Ribot, Wilson; Norris, Sarah L; Waag, David M

    2007-10-01

    We examined, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot analysis, the host immune response to 2 heat-shock proteins (hsps) in a patient and mice previously infected with Burkholderia mallei. The patient was the first reported human glanders case in 50 years in the United States. The expression of the groEL and dnaK operons appeared to be dependent upon a sigma(32) RNA polymerase as suggested by conserved heat-shock promoter sequences, and the groESL operon may be negatively regulated by a controlling invert repeat of chaperone expression (CIRCE) site. In the antisera, the GroEL protein was found to be more immunoreactive than the DnaK protein in both a human patient and mice previously infected with B. mallei. Examination of the supernatant of a growing culture of B. mallei showed that more GroEL protein than DnaK protein was released from the cell. This may occur similarly within an infected host causing an elevated host immune response to the B. mallei hsps.

  2. Reduced immunogenicity of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids when combined with pertussis toxoid.

    PubMed

    Trollfors, Birger; Taranger, John; Lagergård, Teresa; Sundh, Valter

    2005-01-01

    The effect of pertussis toxoid on the immunogenicity of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids (DT) was studied during a double blind efficacy trial of an acellular pertussis vaccine. Infants received DT with or without pertussis toxoid at 3, 5 and 12 months of age. Geometric mean concentrations were higher in the DT than in the DT-pertussis toxoid group 1 month (diphtheria toxoid 4.76 versus 3.58 IU/mL, P = 0.009; tetanus toxoid 4.42 versus 2.66 IU/mL, P < 0.0001) and 2 years after the third injection (diphtheria toxoid 0.15 versus 0.10 IU/mL, P < 0.0001; tetanus toxoid 0.38 versus 0.18 IU/mL, P < 0.0001). Pertussis toxoid causes a small but significant reduction of the immunogenicity of diphtheria toxoid and tetanus toxoid.

  3. Immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins. Part 2: impact of container closures.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Basant

    2007-01-01

    Immunogenicity as a potential consequence of therapeutic protein administration is increasingly being scrutinized in the biopharmaceuticals industry, particularly with the imminent introduction of biosimilar products. Immunogenicity is an important safety aspect requiring rigorous investigation to fully appreciate its impact. Factors involved in product handling, such as storage temperature, light exposure, and shaking, have been implicated in immunogenicity, while container closure systems are no less important. Intended to provide a stable environment for the dosage form, container closures may also interact with a product, affecting performance and potentially enhancing immunogenicity. Glass surfaces, air-liquid interfaces, and lubricants can mediate protein denaturation, while phthalates in plastics and latex rubber are sources of extractables and leachates that may contaminate a product, causing allergic reactions and increasing immunogenicity. The manufacture of therapeutic proteins therefore requires rigorous safety evaluations not just in the context of the product, but also product containment.

  4. Immunogenicity of virus-like particles containing modified goose parvovirus VP2 protein.

    PubMed

    Chen, Zongyan; Li, Chuanfeng; Zhu, Yingqi; Wang, Binbin; Meng, Chunchun; Liu, Guangqing

    2012-10-01

    The major capsid protein VP2 of goose parvovirus (GPV) expressed using a baculovirus expression system (BES) assembles into virus-like particles (VLPs). To optimize VP2 gene expression in Sf9 cells, we converted wild-type VP2 (VP2) codons into codons that are more common in insect genes. This change greatly increased VP2 protein production in Sf9 cells. The protein generated from the codon-optimized VP2 (optVP2) was detected by immunoblotting and an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed the formation of VLPs. These findings indicate that optVP2 yielded stable and high-quality VLPs. Immunogenicity assays revealed that the VLPs are highly immunogenic, elicit a high level of neutralizing antibodies and provide protection against lethal challenge. The antibody levels appeared to be directly related to the number of GP-Ag-positive hepatocytes. The variation trends for GP-Ag-positive hepatocytes were similar in the vaccine groups. In comparison with the control group, the optVP2 VLPs groups exhibited obviously better responses. These data indicate that the VLPs retained immunoreactivity and had strong immunogenicity in susceptible geese. Thus, GPV optVP2 appears to be a good candidate for the vaccination of goslings. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. APC targeting enhances immunogenicity of a novel multistage Fc-fusion tuberculosis vaccine in mice.

    PubMed

    Soleimanpour, Saman; Farsiani, Hadi; Mosavat, Arman; Ghazvini, Kiarash; Eydgahi, Mohammad Reza Akbari; Sankian, Mojtaba; Sadeghian, Hamid; Meshkat, Zahra; Rezaee, Seyed Abdolrahim

    2015-12-01

    Numerous studies have demonstrated that targeting immunogens to FcγR on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) can selectively uptake and increase cellular immunity in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate immunogenicity of a novel multistage tuberculosis vaccine, a combination of an early and a dormant immunogenic protein, ESAT6 and HspX, fused to Fcγ2a fragment of mouse IgG2a to target all forms of tuberculosis. Codon-optimized genes consisting of ESAT6, a linker, and HspX fused either to mouse Fcγ2a (ESAT6:HspX:mFcγ2a) or 6× His-tag (ESAT6:HspX:His) were synthesized. The resulting proteins were then produced in Pichia pastoris. The fusion proteins were separately emulsified in dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide(DDA)-trehalose-6,6-dibehenate(TDB) adjuvant, and their immunogenicity with and without bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) was assessed in C57BL/6 mice. Th1, Th2, Th17, and T-reg cytokine patterns were evaluated using the ELISA method. Both multistage vaccines induced very strong IL-12 and IFN-γ secretion from splenic cells; the Fc-tagged subunit vaccine induced a more effective Th1 immune response (IFN-γ, 910 pg/mL, and IL-12, 854 pg/mL) with a very low increase in IL-17 (∼0.1 pg/mL) and IL-4 (37 pg/mL) and a mild increase in TGF-β (543 pg/mL) compared to the BCG or ESAT6:HspX:His primed and boosted groups. The production of IFN-γ to ESAT6:HspX:Fcγ2a was very consistent and showed an increasing trend for IL-12 compared to the BCG or ESAT6:HspX:His primed and boosted groups. Fcγ2a used as a delivery vehicle supported the idea of selective uptake, inducing cross-presentation and forming a proper anti-tuberculosis response in context of Th1/Th2 and Th17/T-reg balances, which is important for protection and prevention of damage.

  6. Mechanism of degradation of immunogenic gluten epitopes from Triticum turgidum L. var. durum by sourdough lactobacilli and fungal proteases.

    PubMed

    De Angelis, Maria; Cassone, Angela; Rizzello, Carlo G; Gagliardi, Francesca; Minervini, Fabio; Calasso, Maria; Di Cagno, Raffaella; Francavilla, Ruggero; Gobbetti, Marco

    2010-01-01

    As shown by R5 antibody-based sandwich and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), selected sourdough lactobacilli, in combination with fungal proteases, hydrolyzed gluten (72 h at 37 degrees C) of various cultivars of Triticum turgidum L. var. durum to less than 20 ppm. Complementary electrophoretic, chromatography, and mass spectrometry techniques were used to characterize the gluten and epitope hydrolysis. Nine peptidases were partially purified from the pooled cytoplasmic extract of the sourdough lactobacilli and used to hydrolyze the 33-mer epitope, the most immunogenic peptide generated during digestion of Triticum species. At least three peptidases (general aminopeptidase type N [PepN], X-prolyl dipeptidyl aminopeptidase [PepX], and endopeptidase PepO) were necessary to detoxify the 33-mer without generation of related immunogenic epitopes. After 14 h of incubation, the combination of all or at least six different peptidases totally hydrolyzed the 33-mer (200 mM) into free amino acids. The same results were found for other immunogenic epitopes, such as fragments 57-68 of alpha 9-gliadin, 62-75 of A-gliadin, and 134-153 of gamma-gliadin. When peptidases were used for fermentation of durum wheat semolina, they caused the hydrolysis of gluten to ca. 2 ppm. The in vivo digestion was simulated, and proteins/peptides extracted from pepsin-trypsin (PT) digestion of durum wheat semolina fermented with selected sourdough lactobacilli induced the expression of gamma interferon and interleukin 2 at levels comparable to those of the negative control. Durum wheat semolina fermented with sourdough lactobacilli was freeze-dried and used for making Italian-type pasta. The scores for cooking and sensory properties for this pasta were higher that those of conventional gluten-free pasta.

  7. Mechanism of Degradation of Immunogenic Gluten Epitopes from Triticum turgidum L. var. durum by Sourdough Lactobacilli and Fungal Proteases▿

    PubMed Central

    De Angelis, Maria; Cassone, Angela; Rizzello, Carlo G.; Gagliardi, Francesca; Minervini, Fabio; Calasso, Maria; Di Cagno, Raffaella; Francavilla, Ruggero; Gobbetti, Marco

    2010-01-01

    As shown by R5 antibody-based sandwich and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), selected sourdough lactobacilli, in combination with fungal proteases, hydrolyzed gluten (72 h at 37°C) of various cultivars of Triticum turgidum L. var. durum to less than 20 ppm. Complementary electrophoretic, chromatography, and mass spectrometry techniques were used to characterize the gluten and epitope hydrolysis. Nine peptidases were partially purified from the pooled cytoplasmic extract of the sourdough lactobacilli and used to hydrolyze the 33-mer epitope, the most immunogenic peptide generated during digestion of Triticum species. At least three peptidases (general aminopeptidase type N [PepN], X-prolyl dipeptidyl aminopeptidase [PepX], and endopeptidase PepO) were necessary to detoxify the 33-mer without generation of related immunogenic epitopes. After 14 h of incubation, the combination of all or at least six different peptidases totally hydrolyzed the 33-mer (200 mM) into free amino acids. The same results were found for other immunogenic epitopes, such as fragments 57-68 of α9-gliadin, 62-75 of A-gliadin, and 134-153 of γ-gliadin. When peptidases were used for fermentation of durum wheat semolina, they caused the hydrolysis of gluten to ca. 2 ppm. The in vivo digestion was simulated, and proteins/peptides extracted from pepsin-trypsin (PT) digestion of durum wheat semolina fermented with selected sourdough lactobacilli induced the expression of gamma interferon and interleukin 2 at levels comparable to those of the negative control. Durum wheat semolina fermented with sourdough lactobacilli was freeze-dried and used for making Italian-type pasta. The scores for cooking and sensory properties for this pasta were higher that those of conventional gluten-free pasta. PMID:19948868

  8. Polyvalent immunogen

    DOEpatents

    Haynes, Barton F [Durham, NC; Korber, Bette T [Los Alamos, NM; De Lorimier, Robert M [Durham, NC; Liao, Hua-Xin [Chapel Hill, NC

    2007-02-06

    The present invention relates, generally, to a polyvalent immunogen and, more particularly, to a method of inducing neutralizing antibodies against HIV and to a polyvalent immunogen suitable for use in such a method.

  9. Polyvalent immunogen

    DOEpatents

    Haynes, Barton F [Durham, NC; Korber, Bette T [Los Alamos, NM; De Lorimier, Robert M [Durham, NC

    2007-03-27

    The present invention relates, generally, to a polyvalent immunogen and, more particularly, to a method of inducing neutralizing antibodies against HIV and to a polyvalent immunogen suitable for use in such a method.

  10. Activity of levofloxacin alone and in combination with a DnaK inhibitor against gram-negative rods, including levofloxacin-resistant strains.

    PubMed

    Credito, Kim; Lin, Gengrong; Koeth, Laura; Sturgess, Michael A; Appelbaum, Peter C

    2009-02-01

    Synergy time-kill testing of levofloxacin alone and in combination with CHP-105, a representative DnaK inhibitor, against 50 gram-negative rods demonstrated that 34 of the 50 strains tested showed significant synergy between levofloxacin and CHP-105 after 12 h and 24 h. Fourteen of these 34 organisms were quinolone resistant (levofloxacin MICs of > or =4 microg/ml).

  11. Activity of Levofloxacin Alone and in Combination with a DnaK Inhibitor against Gram-Negative Rods, Including Levofloxacin-Resistant Strains▿

    PubMed Central

    Credito, Kim; Lin, Gengrong; Koeth, Laura; Sturgess, Michael A.; Appelbaum, Peter C.

    2009-01-01

    Synergy time-kill testing of levofloxacin alone and in combination with CHP-105, a representative DnaK inhibitor, against 50 gram-negative rods demonstrated that 34 of the 50 strains tested showed significant synergy between levofloxacin and CHP-105 after 12 h and 24 h. Fourteen of these 34 organisms were quinolone resistant (levofloxacin MICs of ≥4 μg/ml). PMID:19015359

  12. Immunogenicity in Swine of Orally Administered Recombinant Lactobacillus plantarum Expressing Classical Swine Fever Virus E2 Protein in Conjunction with Thymosin α-1 as an Adjuvant

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Yi-Gang; Guan, Xue-Ting; Liu, Zhong-Mei; Tian, Chang-Yong

    2015-01-01

    Classical swine fever, caused by classical swine fever virus (CSFV), is a highly contagious disease that results in enormous economic losses in pig industries. The E2 protein is one of the main structural proteins of CSFV and is capable of inducing CSFV-neutralizing antibodies and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activities in vivo. Thymosin α-1 (Tα1), an immune-modifier peptide, plays a very important role in the cellular immune response. In this study, genetically engineered Lactobacillus plantarum bacteria expressing CSFV E2 protein alone (L. plantarum/pYG-E2) and in combination with Tα1 (L. plantarum/pYG-E2-Tα1) were developed, and the immunogenicity of each as an oral vaccine to induce protective immunity against CSFV in pigs was evaluated. The results showed that recombinant L. plantarum/pYG-E2 and L. plantarum/pYG-E2-Tα1 were both able to effectively induce protective immune responses in pigs against CSFV infection by eliciting immunoglobulin A (IgA)-based mucosal, immunoglobulin G (IgG)-based humoral, and CTL-based cellular immune responses via oral vaccination. Significant differences (P < 0.05) in the levels of immune responses were observed between L. plantarum/pYG-E2-Tα1 and L. plantarum/pYG-E2, suggesting a better immunogenicity of L. plantarum/pYG-E2-Tα1 as a result of the Tα1 molecular adjuvant that can enhance immune responsiveness and augment specific lymphocyte functions. Our data suggest that the recombinant Lactobacillus microecological agent expressing CSFV E2 protein combined with Tα1 as an adjuvant provides a promising strategy for vaccine development against CSFV. PMID:25819954

  13. Evaluation of the immunogenicity and protective effects of a trivalent chimeric norovirus P particle immunogen displaying influenza HA2 from subtypes H1, H3 and B

    PubMed Central

    Gong, Xin; Yin, He; Shi, Yuhua; He, Xiaoqiu; Yu, Yongjiao; Guan, Shanshan; Kuai, Ziyu; Haji, Nasteha M; Haji, Nafisa M; Kong, Wei; Shan, Yaming

    2016-01-01

    The ectodomain of the influenza A virus (IAV) hemagglutinin (HA) stem is highly conserved across strains and has shown promise as a universal influenza vaccine in a mouse model. In this study, potential B-cell epitopes were found through sequence alignment and epitope prediction in a stem fragment, HA2:90-105, which is highly conserved among virus subtypes H1, H3 and B. A norovirus (NoV) P particle platform was used to express the HA2:90-105 sequences from subtypes H1, H3 and B in loops 1, 2 and 3 of the protrusion (P) domain, respectively. Through mouse immunization and microneutralization assays, the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the chimeric NoV P particle (trivalent HA2-PP) were tested against infection with three subtypes (H1N1, H3N2 and B) of IAV in Madin–Darby canine kidney cells. The protective efficacy of the trivalent HA2-PP was also evaluated preliminarily in vivo by virus challenge in the mouse model. The trivalent HA2-PP immunogen induced significant IgG antibody responses, which could be enhanced by a virus booster vaccination. Moreover, the trivalent HA2-PP immunogen also demonstrated in vitro neutralization of the H3 and B viruses, and in vivo protection against the H3 virus. Our results support the notion that a broadly protective vaccine approach using an HA2-based NoV P particle platform can provide cross-protection against challenge viruses of different IAV subtypes. The efficacy of the immunogen should be further enhanced for practicality, and a better understanding of the protective immune mechanism will be critical for the development of HA2-based multivalent vaccines. PMID:27222326

  14. Evaluation of the immunogenicity and protective effects of a trivalent chimeric norovirus P particle immunogen displaying influenza HA2 from subtypes H1, H3 and B.

    PubMed

    Gong, Xin; Yin, He; Shi, Yuhua; He, Xiaoqiu; Yu, Yongjiao; Guan, Shanshan; Kuai, Ziyu; Haji, Nasteha M; Haji, Nafisa M; Kong, Wei; Shan, Yaming

    2016-05-25

    The ectodomain of the influenza A virus (IAV) hemagglutinin (HA) stem is highly conserved across strains and has shown promise as a universal influenza vaccine in a mouse model. In this study, potential B-cell epitopes were found through sequence alignment and epitope prediction in a stem fragment, HA2:90-105, which is highly conserved among virus subtypes H1, H3 and B. A norovirus (NoV) P particle platform was used to express the HA2:90-105 sequences from subtypes H1, H3 and B in loops 1, 2 and 3 of the protrusion (P) domain, respectively. Through mouse immunization and microneutralization assays, the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the chimeric NoV P particle (trivalent HA2-PP) were tested against infection with three subtypes (H1N1, H3N2 and B) of IAV in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. The protective efficacy of the trivalent HA2-PP was also evaluated preliminarily in vivo by virus challenge in the mouse model. The trivalent HA2-PP immunogen induced significant IgG antibody responses, which could be enhanced by a virus booster vaccination. Moreover, the trivalent HA2-PP immunogen also demonstrated in vitro neutralization of the H3 and B viruses, and in vivo protection against the H3 virus. Our results support the notion that a broadly protective vaccine approach using an HA2-based NoV P particle platform can provide cross-protection against challenge viruses of different IAV subtypes. The efficacy of the immunogen should be further enhanced for practicality, and a better understanding of the protective immune mechanism will be critical for the development of HA2-based multivalent vaccines.

  15. [Prokaryotic expression of trigeminy artificial fusion gene of Leptospira interrogans and the immunogenicity of its products].

    PubMed

    Luo, Dong-jiao; Qiu, Xiao-feng; Wang, Jiang; Yan, Jin; Wang, Hai-bin; Zhou, Jin-cheng; Yan, Jie

    2008-11-01

    To construct lipL32/1-lipL21-OmpL1/2 fusion gene of Leptospira interrogans and its prokaryotic expression system, and to identify the immunogenicity of its products. PCR using linking primers was applied to construct lipL32/1-lipL21-OmpL1/2 fusion gene and a prokaryotic expression system of the fusion gene was then established using routine genetic engineering technique. SDS-PAGE was used to examine output of the target recombinant protein rLipL32/1-LipL21-OmpL1/2. Double immunodiffusion and Western Blot assay were applied to identify immunogenicity of rLipL32/1-LipL21-OmpL1/2. lipL32/1-lipL21-OmpL1/2 fusion gene with correct sequence and its prokaryotic expression system E.coli BL21DE3pET42a-lipL32/1-lipL21-ompL1/2 was obtained in this study. The output of rLipL32/1-LipL21- OmpL1/2 after optimisation was 37.78 mg/L. The immunodiffusion titer of rabbit antiserum against rLipL32/1-LipL21-OmpL1/2 was 1:4. The rLipL32/1-LipL21-OmpL1/2 antiserum was able to recognize rLipL32/1-LipL21-OmpL1/2, rLipL32/1, rLipL21 and rOmpL1/2. Positive Western hybridization signals were found among rLipL32/1-LipL21-OmpL1/2 and rabbit antiserum against whole cell of strain 56601 and serum from patients infected with L.interrogans serogroups Icterohaemorrhagiae, Grippotyphosa, Autumnalis and Pomona. The fusion gene lipL32/1-lipL21-OmpL1/2 and its prokaryotic expression system were successfully constructed in this study. The expressed fusion protein can be used as the antigen for developing universal genetic engineering vaccine and universal serological tests of leptospirosis.

  16. Phase I safety and antigenicity of TA-GW: a recombinant HPV6 L2E7 vaccine for the treatment of genital warts.

    PubMed

    Thompson, H S; Davies, M L; Holding, F P; Fallon, R E; Mann, A E; O'Neill, T; Roberts, J S

    1999-01-01

    A phase I double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was carried out in healthy subjects to assess the safety and immunogenicity of TA-GW, a recombinant HPV6 L2E7 fusion protein vaccine for the treatment of genital warts. Forty-two healthy male volunteers were randomised to receive three intramuscular injections of either 0, 3, 30 or 300 microg of recombinant L2E7 adsorbed onto Alhydrogel. Two vaccination schedules were compared: weeks 0, 1 and 4 (accelerated schedule) and weeks 0, 4 and 8 (classical schedule). Subjects were monitored for adverse events throughout. Immunogenicity was assessed by measuring L2E7 specific in vitro T cell proliferative responses, production of IFNgamma and IL-5 and serum antibodies. Dose-dependent and long-lived T and B cell immune responses were elicited by TA-GW with both vaccination schedules. In conclusion, TA-GW is both safe, well-tolerated and immunogenic. The results allow the selection of the 300-microg vaccine formulation and accelerated vaccination schedule for phase II trials in patients with genital warts.

  17. Viral immunogenicity determines epidemiological fitness in a cohort of DENV-1 infection in Brazil.

    PubMed

    Pinheiro, Tauyne Menegaldo; Mota, Mânlio Tasso de Oliveira; Watanabe, Aripuanã Sakurada Aranha; Biselli-Périco, Joice Matos; Drumond, Betânia Paiva; Ribeiro, Milene Rocha; Vedovello, Danila; Araújo, João Pessoa; Pimenta, Paulo Filemon Paolucci; Chaves, Bárbara Aparecida; Silva, Mayara Marques Carneiro da; Batista, Izabella Cristina Andrade; Papa, Michelle Premazzi; Meuren, Lana Monteiro; Lucas, Carolina Gonçalves de Oliveira; Matassoli, Flavio Lemos; Gil, Laura Helena Vega Gonzales; Bozzi, Adriana; Calzavara-Silva, Carlos Eduardo; Arruda, Luciana Barros de; Souza, Danielle da Glória de; Teixeira, Mauro Martins; Vasilakis, Nikos; Nogueira, Maurício Lacerda

    2018-05-01

    The dynamics of dengue virus (DENV) circulation depends on serotype, genotype and lineage replacement and turnover. In São José do Rio Preto, Brazil, we observed that the L6 lineage of DENV-1 (genotype V) remained the dominant circulating lineage even after the introduction of the L1 lineage. We investigated viral fitness and immunogenicity of the L1 and L6 lineages and which factors interfered with the dynamics of DENV epidemics. The results showed a more efficient replicative fitness of L1 over L6 in mosquitoes and in human and non-human primate cell lines. Infections by the L6 lineage were associated with reduced antigenicity, weak B and T cell stimulation and weak host immune system interactions, which were associated with higher viremia. Our data, therefore, demonstrate that reduced viral immunogenicity and consequent greater viremia determined the increased epidemiological fitness of DENV-1 L6 lineage in São José do Rio Preto.

  18. Viral immunogenicity determines epidemiological fitness in a cohort of DENV-1 infection in Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Pinheiro, Tauyne Menegaldo; Mota, Mânlio Tasso de Oliveira; Biselli-Périco, Joice Matos; Ribeiro, Milene Rocha; Araújo, João Pessoa; Pimenta, Paulo Filemon Paolucci; da Silva, Mayara Marques Carneiro; Batista, Izabella Cristina Andrade; Meuren, Lana Monteiro; Lucas, Carolina Gonçalves de Oliveira; Matassoli, Flavio Lemos; Gil, Laura Helena Vega Gonzales; Bozzi, Adriana; Calzavara-Silva, Carlos Eduardo; de Souza, Danielle da Glória; Teixeira, Mauro Martins; Vasilakis, Nikos

    2018-01-01

    The dynamics of dengue virus (DENV) circulation depends on serotype, genotype and lineage replacement and turnover. In São José do Rio Preto, Brazil, we observed that the L6 lineage of DENV-1 (genotype V) remained the dominant circulating lineage even after the introduction of the L1 lineage. We investigated viral fitness and immunogenicity of the L1 and L6 lineages and which factors interfered with the dynamics of DENV epidemics. The results showed a more efficient replicative fitness of L1 over L6 in mosquitoes and in human and non-human primate cell lines. Infections by the L6 lineage were associated with reduced antigenicity, weak B and T cell stimulation and weak host immune system interactions, which were associated with higher viremia. Our data, therefore, demonstrate that reduced viral immunogenicity and consequent greater viremia determined the increased epidemiological fitness of DENV-1 L6 lineage in São José do Rio Preto. PMID:29813061

  19. Monocyte NOTCH2 expression predicts IFN-β immunogenicity in multiple sclerosis patients.

    PubMed

    Adriani, Marsilio; Nytrova, Petra; Mbogning, Cyprien; Hässler, Signe; Medek, Karel; Jensen, Poul Erik H; Creeke, Paul; Warnke, Clemens; Ingenhoven, Kathleen; Hemmer, Bernhard; Sievers, Claudia; Lindberg Gasser, Raija Lp; Fissolo, Nicolas; Deisenhammer, Florian; Bocskei, Zsolt; Mikol, Vincent; Fogdell-Hahn, Anna; Kubala Havrdova, Eva; Broët, Philippe; Dönnes, Pierre; Mauri, Claudia; Jury, Elizabeth C

    2018-06-07

    Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by CNS inflammation leading to demyelination and axonal damage. IFN-β is an established treatment for MS; however, up to 30% of IFN-β-treated MS patients develop neutralizing antidrug antibodies (nADA), leading to reduced drug bioactivity and efficacy. Mechanisms driving antidrug immunogenicity remain uncertain, and reliable biomarkers to predict immunogenicity development are lacking. Using high-throughput flow cytometry, NOTCH2 expression on CD14+ monocytes and increased frequency of proinflammatory monocyte subsets were identified as baseline predictors of nADA development in MS patients treated with IFN-β. The association of this monocyte profile with nADA development was validated in 2 independent cross-sectional MS patient cohorts and a prospective cohort followed before and after IFN-β administration. Reduced monocyte NOTCH2 expression in nADA+ MS patients was associated with NOTCH2 activation measured by increased expression of Notch-responsive genes, polarization of monocytes toward a nonclassical phenotype, and increased proinflammatory IL-6 production. NOTCH2 activation was T cell dependent and was only triggered in the presence of serum from nADA+ patients. Thus, nADA development was driven by a proinflammatory environment that triggered activation of the NOTCH2 signaling pathway prior to first IFN-β administration.

  20. 2017 White Paper: rise of hybrid LBA/LCMS immunogenicity assays (Part 2: hybrid LBA/LCMS biotherapeutics, biomarkers & immunogenicity assays and regulatory agencies' inputs).

    PubMed

    Neubert, Hendrik; Song, An; Lee, Anita; Wei, Cong; Duggan, Jeff; Xu, Keyang; Woolf, Eric; Evans, Chris; Palandra, Joe; Laterza, Omar; Amur, Shashi; Berger, Isabella; Bustard, Mark; Cancilla, Mark; Chen, Shang-Chiung; Cho, Seongeun Julia; Ciccimaro, Eugene; Cludts, Isabelle; Cocea, Laurent; D'Arienzo, Celia; Danan-Leon, Lieza; Donato, Lorella Di; Garofolo, Fabio; Haidar, Sam; Ishii-Watabe, Akiko; Jiang, Hao; Kadavil, John; Kassim, Sean; Kurki, Pekka; Blaye, Olivier Le; Liu, Kai; Mathews, Rod; Lima Santos, Gustavo Mendes; Niwa, Makoto; Pedras-Vasconcelos, João; Qian, Mark; Rago, Brian; Saad, Ola; Saito, Yoshiro; Savoie, Natasha; Su, Dian; Szapacs, Matthew; Tampal, Nilufer; Vinter, Stephen; Wang, Jian; Welink, Jan; Whale, Emma; Wilson, Amanda; Xue, Y-J

    2017-12-01

    The 2017 11th Workshop on Recent Issues in Bioanalysis (11th WRIB) took place in Los Angeles/Universal City, California on 3-7 April 2017 with participation of close to 750 professionals from pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, contract research organizations and regulatory agencies worldwide. WRIB was once again a 5-day, weeklong event - a full immersion week of bioanalysis, biomarkers and immunogenicity. As usual, it was specifically designed to facilitate sharing, reviewing, discussing and agreeing on approaches to address the most current issues of interest including both small and large molecule analysis involving LCMS, hybrid ligand binding assay (LBA)/LCMS and LBA approaches. This 2017 White Paper encompasses recommendations emerging from the extensive discussions held during the workshop, and is aimed to provide the bioanalytical community with key information and practical solutions on topics and issues addressed, in an effort to enable advances in scientific excellence, improved quality and better regulatory compliance. Due to its length, the 2017 edition of this comprehensive White Paper has been divided into three parts for editorial reasons. This publication (Part 2) covers the recommendations for biotherapeutics, biomarkers and immunogenicity assays using hybrid LBA/LCMS and regulatory agencies' inputs. Part 1 (LCMS for small molecules, peptides and small molecule biomarkers) and Part 3 (LBA: immunogenicity, biomarkers and pharmacokinetic assays) are published in Volume 9 of Bioanalysis, issues 22 and 24 (2017), respectively.

  1. Performance of LBSap Vaccine after Intradermal Challenge with L. infantum and Saliva of Lu. longipalpis: Immunogenicity and Parasitological Evaluation

    PubMed Central

    Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Aguiar-Soares, Rodrigo Dian de Oliveira; Vitoriano-Souza, Juliana; Coura-Vital, Wendel; Braga, Samuel Leôncio; Corrêa-Oliveira, Rodrigo; Martins-Filho, Olindo Assis; Teixeira-Carvalho, Andréa; de Lana, Marta; Gontijo, Nelder Figueiredo; Marques, Marcos José; Giunchetti, Rodolfo Cordeiro; Reis, Alexandre Barbosa

    2012-01-01

    In the last decade, the search for new vaccines against canine visceral leishmaniasis has intensified. However, the pattern related to immune protection during long periods after experimental infection in vaccine trials is still not fully understood. Herein, we investigated the immunogenicity and parasitological levels after intradermal challenge with Leishmania infantum plus salivary gland extract in dogs immunized with a vaccine composed of L. braziliensis antigens plus saponin as an adjuvant (LBSap vaccine). The LBSap vaccine elicited higher levels of total anti-Leishmania IgG as well as both IgG1 and IgG2. Furthermore, dogs vaccinated had increased levels of lymphocytes, particularly circulating B cells (CD21+) and both CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. LBSap also elicited an intense in vitro cell proliferation associated with higher levels of CD4+ T lymphocytes specific for vaccine soluble antigen and soluble lysate of L. infantum antigen even 885 days after experimental challenge. Furthermore, LBSap vaccinated dogs presented high IFN-γ and low IL-10 and TGF-β1 expression in spleen with significant reduction of parasite load in this tissue. Overall, our results validate the potential of LBSap vaccine to protect against L. infantum experimental infection and strongly support further evaluation of efficiency of LBSap against CVL in natural infection conditions. PMID:23189161

  2. Minor Capsid Protein L2 Polytope Induces Broad Protection against Oncogenic and Mucosal Human Papillomaviruses.

    PubMed

    Pouyanfard, Somayeh; Spagnoli, Gloria; Bulli, Lorenzo; Balz, Kathrin; Yang, Fan; Odenwald, Caroline; Seitz, Hanna; Mariz, Filipe C; Bolchi, Angelo; Ottonello, Simone; Müller, Martin

    2018-02-15

    The amino terminus of the human papillomavirus (HPV) minor capsid protein L2 contains a major cross-neutralization epitope which provides the basis for the development of a broadly protecting HPV vaccine. A wide range of protection against different HPV types would eliminate one of the major drawbacks of the commercial, L1-based prophylactic vaccines. Previously, we have reported that insertion of the L2 epitope into a scaffold composed of bacterial thioredoxin protein generates a potent antigen inducing comprehensive protection against different animal and human papillomaviruses. We also reported, however, that although protection is broad, some oncogenic HPV types escape the neutralizing antibody response, if L2 epitopes from single HPV types are used as immunogen. We were able to compensate for this by applying a mix of thioredoxin proteins carrying L2 epitopes from HPV16, -31, and -51. As the development of a cost-efficient HPV prophylactic vaccines is one of our objectives, this approach is not feasible as it requires the development of multiple good manufacturing production processes in combination with a complex vaccine formulation. Here, we report the development of a thermostable thioredoxin-based single-peptide vaccine carrying an L2 polytope of up to 11 different HPV types. The L2 polytope antigens have excellent abilities in respect to broadness of protection and robustness of induced immune responses. To further increase immunogenicity, we fused the thioredoxin L2 polytope antigen with a heptamerization domain. In the final vaccine design, we achieve protective responses against all 14 oncogenic HPV types that we have analyzed plus the low-risk HPVs 6 and 11 and a number of cutaneous HPVs. IMPORTANCE Infections by a large number of human papillomaviruses lead to malignant and nonmalignant disease. Current commercial vaccines based on virus-like particles (VLPs) effectively protect against some HPV types but fail to do so for most others. Further, only

  3. Canarypox virus expressing infectious bursal disease VP2 protein as immunogen for chickens

    PubMed Central

    Zanetti, Flavia Adriana; Grand, María Daniela Conte; Mitarotonda, Romina Cristina; Taboga, Oscar Alberto; Calamante, Gabriela

    2014-01-01

    Canarypox viruses (CNPV) carrying the coding sequence of VP2 protein from infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) were obtained. These viruses were able to express VP2 protein in vitro and to induce IBDV-neutralizing antibodies when inoculated in specific pathogen-free chickens demonstrating that CNPV platform is usefulness to develop immunogens for chickens. PMID:24948937

  4. Mutual enhancement of IL-2 and IL-7 on DNA vaccine immunogenicity mainly involves regulations on their receptor expression and receptor-expressing lymphocyte generation.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yonghong; Liang, Shuang; Li, Xiujin; Wang, Liyue; Zhang, Jianlou; Xu, Jian; Huo, Shanshan; Cao, Xuebin; Zhong, Zhenyu; Zhong, Fei

    2015-07-09

    Our previous study showed that IL-2 and IL-7 could mutually enhance the immunogenicity of canine parvovirus VP2 DNA vaccine, although the underlying mechanism remained unknown. Here, we used the OVA gene as a DNA vaccine in a mouse model to test their enhancement on DNA vaccine immunogenicity and to explore the molecular mechanism. Results showed that both IL-2 and IL-7 genes significantly increased the immunogenicity of OVA DNA vaccine in mice. Co-administration of IL-2 and IL-7 genes with OVA DNA significantly increased OVA-specific antibody titers, T cell proliferation and IFN-γ production compared with IL-2 or IL-7 alone, confirming that IL-2 and IL-7 mutually enhanced DNA vaccine immunogenicity. Mechanistically, we have shown that IL-2 significantly stimulated generation of IL-7 receptor-expressing lymphocytes, and that IL-7 significantly induced IL-2 receptor expression. These results contribute to an explanation of the mechanism of the mutual effects of IL-2 and IL-7 on enhancing DNA vaccine immunogenicity and provided a basis for further investigation on their mutual effects on adjuvant activity and immune regulation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Comparison of the safety and immunogenicity of live attenuated and inactivated hepatitis A vaccine in healthy Chinese children aged 18 months to 16 years: results from a randomized, parallel controlled, phase IV study.

    PubMed

    Ma, F; Yang, J; Kang, G; Sun, Q; Lu, P; Zhao, Y; Wang, Z; Luo, J; Wang, Z

    2016-09-01

    For large-scale immunization of children with hepatitis A (HA) vaccines in China, accurately designed studies comparing the safety and immunogenicity of the live attenuated HA vaccine (HA-L) and inactivated HA vaccine (HA-I) are necessary. A randomized, parallel controlled, phase IV clinical trial was conducted with 6000 healthy children aged 18 months to 16 years. HA-L or HA-I was administered at a ratio of 1: 1 to randomized selected participants. The safety and immunogenicity were evaluated. Both HA-L and HA-I were well tolerated by all participants. The immunogenicity results showed that the seroconversion rates (HA-L versus HA-I: 98.0% versus 100%, respectively, p >0.05), and geometric mean concentrations in participants negative for antibodies against HA virus IgG (anti-HAV IgG) before vaccination did not differ significantly between the two types of vaccines (HA-L versus HA-I first dose: 898.9 versus 886.2 mIU/mL, respectively, p >0.05). After administration of the booster dose of HA-I, the geometric mean concentrations of anti-HAV IgG (HA-I booster dose: 2591.2 mIU/mL) was higher than that after the first dose (p <0.05) and that reported in participants administered HA-L (p <0.05). Additionally, 12 (25%) of the 48 randomized selected participants who received HA-L tested positive for HA antigen in stool samples. Hence, both HA-L and HA-I could provide acceptable immunogenicity in children. The effects of long-term immunogenicity after natural exposure to wild-type HA virus and the possibility of mutational shifts of the live vaccine virus in the field need to be studied in more detail. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  6. Immunogenicity to poliovirus type 2 following two doses of fractional intradermal inactivated poliovirus vaccine: A novel dose sparing immunization schedule.

    PubMed

    Anand, Abhijeet; Molodecky, Natalie A; Pallansch, Mark A; Sutter, Roland W

    2017-05-19

    The polio eradication endgame strategic plan calls for the sequential removal of Sabin poliovirus serotypes from the trivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (tOPV), starting with type 2, and the introduction of ≥1 dose of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), to maintain an immunity base against poliovirus type 2. The global removal of oral poliovirus type 2 was successfully implemented in May 2016. However, IPV supply constraints has prevented introduction in 21 countries and led to complete stock-out in >20 countries. We conducted a literature review and contacted corresponding authors of recent studies with fractional-dose IPV (fIPV), one-fifth of intramuscular dose administered intradermally, to conduct additional type 2 immunogenicity analyses of two fIPV doses compared with one full-dose IPV. Four studies were identified that assessed immunogenicity of two fIPV doses compared to one full-dose IPV. Two fractional doses are more immunogenic than 1 full-dose, with type 2 seroconversion rates improving between absolute 19-42% (median: 37%, p<0.001) and relative increase of 53-125% (median: 82%), and antibody titer to type 2 increasing by 2-32-fold (median: 10-fold). Early age of administration and shorter intervals between doses were associated with lower immunogenicity. Overall, two fIPV doses are more immunogenic than a single full-dose, associated with significantly increased seroconversion rates and antibody titers. Two fIPV doses together use two-fifth of the vaccine compared to one full-dose IPV. In response to the current IPV shortage, a schedule of two fIPV doses at ages 6 and 14weekshas been endorsed by technical oversight committees and has been introduced in some affected countries. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  7. Applying biotin-streptavidin binding for iscom (immunostimulating complex) association of recombinant immunogens.

    PubMed

    Wikman, Maria; Friedman, Mikaela; Pinitkiatisakul, Sunan; Hemphill, Andrew; Lövgren-Bengtsson, Karin; Lundén, Anna; Ståhl, Stefan

    2005-04-01

    We have previously reported strategies for Escherichia coli production of recombinant immunogens fused to hydrophobic peptide or lipid tags to improve their capacity to be incorporated into an adjuvant formulation. In the present study, we have explored the strong interaction between biotin and SA (streptavidin) (K(D) approximately 10(-15) M) to couple recombinant immunogens to iscoms (immunostimulating complexes). Two different concepts were evaluated. In the first concept, a His(6)-tagged SA fusion protein (His(6)-SA) was bound to Ni(2+)-loaded iscom matrix (iscom without associated protein), and biotinylated immunogens were thereafter associated with the SA-coated iscoms. The immunogens were either biotinylated in vivo on E. coli expression or double biotinylated in vivo and in vitro. In the second concept, the recombinant immunogens were expressed as SA fusion proteins, which were directly bound to a biotinylated iscom matrix. A 53-amino-acid malaria peptide (M5), derived from the central repeat region of the Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage antigen Pf155/RESA, and a 232-amino-acid segment (SRS2') from the central region (from Pro-97 to Lys-328) of the major surface antigen NcSRS2 of the protozoan parasite Neospora caninum, served as model immunogens in the present study. All fusion proteins generated were found to be efficiently expressed and could be recovered to high purity using affinity chromatography. The association between the different immunogen-containing fusion proteins and the corresponding iscom matrix was demonstrated by analytical ultracentrifugation in a sucrose density gradient. However, some fusion proteins were, to a certain extent, also found to associate unspecifically with a regular iscom matrix. Furthermore, selected iscom fractions were demonstrated to induce high-titre antigen-specific antibody responses on immunization of mice. For the particular target immunogen SRS2', the induced antibodies demonstrated reactivity to the native

  8. A molecular dynamics study of loop fluctuation in human papillomavirus type 16 virus-like particles: a possible indicator of immunogenicity.

    PubMed

    Joshi, Harshad; Cheluvaraja, Srinath; Somogyi, Endre; Brown, Darron R; Ortoleva, Peter

    2011-11-28

    Immunogenicity varies between the human papillomavirus (HPV) L1 monomer assemblies of various sizes (e.g., monomers, pentamers or whole capsids). The hypothesis that this can be attributed to the intensity of fluctuations of important loops containing neutralizing epitopes for the various assemblies is proposed for HPV L1 assemblies. Molecular dynamics simulations were utilized to begin testing this hypothesis. Fluctuations of loops that contain critical neutralizing epitopes (especially FG loop) were quantified via root-mean-square fluctuation and features in the frequency spectrum of dynamic changes in loop conformation. If this fluctuation-immunogenicity hypothesis is a universal aspect of immunogenicity (i.e., immune system recognition of an epitope within a loop is more reliable when it is presented via a more stable delivery structure), then fluctuation measures can serve as one predictor of immunogenicity as part of a computer-aided vaccine design strategy. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Incorporation of CD40 ligand enhances the immunogenicity of tumor‑associated calcium signal transducer 2 virus‑like particles against lung cancer.

    PubMed

    Xi, Wang; Ke, Dong; Min, Long; Lin, Wang; Jiahui, Zuo; Fang, Lin; Zhaowei, Gao; Zhe, Zhang; Xi, Chen; Huizhong, Zhang

    2018-06-01

    The cell surface glycoprotein Trop‑2 is overexpressed in various types of cancer, including in lung cancer, and has recently been used as an effective immunotherapeutic target. CD40 ligand (CD40L), a tumor necrosis factor superfamily member, is a promising immune adjuvant. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gag‑based virus‑like particles (VLPs) are highly immunogenic, and foreign antigens can be incorporated onto their membrane envelope for cancer vaccine development. In the present study, a HIV gag‑based VLP strategy and Bac‑to‑Bac system were utilized to construct Trop‑2, CD40L and gag recombinant baculoviruses, which were then used to infect TN5 cells in order to form Trop‑2 VLPs or Trop‑2‑CD40L VLPs. These VLPs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy and western blot analysis methods. VLPs incorporating murine Trop‑2 only or incorporating Trop‑2 and CD40L were used to immunize C57BL/6 mice. Immunized mice demonstrated high humoral and cellular immunity responses, whereas the Trop‑2‑CD40L VLPs led to higher immune responses in comparison with Trop‑2 only VLPs. Immunization with Trop‑2‑CD40L VLPs also reduced tumor growth more effectively compared with Trop‑2 VLPs. Furthermore, Trop‑2‑CD40L VLP immunization increased the survival rate of Lewis tumor‑bearing mice more significantly when compared with Trop‑2 only VLPs. In conclusion, the present study provided a novel vaccine design by combination of a tumor antigen and an immune adjuvant based on a VLP strategy, which may be potentially applied as an alternative immunotherapeutic option in the treatment of lung cancer.

  10. Immunogenicity and immunoprotection of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) Cap protein displayed by Lactococcus lactis.

    PubMed

    Li, Peng-Cheng; Qiao, Xu-Wen; Zheng, Qi-Sheng; Hou, Ji-Bo

    2016-01-27

    The capsid (Cap) protein, an important immunoprotective protein of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), was expressed on the cell surface of the Gram-positive food-grade bacterium, Lactococcus lactis. Cap protein was fused to the peptidoglycan binding domain (known as the protein anchor domain, PA) of the lactococcal AcmA cell-wall hydrolase. The Cap protein fusion was non-covalently rebound to the surface of non-genetically modified, non-living high-binder L. lactis cells (designated Gram-positive enhancer matrix (GEM) particles). Expression of the recombinant GEM-displaying capsid protein (GEM-PA-Cap) was verified by Western blotting and immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy assays. To evaluate the immunogenicity of the recombinant Cap protein (rCap), 20 PCV2-seronegative piglets were immunized with the GEM-PA-Cap subunit vaccine, GEM alone, or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, challenge control and empty control). Each group consisted of five piglets. The results showed that the level of PCV2-specific antibodies in piglets immunized with the GEM-PA-Cap subunit vaccine was significantly higher than that of the piglets immunized with GEM alone or the control group at all the time points post-vaccination (P<0.01). After challenge with the PCV2 wild-type strain, piglets that received the GEM-PA-Cap subunit vaccine showed significantly higher average daily weight gain (DWG) and shorter fever duration than the other two groups (P<0.001). Furthermore, a significant reduction in the gross lung lesion scores and lymph node lesion scores was noted in the GEM-PA-Cap-immunized group compared with the scores of the GEM or PBS-treated group (P<0.01). The results suggest that recombinant rCap displayed by L. lactis GEM particles provided the piglets with significant immunoprotection from PCV2-associated disease. Thus, the novel GEM-PA-Cap subunit vaccine has potential to be considered an effective and safe candidate vaccine against PCV2 infection in piglets

  11. Immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins: the use of animal models.

    PubMed

    Brinks, Vera; Jiskoot, Wim; Schellekens, Huub

    2011-10-01

    Immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins lowers patient well-being and drastically increases therapeutic costs. Preventing immunogenicity is an important issue to consider when developing novel therapeutic proteins and applying them in the clinic. Animal models are increasingly used to study immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins. They are employed as predictive tools to assess different aspects of immunogenicity during drug development and have become vital in studying the mechanisms underlying immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins. However, the use of animal models needs critical evaluation. Because of species differences, predictive value of such models is limited, and mechanistic studies can be restricted. This review addresses the suitability of animal models for immunogenicity prediction and summarizes the insights in immunogenicity that they have given so far.

  12. Immunogenicity of therapeutics: a matter of efficacy and safety.

    PubMed

    Nechansky, Andreas; Kircheis, Ralf

    2010-11-01

    The unwanted immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins is a major concern regarding patient safety. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and clinical efficacy can be seriously affected by the immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins. Authorities have fully recognized this issue and demand appropriate and well-characterized assays to detect anti-drug antibodies (ADAs). We provide an overview of the immunogenicity topic in general, the regulatory background and insight into underlying immunological mechanisms and the limited ability to predict clinical immunogenicity a priori. Furthermore, we comment on the analytical testing approach and the status-quo of appropriate method validation. The review provides insight regarding the analytical approach that is expected by regulatory authorities overseeing immunogenicity testing requirements. Additionally, the factors influencing immunogenicity are summarized and key references regarding immunogenicity testing approaches and method validation are discussed. The unwanted immunogenicity of protein therapeutics is of major concern because of its potential to affect patient safety and drug efficacy. Analytical testing is sophisticated and requires more than one assay. Because immunogenicity in humans is hardly predictable, assay development has to start in a timely fashion and for clinical studies immunogenicity assay validation is mandatory prior to analyzing patient serum samples. Regarding ADAs, the question remains as to when such antibodies are regarded of clinical relevance and what levels are, if at all, acceptable. In summary, the detection of ADAs should raise the awareness of the physician concerning patient safety and of the sponsor/manufacture concerning the immunogenic potential of the drug product.

  13. A randomized study to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of a heptavalent diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, poliomyelitis, haemophilus influenzae b, and meningococcal serogroup C combination vaccine administered to infants at 2, 4 and 12 months of age.

    PubMed

    Thollot, Franck; Scheifele, David; Pankow-Culot, Heidemarie; Cheuvart, Brigitte; Leyssen, Maarten; Ulianov, Liliana; Miller, Jacqueline M

    2014-12-01

    The immunogenicity and safety of the investigational diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, hepatitis B, poliomyelitis, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and meningococcal serogroup C (MenC) heptavalent combination vaccine were compared with those of licensed control vaccines. In this open, phase II, randomized study (NCT01090453), 480 infants from Germany, France and Canada received the heptavalent vaccine (Hepta group) or hexavalent and monovalent MenC control vaccines (HexaMenC group) co-administered with a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine at 2, 4 and 12 months of age. Immunogenicity was measured 1 month after the second primary dose, and before and 1 month after the booster dose. Safety and reactogenicity were also evaluated. Non-inferiority of immune responses to MenC and Hib induced by 2-dose primary vaccination with the heptavalent vaccine versus control vaccines was demonstrated. In exploratory analyses, postprimary and postbooster functional antibody geometric mean titers against MenC tended to be lower (1119.5 vs. 3200.5; 2653.8 vs. 6028.4) and antibody geometric mean concentrations against Hib higher (1.594 vs. 0.671 μg/mL; 17.678 vs. 13.737 μg/mL) in the Hepta versus the HexaMenC group. The heptavalent and control vaccines were immunogenic to all other antigens, although immune responses to poliovirus were lower than expected in both groups. No differences in safety and reactogenicity profiles were detected between groups. The heptavalent vaccine induced non-inferior MenC and Hib responses compared with control vaccines. Both vaccination regimens, when administered at 2, 4 and 12 months of age, had comparable safety profiles and were immunogenic to all antigens, with lower-than-expected responses to poliomyelitis.

  14. Contribution of enhanced engagement of antigen presentation machinery to the clinical immunogenicity of a human interleukin (IL)-21 receptor-blocking therapeutic antibody.

    PubMed

    Xue, L; Hickling, T; Song, R; Nowak, J; Rup, B

    2016-01-01

    Reliable risk assessment for biotherapeutics requires accurate evaluation of risk factors associated with immunogenicity. Immunogenicity risk assessment tools were developed and applied to investigate the immunogenicity of a fully human therapeutic monoclonal antibody, ATR-107 [anti-interleukin (IL)-21 receptor] that elicited anti-drug antibodies (ADA) in 76% of healthy subjects in a Phase 1 study. Because the ATR-107 target is expressed on dendritic cells (DCs), the immunogenicity risk related to engagement with DC and antigen presentation pathways was studied. Despite the presence of IL-21R on DCs, ATR-107 did not bind to the DCs more extensively than the control therapeutic antibody (PF-1) that had elicited low clinical ADA incidence. However, ATR-107, but not the control therapeutic antibody, was translocated to the DC late endosomes, co-localized with intracellular antigen-D related (HLA-DR) molecules and presented a dominant T cell epitope overlapping the complementarity determining region 2 (CDR2) of the light chain. ATR-107 induced increased DC activation exemplified by up-regulation of DC surface expression of CD86, CD274 (PD-L1) and CD40, increased expansion of activated DC populations expressing CD86(hi), CD40(hi), CD83(hi), programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)(hi), HLA-DR(hi) or CCR7(hi), as well as elevated secretion of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α by DCs. DCs exposed to ATR-107 stimulated an autologous T cell proliferative response in human donor cells, in concert with the detection of immunoglobulin (Ig)G-type anti-ATR-107 antibody response in clinical samples. Collectively, the enhanced engagement of antigen presentation machinery by ATR-107 was suggested. The approaches and findings described in this study may be relevant to identifying lower immunogenicity risk targets and therapeutic molecules. © 2015 British Society for Immunology.

  15. Reappraisal of the Immunogenicity and Safety of Three Hepatitis A Vaccines in Adolescents.

    PubMed

    Yoon, Seo Hee; Kim, Han Wool; Ahn, Jong Gyun; Kim, In Tae; Kim, Jong-Hyun; Kong, Kyoung Ae; Kim, Kyung-Hyo

    2016-01-01

    Although the overall incidence of hepatitis A in Korea has been decreasing, adolescents remain highly vulnerable to its outbreaks. This study was conducted to compare the immunogenicity and safety of three hepatitis A vaccines in Korean adolescents. Healthy anti-hepatitis A virus seronegative subjects aged 13 to 19 yr were randomized in three equal groups to receive two doses of Avaxim™, Epaxal®, or Havrix®, 6 to 12 months apart. Seroconversion rates one month after the first dose were 98%, 95%, and 93% for Avaxim™, Epaxal®, and Havrix®, respectively. Seroconversion rates reached 100% for all vaccine groups one month after the second dose. Anti-HAV geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) were 7,207.7 mIU/mL (95% CI, 6023.1-8684.7), 1,750.5 mIU/mL (95% CI, 1362.9-2248.3), and 1,953.5 mIU/mL (95% CI, 1459.4-2614.7) after two doses of Avaxim™, Epaxal®, and Havrix® respectively. Avaxim™ was significantly more immunogenic than Epaxal® and Havrix®, whereas there were no significant differences in antibody responses between Epaxal® and Havrix®. Local and systemic solicited adverse events (AEs) were mostly of mild-to-moderate intensity and resolved within 5 days. No serious AEs were reported. In conclusion, all three vaccines are highly immunogenic and well-tolerated in Korean adolescents. (Clinical Trial Registry NCT00483470).

  16. Diverse manifestations of tumorigenicity and immunogenicity displayed by the poorly immunogenic B16-BL6 melanoma transduced with cytokine genes.

    PubMed

    Arca, M J; Krauss, J C; Strome, S E; Cameron, M J; Chang, A E

    1996-05-01

    We evaluated the in vivo response to the poorly immunogenic B16-BL6 (BL6) murine melanoma genetically altered to secrete interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, interferon gamma (IFN gamma) and granulocyte/macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Three parameters were evaluated: (1) tumorigenicity, (2) vaccination of naive animals, and (3) assessment of antitumor reactivity of T cells derived from tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLN). Secretion of IL-2 abrogated the tumorigenicity of BL6, while IFN gamma and IL-4 partially reduced tumorigenicity, and GM-CSF had no effect. Protective immunity to wild-type tumor challenge could not be achieved by vaccination with irradiated cytokine-secreting tumors, although IL-2 and IL-4 secretion appeared to retard the growth of the challenge inoculum significantly. An alternative method to evaluate the immunogenicity of the cytokine-secreting tumors was to measure the ability of T cells obtained from TDLN to mediate regression of wild-type tumor in adoptive immunotherapy. Neither IL-2 nor IFN gamma secretion resulted in the induction of immune T cells. By contrast, GM-CSF and IL-4 secretion were found to induce immune T cells in the TDLN with GM-CSF being superior to IL-4. The combined secretion of GM-CSF and IL-4 did not lead to enhanced induction of immune T cells. GM-CSF secretion was found to upregulate B7-1 expression in TDLN, consistent with an increase in the population of antigen-presenting cells. These studies demonstrated that reduced tumorigenicity by cytokine secretion did not correlate with increased immunogenicity. With the cytokines examined, there was limited capability of developing protective immunity against the BL6 tumor. Nevertheless, GM-CSF and IL-4 secretion significantly enhanced T cell immune reactivity to the poorly immunogenic BL6 tumor.

  17. A pan-HPV vaccine based on bacteriophage PP7 VLPs displaying broadly cross-neutralizing epitopes from the HPV minor capsid protein, L2.

    PubMed

    Tumban, Ebenezer; Peabody, Julianne; Peabody, David S; Chackerian, Bryce

    2011-01-01

    Current human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines that are based on virus-like particles (VLPs) of the major capsid protein L1 largely elicit HPV type-specific antibody responses. In contrast, immunization with the HPV minor capsid protein L2 elicits antibodies that are broadly cross-neutralizing, suggesting that a vaccine targeting L2 could provide more comprehensive protection against infection by diverse HPV types. However, L2-based immunogens typically elicit much lower neutralizing antibody titers than L1 VLPs. We previously showed that a conserved broadly neutralizing epitope near the N-terminus of L2 is highly immunogenic when displayed on the surface of VLPs derived from the bacteriophage PP7. Here, we report the development of a panel of PP7 VLP-based vaccines targeting L2 that protect mice from infection with carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic HPV types that infect the genital tract and skin. L2 peptides from eight different HPV types were displayed on the surface of PP7 bacteriophage VLPs. These recombinant L2 VLPs, both individually and in combination, elicited high-titer anti-L2 IgG serum antibodies. Immunized mice were protected from high dose infection with HPV pseudovirus (PsV) encapsidating a luciferase reporter. Mice immunized with 16L2 PP7 VLPs or 18L2 PP7 VLPs were nearly completely protected from both PsV16 and PsV18 challenge. Mice immunized with the mixture of eight L2 VLPs were strongly protected from genital challenge with PsVs representing eight diverse HPV types and cutaneous challenge with HPV5 PsV. VLP-display of a cross-neutralizing HPV L2 epitope is an effective approach for inducing high-titer protective neutralizing antibodies and is capable of offering protection from a spectrum of HPVs associated with cervical cancer as well as genital and cutaneous warts.

  18. Preclinical models used for immunogenicity prediction of therapeutic proteins.

    PubMed

    Brinks, Vera; Weinbuch, Daniel; Baker, Matthew; Dean, Yann; Stas, Philippe; Kostense, Stefan; Rup, Bonita; Jiskoot, Wim

    2013-07-01

    All therapeutic proteins are potentially immunogenic. Antibodies formed against these drugs can decrease efficacy, leading to drastically increased therapeutic costs and in rare cases to serious and sometimes life threatening side-effects. Many efforts are therefore undertaken to develop therapeutic proteins with minimal immunogenicity. For this, immunogenicity prediction of candidate drugs during early drug development is essential. Several in silico, in vitro and in vivo models are used to predict immunogenicity of drug leads, to modify potentially immunogenic properties and to continue development of drug candidates with expected low immunogenicity. Despite the extensive use of these predictive models, their actual predictive value varies. Important reasons for this uncertainty are the limited/insufficient knowledge on the immune mechanisms underlying immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins, the fact that different predictive models explore different components of the immune system and the lack of an integrated clinical validation. In this review, we discuss the predictive models in use, summarize aspects of immunogenicity that these models predict and explore the merits and the limitations of each of the models.

  19. Immunogenicity and safety of the Vi-CRM197 conjugate vaccine against typhoid fever in adults, children, and infants in south and southeast Asia: results from two randomised, observer-blind, age de-escalation, phase 2 trials.

    PubMed

    Bhutta, Zulfiqar A; Capeding, Maria Rosario; Bavdekar, Ashish; Marchetti, Elisa; Ariff, Shabina; Soofi, Sajid B; Anemona, Alessandra; Habib, Muhammad A; Alberto, Edison; Juvekar, Sanjay; Khan, Rana M Qasim; Marhaba, Rachid; Ali, Noshad; Malubay, Nelia; Kawade, Anand; Saul, Allan; Martin, Laura B; Podda, Audino

    2014-02-01

    Typhoid vaccination is a public health priority in developing countries where young children are greatly affected by typhoid fever. Because present vaccines are not recommended for children younger than 2 years, the Novartis Vaccines Institute for Global Health developed a conjugate vaccine (Vi-CRM197) for infant immunisation. We aimed to assess the immunogenicity and safety of Vi-CRM197 in participants of various ages in endemic countries in south and southeast Asia. We did two randomised, observer-blind, age de-escalation, phase 2 trials at two sites in Pakistan and India (study A), and at one site in the Philippines (study B), between March 2, 2011, and Aug 9, 2012. Adults aged 18-45 years, children aged 24-59 months, older infants aged 9-12 months, and infants aged 6-8 weeks were randomly assigned (1:1) with a computer-generated randomisation list (block size of four) to receive either 5 μg Vi-CRM197 or 25 μg Vi-polysaccharide vaccine (or 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in children younger than 2 years). Both infant populations received Vi-CRM197 concomitantly with vaccines of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), according to WHO schedule. With the exception of designated study site personnel responsible for vaccine preparation, study investigators, those assessing outcomes, and data analysts were masked to treatment allocation. We specified no a-priori null hypothesis for the immunogenicity or safety objectives and all analyses were descriptive. Analyses were by modified intention-to-treat. These studies are registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, numbers NCT01229176 and NCT01437267. 320 participants were enrolled and vaccinated in the two trials: 200 in study A (all age groups) and 120 in study B (children and infants only), of whom 317 (99%) were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis. One dose of Vi-CRM197 significantly increased concentrations of anti-Vi antibody in adults (from 113 U/mL [95% CI 67-190] to 208 U/mL [117

  20. Dietary Immunogen® modulated digestive enzyme activity and immune gene expression in Litopenaeus vannamei post larvae.

    PubMed

    Miandare, Hamed Kolangi; Mirghaed, Ali Taheri; Hosseini, Marjan; Mazloumi, Nastaran; Zargar, Ashkan; Nazari, Sajad

    2017-11-01

    Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) is an important economical shrimp species worldwide, especially in the Middle East region, and farming activities of this species have been largely affected by diseases, mostly viral and bacterial diseases. Scientists have started to use prebiotics for bolstering the immune status of the animal. This study aimed to investigate the influence of Immunogen ® on growth, digestive enzyme activity and immune related gene expression of Litopenaeus vannamei post-larvae. All post-larvae were acclimated to the laboratory condition for 14 days. Upon acclimation, shrimps were fed on different levels of Immunogen ® (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 g kg -1 ) for 60 days. No significant differences were detected in weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR) and food conversion ratio (FCR) in shrimp post-larvae in which fed with different levels of Immunogen ® and control diet. The results showed that digestive enzymes activity including protease and lipase increased with different amounts of Immunogen ® in the shrimp diet. Protease activity increased with 1.5 g kg -1 Immunogen ® after 60 days and lipase activity increased with 1 and 1.5 g kg -1 Immunogen ® after 30 and 60 days of the trial respectively (P < 0.05), while amylase activity did not change in response to different levels of Immunogen ® (P > 0.05). The expression of immune related genes including, prophenoloxidase, crustin and g-type lysozyme increased with diet 1.5 g kg -1 Immunogen ® (P < 0.05) while expression of penaeidin gene increased only with experimental diet 1 g kg -1 of Immunogen ® . These results indicated that increase in digestive enzymes activity and expression of immune related genes could modulate the Immunogen ® in the innate immune system in L. vannamei in this study. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  1. Immunogenicity of a human rotavirus vaccine (RIX4414) after storage at 37 °C for seven days.

    PubMed

    Kerdpanich, Angkool; Chokephaibulkit, Kulkanya; Watanaveeradej, Veerachai; Vanprapar, Nirun; Simasathien, Sriluck; Phavichitr, Nopaorn; Bock, Hans Ludwig; Damaso, Silvia; Hutagalung, Yanee; Han, Htay-Htay

    2011-01-01

    The lyophilized formulation of the human rotavirus vaccine, RIX4414 (RotarixTM), is recommended to be stored at 2°C-8°C for optimal immunogenicity. In some settings with inadequate infrastructure for vaccine storage, unforeseen circumstances may cause cold chain breakage, resulting in the vaccine to be left at ambient temperatures. This study evaluated the heat stability of lyophilized RIX4414 vaccine in terms of immunogenicity when stored at tropical room temperature (37 °C) for 7 days before reconstitution. There was no statistically significant difference detected between RIX4414 vaccine stored at 2 °C-8 °C (Group RIX4414_control, n = 171) and that stored at 37 °C for 7 days (Group RIX4414_37 °C, n = 47) in terms of seroconversion rate and vaccine take. The anti-rotavirus IgA seroconversion rate 2 months post-Dose 2 was 84.7% (95% CI: 78.1%-90%) and 87.8% (95% CI: 73.8%-95.9%) in Groups RIX4414_control and RIX4414_37 °C, respectively. None of the 25 infants in placebo group seroconverted. The vaccine take in the respective vaccine groups were 88% (95% CI: 82.1%-92.5%) and 93.5% (95% CI: 82.1%-98.6%) and Geometric Mean Concentrations (GMCs) were 134.4 U/mL (95% CI: 104.5-172.9) and 163.7 U/mL (95% CI: 98.9-271.1). Healthy infants aged 6-12 weeks, received two oral doses of either the RIX4414 vaccine stored at 2 °C-8 °C, RIX4414 vaccine stored at 37 °C for 7 days or placebo, according to a 0, 2 month schedule. Seroconversion rates in terms of anti-rotavirus IgA antibody levels (cut off: ≥ 20 U/mL by ELISA), anti-rotavirus IgA antibody GMCs and vaccine take were calculated 2 months post-Dose 2. Lyophilized RIX4414 vaccine stored at 37°C for 7 days before reconstitution has similar immunogenicity as the vaccine stored at 2 °C-8 °C. These results supported the use of RIX4414 in settings where the vaccine might be exposed to higher than the recommended storage temperatures.

  2. The inducers of immunogenic cell death for tumor immunotherapy.

    PubMed

    Li, Xiuying

    2018-01-01

    Immunotherapy is a promising treatment modality that acts by selectively harnessing the host immune defenses against cancer. An effective immune response is often needed to eliminate tumors following treatment which can trigger the immunogenicity of dying tumor cells. Some treatment modalities (such as photodynamic therapy, high hydrostatic pressure or radiotherapy) and agents (some chemotherapeutic agents, oncolytic viruses) have been used to endow tumor cells with immunogenicity and/or increase their immunogenicity. These treatments and agents can boost the antitumor capacity by inducing immune responses against tumor neoantigens. Immunogenic cell death is a manner of cell death that can induce the emission of immunogenic damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). DAMPs are sufficient for immunocompetent hosts to trigger the immune system. This review focuses on the latest developments in the treatment modalities and agents that can induce and/or enhance the immunogenicity of cancer cells.

  3. Generation of a More Immunogenic Measles Vaccine by Increasing Its Hemagglutinin Expression

    PubMed Central

    Julik, Emily

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Imported measles virus (MV) outbreaks are maintained by poor vaccine responders and unvaccinated people. A convenient but more immunogenic vaccination strategy would enhance vaccine performance, contributing to measles eradication efforts. We report here the generation of alternative pediatric vaccines against MV with increased expression of the H protein in the background of the current MV vaccine strain. We generated two recombinants: MVvac2-H2, with increased full-length H expression resulting in a 3-fold increase in H incorporation into virions, and MVvac2-Hsol, vectoring a truncated, soluble form of the H protein that is secreted into the supernatants of infected cells. Replication fitness was conserved despite the duplication of the H cistron for both vectors. The modification to the envelope of MVvac2-H2 conferred upon this virus a measurable level of resistance to in vitro neutralization by MV polyclonal immune sera without altering its thermostability. Most interestingly, both recombinant MVs with enhanced H expression were significantly more immunogenic than their parental strain in outbred mice, while MVvac2-H2 additionally proved more immunogenic after a single, human-range dose in genetically modified MV-susceptible mice. IMPORTANCE Measles incidence was reduced drastically following the introduction of attenuated vaccines, but progress toward the eradication of this virus has stalled, and MV still threatens unvaccinated populations. Due to the contributions of primary vaccine failures and too-young-to-be-vaccinated infants to this problem, more immunogenic measles vaccines are highly desirable. We generated two experimental MV vaccines based on a current vaccine's genome but with enriched production of the H protein, the main MV antigen in provoking immunity. One vaccine incorporated H at higher rates in the viral envelope, and the other secreted a soluble H protein from infected cells. The increased expression of H by these vectors improved

  4. Factors influencing preclinical in vivo evaluation of mumps vaccine strain immunogenicity

    PubMed Central

    Halassy, B; Kurtović, T; Brgles, M; Lang Balija, M; Forčić, D

    2015-01-01

    Immunogenicity testing in animals is a necessary preclinical assay for demonstration of vaccine efficacy the results of which are often the basis for the decision whether to proceed or withdraw the further development of the novel vaccine candidate. However, in vivo assays are rarely, if at all, optimized and validated. Here we clearly demonstrate the importance of in vivo assay (mumps virus immunogenicity testing in guinea pigs) optimization for gaining reliable results and the suitability of Fractional factorial design of experiments (DoE) for such a purpose. By the use of DoE with resolution IV (2IV(4-1)) we clearly revealed that the parameters significantly increasing assay sensitivity were interval between animal immunizations followed by the body weight of experimental animals. The quantity (0 versus 2%) of the stabilizer (fetal bovine serum, FBS) in the sample was shown as non-influencing parameter in DoE setup. However, the separate experiment investigating only the FBS influence, and performed under other parameters optimally set, showed that FBS also influences the results of immunogenicity assay. Such finding indicated that (a) factors with strong influence on the measured outcome can hide the effects of parameters with modest/low influence and (b) the matrix of mumps virus samples to be compared for immunogenicity must be identical for reliable virus immunogenicity comparison. Finally the 3 mumps vaccine strains widely used for decades in the licensed vaccines were for the first time compared in an animal model, and results obtained were in line with their reported immunogenicity in human population supporting the predictive power of the optimized in vivo assay. PMID:26376015

  5. Factors influencing preclinical in vivo evaluation of mumps vaccine strain immunogenicity.

    PubMed

    Halassy, B; Kurtović, T; Brgles, M; Lang Balija, M; Forčić, D

    2015-01-01

    Immunogenicity testing in animals is a necessary preclinical assay for demonstration of vaccine efficacy the results of which are often the basis for the decision whether to proceed or withdraw the further development of the novel vaccine candidate. However, in vivo assays are rarely, if at all, optimized and validated. Here we clearly demonstrate the importance of in vivo assay (mumps virus immunogenicity testing in guinea pigs) optimization for gaining reliable results and the suitability of Fractional factorial design of experiments (DoE) for such a purpose. By the use of DoE with resolution IV (2IV((4-1))) we clearly revealed that the parameters significantly increasing assay sensitivity were interval between animal immunizations followed by the body weight of experimental animals. The quantity (0 versus 2%) of the stabilizer (fetal bovine serum, FBS) in the sample was shown as non-influencing parameter in DoE setup. However, the separate experiment investigating only the FBS influence, and performed under other parameters optimally set, showed that FBS also influences the results of immunogenicity assay. Such finding indicated that (a) factors with strong influence on the measured outcome can hide the effects of parameters with modest/low influence and (b) the matrix of mumps virus samples to be compared for immunogenicity must be identical for reliable virus immunogenicity comparison. Finally the 3 mumps vaccine strains widely used for decades in the licensed vaccines were for the first time compared in an animal model, and results obtained were in line with their reported immunogenicity in human population supporting the predictive power of the optimized in vivo assay.

  6. Antigenicity and Immunogenicity of RV144 Vaccine AIDSVAX Clade E Envelope Immunogen Is Enhanced by a gp120 N-Terminal Deletion

    PubMed Central

    Liao, Hua-Xin; Tomaras, Georgia D.; Bonsignori, Mattia; Tsao, Chun-Yen; Hwang, Kwan-Ki; Chen, Haiyan; Lloyd, Krissey E.; Bowman, Cindy; Sutherland, Laura; Jeffries, Thomas L.; Kozink, Daniel M.; Stewart, Shelley; Anasti, Kara; Jaeger, Frederick H.; Parks, Robert; Yates, Nicole L.; Overman, R. Glenn; Sinangil, Faruk; Berman, Phillip W.; Pitisuttithum, Punnee; Kaewkungwal, Jaranit; Nitayaphan, Sorachai; Karasavva, Nicos; Rerks-Ngarm, Supachai; Kim, Jerome H.; Michael, Nelson L.; Zolla-Pazner, Susan; Santra, Sampa; Letvin, Norman L.; Harrison, Stephen C.

    2013-01-01

    An immune correlates analysis of the RV144 HIV-1 vaccine trial revealed that antibody responses to the gp120 V1/V2 region correlated inversely with infection risk. The RV144 protein immunogens (A244-rp120 and MN-rgp120) were modified by an N-terminal 11-amino-acid deletion (Δ11) and addition of a herpes simplex virus (HSV) gD protein-derived tag (gD). We investigated the effects of these modifications on gp120 expression, antigenicity, and immunogenicity by comparing unmodified A244 gp120 with both Δ11 deletion and gD tag and with Δ11 only. Analysis of A244 gp120, with or without Δ11 or gD, demonstrated that the Δ11 deletion, without the addition of gD, was sufficient for enhanced antigenicity to gp120 C1 region, conformational V2, and V1/V2 gp120 conformational epitopes. RV144 vaccinee serum IgGs bound more avidly to A244 gp120 Δ11 than to the unmodified gp120, and their binding was blocked by C1, V2, and V1/V2 antibodies. Rhesus macaques immunized with the three different forms of A244 gp120 proteins gave similar levels of gp120 antibody titers, although higher antibody titers developed earlier in A244 Δ11 gp120-immunized animals. Conformational V1/V2 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) gave significantly higher levels of blocking of plasma IgG from A244 Δ11 gp120-immunized animals than IgG from animals immunized with unmodified A244 gp120, thus indicating a qualitative difference in the V1/V2 antibodies induced by A244 Δ11 gp120. These results demonstrate that deletion of N-terminal residues in the RV144 A244 gp120 immunogen improves both envelope antigenicity and immunogenicity. PMID:23175357

  7. Mosaic HIV envelope immunogenic polypeptides

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Korber, Bette T. M.; Gnanakaran, S.; Perkins, Simon

    Disclosed herein are mosaic HIV envelope (Env) polypeptides that can elicit an immune response to HIV (such as cytotoxic T cell (CTL), helper T cell, and/or humoral responses). Also disclosed are sets of the disclosed mosaic Env polypeptides, which include two or more (for example, three) of the polypeptides. Also disclosed herein are methods for treating or inhibiting HIV in a subject including administering one or more of the disclosed immunogenic polypeptides or compositions to a subject infected with HIV or at risk of HIV infection. In some embodiments, the methods include inducing an immune response to HIV in amore » subject comprising administering to the subject at least one (such as two, three, or more) of the immunogenic polypeptides or at least one (such as two, three, or more) nucleic acids encoding at least one of the immunogenic polypeptides disclosed herein.« less

  8. Immunogenicity moderation effect of interleukin-24 on myelogenous leukemia cells.

    PubMed

    Yu, Xin; Miao, Jingcheng; Xia, Wei; Gu, Zong-Jiang

    2018-04-01

    Previous studies have shown that interleukin-24 (IL-24) has tumor-suppressing activity by multiple pathways. However, the immunogenicity moderation effect of IL-24 on malignant cells has not been explored extensively. In this study, we investigated the role of IL-24 in immunogenicity modulation of the myelogenous leukemia cells. Data show that myelogenous leukemia cells express low levels of immunogenicity molecules. Treatment with IL-24 could enhance leukemia cell immunogenicity, predominantly regulate leukemia cells to produce immune-associated cytokines, and improve the cytotoxic sensitivity of these cells to immune effector cells. IL-24 expression could retard transplanted leukemia cell tumor growth in vivo in athymic nude mice. Moreover, IL-24 had marked effects on downregulating the expression of angiogenesis-related proteins vascular endothelial growth factor, cluster of differentiation (CD) 31, CD34, collagen IV and metastasis-related factors CD147, membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), and MMP-2 and MMP-9 in transplanted tumors. These findings indicated novel functions of this antitumor gene and characterized IL-24 as a promising agent for further clinical trial for hematologic malignancy immunotherapy.

  9. Immunogenic Subviral Particles Displaying Domain III of Dengue 2 Envelope Protein Vectored by Measles Virus

    PubMed Central

    Harahap-Carrillo, Indira S.; Ceballos-Olvera, Ivonne; Reyes-del Valle, Jorge

    2015-01-01

    Vaccines against dengue virus (DV) are commercially nonexistent. A subunit vaccination strategy may be of value, especially if a safe viral vector acts as biologically active adjuvant. In this paper, we focus on an immunoglobulin-like, independently folded domain III (DIII) from DV 2 envelope protein (E), which contains epitopes that elicits highly specific neutralizing antibodies. We modified the hepatitis B small surface antigen (HBsAg, S) in order to display DV 2 DIII on a virus-like particle (VLP), thus generating the hybrid antigen DIII-S. Two varieties of measles virus (MV) vectors were developed to express DIII-S. The first expresses the hybrid antigen from an additional transcription unit (ATU) and the second additionally expresses HBsAg from a separate ATU. We found that this second MV vectoring the hybrid VLPs displaying DIII-S on an unmodified HBsAg scaffold were immunogenic in MV-susceptible mice (HuCD46Ge-IFNarko), eliciting robust neutralizing responses (averages) against MV (1:1280 NT90), hepatitis B virus (787 mIU/mL), and DV2 (1:160 NT50) in all of the tested animals. Conversely, the MV vector expressing only DIII-S induced immunity against MV alone. In summary, DV2 neutralizing responses can be generated by displaying E DIII on a scaffold of HBsAg-based VLPs, vectored by MV. PMID:26350592

  10. Determinants of immunogenic response to protein therapeutics.

    PubMed

    Singh, Satish K; Cousens, Leslie P; Alvarez, David; Mahajan, Pramod B

    2012-09-01

    Protein therapeutics occupy a very significant position in the biopharmaceutical market. In addition to the preclinical, clinical and post marketing challenges common to other drugs, unwanted immunogenicity is known to affect efficacy and/or safety of most biotherapeutics. A standard set of immunogenicity risk factors are routinely used to inform monitoring strategies in clinical studies. A number of in-silico, in vivo and in vitro approaches have also been employed to predict immunogenicity of biotherapeutics, but with limited success. Emerging data also indicates the role of immune tolerance mechanisms and impact of several product-related factors on modulating host immune responses. Thus, a comprehensive discussion of the impact of innate and adaptive mechanisms and molecules involved in induction of host immune responses on immunogenicity of protein therapeutics is needed. A detailed understanding of these issues is essential in order to fully exploit the therapeutic potential of this class of drugs. This Roundtable Session was designed to provide a common platform for discussing basic immunobiological and pharmacological issues related to the role of biotherapeutic-associated risk factors, as well as host immune system in immunogenicity against protein therapeutics. The session included overview presentations from three speakers, followed by a panel discussion with audience participation. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  11. The Role of Immunogenicity in Cardiovascular Disease

    PubMed Central

    Jan, Michael; Virtue, Anthony T.; Pansuria, Meghanaben; Liu, Jingshan; Xiong, Xinyu; Fang, Pu; Meng, Shu; Wang, Hong; Yang, Xiao-Feng

    2012-01-01

    Recently, many of the complexities associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have been unlocked. However, despite these breakthroughs, CVD and its related complications are the leading contributors of morbidity and mortality worldwide, which indicates the shortcomings of current treatment regimens and the need for continued research. Published data within the field clearly indicates that CVD are built on inflammation and autoimmune platforms, though a strong, fundamental understanding of the mechanisms remains elusive. Areas such as the mechanisms underlying increased immunogenicity of self-proteins in the cardiovascular system, the roles of immunogenic auto-antigens in eliciting inflammatory autoimmune responses, and the immunosuppressive mechanisms involved in controlling inflammatory and autoimmune cardiovascular diseases remain to be well-understood. We will delve into these topics and the advancements made within the field in this review. Specifically, we will concentrate on the innate and adaptive immune responses mediating immunogenicity; the mechanisms of inflammation and autoimmunity in atherogenesis; the mechanisms of inflammation and autoimmunity in diabetic atherosclerosis; immunogenicity and stem cell therapy; as well as immunogenicity and immunosuppression. In depth examination and comprehension of these topics will provide insight into the recent progress of the field and bring to the forefront potentially novel therapeutic avenues. PMID:24511305

  12. Lot-to-lot Consistency, Safety, Tolerability and Immunogenicity of an Investigational Hexavalent Vaccine in US Infants.

    PubMed

    Block, Stanley L; Klein, Nicola P; Sarpong, Kwabena; Russell, Stephen; Fling, John; Petrecz, Maria; Flores, Sheryl; Xu, Jin; Liu, Guanghan; Stek, Jon E; Foglia, Ginamarie; Lee, Andrew W

    2017-02-01

    This multicenter phase III study (NCT01340937) evaluated the consistency of immune responses to 3 separate lots of diphtheria-tetanus toxoids-acellular pertussis 5, inactivated poliovirus vaccine, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and hepatitis B (DTaP5-IPV-Hib-HepB), an investigational hexavalent vaccine (HV). Healthy infants were randomized (2:2:2:1) to receive HV or Pentacel (Control). Groups 1, 2 and 3 received HV at 2, 4 and 6 months, and Control at 15 months. Group 4 received Control at 2, 4, 6 and 15 months, plus Recombivax HB (HepB) at 2 and 6 months. Concomitant Prevnar 13 was given to all groups at 2, 4, 6 and 15 months; pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5) was given to all groups at 2, 4 and 6 months. Blood specimens (3-5 mL) were collected immediately before administration of dose 1, postdose 3, immediately before toddler dose, and after toddler dose. Adverse events were recorded after each vaccination. The 3 manufacturing lots of HV induced consistent antibody responses to all antigens. Immunogenicity of HV was noninferior to Control for all antibodies, except for pertussis filamentous hemagglutinin geometric mean concentration postdose 3, and pertussis pertactin (PRN) geometric mean concentration after toddler dose. Postdose 3 immunogenicity of concomitantly administered Prevnar 13 was generally similar (except for serotype 6B) when given with HV or Control. Adverse events of HV were similar to Control, except for a higher rate of fever ≥38.0°C [49.2% vs. 35.4%, estimated difference 13.7% (8.4, 18.8)]. HV demonstrated lot-to-lot manufacturing consistency; safety and immunogenicity were comparable with the licensed vaccines. HV provides a new combination vaccine option within the US 2-month, 4-month and 6-month vaccine series.

  13. Safety and immunogenicity of live-attenuated Japanese encephalitis SA 14-14-2 vaccine co-administered with measles vaccine in 9-month-old infants in Sri Lanka.

    PubMed

    Wijesinghe, Pushpa Ranjan; Abeysinghe, M R Nihal; Yoksan, Sutee; Yao, Yafu; Zhou, Benli; Zhang, Lei; Yaich, Mansour; Neuzil, Kathleen M; Victor, John C

    2014-08-20

    To facilitate introduction of live attenuated SA 14-14-2 Japanese encephalitis vaccine (LJEV) into the National Immunization Programme of Sri Lanka, we evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of co-administration of LJEV and measles vaccine at 9 months of age. Serum immune responses were evaluated post-vaccination on days 28, 180, and 365 using JE neutralization test and anti-measles IgG ELISA. 278 infants received one dose of LJEV and measles vaccine. Of these, 257 were eligible for the per-protocol analysis. On Day 0, 14 infants (5.5%) were seropositive for JE, but none were seropositive for measles. At Day 28, seropositivity rates were 90.7% (95% CI, 86.4-93.9%) for JE and 84.8% (95% CI, 79.8-89.0%) for measles. The geometric mean titer for JE neutralizing antibodies was 111 (95% CI, 90-135), and the geometric mean concentration (GMC) for anti-measles IgG was 375 mI U/mL (95% CI, 351-400 mI U/mL). Over the next year, JE neutralizing antibody responses declined only slightly, with seropositivity at 87.4% (95% CI, 82.6-91.2%) at Day 365. In contrast, measles antibody levels continued to increase over time. Seropositivity for anti-measles IgG reached 97.2% (95% CI, 94.4-98.9%) at Day 365, and the GMC rose to 1202 mI U/mL (95% CI, 1077-1341 mI U/mL). Co-administration of LJEV and measles vaccine was also safe. Most adverse reactions were mild, and no serious adverse events were related to study vaccinations. The safety and immunogenicity of LJEV co-administered with measles vaccine in Sri Lankan infants is similar to that seen in other populations, and our results support use of LJEV at 9 months of age. Live SA 14-14-2 vaccine is now prequalified by the WHO for use in infants in Asia, and other countries may wish to introduce LJEV to combat this devastating disease. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  14. Properties of MHC Class I Presented Peptides That Enhance Immunogenicity

    PubMed Central

    Calis, Jorg J. A.; Maybeno, Matt; Greenbaum, Jason A.; Weiskopf, Daniela; De Silva, Aruna D.; Sette, Alessandro; Keşmir, Can; Peters, Bjoern

    2013-01-01

    T-cells have to recognize peptides presented on MHC molecules to be activated and elicit their effector functions. Several studies demonstrate that some peptides are more immunogenic than others and therefore more likely to be T-cell epitopes. We set out to determine which properties cause such differences in immunogenicity. To this end, we collected and analyzed a large set of data describing the immunogenicity of peptides presented on various MHC-I molecules. Two main conclusions could be drawn from this analysis: First, in line with previous observations, we showed that positions P4–6 of a presented peptide are more important for immunogenicity. Second, some amino acids, especially those with large and aromatic side chains, are associated with immunogenicity. This information was combined into a simple model that was used to demonstrate that immunogenicity is, to a certain extent, predictable. This model (made available at http://tools.iedb.org/immunogenicity/) was validated with data from two independent epitope discovery studies. Interestingly, with this model we could show that T-cells are equipped to better recognize viral than human (self) peptides. After the past successful elucidation of different steps in the MHC-I presentation pathway, the identification of variables that influence immunogenicity will be an important next step in the investigation of T-cell epitopes and our understanding of cellular immune responses. PMID:24204222

  15. Impact of product-related factors on immunogenicity of biotherapeutics.

    PubMed

    Singh, Satish Kumar

    2011-02-01

    All protein therapeutics have the potential to be immunogenic. Several factors, including patient characteristics, disease state, and the therapy itself, influence the generation of an immune response. Product-related factors such as the molecule design, the expression system, post-translational modifications, impurities, contaminants, formulation and excipients, container, closure, as well as degradation products are all implicated. However, a critical examination of the available data shows that clear unequivocal evidence for the impact of these latter factors on clinical immunogenicity is lacking. No report could be found that clearly deconvolutes the clinical impact of the product attributes on patient susceptibility. Aggregation carries the greatest concern as a risk factor for immunogenicity, but the impact of aggregates is likely to depend on their structure as well as on the functionality (e.g., immunostimulatory or immunomodulatory) of the therapeutic. Preclinical studies are not yet capable of assessing the clinically relevant immunogenicity potential of these product-related factors. Simply addressing these risk factors as part of product development will not eliminate immunogenicity. Minimization of immunogenicity has to begin at the molecule design stage by reducing or eliminating antigenic epitopes and building in favorable physical and chemical properties. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  16. Sidechain biology and the immunogenicity of PDC-E2, the major autoantigen of primary biliary cirrhosis.

    PubMed

    Mao, Tin K; Davis, Paul A; Odin, Joseph A; Coppel, Ross L; Gershwin, M Eric

    2004-12-01

    The E2 component of mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC-E2) is the immunodominant autoantigen of primary biliary cirrhosis. Whereas lipoylation of PDC-E2 is essential for enzymatic activity and predominates under normal conditions, other biochemical systems exist that also target the lysine residue, including acylation of fatty acids or xenobiotics and ubiquitinylation. More importantly, the immunogenicity can be affected by derivatization of the lysine residue, as the recognition of lipoylated PDC-E2 by patient autoantibodies is enhanced compared with octanoylated PDC-E2. Furthermore, our laboratory has shown that various xenobiotic modifications of a peptide representing the immunodominant region of PDC-E2 are immunoreactive against patient sera. The only purported regulatory system that prevents the accumulation of potentially autoreactive PDC-E2 is glutathionylation, in which the lysine-lipoic acid moiety is further modified with glutathione during apoptosis. Interestingly, this system is found in several cell lines, including HeLa, Jurkat, and Caco-2 cells, but not in cholangiocytes and salivary gland epithelial cells, both of which are targets for destruction in primary biliary cirrhosis. Hence, the failure of this or other regulatory system(s) may overwhelm the immune system with immunogenic PDC-E2 that can initiate the breakdown of tolerance in a genetically susceptible individual. In this review the authors survey the data available on the biochemical life of PDC-E2, with particular emphasis on the lysine residue and its known interactions with machinery involved in various posttranslational modifications.

  17. Key points in evaluating immunogenicity of pandemic influenza vaccines: A lesson from immunogenicity studies of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine.

    PubMed

    Ohfuji, Satoko; Kobayashi, Masayuki; Ide, Yuichiro; Egawa, Yumi; Saito, Tomoko; Kondo, Kyoko; Ito, Kazuya; Kase, Tetsuo; Maeda, Akiko; Fukushima, Wakaba; Hirota, Yoshio

    2017-09-18

    Immunogenicity studies on pandemic influenza vaccine are necessary to inform rapid development and implementation of a vaccine during a pandemic. Thus, strategies for immunogenicity assessment are required. To identify essential factors to consider when evaluating the immunogenicity of pandemic influenza vaccines using the experience in Japan with the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine. We conducted a search of observational studies using PubMed and IchushiWeb. Search terms included "influenza vaccine AND (immunogenicity OR immune response) AND Japan AND (2009 OR pdm09) NOT review," and was limited to studies conducted in humans. A total of 33 articles were identified, of which 16 articles met the inclusion criteria. Immunogenicity of the commercially available influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine satisfied the international criteria for influenza vaccine immunogenicity in all study populations. The most remarkable immune response was observed in junior high school students, while the lowest immune response was observed in hematological malignancy patients. Similar to immunogenicity studies on seasonal influenza vaccines, factors such as patient background (e.g., age, underlying condition, pre-vaccination titer, body mass index, etc.) and study procedure (e.g., concurrent measurement of pre- and post-vaccination antibody titer, effects of infection during the study period) may have affected the assessment of immunogenicity to the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine. In addition, prior vaccination with the seasonal influenza vaccine may inhibit antibody induction by the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine. This review discusses factors and strategies that must be considered and addressed during immunogenicity assessments of pandemic influenza vaccines, which may provide useful information for future influenza pandemics. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  18. PD-1 or PD-L1 Blockade Restores Antitumor Efficacy Following SSX2 Epitope-Modified DNA Vaccine Immunization.

    PubMed

    Rekoske, Brian T; Smith, Heath A; Olson, Brian M; Maricque, Brett B; McNeel, Douglas G

    2015-08-01

    DNA vaccines have demonstrated antitumor efficacy in multiple preclinical models, but low immunogenicity has been observed in several human clinical trials. This has led to many approaches seeking to improve the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines. We previously reported that a DNA vaccine encoding the cancer-testis antigen SSX2, modified to encode altered epitopes with increased MHC class I affinity, elicited a greater frequency of cytolytic, multifunctional CD8(+) T cells in non-tumor-bearing mice. We sought to test whether this optimized vaccine resulted in increased antitumor activity in mice bearing an HLA-A2-expressing tumor engineered to express SSX2. We found that immunization of tumor-bearing mice with the optimized vaccine elicited a surprisingly inferior antitumor effect relative to the native vaccine. Both native and optimized vaccines led to increased expression of PD-L1 on tumor cells, but antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells from mice immunized with the optimized construct expressed higher PD-1. Splenocytes from immunized animals induced PD-L1 expression on tumor cells in vitro. Antitumor activity of the optimized vaccine could be increased when combined with antibodies blocking PD-1 or PD-L1, or by targeting a tumor line not expressing PD-L1. These findings suggest that vaccines aimed at eliciting effector CD8(+) T cells, and DNA vaccines in particular, might best be combined with PD-1 pathway inhibitors in clinical trials. This strategy may be particularly advantageous for vaccines targeting prostate cancer, a disease for which antitumor vaccines have demonstrated clinical benefit and yet PD-1 pathway inhibitors alone have shown little efficacy to date. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

  19. Anti-PD-L1/TGFβR2 (M7824) fusion protein induces immunogenic modulation of human urothelial carcinoma cell lines, rendering them more susceptible to immune-mediated recognition and lysis.

    PubMed

    Grenga, Italia; Donahue, Renee N; Gargulak, Morgan L; Lepone, Lauren M; Roselli, Mario; Bilusic, Marijo; Schlom, Jeffrey

    2018-03-01

    Avelumab has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the therapy of Merkel cell carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma. M7824 is a novel first-in-class bifunctional fusion protein comprising a monoclonal antibody against programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1, avelumab), fused to the extracellular domain of human transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) receptor 2, which functions as a TGFβ "trap." Advanced urothelial tumors have been shown to express TGFβ, which possesses immunosuppressive properties that promote cancer progression and metastasis. The rationale for a combined molecule is to block the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction between tumor cells and immune cell infiltrate and simultaneously reduce or eliminate TGFβ from the tumor microenvironment. In this study, we explored the effect of M7824 on invasive urothelial carcinoma cell lines. Human urothelial (transitional cell) carcinoma cell lines HTB-4, HTB-1, and HTB-5 were treated with M7824, M7824mut (M7824 that is mutated in the anti-PD-L1 portion of the molecule and thus does not bind PD-L1), anti-PD-L1 (avelumab), or IgG1 isotype control monoclonal antibody, and were assessed for gene expression, cell-surface phenotype, and sensitivity to lysis by TRAIL, antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells. M7824 retains the ability to mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of tumor cells, although in some cases to a lesser extent than anti-PD-L1. However, compared to anti-PD-L1, M7824 increases (A) gene expression of molecules involved in T-cell trafficking in the tumor (e.g., CXCL11), (B) TRAIL-mediated tumor cell lysis, and (C) antigen-specific CD8 + T-cell-mediated lysis of tumor cells. These studies demonstrate the immunomodulatory properties of M7824 on both tumor cell phenotype and immune-mediated lysis. Compared to anti-PD-L1 or M7824mut, M7824 induces immunogenic modulation of urothelial carcinoma cell lines, rendering them more susceptible to immune

  20. Development of designed site-directed pseudopeptide-peptido-mimetic immunogens as novel minimal subunit-vaccine candidates for malaria.

    PubMed

    Lozano, José Manuel; Lesmes, Liliana P; Carreño, Luisa F; Gallego, Gina M; Patarroyo, Manuel Elkin

    2010-12-06

    Synthetic vaccines constitute the most promising tools for controlling and preventing infectious diseases. When synthetic immunogens are designed from the pathogen native sequences, these are normally poorly immunogenic and do not induce protection, as demonstrated in our research. After attempting many synthetic strategies for improving the immunogenicity properties of these sequences, the approach consisting of identifying high binding motifs present in those, and then performing specific changes on amino-acids belonging to such motifs, has proven to be a workable strategy. In addition, other strategies consisting of chemically introducing non-natural constraints to the backbone topology of the molecule and modifying the α-carbon asymmetry are becoming valuable tools to be considered in this pursuit. Non-natural structural constraints to the peptide backbone can be achieved by introducing peptide bond isosters such as reduced amides, partially retro or retro-inverso modifications or even including urea motifs. The second can be obtained by strategically replacing L-amino-acids with their enantiomeric forms for obtaining both structurally site-directed designed immunogens as potential vaccine candidates and their Ig structural molecular images, both having immuno-therapeutic effects for preventing and controlling malaria.

  1. Virus-Like Particle Secretion and Genotype-Dependent Immunogenicity of Dengue Virus Serotype 2 DNA Vaccine

    PubMed Central

    Galula, Jedhan U.; Shen, Wen-Fan; Chuang, Shih-Te

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Dengue virus (DENV), composed of four distinct serotypes, is the most important and rapidly emerging arthropod-borne pathogen and imposes substantial economic and public health burdens. We constructed candidate vaccines containing the DNA of five of the genotypes of dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2) and evaluated the immunogenicity, the neutralizing (Nt) activity of the elicited antibodies, and the protective efficacy elicited in mice immunized with the vaccine candidates. We observed a significant correlation between the level of in vitro virus-like particle secretion, the elicited antibody response, and the protective efficacy of the vaccines containing the DNA of the different DENV genotypes in immunized mice. However, higher total IgG antibody levels did not always translate into higher Nt antibodies against homologous and heterologous viruses. We also found that, in contrast to previous reports, more than 50% of total IgG targeted ectodomain III (EDIII) of the E protein, and a substantial fraction of this population was interdomain highly neutralizing flavivirus subgroup-cross-reactive antibodies, such as monoclonal antibody 1B7-5. In addition, the lack of a critical epitope(s) in the Sylvatic genotype virus recognized by interdomain antibodies could be the major cause of the poor protection of mice vaccinated with the Asian 1 genotype vaccine (pVD2-Asian 1) from lethal challenge with virus of the Sylvatic genotype. In conclusion, although the pVD2-Asian 1 vaccine was immunogenic, elicited sufficient titers of Nt antibodies against all DENV-2 genotypes, and provided 100% protection against challenge with virus of the homologous Asian 1 genotype and virus of the heterologous Cosmopolitan genotype, it is critical to monitor the potential emergence of Sylvatic genotype viruses, since vaccine candidates under development may not protect vaccinated humans from these viruses. IMPORTANCE Five genotype-specific dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2) DNA vaccine

  2. Novel Epstein-Barr virus-like particles incorporating gH/gL-EBNA1 or gB-LMP2 induce high neutralizing antibody titers and EBV-specific T-cell responses in immunized mice

    PubMed Central

    Perez, Elizabeth M.; Foley, Joslyn; Tison, Timelia; Silva, Rute; Ogembo, Javier Gordon

    2017-01-01

    Previous Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) prophylactic vaccines based on the major surface glycoprotein gp350/220 as an immunogen have failed to block viral infection in humans, suggesting a need to target other viral envelope glycoproteins. In this study, we reasoned that incorporating gH/gL or gB, critical glycoproteins for viral fusion and entry, on the surface of a virus-like particle (VLP) would be more immunogenic than gp350/220 for generating effective neutralizing antibodies to prevent viral infection of both epithelial and B cell lines. To boost the humoral response and trigger cell-mediated immunity, EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) and latent membrane protein 2 (LMP2), intracellular latency proteins expressed in all EBV-infected cells, were also included as critical components of the polyvalent EBV VLP. gH/gL-EBNA1 and gB-LMP2 VLPs were efficiently produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells, an FDA-approved vehicle for mass-production of biologics. Immunization with gH/gL-EBNA1 and gB-LMP2 VLPs without adjuvant generated both high neutralizing antibody titers in vitro and EBV-specific T-cell responses in BALB/c mice. These data demonstrate that EBV glycoprotein(s)-based VLPs have excellent immunogenicity, and represent a potentially safe vaccine that will be invaluable not only in preventing EBV infection, but importantly, in preventing and treating the 200,000 cases of EBV-associated cancers that occur globally every year. PMID:27926486

  3. Immunogenicity of biologic therapies: causes and consequences.

    PubMed

    Boehncke, Wolf-Henning; Brembilla, Nicolo Costantino

    2018-04-25

    Antibodies or fusion proteins termed biologics allow the targeted therapy of diseases. Many of these agents have proven superior efficacy and safety to conventional therapies, and subsequently revolutionized the management of numerous chronic diseases. Repetitive administration of these protein-based therapeutics to immunocompetent patients elicit immune responses in the form of Anti Drug Antibodies (ADAs), which in turn impact their pharmacological properties and may trigger adverse events. Areas covered: Structural characteristics determining the immunogenicity of biologics are reviewed along with strategies to minimize it. Next, the different types of treatment-emerging ADAs, their potential clinical implications, and assays to detect them are addressed. Emphasis is put on the review of data on the immunogenicity of different types of biologics across numerous indications. Finally, practical considerations are discussed on how to manage patients with issues around the immunogenicity of their biologic treatment. Expert commentary: Immunogenicity is a clinically relevant criterion when selecting a biologic. Besides intrinsic properties of the agent (namely its structure), its respective mode of action, dosing regimen, comedication, and the indication treated must be considered. ADA detection assays need to be standardized to improve comparability of available data and to allow clinical decision-making.

  4. Randomized clinical trial of the safety and immunogenicity of the Tdap vaccine in pregnant Mexican women

    PubMed Central

    Villarreal Pérez, Jesús Zacarías; Ramírez Aranda, José Manuel; de la O Cavazos, Manuel; Zamudio Osuna, Michelle de J.; Perales Dávila, José; Ballesteros Elizondo, María Romelia; Gómez Meza, Marco Vinicio; García Elizondo, Francisco Javier; Rodríguez González, Azucena M.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Immunization with the tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine raises controversies on immunogenicity and possible antibody interference. We performed an experimental, double-blind, parallel group controlled clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the Tdap vaccine in 204 pregnant women and their children and to determine its interference in antibody production. Pregnant women 18 to 38 y of age with 12 to 24 weeks gestation, a low obstetric risk, and without serious disease were randomly selected. The experimental group received 0.5 mL IM of Tdap and the control group normal saline. Six blood samples were drawn before and after solution application, and from the umbilical cord of the infants and at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. Pertactin and Pertussis toxin antibodies and possible interference of maternal antibodies with the vaccine were determined. In the experimental group, antibodies against Bordetella pertussis pertactin (anti-PRN) (112 E/mL 95% CI 89.9–139.9) and antibodies against pertussis toxin (anti-PT) (24.0 E/mL, 95% CI 18.3–31.4) were elevated in the mother before vaccination. These were higher in the umbilical cord and descended in the infant at 2 months (71.4 (95% CI 56.8–89.7 and 10.9; 95% CI 8.7–13.7, respectively). Anti-PT showed a delay in production. Tdap safety was confirmed with only mild local pain at 24 and 48 hours. Anti-PRN and anti-PT antibodies in the infant descend at 2 months of age. There is a delay in anti-PT in children of immunized mothers. Further studies are needed to elucidate its clinical significance. PMID:27686182

  5. Three Doses of an Experimental Detoxified L3-Derived Lipooligosaccharide Meningococcal Vaccine Offer Good Safety but Low Immunogenicity in Healthy Young Adults ▿

    PubMed Central

    Bonvehí, Pablo; Boutriau, Dominique; Casellas, Javier; Weynants, Vincent; Feron, Christiane; Poolman, Jan

    2010-01-01

    This open, randomized phase I study evaluated the safety and reactogenicity of an experimental meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) vaccine obtained from outer membrane vesicle detoxified L3-derived lipooligosaccharide. Healthy young adults (n = 150) were randomized to receive either experimental vaccine (provided in five formulations, n = 25 in each group) or VA-Mengoc-BC (control, n = 25) administered on a 0- to 6-week/6-month schedule. Serum bactericidal assays performed against three MenB wild-type strains assessed the immune response, defined as a 4-fold increase from pre- to postvaccination. No serious adverse events related to vaccination were reported. Pain at the injection site, fatigue, and headache were the most commonly reported adverse events. Solicited adverse events graded level 3 (i.e., preventing daily activity) were pain (up to 17% of the test subjects versus 32% of the controls), fatigue (up to 12% of the test subjects versus 8% of the controls), and headache (up to 4% of any group). Swelling graded level 3 (greater than 50 mm) occurred in up to 4% of the test subjects versus 8% of the controls. The immune responses ranged from 5% to 36% across experimental vaccines for the L3 H44-76 strain (versus 27% for the control), from 0% to 11% for the L3 NZ98/124 strain (versus 23% for the control), and from 0% to 13% for the L2 760676 strain (versus 59% for the control). All geometric mean titers were below those measured with the control vaccine. The five experimental formulations were safe and well tolerated but tended to be less immunogenic than the control vaccine. PMID:20660140

  6. [Evaluation of immunogenicity and safety of 2 immunizations with allantoic intranasal live influenza vaccine Ultragrivac].

    PubMed

    Shishkina, L N; Mazurkova, N A; Ternovoĭ, V A; Bulychev, L E; Tumanov, Iu V; Skarnovich, M O; Kabanov, A S; Ryndiuk, N N; Kuzubov, V I; Mironov, A N; Stavskiĭ, E A; Drozdov, I G

    2011-01-01

    Evaluate reactogenicity, safety and immunogenicity in phase 2 clinical trials of 2 immunization schedules with Ultragrivac--an allantoic intranasal life influenza vaccine based on A/17/ duck/Potsdam/86/92 [17/H5] reassortant strain. 4 groups of volunteers participated in the study: group 1--40 individuals were vaccinated twice with a 10 day interval; group 2--40 individuals were vaccinated twice with a 21 day interval; group 3 (control)--10 individuals received placebo twice with a 10 day interval; group 4 (control)--10 individuals received placebo twice with a 21 day interval. Local (secretory IgA), cellular and humoral immune response were evaluated. Humoral immunity was evaluated by the intensity of increase of geometric mean antibody titers against 2 influenza virus strains A/17/duck/Potsdam/86/92 [17/H5] and A/chicken/Suzdalka/Nov-1 1/2005 (H5N1), and by the level of significant (4 times or more) antibody seroconversions after the vaccination. After the use of Ultragrivac the level of secretory IgA in the nasal cavity of vaccinated volunteers in the groups with revaccination intervals of 10 and 21 days increased significantly. The second immunization with 10 or 21 day intervals significantly increased postvaccinal humoral immune response. Humoral immune response induction after 2 vaccinations with 10 day interval was no less effective than with 21 day interval. Ultragrivac allantoic intranasal live influenza vaccine is areactogenic, harmless for vaccinated individuals, safe for those around, and has immunogenic properties against not only homologous virus A(H5N2), but also against influenza strain A(H5N1).

  7. The study of immunogenicity of the antigenic protein of high risk oncogenic type of the human papillomavirus HPV16 L1 produced in the plant expression system on the base of transgenic tomato.

    PubMed

    Salyaev, R K; Rekoslavskaya, N I; Stolbikov, A S; Tretyakova, A V

    2017-05-01

    The immunogenicity of plant-made peroral vaccine against cervical cancer was studied in mice during 342 days after vaccination with the material of tomato fruits genetically transformed with HPV16 L1 Ώ 5'UTR TMV. The immune response was found on day 4 after vaccination in blood serum of vaccinated mice. On days 90-100, the rise to maximum value of the level of antibodies to HPV16 L1 was in the range of 500 ng of the standard antibodies to HPV16 L1 (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, United States). This level of antibodies was retained until the end of the study.

  8. Efficacy and immunogenicity of live-attenuated human rotavirus vaccine in breast-fed and formula-fed European infants.

    PubMed

    Vesikari, Timo; Prymula, Roman; Schuster, Volker; Tejedor, Juan-C; Cohen, Robert; Bouckenooghe, Alain; Damaso, Silvia; Han, Htay Htay

    2012-05-01

    Rotavirus is the main cause of severe gastroenteritis and diarrhea in infants and young children less than 5 years of age. Potential impact of breast-feeding on the efficacy and immunogenicity of human rotavirus G1P[8] vaccine was examined in this exploratory analysis. Healthy infants (N = 3994) aged 6-14 weeks who received 2 doses of human rotavirus vaccine/placebo according to a 0-1 or 0-2 month schedule were followed for rotavirus gastroenteritis during 2 epidemic seasons. Rotavirus IgA seroconversion rate (anti-IgA antibody concentration ≥ 20 mIU/mL) and geometric mean concentrations were measured prevaccination and 1-2 months post-dose 2. Vaccine efficacy against any and severe rotavirus gastroenteritis was analyzed according to the infants being breast-fed or exclusively formula-fed at the time of vaccination. Antirotavirus IgA seroconversion rate was 85.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 82.4-88.3) in breast-fed and 89.2% (95% CI: 84.2-93) in exclusively formula-fed infants; geometric mean concentrations in the respective groups were 185.8 U/mL (95% CI: 161.4-213.9) and 231.5 U/mL (95% CI: 185.9-288.2). Vaccine efficacy was equally high in breast-fed and exclusively formula-fed children in the first season but fell in breast-fed infants in the second rotavirus season. During the combined 2-year efficacy follow-up period, vaccine efficacy against any rotavirus gastroenteritis was 76.2% (95% CI: 68.7-82.1) and 89.8% (95% CI: 77.6-95.9) and against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis 88.4% (95% CI: 81.6-93) and 98.1% (95% CI: 88.2-100) in the breast-fed and exclusively formula-fed infants, respectively. The difference in immunogenicity of human rotavirus vaccine in breast-fed and exclusively formula-fed infants was small. Vaccine efficacy was equally high in breast-fed and exclusively formula-fed children in the first season. Breast-feeding seemed to reduce slightly the efficacy in the second season.

  9. Safety and immunogenicity of a modified process hepatitis B vaccine in healthy neonates.

    PubMed

    Minervini, Gianmaria; McCarson, Barbara J; Reisinger, Keith S; Martin, Jason C; Stek, Jon E; Atkins, Barbara M; Nadig, Karin B; Liska, Vladimir; Schödel, Florian P; Bhuyan, Prakash K

    2012-02-14

    A manufacturing process using a modified adjuvant was developed to optimize the consistency and immunogenicity for recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (control: RECOMBIVAX-HB™). This modified process hepatitis B vaccine (mpHBV), which was previously shown to have an acceptable safety and immunogenicity profile in young adults, has now been studied in newborn infants. Healthy 1-10-day-old neonates (N=566) received 3 intramuscular doses (5μg hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] per dose) of either mpHBV or control at Day 1, and Months 1 and 6. Serum antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs) was assayed at Month 7 (1 month Postdose 3). Anti-HBs geometric mean titers (GMTs) and seroprotection rates (SPRs) (% of subjects with an anti-HBs titer ≥10mIU/mL) were compared at Month 7. After each dose, injection-site adverse experiences (AEs) and axillary temperatures were recorded for 5 days; systemic AEs were recorded for Days 1-14. Month 7 SPR was 97.9% for the mpHBV group and 98.9% for the control. The GMT was 843.7mIU/mL for the mpHBV group and 670.1mIU/mL for the control. The GMT ratio (mpHBV/control) was 1.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.94, 1.69), meeting the prespecified non-inferiority criteria. The percentages of subjects reporting any AE, injection-site AEs, or systemic AEs were similar across the 2 vaccination groups. There were no serious AEs. The safety profile of mpHBV was comparable to that of the control vaccine. The geometric mean antibody titer for mpHBV was higher than control vaccine in this infant population, but the difference did not meet the predefined statistical criterion for superiority. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Physical interaction between bacterial heat shock protein (Hsp) 90 and Hsp70 chaperones mediates their cooperative action to refold denatured proteins.

    PubMed

    Nakamoto, Hitoshi; Fujita, Kensaku; Ohtaki, Aguru; Watanabe, Satoru; Narumi, Shoichi; Maruyama, Takahiro; Suenaga, Emi; Misono, Tomoko S; Kumar, Penmetcha K R; Goloubinoff, Pierre; Yoshikawa, Hirofumi

    2014-02-28

    In eukaryotes, heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is an essential ATP-dependent molecular chaperone that associates with numerous client proteins. HtpG, a prokaryotic homolog of Hsp90, is essential for thermotolerance in cyanobacteria, and in vitro it suppresses the aggregation of denatured proteins efficiently. Understanding how the non-native client proteins bound to HtpG refold is of central importance to comprehend the essential role of HtpG under stress. Here, we demonstrate by yeast two-hybrid method, immunoprecipitation assays, and surface plasmon resonance techniques that HtpG physically interacts with DnaJ2 and DnaK2. DnaJ2, which belongs to the type II J-protein family, bound DnaK2 or HtpG with submicromolar affinity, and HtpG bound DnaK2 with micromolar affinity. Not only DnaJ2 but also HtpG enhanced the ATP hydrolysis by DnaK2. Although assisted by the DnaK2 chaperone system, HtpG enhanced native refolding of urea-denatured lactate dehydrogenase and heat-denatured glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. HtpG did not substitute for DnaJ2 or GrpE in the DnaK2-assisted refolding of the denatured substrates. The heat-denatured malate dehydrogenase that did not refold by the assistance of the DnaK2 chaperone system alone was trapped by HtpG first and then transferred to DnaK2 where it refolded. Dissociation of substrates from HtpG was either ATP-dependent or -independent depending on the substrate, indicating the presence of two mechanisms of cooperative action between the HtpG and the DnaK2 chaperone system.

  11. Real-Life Efficacy, Immunogenicity and Safety of Biosimilar Infliximab.

    PubMed

    Vegh, Zsuzsanna; Kurti, Zsuzsanna; Lakatos, Peter L

    2017-01-01

    Recently, the use of biosimilar infliximab (IFX) in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases has become widespread in some European and non-European countries. Data on the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity from real-life cohorts are accumulating. The first reports showed similar outcomes in the induction and maintenance of remission, mucosal healing, safety and immunogenicity profile to the originator IFX. In the present review, we aimed to summarize the existing knowledge on the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity profile of biosimilar IFX reported from real-life cohorts. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  12. Lactobacillus paracasei CBA L74 interferes with gliadin peptides entrance in Caco-2 cells.

    PubMed

    Sarno, Marco; Lania, Giuliana; Cuomo, Marialaura; Nigro, Federica; Passannanti, Francesca; Budelli, Andrea; Fasano, Francesca; Troncone, Riccardo; Auricchio, Salvatore; Barone, Maria Vittoria; Nigro, Roberto; Nanayakkara, Merlin

    2014-12-01

    Several recent reports describe a role of probiotics as a therapeutic approach for celiac disease (CD). Two undigested A-gliadin peptides, P31-43 and P57-68, are central to CD pathogenesis, inducing an innate and an adaptive immune response, respectively. They enter enterocytes and localize to vesicular compartment to induce their toxic/immunogenics effects. In this article, we tested the effect of probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei (LP) CBA L74 (International Depository Accession Number LMG P-24778), its supernatant and LP-fermented cereals on gliadin peptides, P31-43 and P57-68, entrance in Caco-2 cells. Both LP CBA L74 and its supernatant inhibit P31-43 (intensity of fluorescence; FI: 75%) and P57-68 (FI: 50%) entrance in Caco2 cells, indicating that this biological effect is due to some product included in LP CBA L74 supernatant. This effect was present also after fermentation of cereals. This study describes a novel effect of probiotics in the prevention of undigested gliadin peptides toxic effects.

  13. Modulating immunogenic properties of HIV-1 gp41 membrane-proximal external region by destabilizing six-helix bundle structure

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Banerjee, Saikat; Shi, Heliang; Habte, Habtom H.

    The C-terminal alpha-helix of gp41 membrane-proximal external region (MPER; {sup 671}NWFDITNWLWYIK{sup 683}) encompassing 4E10/10E8 epitopes is an attractive target for HIV-1 vaccine development. We previously reported that gp41-HR1-54Q, a trimeric protein comprised of the MPER in the context of a stable six-helix bundle (6HB), induced strong immune responses against the helix, but antibodies were directed primarily against the non-neutralizing face of the helix. To better target 4E10/10E8 epitopes, we generated four putative fusion intermediates by introducing double point mutations or deletions in the heptad repeat region 1 (HR1) that destabilize 6HB in varying degrees. One variant, HR1-∆10-54K, elicited antibodies inmore » rabbits that targeted W672, I675 and L679, which are critical for 4E10/10E8 recognition. Overall, the results demonstrated that altering structural parameters of 6HB can influence immunogenic properties of the MPER and antibody targeting. Further exploration of this strategy could allow development of immunogens that could lead to induction of 4E10/10E8-like antibodies. - Highlights: • Four gp41 MPER-based immunogens that resemble fusion intermediates were generated. • C-terminal region of MPER that contains 4E10/10E8 epitopes was highly immunogenic. • Altering 6HB structure can influence immunogenic properties of the MPER. • Induced antibodies targeted multiple residues critical for 4E10/10E8 binding. • Development of immunogens based on fusion intermediates is a promising strategy.« less

  14. Immunogenicity and safety of 1 vs 2 doses of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine in youth infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

    PubMed

    Lujan-Zilbermann, Jorge; Warshaw, Meredith G; Williams, Paige L; Spector, Stephen A; Decker, Michael D; Abzug, Mark J; Heckman, Barb; Manzella, Adam; Kabat, Bill; Jean-Philippe, Patrick; Nachman, Sharon; Siberry, George K

    2012-10-01

    To compare the immunogenicity of 1 vs 2 doses of meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (MCV4) in youth infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). P1065 was a phase I/II immunogenicity and safety trial of MCV4 in 324 youth infected with HIV performed at 27 sites of the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Group network in the US. At entry subjects received 1 dose of MCV4. At 24 weeks, those with screening cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4)% ≥ 15 were randomized to receive a second dose or not, and all with screening CD4% <15 received a second dose. Immunogenicity was evaluated as the proportion of subjects with a ≥ 4-fold rise from entry in serum bactericidal antibody against each meningococcal serogroup (SG) at weeks 28 and 72. Logistic regression models adjusting for HIV disease severity were used to evaluate the effect of 1 vs 2 MCV4 doses among those with screening CD4% ≥ 15. Subjects randomized to receive 2 vs 1 MCV4 dose had significantly higher response rates to all SGs at week 28 and to all except Neisseria meningitidis SG Y at week 72, with adjusted ORs of 2.5-5.6. In 31 subjects with screening CD4% <15 who received 2 MCV4 doses, response rates ranged from 22%-55% at week 28 and 6%-28% at week 72. In youth infected with HIV with a CD4% ≥ 15, a second dose of MCV4 given 6 months after the initial dose significantly improves response rates at 28 and 72 weeks. Subjects with CD4% <15 at entry had lower response rates despite 2 doses of MCV4. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. [Construction, expression and immunogenicity study of a chimeric MS/hIL-12 eukaryotic expression plasmid].

    PubMed

    Li, Hui; Li, Rong; Zhong, Sen; Ren, Hong; Deng, Cun-liang; Shi, Xiao-ling; Wang, Ming-yong

    2006-04-01

    To construct and express a chimeric Mtb8.4 with signal peptide (MS)/hIL12 eukaryotic expression plasmid, and to study the immunogenicity of the MS/hIL-12 chimeric genetic vaccines. The MS/hIL-12 chimeric gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pCI-neo. The correct pCI-neo-MS/hIL12 (pMSI) recombinant plasmid was identified by PCR, restricted enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing. COS-7 cells were transfected with pMSI constructs by cationic liposome. After 48 hours, mRNA of the target gene was detected by RT-PCR, and hIL-12 protein in culture supernatant and cell lysates was detected by Western blot. C57BL/6N mice were vaccinated with MS/hIL-12 chimeric gene vaccine for three times at 3 week intervals. Four weeks after the final inoculation, three mice were sacrificed for measurement of the cytokine response and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) induction. The accuracy of plasmid construction was confirmed by a number of molecular biological techniques. Transfection of COS-7 cells with plasmids pMSI lead to transient expression of fusion proteins. The IFN-gamma and IL-2 titers were (1,521 +/- 48) ng/L and (755 +/- 41) ng/L in MS/hIL-12 chimeric gene vaccine group, (820 +/- 50) ng/L and (297 +/- 31) ng/L in MS gene vaccine group, (1,487 +/- 40) ng/L and (767 +/- 50) ng/L in BCG group, (121 +/- 16) ng/L and (62 +/- 10) ng/L in vacant vector group, and (48 +/- 16) ng/L and (32 +/- 17) ng/L in PBS group respectively. The levels of IFN-gamma and IL-2 in MS/hIL-12 chimeric gene vaccine group were higher than those of MS gene vaccine group, vacant vector group and PBS group (P < 0.01) and was similar to the BCG group (P > 0.05). The level of IL-4 in BCG group [(91 +/- 11) ng/L] increased significantly as compared to other groups (P < 0.01). When effector-cell-to-target-cell ratio (E:T ratio) were 100:1, 50:1, and 10:1 respectively, the CTL activity was 77.5%, 51.2%, 30.3% in MS/hIL-12 chimeric gene vaccine group, 56.2

  16. CYD-TDV dengue vaccine: systematic review and meta-analysis of efficacy, immunogenicity and safety.

    PubMed

    Godói, Isabella Piassi; Lemos, Livia Lovato Pires; de Araújo, Vânia Eloisa; Bonoto, Braúlio Cesar; Godman, Brian; Guerra Júnior, Augusto Afonso

    2017-03-01

    Dengue virus (DENV) is a serious global health problem. CYD-TDC (Dengvaxia ® ) was the first vaccine to gain regulatory approval to try and address this problem. Summarize all available evidence on the immunogenicity, efficacy and safety of the CYD-TDV dengue vaccine. Meta-analysis and systematic review. The best and worst immunogenicity results were for DENV4 and DENV1, respectively. Vaccine efficacy of 60% was derived from studies with participants aged 2-16 years old, with DENV4 and DENV2 presenting the best and worst results, respectively. Erythema and swelling were more frequent with CYD-TDV. No differences were detected for systemic adverse events. CYD-TDV showed moderate efficacy in children and adolescents. From the immunogenicity results in adults, we can expect satisfactory efficacy from vaccination in this population.

  17. New FDA draft guidance on immunogenicity.

    PubMed

    Parenky, Ashwin; Myler, Heather; Amaravadi, Lakshmi; Bechtold-Peters, Karoline; Rosenberg, Amy; Kirshner, Susan; Quarmby, Valerie

    2014-05-01

    A "Late Breaking" session was held on May 20 at the 2013 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists-National Biotech Conference (AAPS-NBC) to discuss the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) 2013 draft guidance on Immunogenicity Assessment for Therapeutic Protein Products. The session was initiated by a presentation from the FDA which highlighted several key aspects of the 2013 draft guidance pertaining to immunogenicity risk, the potential impact on patient safety and product efficacy, and risk mitigation. This was followed by an open discussion on the draft guidance which enabled delegates from biopharmaceutical companies to engage the FDA on topics that had emerged from their review of the draft guidance. The multidisciplinary audience fostered an environment that was conducive to scientific discussion on a broad range of topics such as clinical impact, immune mitigation strategies, immune prediction and the role of formulation, excipients, aggregates, and degradation products in immunogenicity. This meeting report highlights several key aspects of the 2013 draft guidance together with related dialog from the session.

  18. Immunogenicity assessment during the development of protein therapeutics.

    PubMed

    Rosenberg, Amy S; Sauna, Zuben E

    2018-05-01

    Here we provide a critical review of the state of the art with respect to non-clinical assessments of immunogenicity for therapeutic proteins. The number of studies on immunogenicity published annually has more than doubled in the last 5 years. The science and technology, which have reached a critical mass, provide multiple of non-clinical approaches (computational, in vitro, ex vivo and animal models) to first predict and then to modify or eliminate T-cell or B-cell epitopes via de-immunization strategies. We discuss how these may be used in the context of drug development in assigning the immunogenicity risk of new and marketed therapeutic proteins. Protein therapeutics represents a large share of the pharma market and provide medical interventions for some of the most complex and intractable diseases. Immunogenicity (the development of antibodies to therapeutic proteins) is an important concern for both the safety and efficacy of protein therapeutics as immune responses may neutralize the activity of life-saving and highly effective protein therapeutics and induce hypersensitivity responses including anaphylaxis. The non-clinical computational tools and experimental technologies that offer a comprehensive and increasingly accurate estimation of immunogenic potential are surveyed here. This critical review also discusses technologies which are promising but are not as yet ready for routine use. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  19. Protein-protein conjugate nanoparticles for malaria antigen delivery and enhanced immunogenicity

    PubMed Central

    Scaria, Puthupparampil V.; Jones, David S.; Barnafo, Emma; Fischer, Elizabeth R.; Anderson, Charles; MacDonald, Nicholas J.; Lambert, Lynn; Rausch, Kelly M.; Narum, David L.

    2017-01-01

    Chemical conjugation of polysaccharide to carrier proteins has been a successful strategy to generate potent vaccines against bacterial pathogens. We developed a similar approach for poorly immunogenic malaria protein antigens. Our lead candidates in clinical trials are the malaria transmission blocking vaccine antigens, Pfs25 and Pfs230D1, individually conjugated to the carrier protein Exoprotein A (EPA) through thioether chemistry. These conjugates form nanoparticles that show enhanced immunogenicity compared to unconjugated antigens. In this study, we examined the broad applicability of this technology as a vaccine development platform, by comparing the immunogenicity of conjugates prepared by four different chemistries using different malaria antigens (PfCSP, Pfs25 and Pfs230D1), and carriers such as EPA, TT and CRM197. Several conjugates were synthesized using thioether, amide, ADH and glutaraldehyde chemistries, characterized for average molecular weight and molecular weight distribution, and evaluated in mice for humoral immunogenicity. Conjugates made with the different chemistries, or with different carriers, showed no significant difference in immunogenicity towards the conjugated antigens. Since particle size can influence immunogenicity, we tested conjugates with different average size in the range of 16–73 nm diameter, and observed greater immunogenicity of smaller particles, with significant differences between 16 and 73 nm particles. These results demonstrate the multiple options with respect to carriers and chemistries that are available for protein-protein conjugate vaccine development. PMID:29281708

  20. Safety and immunogenicity of a new chromatographically purified rabies vaccine in comparison to the human diploid cell vaccine.

    PubMed

    Arora, Ashoni; Moeller, Larry; Froeschle, James

    2004-01-01

    Although human diploid cell vaccine (HDCV) has been available for over two decades and has a proven record of efficacy, it is very expensive to produce and can only be made in small quantities. In this trial, we compared the safety and immunogenicity of a new, chromatographically purified rabies vaccine (CPRV) with those of HDCV. One hundred and thirty-five healthy veterinary students were randomized in a 2:1 ratio between CPRV and HDCV respectively. Each student subsequently received an intramuscular injection of 0.5 mL of CPRV or 1mL of HDCV on days 0, 7, and 28, according to the standard preexposure regimen. Local safety data were collected for 7 days following each dose and systemic safety data for 42 days following the first dose. Vaccine administration and safety evaluation were performed by different site personnel. Sera for immunogenicity analysis were collected on days 0 (prevaccination), 28 and 42. All subjects achieved an antirabies antibody titer greater than or equal to the World Health Organization (WHO) accepted threshold level of seroconversion of 0.5 IU/mL after only two of three doses of vaccine in both groups. The geometric mean titers (IU/mL) in the CPRV and HDCV groups respectively were 6.54 (range 0.50 to 64.80) and 10.22 (range 0.70 to 51.40) on day 28, and 40.51 (range 5.40 to 278.00) and 37.71 (range 5.40 to 278.00) on day 42. The percentage of subjects experiencing local reactions within 3 days after any dose ranged from 65.2% to 80.9% in the CPRV group and from 77.3% to 84.4% in the HDCV group. The local reaction reported by the greatest percentage of subjects after each dose was pain/tenderness at the injection site, and most reactions were mild. Most of the reported local reactions resolved within 0 to 3 days postvaccination. Systemic reactions decreased from 76.4% after dose 1 to 36.0% after dose 3 in the CPRV group, and similarly from 55.6% to 31.8% in the HDCV group. For all postdose periods, the systemic reaction reported by the

  1. Foreignness as a matter of degree: the relative immunogenicity of peptide/MHC ligands.

    PubMed

    van den Berg, Hugo A; Rand, David A

    2004-12-21

    The ability of T lymphocytes (T cells) to recognize and attack foreign invaders while leaving healthy cells unharmed is often analysed as a discrete self/non-self dichotomy, with each peptide/MHC ligand classified as either self or non-self. We argue that the ligand immunogenicity is more naturally treated as a continuous quantity, and show how to define and quantitate relative ligand immunogenicity. In our theory, self-tolerance is acquired through reduction of the relative immunogenicity of autoantigens, whereas xenoantigens, typically not presented during induction of deletional tolerance, retain a high degree of relative immunogenicity. Autoantigens that are not prominently presented in deletional tolerance likewise retain a high relative immunogenicity and remain essentially foreign. According to our analysis, any given autoantigen can attain a high level of relative immunogenicity, provided it is presented at sufficiently high levels. Our theory provides a quantitative tool to analyse the immunogenicity of tumour-associated neoantigens and the aetiology of autoimmune disease.

  2. Prolonging microtubule dysruption enhances the immunogenicity of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cells

    PubMed Central

    Shaha, S P; Tomic, J; Shi, Y; Pham, T; Mero, P; White, D; He, L; Baryza, J L; Wender, P A; Booth, J W; Spaner, D E

    2009-01-01

    Cytotoxic chemotherapies do not usually mediate the expression of an immunogenic gene programme in tumours, despite activating many of the signalling pathways employed by highly immunogenic cells. Concomitant use of agents that modulate and complement stress-signalling pathways activated by chemotherapeutic agents may then enhance the immunogenicity of cancer cells, increase their susceptibility to T cell-mediated controls and lead to higher clinical remission rates. Consistent with this hypothesis, the microtubule inhibitor, vincristine, caused chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) cells to die rapidly, without increasing their immunogenicity. Protein kinase C (PKC) agonists (such as bryostatin) delayed the death of vincristine-treated CLL cells and made them highly immunogenic, with increased stimulatory abilities in mixed lymphocyte responses, production of proinflammatory cytokines, expression of co-stimulatory molecules and activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signalling pathways. This phenotype was similar to the result of activating CLL cells through Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which communicate ‘danger’ signals from infectious pathogens. Use of PKC agonists and microtubule inhibitors to mimic TLR-signalling, and increase the immunogenicity of CLL cells, has implications for the design of chemo-immunotherapeutic strategies. PMID:19737143

  3. Comparing the immunogenicity and safety of 3 Japanese encephalitis vaccines in Asia-Pacific area: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Wang, Shi-Yuan; Cheng, Xiao-Hua; Li, Jing-Xin; Li, Xi-Yan; Zhu, Feng-Cai; Liu, Pei

    2015-01-01

    Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a leading cause of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in children and adults, is a major public health problem in Asian countries. This study reports a meta-analysis of the immunogenicity and safety of vaccines used to protect infants or children from JE. Three types of JE vaccine were examined, namely, Japanese encephalitis live-attenuated vaccine (JEV-L), Japanese encephalitis inactivated vaccine (Vero cell) (JEV-I(Vero)), and Japanese encephalitis inactivated vaccine (primary hamster kidney cell) (JEV-I(PHK)). These vaccines are used to induce fundamental immunity against JE; however, few studies have compared their immunogenicity and safety in infants and young children less than 2 years of age. Data were obtained by searching 5 databases: Web of Science, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the China Wanfang database, and the Cochrane database. Fifteen articles were identified and scored using the Jadad score for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Random effect models were used to calculate the pooled seroconversion rate and adverse reaction rate when tests for heterogeneity were significant. The results showed that the pooled seroconversion rate for JEV-I(PHK) (62.23%) was lower than that for JEV-I(Vero) (86.49%) and JEV-L (83.52%), and that the pooled adverse reaction rate for JEV-L (18.09%) was higher than that for JEV-I(PHK) (10.08%) and JEV-I(Vero) (12.49%). The pooled relative risk was then calculated to compare the seroconversion and adverse reaction rates. The results showed that JEV-I(Vero) and JEV-L were more suitable than JEV-I(PHK) for inducing fundamental immunity to JE in infants and children less than 2 years of age.

  4. Immunogenicity is not improved by increased antigen dose or booster dosing of seasonal influenza vaccine in a randomized trial of HIV infected adults.

    PubMed

    Cooper, Curtis; Thorne, Anona; Klein, Marina; Conway, Brian; Boivin, Guy; Haase, David; Shafran, Stephen; Zubyk, Wendy; Singer, Joel; Halperin, Scott; Walmsley, Sharon

    2011-03-25

    The risk of poor vaccine immunogenicity and more severe influenza disease in HIV necessitate strategies to improve vaccine efficacy. A randomized, multi-centered, controlled, vaccine trial with three parallel groups was conducted at 12 CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network sites. Three dosing strategies were used in HIV infected adults (18 to 60 years): two standard doses over 28 days, two double doses over 28 days and a single standard dose of influenza vaccine, administered prior to the 2008 influenza season. A trivalent killed split non-adjuvanted influenza vaccine (Fluviral™) was used. Serum hemagglutinin inhibition (HAI) activity for the three influenza strains in the vaccine was measured to assess immunogenicity. 297 of 298 participants received at least one injection. Baseline CD4 (median 470 cells/µL) and HIV RNA (76% of patients with viral load <50 copies/mL) were similar between groups. 89% were on HAART. The overall immunogenicity of influenza vaccine across time points and the three influenza strains assessed was poor (Range HAI ≥ 40 =  31-58%). Double dose plus double dose booster slightly increased the proportion achieving HAI titre doubling from baseline for A/Brisbane and B/Florida at weeks 4, 8 and 20 compared to standard vaccine dose. Increased immunogenicity with increased antigen dose and booster dosing was most apparent in participants with unsuppressed HIV RNA at baseline. None of 8 serious adverse events were thought to be immunization-related. Even with increased antigen dose and booster dosing, non-adjuvanted influenza vaccine immunogenicity is poor in HIV infected individuals. Alternative influenza vaccines are required in this hyporesponsive population. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00764998.

  5. Use of In Vitro Assays to Assess Immunogenicity Risk of Antibody-Based Biotherapeutics

    PubMed Central

    Joubert, Marisa K.; Deshpande, Meghana; Yang, Jane; Reynolds, Helen; Bryson, Christine; Fogg, Mark; Baker, Matthew P.; Herskovitz, Jonathan; Goletz, Theresa J.; Zhou, Lei; Moxness, Michael; Flynn, Gregory C.; Narhi, Linda O.; Jawa, Vibha

    2016-01-01

    An In Vitro Comparative Immunogenicity Assessment (IVCIA) assay was evaluated as a tool for predicting the potential relative immunogenicity of biotherapeutic attributes. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from up to 50 healthy naïve human donors were monitored up to 8 days for T-cell proliferation, the number of IL-2 or IFN-γ secreting cells, and the concentration of a panel of secreted cytokines. The response in the assay to 10 monoclonal antibodies was found to be in agreement with the clinical immunogenicity, suggesting that the assay might be applied to immunogenicity risk assessment of antibody biotherapeutic attributes. However, the response in the assay is a measure of T-cell functional activity and the alignment with clinical immunogenicity depends on several other factors. The assay was sensitive to sequence variants and could differentiate single point mutations of the same biotherapeutic. Nine mAbs that were highly aggregated by stirring induced a higher response in the assay than the original mAbs before stirring stress, in a manner that did not match the relative T-cell response of the original mAbs. In contrast, mAbs that were glycated by different sugars (galactose, glucose, and mannose) showed little to no increase in response in the assay above the response to the original mAbs before glycation treatment. The assay was also used successfully to assess similarity between multiple lots of the same mAb, both from the same manufacturer and from different manufacturers (biosimilars). A strategy for using the IVCIA assay for immunogenicity risk assessment during the entire lifespan development of biopharmaceuticals is proposed. PMID:27494246

  6. Development of a multi-epitope peptide vaccine inducing robust T cell responses against brucellosis using immunoinformatics based approaches.

    PubMed

    Saadi, Mahdiye; Karkhah, Ahmad; Nouri, Hamid Reza

    2017-07-01

    Current investigations have demonstrated that a multi-epitope peptide vaccine targeting multiple antigens could be considered as an ideal approach for prevention and treatment of brucellosis. According to the latest findings, the most effective immunogenic antigens of brucella to induce immune responses are included Omp31, BP26, BLS, DnaK and L7-L12. Therefore, in the present study, an in silico approach was used to design a novel multi-epitope vaccine to elicit a desirable immune response against brucellosis. First, five novel T-cell epitopes were selected from Omp31, BP26, BLS, DnaK and L7-L12 proteins using different servers. In addition, helper epitopes selected from Tetanus toxin fragment C (TTFrC) were applied to induce CD4+ helper T lymphocytes (HTLs) responses. Selected epitopes were fused together by GPGPG linkers to facilitate the immune processing and epitope presentation. Moreover, cholera toxin B (CTB) was linked to N terminal of vaccine construct as an adjuvant by using EAAAK linker. A multi-epitope vaccine was designed based on predicted epitopes which was 377 amino acid residues in length. Then, the physico-chemical properties, secondary and tertiary structures, stability, intrinsic protein disorder, solubility and allergenicity of this multi-epitope vaccine were assessed using immunoinformatics tools and servers. Based on obtained results, a soluble, and non-allergic protein with 40.59kDa molecular weight was constructed. Expasy ProtParam classified this chimeric protein as a stable protein and also 89.8% residues of constructed vaccine were located in favored regions of the Ramachandran plot. Furthermore, this multi-epitope peptide vaccine was able to strongly induce T cell and B-cell mediated immune responses. In conclusion, immunoinformatics analysis indicated that this multi-epitope peptide vaccine can be effectively expressed and potentially be used for prophylactic or therapeutic usages against brucellosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All

  7. Immunogenicity and safety of a combined diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, and inactivated poliovirus vaccine (DTaP-IPV) compared to separate administration of standalone DTaP and IPV vaccines: a randomized, controlled study in infants in the Republic of Korea.

    PubMed

    Lee, Soo Young; Hwang, Hui Sung; Kim, Jong Hyun; Kim, Hyun Hee; Lee, Hyun Seung; Chung, Eun Hee; Park, Su Eun; Ma, Sang Hyuk; Chang, Jin Keun; Guitton, Fabrice; Ortiz, Esteban; Kang, Jin Han

    2011-02-11

    This randomized trial enrolled 442 infants in the Republic of Korea to assess the immunogenicity and safety of a combined diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, and inactivated poliovirus vaccine (DTaP-IPV; Tetraxim™) for primary vaccination at 2, 4 and 6 months of age compared with DTaP and IPV vaccines given separately. Immunogenicity was high in both groups; seroprotection and seroconversion rates of the combined vaccine (Group A) were non-inferior to the control vaccines (Group B). All subjects were seroprotected against poliovirus types 1, 2 and 3 (≥ 81/dil) and anti-diphtheria (≥ 0.01 IU/mL); 99.0% were seroprotected against tetanus (≥ 0.1 IU/mL). At least 93.6% had anti-diphtheria antibody titers ≥ 0.1 IU/mL. Anti-pertussis toxoid (PT) and anti-filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA) seroconversion (≥ 4-fold increase in antibody titer) rates were 96.6% and 94.4% for Group A, 92.2% and 78.4% for Group B. Most solicited reactions occurred within 4 days of vaccination, resolved within 3 days and were mild. Severe solicited reactions occurred after ≤ 0.5% of doses in Group A and ≤ 0.9% in Group B. No withdrawals occurred because of adverse events. The DTaP-IPV combined vaccine given at 2, 4, and 6 months of age was well tolerated; immunogenicity was similar to the control vaccines. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Comparison of safety and immunogenicity of 2 WHO prequalified rabies vaccines administered by one week, 4 site intra dermal regimen (4-4-4-0-0) in animal bite cases.

    PubMed

    Narayana, Ashwath; Manoharan, Aravind; Narayan, Madhusudana Shampur; Kalappa, Sudarshan Mysore; Biligumba, Gangaboraiah; Haradanahalli, Ravish; Anand, Ashwini Manoor

    2015-01-01

    The currently advocated rabies post-exposure prophylaxis regimens are of one month duration with reduced patient compliance. WHO recommended research on shortened vaccination regimens which have a practical and economic advantage over the existing regimens. Hence, the present study was undertaken to assess the safety and immunogenicity of 2 WHO prequalified rabies vaccines administered by one week, 4 site intra dermal regimen (4-4-4-0-0) in animal bite cases. This study was a comparative, open label, phase III, randomized clinical trial conducted at Anti rabies clinic, KIMS Hospital, Bangalore, India. The study was registered in Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI) bearing the registration number CTRI/2012/12/003230. Ninety subjects with category II/III animal bites/exposures were enrolled. Equine rabies immunoglobulin was administered to all category III exposures. 0.1 mL of either purified chick embryo cell vaccine (Rabipur) or purified verocell rabies vaccine (Verorab) was administered intradermally into 4 sites on days 0, 3 and 7 to all the study subjects. Serum of subjects collected on day 0, 14, 90 and 365 were analyzed for rabies virus neutralizing antibody (RVNA) concentration. The incidence of ADR in Rabipur and Verorab group was 2.96% and 1.14% respectively. In Rabipur group, geometric mean concentration (95% confidence interval) of RVNA was 14.5 (13.50, 15.57), 11.78 (11.27, 12.31) and 5.95 (5.50, 6.44) IU/mL on days 14, 90 and 365 respectively; In Verorab group geometric mean concentration (95% confidence interval) of RVNA was 14.43 (13.41, 15.53), 11.93 (11.47, 12.40) and 5.67 (5.29, 6.08) IU/mL on days 14, 90 and 365 respectively. In conclusion, Rabipur and Verorab were found to be safe, immunogenic and comparable with each other, when administered using one week, 4 site intradermal regimen (4-4-4-0-0) in animal bite cases.

  9. Safety, Tolerability and Immunogenicity of Pentavalent Rotavirus Vaccine Manufactured by a Modified Process.

    PubMed

    Martinón-Torres, Federico; Greenberg, David; Varman, Meera; Killar, John A; Hille, Darcy; Strable, Erica L; Stek, Jon E; Kaplan, Susan S

    2017-04-01

    Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrhea in infants and young children. The current formulation of pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5) must be stored refrigerated at 2-8°C. A modified formulation of RV5 (RV5mp) has been developed with stability at 37°C for 7 days and an expiry extended to 36 months when stored at 2-8°C. This study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01600092; EudraCT number: 2012-001611-23) evaluated the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of RV5mp versus the currently marketed RV5 in infants. To maintain blinding, both vaccine formulations were stored refrigerated at 2-8°C for the duration of the study. Immunogenicity endpoints were (1) serum neutralizing antibody titers to human rotavirus serotypes G1, G2, G3, G4 and P1A[8] and (2) proportion of subjects with a ≥3-fold rise from baseline for serum neutralizing antibody to human rotavirus serotypes G1, G2, G3, G4 and P1A[8] and serum antirotavirus immunoglobulin A. The RV5mp group (n = 505) and RV5 group (n = 509) had comparable safety profiles. There were no deaths and no vaccine-related serious adverse events in this study. With respect to immunogenicity, RV5mp was noninferior compared with RV5. Serum neutralizing antibody responses by country and breast-feeding status were generally consistent with the overall results. RV5mp enhances storage requirements while maintaining the immunogenicity and safety profile of the currently licensed RV5. A vaccine that is stable at room temperature may be more convenient for vaccinators, particularly in places where the cold chain is unreliable, and ultimately will permit more widespread use.

  10. Salk's HIV immunogen: an immune-based therapy in human trials since 1988.

    PubMed

    Jonas Salk, the developer of the first polio vaccine, has created a therapeutic vaccine for HIV which helps the immune system fight disease progression. Salk uses inactivated HIV-1 virus combined with Incomplete Freund's Adjuvant (IFA) in the vaccine preparation. The resulting HIV-1 immunogen was first studied in 1987, and since then, 235 seropositive individuals have received inoculations without serious adverse effects. Data from the first 25 subjects indicate that immunization with the HIV-1 immunogen results in improvement of cell-mediated response against the virus, a slower increase in the amount of virus present, and a reduced rate of clinical progression. Subsequent studies also show that higher doses of immunogen may produce stronger cell-mediated responses and high HIV-DTH (delayed-type hypersensitivity responsiveness immunogen) is associated with better outcome. Additional trials of HIV-1 immunogen are awaiting Food and Drug Administration approval.

  11. Immunogenicity, safety and reactogenicity of the pneumococcal non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) in 2-17-year-old children with asplenia or splenic dysfunction: A phase 3 study.

    PubMed

    Szenborn, L; Osipova, I V; Czajka, H; Kharit, S M; Jackowska, T; François, N; Habib, M A; Borys, D

    2017-09-25

    Immunization with pneumococcal vaccines is an important prophylactic strategy for children with asplenia or splenic dysfunction, who are at high risk of bacterial infections (including S. pneumoniae). This study aimed to assess immunogenicity and safety of pneumococcal non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV, GSK) in this at-risk population. This phase III, multi-centre, open-label, controlled study, in which at-risk children with asplenia or splenic dysfunction were enrolled (age strata: 2-4, 5-10 and 11-17years), was conducted in Poland and the Russian Federation. For the 2-4years at-risk group, healthy age-matched children were enrolled as control. Unprimed children (not previously vaccinated with any pneumococcal vaccine) received 2 PHiD-CV doses (≥2months apart) and pneumococcal vaccine-primed children received 1 dose. Immune responses were assessed pre-vaccination and one month post-each dose. Solicited and unsolicited adverse events (AEs) were recorded for 4 and 31days post-vaccination, respectively, and serious AEs (SAEs) throughout the study. Of 52 vaccinated children (18 at-risk primed, 28 at-risk unprimed and 6 control unprimed), 45 (18, 23 and 4, respectively) were included in the according-to-protocol cohort for immunogenicity. Post-vaccination (post-dose 1 in primed and post-dose 2 in unprimed children), for each vaccine pneumococcal serotype and vaccine-related serotype 6A all at-risk children had antibody concentrations ≥0.2µg/mL, and for vaccine-related serotype 19A at least 94.4%. Increases in antibody geometric mean concentrations were observed. For most serotypes, all at-risk children had post-vaccination opsonophagocytic activity (OPA) titers ≥8 and increases in OPA geometric mean titers were observed. No safety concerns were raised. One non-fatal SAE (respiratory tract infection, considered not vaccine-related) was reported by one at-risk unprimed child. PHiD-CV was immunogenic and well tolerated in 2

  12. Immunogenicity of biologics in inflammatory bowel disease

    PubMed Central

    Vermeire, Séverine; Gils, Ann; Accossato, Paola; Lula, Sadiq; Marren, Amy

    2018-01-01

    Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Treatment options include biologic therapies; however, a proportion of patients lose response to biologics, partly due to the formation of anti-drug antibodies (ADAbs). Concomitant immunosuppressive agents reduce the development of ADAbs. This review article aims to assess the immunogenicity of biologic therapies and their clinical implications. A comprehensive literature search was conducted for articles published January 2009 to August 2015 reporting immunogenicity to adalimumab (ADM), certolizumab pegol (CZP), golimumab, infliximab (IFX), ustekinumab, and vedolizumab in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Eligible articles were reviewed and quality assessed by independent reviewers. Overall, 122 publications reporting 114 studies were assessed. ADAbs were reported for all agents, but the percentage of patients developing ADAbs was extremely variable, with the highest (65.3%) being for IFX administration to patients with IBD. ADAb presence was frequently associated with a reduction in primary efficacy and a loss of response, and, for IFX, an increase in adverse events (AEs). Lower serum levels of ADM, CZP and IFX were seen in ADAbs-positive rather than ADAbs-negative patients; pharmacokinetic data were unavailable for other therapies. Little information was available regarding the timing of ADAb development; studies reported their detection from as early as 10–14 days up to months after treatment initiation. Biologic therapies carry an intrinsic risk of immunogenicity, although reported rates of ADAbs vary considerably. The clinical implications of immunogenicity are a concern for effective treatment; further research, particularly into the more recently approved biologics, is required. PMID:29383030

  13. Reactogenicity, safety and immunogenicity of a protein-based pneumococcal vaccine in Gambian children aged 2-4 years: A phase II randomized study.

    PubMed

    Odutola, A; Ota, M O; Ogundare, E O; Antonio, M; Owiafe, P; Worwui, A; Greenwood, B; Alderson, M; Traskine, M; Verlant, V; Dobbelaere, K; Borys, D

    2016-01-01

    Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have been successful in preventing invasive pneumococcal disease but effectiveness has been challenged by replacement of vaccine serotypes with non-vaccine serotypes. Vaccines targeting common pneumococcal protein(s) found in most/all pneumococci may overcome this limitation. This phase II study assessed safety and immunogenicity of a new protein-based pneumococcal vaccine containing polysaccharide conjugates of 10 pneumococcal serotypes combined with pneumolysin toxoid(dPly) and pneumococcal histidine triad protein D(PhtD) (PHiD-CV/dPly/PhtD-30) in African children. 120 Gambian children (2-4 years, not previously vaccinated against Streptococcus pneumoniae) randomized (1:1) received a single dose of PHiD-CV/dPly/PhtD-30 or PCV13. Adverse events occurring over 4 d post-vaccination were reported, and blood samples obtained pre- and 1-month post-vaccination. Serious adverse events were reported for 6 months post-vaccination. Solicited local and systemic adverse events were reported at similar frequency in each group. One child (PHiD-CV/dPly/PhtD-30 group) reported a grade 3 local reaction to vaccination. Haematological and biochemical parameters seemed similar pre- and 1-month post-vaccination in each group. High pre-vaccination Ply and PhtD antibody concentrations were observed in each group, but only increased in PHiD-CV/dPly/PhtD-30 vaccinees one month post-vaccination. One month post-vaccination, for each vaccine serotype ≥96.2% of PHiD-CV/dPly/PhtD-30 vaccinees had serotype-specific polysaccharide antibody concentrations ≥0.20µg/mL except serotypes 6B (80.8%) and 23F (65.4%), and ≥94.1% had OPA titres of ≥8 except serotypes 1 (51.9%), 5 (38.5%) and 6B (78.0%), within ranges seen in PCV13-vaccinated children. A single dose of PHiD-CV/dPly/PhtD-30 vaccine, administered to Gambian children aged 2-4 y not previously vaccinated with a pneumococcal vaccine, was well-tolerated and immunogenic.

  14. Computationally optimized deimmunization libraries yield highly mutated enzymes with low immunogenicity and enhanced activity.

    PubMed

    Salvat, Regina S; Verma, Deeptak; Parker, Andrew S; Kirsch, Jack R; Brooks, Seth A; Bailey-Kellogg, Chris; Griswold, Karl E

    2017-06-27

    Therapeutic proteins of wide-ranging function hold great promise for treating disease, but immune surveillance of these macromolecules can drive an antidrug immune response that compromises efficacy and even undermines safety. To eliminate widespread T-cell epitopes in any biotherapeutic and thereby mitigate this key source of detrimental immune recognition, we developed a Pareto optimal deimmunization library design algorithm that optimizes protein libraries to account for the simultaneous effects of combinations of mutations on both molecular function and epitope content. Active variants identified by high-throughput screening are thus inherently likely to be deimmunized. Functional screening of an optimized 10-site library (1,536 variants) of P99 β-lactamase (P99βL), a component of ADEPT cancer therapies, revealed that the population possessed high overall fitness, and comprehensive analysis of peptide-MHC II immunoreactivity showed the population possessed lower average immunogenic potential than the wild-type enzyme. Although similar functional screening of an optimized 30-site library (2.15 × 10 9 variants) revealed reduced population-wide fitness, numerous individual variants were found to have activity and stability better than the wild type despite bearing 13 or more deimmunizing mutations per enzyme. The immunogenic potential of one highly active and stable 14-mutation variant was assessed further using ex vivo cellular immunoassays, and the variant was found to silence T-cell activation in seven of the eight blood donors who responded strongly to wild-type P99βL. In summary, our multiobjective library-design process readily identified large and mutually compatible sets of epitope-deleting mutations and produced highly active but aggressively deimmunized constructs in only one round of library screening.

  15. Primary vascularization of allografts governs their immunogenicity and susceptibility to tolerogenesis

    PubMed Central

    Kant, Cavit D.; Akiyama, Yoshinobu; Tanaka, Katsunori; Shea, Susan; Connolly, Sarah E; Germana, Sharon; Winn, Henry J.; LeGuern, Christian; Tocco, Georges; Benichou, Gilles

    2013-01-01

    We investigated the influence of allograft primary vascularization on alloimmunity, rejection and tolerance in mice. First, we showed that fully allogeneic primarily vascularized and conventional skin transplants were rejected at the same pace. Remarkably, however, short-term treatment of mice with anti-CD40L antibodies achieved long-term survival of vascularized skin and cardiac transplants but not conventional skin grafts. Non-vascularized skin transplants triggered vigorous direct and indirect pro-inflammatory type 1 T cell responses (IL-2 and γIFN) while primarily-vascularized skin allografts failed to trigger a significant indirect alloresponse. Similar lack of indirect alloreactivity was also observed after placement of different vascularized organ transplants including hearts and kidneys while hearts placed under the skin (non-vascularized) triggers potent indirect alloresponses. Altogether, these results suggest that primary vascularization of allografts is associated with lack of indirect T cell alloreactivity. Finally, we show that long-term survival of vascularized skin allografts induced by anti-CD40L antibodies was associated with a combined lack of indirect alloresponse and a shift of the direct alloresponse towards a type 2 cytokine (IL-4, IL-10) secretion pattern but no activation/expansion of regulatory T cells. Therefore, primary vascularization of allografts governs their immunogenicity and tolerogenicity. PMID:23833234

  16. PE38KDEL-loaded anti-HER2 nanoparticles inhibit breast tumor progression with reduced toxicity and immunogenicity.

    PubMed

    Gao, Jie; Kou, Geng; Wang, Hao; Chen, Huaiwen; Li, Bohua; Lu, Ying; Zhang, Dapeng; Wang, Shuhui; Hou, Sheng; Qian, Weizhu; Dai, Jianxin; Zhao, Jian; Zhong, Yanqiang; Guo, Yajun

    2009-05-01

    The clinical use of Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE)-based immunotoxins is limited by the toxicity and immunogenicity of PE. To overcome the limitations, we have developed PE38KDEL-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles conjugated with Fab' fragments of a humanized anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody (rhuMAbHER2). The PE38KDEL-loaded nanoparticles-anti-HER2 Fab' bioconjugates (PE-NP-HER) were constructed modularly with Fab' fragments of rhuMAbHER2 covalently linked to PLGA nanoparticles containing PE38KDEL. Compared with nontargeted nanoparticles that lack anti-HER2 Fab', PE-NP-HER specifically bound to and were sequentially internalized into HER2 overexpressing breast cancer cells, which result in significant cytotoxicity in vitro. In HER2 overexpressing tumor xenograft model system, administration of PE-NP-HER showed a superior efficacy in inhibiting tumor growth compared with PE-HER referring to PE38KDEL conjugated directly to rhuMAbHER2. Moreover, PE-NP-HER was well tolerated in mice with a higher LD(50) (LD(50) of 6.86 +/- 0.47 mg/kg vs. 2.21 +/- 0.32 mg/kg for PE-NP-HER vs. PE-HER (mean +/- SD); n = 3), and had no influence on the plasma level of plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) of animals when injected at a dose of 1 mg/kg where PE-HER caused significant increase of serum ALT in the treated mice. Notably, PE-NP-HER was of low immunogenicity in development of anti-PE38KDEL neutralizing antibodies and was less susceptible to inactivation by anti-PE38KDEL antibodies compared with PE-HER. This novel bioconjugate, PE-NP-HER, may represent a useful strategy for cancer treatment.

  17. Technology evaluation: C242-DM1, ImmunoGen Inc.

    PubMed

    Smith, S

    2001-04-01

    C242-DM1 is a tumor-activated immunotoxin under development by GlaxoSmithKline plc (formerly SmithKline Beecham plc), under licence from ImmunoGen Inc, as a potential treatment for colon tumor. It consists of a colon cancer-specific humanized antibody, C242, conjugated to the maytansine derivative DM1. In preclinical studies, C242-DM1 caused complete tumor regression in animal models of both human pancreatic and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at non-toxic doses. C242-DM1 has also been evaluated in an immunoconjugate combination with J-591 (Cornell University). The J591-DM1 immunoconjugate demonstrated effective, antigen-specific delivery of a highly cytotoxic drug to PSMA-positive Pca cells in vitro and in vivo with low systemic toxicity. Results from studies in monkeys showed that C242-DM1 had no significant toxicity or side effects, when administered at doses higher than those that were previously shown to completely eradicate human colon tumors in mice [271420]. ImmunoGen acquired the right to evaluate, and an option to license, technology related to maytansines from Takeda. In February 1999, ImmunoGen and SmithKline Beecham signed a US $45 million development and commercialization agreement for C242-DM1 [313493]. In August 1997, Immunogen received an SBIR grant to advance development of huC242-DM1 [258356]. EP-00425235, held by ImmunoGen, covers conjugated forms of ansamitocin (maytansine) derivatives. Takeda holds several patents for the production of ansamitocin and its analogs, the first one being JP-53124692.

  18. An immunogen synthesis strategy for the development of specific anti-deoxynivalenol monoclonal antibodies.

    PubMed

    Sanders, Melanie; Guo, Yirong; Iyer, Abhishek; García, Yara Ruiz; Galvita, Anastasia; Heyerick, Arne; Deforce, Dieter; Risseeuw, Martijn D P; Van Calenbergh, Serge; Bracke, Marc; Eremin, Sergei; Madder, Annemieke; De Saeger, Sarah

    2014-01-01

    An immunogen synthesis strategy was designed to develop anti-deoxynivalenol (DON) monoclonal antibodies with low cross-reactivity against structurally similar trichothecenes. A total of eight different DON immunogens were synthesised, differing in the type and position of the linker on the DON molecule. After immunisation, antisera from mice immunised with different DON immunogens were checked for the presence of relevant antibodies. Then, both homologous and heterologous enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were performed for hybridoma screening. Finally, three monoclonal antibodies against DON and its analogues were generated. In addition, monoclonal antibody 13H1 could recognise DON and its analogues in the order of HT-2 toxin > 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON) > DON, with IC₅₀ ranging from 1.14 to 2.13 µg ml⁻¹. Another monoclonal antibody 10H10 manifested relatively close sensitivities to DON, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON) and 15-ADON, with IC₅₀ values of 22, 15 and 34 ng ml⁻¹, respectively. Using an indirect ELISA format decreases the 10H10 sensitivity to 15-ADON with 92%. A third monoclonal antibody 2A9 showed to be very specific and sensitive to 3-ADON, with IC₅₀ of 0.38 ng ml⁻¹. Using both 2A9 and 10H10 monoclonal antibodies allows determining sole DON contamination.

  19. Safety, immunogenicity and efficacy after switching from reference infliximab to biosimilar SB2 compared with continuing reference infliximab and SB2 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results of a randomised, double-blind, phase III transition study

    PubMed Central

    Choe, Jung-Yoon; Prodanovic, Nenad; Niebrzydowski, Jaroslaw; Staykov, Ivan; Dokoupilova, Eva; Baranauskaite, Asta; Yatsyshyn, Roman; Mekic, Mevludin; Porawska, Wieslawa; Ciferska, Hana; Jedrychowicz-Rosiak, Krystyna; Zielinska, Agnieszka; Lee, Younju; Rho, Young Hee

    2018-01-01

    Objectives Efficacy, safety and immunogenicity results from the phase III study of SB2, a biosimilar of reference infliximab (INF), were previously reported through 54 weeks. This transition period compared results in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who switched from INF to SB2 with those in patients who maintained treatment with INF or SB2. Methods Patients with moderate to severe RA despite methotrexate treatment were randomised (1:1) to receive SB2 or INF at weeks 0, 2 and 6 and every 8 weeks thereafter until week 46. At week 54, patients previously receiving INF were rerandomised (1:1) to switch to SB2 (INF/SB2 (n=94)) or to continue on INF (INF/INF (n=101)) up to week 70. Patients previously receiving SB2 continued on SB2 (SB2/SB2 (n=201)) up to week 70. Efficacy, safety and immunogenicity were assessed up to week 78. Results Efficacy was sustained and comparable across treatment groups. American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20 responses between weeks 54 and 78 ranged from 63.5% to 72.3% with INF/SB2, 66.3%%–69.4% with INF/INF and 65.6%–68.3% with SB2/SB2. Treatment-emergent adverse events during this time occurred in 36.2%, 35.6% and 40.3%, respectively, and infusion-related reactions in 3.2%, 2.0% and 3.5%. Among patients who were negative for antidrug antibodies (ADA) up to week 54, newly developed ADAs were reported in 14.6%, 14.9% and 14.1% of the INF/SB2, INF/INF and SB2/SB2 groups, respectively. Conclusions The efficacy, safety and immunogenicity profiles remained comparable among the INF/SB2, INF/INF and SB2/SB2 groups up to week 78, with no treatment-emergent issues or clinically relevant immunogenicity after switching from INF to SB2. Trial registration number NCT01936181; EudraCT number: 2012-005733-37. PMID:29042358

  20. Safety of Immunogenicity Testing of a Pilot Polysaccharide Vaccine Preparation to Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-09-01

    Pilot Polysaccharide Vaccine Preparation to Pseudomonas Aeruginosa .°’. SafGetad uoenct Testin ofaPio.PDsa.ard e(For p ri d 16 August 1979 to 15 August...Immunogenicity Testing of a Pilot Annual Report Polysaccharide Vaccine Preparation to (16 Aug. 79 - 15 Auj. 80) Pseudomonas Aeruginosa 6. PERFORMING ORG. REPORT...qiit polysaccharide (PS) maLerial isolated from Lhe ouit e _l Aace or, cultural supernates of P. ae ruginosa (i) . in it tyl , ; I m W" "des have

  1. Safety and immunogenicity of one versus two doses of Takeda's tetravalent dengue vaccine in children in Asia and Latin America: interim results from a phase 2, randomised, placebo-controlled study.

    PubMed

    Sáez-Llorens, Xavier; Tricou, Vianney; Yu, Delia; Rivera, Luis; Tuboi, Suely; Garbes, Pedro; Borkowski, Astrid; Wallace, Derek

    2017-06-01

    Dengue is the most common mosquito-borne viral disease in human beings, and vector control has not halted its spread worldwide. A dengue vaccine for individuals aged 9 years and older has been licensed, but there remains urgent medical need for a vaccine that is safe and effective against all four dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1-4) in recipients of all ages. Here, we present the preplanned interim analyses at 6 months of a tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate (TDV), which is comprised of an attenuated DENV-2 virus strain (TDV-2) and three chimeric viruses containing the premembrane and envelope protein genes of DENV-1, DENV-3, and DENV-4 genetically engineered into the attenuated TDV-2 genome backbone (TDV-1, TDV-3, and TDV-4). An ongoing phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a TDV is being done at three sites in dengue-endemic countries (Dominican Republic, Panama, and the Philippines) to determine its safety and immunogenicity over 48 months in healthy participants aged 2-17 years who were randomly assigned (1:2:5:1) using an interactive web response system (stratified by age) to subcutaneous TDV injection (one 0·5 mL dose containing 2·5 × 10 4 plaque-forming units [PFU] of TDV-1; 6·3 × 10 3 PFU of TDV-2; 3·2 × 10 4 PFU of TDV-3; and 4·0 × 10 5 PFU of TDV-4) in different dose schedules (two-dose regimen at 0 and 3 months, one dose at 0 months, or one dose at 0 months and a booster at 12 months) or placebo. The primary endpoint of this 6 month interim analysis was geometric mean titres (GMTs) of neutralising antibodies against DENV-1-4 in the per-protocol immunogenicity subset at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the first injection. Safety was assessed as a secondary outcome as percentage of participants with serious adverse events in all participants who were injected (safety set), and solicited and unsolicited adverse events (immunogenicity subset). This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT

  2. Tryptophan 375 stabilizes the outer-domain core of gp120 for HIV vaccine immunogen design.

    PubMed

    Hu, Duoyi; Bowder, Dane; Wei, Wenzhong; Thompson, Jesse; Wilson, Mark A; Xiang, Shi-Hua

    2017-05-25

    The outer-domain core of gp120 may serve as a better HIV vaccine immunogen than the full-length gp120 because of its greater stability and immunogenicity. In our previous report, we introduced two disulfide bonds to the outer-domain core of gp120 to fix its conformation into a CD4-bound state, which resulted in a significant increase in its immunogenicity when compared to the wild-type outer-domain core. In this report, to further improve the immunogenicity of the outer-domain core based immunogen, we have introduced a Tryptophan residue at gp120 amino acid sequence position 375 (375S/W). Our data from immunized guinea pigs indeed shows a striking increase in the immune response due to this stabilized core outer-domain. Therefore, we conclude that the addition of 375W to the outer-domain core of gp120 further stabilizes the structure of immunogen and increases the immunogenicity. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  3. Combined immunogenicity data for a new DTaP-IPV-Hep B-PRP-T vaccine (Hexaxim) following primary series administration at 2, 4, 6 months of age in Latin America.

    PubMed

    Santos-Lima, Eduardo; B'Chir, Siham; Lane, Andrew

    2013-02-18

    The immunogenicity of a primary series of a new, fully liquid DTaP-IPV-Hep B-PRP-T vaccine (Hexaxim), administered at 2, 4, 6 months of age in four clinical studies is reviewed. Immunogenicity data at 1 month after the third vaccination were assessed and pooled from a total of 1270 participants (per-protocol population) in four randomized clinical trials in Argentina, Mexico, and Peru. Hepatitis B vaccine was not administered at birth. All seroprotection (D, T, polio-1, -2, -3, Hep B, PRP-T [Hib]), seroconversion (PT and FHA), and vaccine response (PT and FHA) data were high, and were similar to licensed comparators (pooled SP, SC, and VR rates were 97.1-100%, 96.0-97.0%, and 99.7-99.9%, respectively). These data show the good immunogenicity of this new hexavalent vaccine that can provide the opportunity to increase global compliance to complex pediatric vaccination schedules. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, safety and immunogenicity study of 4 formulations of Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed plus CPG 7909 (AV7909) in healthy adult volunteers.

    PubMed

    Hopkins, Robert J; Daczkowski, Nancy F; Kaptur, Paulina E; Muse, Derek; Sheldon, Eric; LaForce, Craig; Sari, Suha; Rudge, Thomas L; Bernton, Edward

    2013-06-26

    A new anthrax vaccine that could accelerate the immune response and possibly reduce the number of injections needed for protection would be desirable in a post-exposure setting. This Phase 1 study compared the safety and immunogenicity of 2 IM doses (Days 0 and 14) of 4 formulations of AV7909 (AVA plus CPG 7909) with 2 IM doses of BioThrax(®) (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed) and 2 IM doses of saline placebo administered on Days 0 and 14. A total of 105 healthy adults 18-50 years of age were randomized to 1 of 6 study groups: BioThrax (0.5 mL), AV7909 Formulation 1 (0.5 mL AVA+0.5mg CPG 7909), AV7909 Formulation 2 (0.5 mL AVA+0.25mg CPG 7909), AV7909 Formulation 3 (0.25 mL AVA+0.5mg CPG 7909), AV7909 Formulation 4 (0.25 mL AVA+0.25mg CPG 7909), or saline placebo (0.5 mL). All randomized subjects received at least 1 vaccination, and 100 subjects completed the trial. After 2 doses, mean peak normalized toxin neutralizing antibody responses (TNA NF50) in the AV7909 groups were higher than in the BioThrax group. Differences among the 4 AV7909 groups were not statistically significant. Subjects who received AV7909 reached peak titers on Day 28 vs. Day 35 in the BioThrax group. The most common adverse events (AEs) in the BioThrax and AV7909 groups assessed as related to vaccination were injection site reactions. Transient lymphopenia was observed after the first dose in each AV7909 group. Frequencies of injection site and systemic reactions recorded by subjects in diaries for 7 days after each injection were highest with AV7909 Formulation 1. No AEs of special interest (autoimmune events) were observed in the study. Further studies of doses and dosing regimens are planned to assess the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of AV7909. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Subunit influenza vaccines produced from cell culture or in embryonated chicken eggs: comparison of safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity.

    PubMed

    Reisinger, Keith S; Block, Stanley L; Izu, Allen; Groth, Nicola; Holmes, Sandra J

    2009-09-15

    This study assessed the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of an injectable cell culture-derived influenza vaccine (CCIV), compared with those of an injectable egg-based trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV). Adult subjects (n = 613; 18 to <50 years of age) were randomized (1:1) to receive either CCIV or TIV. The safety and reactogenicity of the 2 vaccines were assessed on the basis of solicited indicators and other adverse events (AEs) within 7 days of vaccination. All serious AEs and those AEs resulting in withdrawal were recorded throughout the study. Antibody titers were determined by the hemagglutination inhibition assay, using egg- and cell-derived antigens. Immunogenicity was assessed on the basis of the ratio of postvaccination (day 22) geometric mean titers (GMTs) between the 2 vaccines, seroprotection rates, and seroconversion rates. There was no clinically relevant difference between the safety and reactogenicity profiles of the 2 vaccines. The immunogenicity of CCIV was demonstrated to be noninferior to that of TIV on the basis of the ratio of postvaccination GMTs between the 2 vaccines. GMTs, seroprotection rates, and seroconversion rates were comparable between the 2 vaccines. The safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of the CCIV and the egg-based TIV are comparable.

  6. Using Fitness Landscapes for Rational Hepatitis C Immunogen Design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hart, Gregory; Ferguson, Andrew

    2015-03-01

    Hepatitis C virus afflicts 170 million people worldwide, 2-3% of the global population. Prophylactic vaccination offers the most realistic and cost effective hope of controlling this epidemic, particularly in the developing world where expensive drug therapies are unavailable. Despite 20 years of research, the high mutability of the virus, and lack of knowledge of what constitutes effective immune responses, have impeded development of an effective vaccine. Coupling data mining of sequence databases with the Potts model, we have developed a computational approach to systematically identify viral vulnerabilities and perform rational design of vaccine immunogens. We applied our approach to the nonstructural proteins NS3, NSA, NSA, and NSB which are crucial for viral replication.The predictions of our model are in good accord with experimental measurements and clinical observations, and we have used our model to design immunogen candidates to elicit T-cell responses against vulnerable regions of theseviral proteins.

  7. Immunogenic Activity of a Ribosomal Fraction Obtained from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

    PubMed Central

    Youmans, Anne S.; Youmans, Guy P.

    1965-01-01

    Youmans, Anne S. (Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Ill.), and Guy P. Youmans. Immunogenic activity of a ribosomal fraction obtained from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J. Bacteriol. 89:1291–1298. 1965.—The highly immunogenic particulate fraction obtained from mechanically ruptured cells of the H37Ra strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was suspended and centrifuged at 20,360 × g. The supernatant liquid from this centrifugation was centrifuged at 56,550 × g to remove the larger particles, and the supernatant liquid from this was centrifuged at 144,000 × g to obtain a ribosomal fraction. The sediments from the first two centrifugations were highly immunogenic, but the ribosomal fraction showed only slight capacity to immunize mice. However, when the ribosomal fraction was mixed with Freund's incomplete adjuvant, the immunogenic activity was equivalent to the particulate fraction from which it was prepared. To test the hypothesis that some membranous substance in the particulate fraction was acting as an adjuvant for the smaller particles in the ribosomal fraction, portions of the particulate fraction were treated separately with each of the membrane-disrupting agents, sodium deoxycholate, sodium lauryl sulfate, and 1 m sodium chloride. The treated materials were then centrifuged at 144,000 × g, and the sediments were tested for immunogenicity both with and without the addition of Freund's incomplete adjuvant. Without the adjuvant, the immunizing activities were very weak or absent; with the adjuvant, they were equivalent to that of the particulate fraction from which they were prepared. Other factors which have been found to damage or destroy membranes, such as freezing and thawing, and heat, also significantly decreased the immunogenic activity of the particulate fraction unless it was incorporated into Freund's incomplete adjuvant. The larger particles which sedimented at 56,550 × g were also treated with sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium

  8. 2-Year Efficacy, Immunogenicity, and Safety of Vigoo Enterovirus 71 Vaccine in Healthy Chinese Children: A Randomized Open-Label Study.

    PubMed

    Wei, Mingwei; Meng, Fanyue; Wang, Shiyuan; Li, Jingxin; Zhang, Yuntao; Mao, Qunying; Hu, Yuemei; Liu, Pei; Shi, Nianmin; Tao, Hong; Chu, Kai; Wang, Yuxiao; Liang, Zhenglun; Li, Xiuling; Zhu, Fengcai

    2017-01-01

     This study evaluated the 2-year efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety of the Vigoo enterovirus 71 (EV71) vaccine.  In an initial phase 3 study, we randomly assigned healthy infants and children aged 6-35 months (ratio, 1:1) to receive 2 doses of either EV71 vaccine (5120 participants) or placebo (5125 participants) at days 0 and 28, and followed them for 12 months after vaccination. In this extended follow-up study, we continued to evaluate the efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety of the EV71 vaccine for up to 2 years.  Overall efficacy was 94.84% (95% confidence interval [CI], 83.53%-98.38%) during the 2-year follow-up period (P < .0001), and the vaccine efficacy during the second year was 100.00% (95% CI, 84.15%-100.00%) against EV71-associated hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD; P < .0001). Geometric mean titers of neutralizing antibody in participants remained high during the 2-year follow-up period, and no vaccine-related serious adverse events were recorded.  Two doses of Vigoo EV71 vaccine could provide sustained protection against EV71-associated HFMD in healthy Chinese children.  NCT01508247. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Immunogenicity of biotherapy used in psoriasis: the science behind the scenes.

    PubMed

    Jullien, Denis; Prinz, Jörg C; Nestle, Frank O

    2015-01-01

    A potential limitation in the use of biologic drugs used to treat psoriasis is the development of anti-drug antibodies (ADAs). Many factors contribute to this unwanted immune response, from the product itself, to its mode of administration, the underlying disease, and patient characteristics. ADAs may decrease the efficacy of biologic drugs by neutralizing them or modifying their clearance and may account for hypersensitivity reactions. This article reviews the scientific basis of immunogenicity and the mechanisms by which it affects clinical outcomes. It also considers testing for immunogenicity and how biologic therapy of psoriasis may be tailored on the basis of immunogenicity.

  10. Understanding the immunogenicity and antigenicity of nanomaterials: Past, present and future

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ilinskaya, Anna N.; Dobrovolskaia, Marina A., E-ma

    Nanoparticle immunogenicity and antigenicity have been under investigation for many years. During the past decade, significant progress has been made in understanding what makes a nanoparticle immunogenic, how immune cells respond to nanoparticles, what consequences of nanoparticle-specific antibody formation exist and how they challenge the application of nanoparticles for drug delivery. Moreover, it has been recognized that accidental contamination of therapeutic protein formulations with nanosized particulate materials may contribute to the immunogenicity of this type of biotechnology products. While the immunological properties of engineered nanomaterials and their application as vaccine carriers and adjuvants have been given substantial consideration in themore » current literature, little attention has been paid to nanoparticle immuno- and antigenicity. To fill in this gap, we herein provide an overview of this subject to highlight the current state of the field, review past and present research, and discuss future research directions. - Highlights: • Most engineered nanomaterials are not immunogenic per se. • Generation of nanoparticle-specific antibody can be T-cell dependent or independent. • Antibodies can be generated to particle core, terminal groups or surface coatings. • Engineered and accidental nanomaterials have distinct contribution to immunogenicity. • Tunable physicochemical properties make each nanoparticle unique.« less

  11. Safety and immunogenicity of a live attenuated mumps vaccine

    PubMed Central

    Liang, Yan; Ma, Jingchen; Li, Changgui; Chen, Yuguo; Liu, Longding; Liao, Yun; Zhang, Ying; Jiang, Li; Wang, Xuan-Yi; Che, Yanchun; Deng, Wei; Li, Hong; Cui, Xiaoyu; Ma, Na; Ding, Dong; Xie, Zhongping; Cui, Pingfang; Ji, Qiuyan; Wang, Jingjing; Zhao, Yuliang; Wang, Junzhi; Li, Qihan

    2014-01-01

    Background: Mumps, a communicable, acute and previously well-controlled disease, has had recent and occasional resurgences in some areas. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, controlled and multistep phase I study of an F-genotype attenuated mumps vaccine produced in human diploid cells was conducted. A total of 300 subjects were enrolled and divided into 4 age groups: 16–60 years, 5–16 years, 2–5 years and 8–24 months. The groups were immunized with one injection per subject. Three different doses of the F-genotype attenuated mumps vaccine, A (3.5 ± 0.25 logCCID50), B (4.25 ± 0.25 logCCID50) and C (5.0 ± 0.25 logCCID50), as well as a placebo control and a positive control of a licensed A-genotype vaccine (S79 strain) were used. The safety and immunogenicity of this vaccine were compared with those of the controls. Results: The safety evaluation suggested that mild adverse reactions were observed in all groups. No serious adverse event (SAE) was reported throughout the trial. The immunogenicity test showed a similar seroconversion rate of the neutralizing and ELISA antibody in the 2- to 5-year-old and 8- to 24-month-old groups compared with the seroconversion rate in the positive control. The GMT of the neutralizing anti-F-genotype virus antibodies in the vaccine groups was slightly higher than that in the positive control group. Conclusions: The F-genotype attenuated mumps vaccine evaluated in this clinical trial was demonstrated to be safe and have effective immunogenicity vs. control. PMID:24614759

  12. Immunogenicity and safety of a CRM-conjugated meningococcal ACWY vaccine administered concomitantly with routine vaccines starting at 2 months of age.

    PubMed

    Nolan, Terry M; Nissen, Michael D; Naz, Aftab; Shepard, Julie; Bedell, Lisa; Hohenboken, Matthew; Odrljin, Tatjana; Dull, Peter M

    2014-01-01

    Infants are at the highest risk for meningococcal disease and a broadly protective and safe vaccine is an unmet need in this youngest population. We evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of a 4-dose infant/toddler regimen of MenACWY-CRM given at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months of age concomitantly with pentavalent diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis-Hemophilus influenzae type b-inactivated poliovirus-combination vaccine (DTaP-IPV/Hib), hepatitis B vaccine (HBV), 7- or 13-valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine (PCV), and measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR). Four doses of MenACWY-CRM induced hSBA titers ≥8 in 89%, 95%, 97%, and 96% of participants against serogroups A, C, W-135, and Y, respectively. hSBA titers ≥8 were present in 76-98% of participants after the first 3 doses. A categorical linear analysis incorporating vaccine group and study center showed responses to routine vaccines administered with MenACWY-CRM were non-inferior to routine vaccines alone, except for seroresponse to the pertussis antigen fimbriae. The reactogenicity profile was not affected when MenACWY-CRM was administered concomitantly with routine vaccines. MenACWY-CRM administered with routine concomitant vaccinations in young infants was well tolerated and induced highly immunogenic responses against each of the serogroups without significant interference with the immune responses to routine infant vaccinations. Healthy 2 month old infants were randomized to receive MenACWY-CRM with routine vaccines (n = 258) or routine vaccines alone (n = 271). Immunogenicity was assessed by serum bactericidal assay using human complement (hSBA). Medically attended adverse events (AEs), serious AEs (SAEs) and AEs leading to study withdrawal were collected throughout the study period.

  13. Broad Cross-Protection Is Induced in Preclinical Models by a Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Composed of L1/L2 Chimeric Virus-Like Particles

    PubMed Central

    Boxus, Mathieu; Fochesato, Michel; Miseur, Agnès; Mertens, Emmanuel; Dendouga, Najoua; Brendle, Sarah; Balogh, Karla K.; Christensen, Neil D.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT At least 15 high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are linked to anogenital preneoplastic lesions and cancer. Currently, there are three licensed prophylactic HPV vaccines based on virus-like particles (VLPs) of the L1 major capsid protein from HPV-2, -4, or -9, including the AS04-adjuvanted HPV-16/18 L1 vaccine. The L2 minor capsid protein contains HPV-neutralizing epitopes that are well conserved across numerous high-risk HPVs. Therefore, the objective of our study was to assess the capacity to broaden vaccine-mediated protection using AS04-adjuvanted vaccines based on VLP chimeras of L1 with one or two L2 epitopes. Several chimeric VLPs were constructed by inserting L2 epitopes within the DE loop and/or C terminus of L1. Based on the shape, yield, size, and immunogenicity, one of seven chimeras was selected for further evaluation in mouse and rabbit challenge models. The chimeric VLP consisted of HPV-18 L1 with insertions of HPV-33 L2 (amino acid residues 17 to 36; L1 DE loop) and HPV-58 L2 (amino acid residues 56 to 75; L1 C terminus). This chimeric L1/L2 VLP vaccine induced persistent immune responses and protected against all of the different HPVs evaluated (HPV-6, -11, -16, -31, -35, -39, -45, -58, and -59 as pseudovirions or quasivirions) in both mouse and rabbit challenge models. The degree and breadth of protection in the rabbit were further enhanced when the chimeric L1/L2 VLP was formulated with the L1 VLPs from the HPV-16/18 L1 vaccine. Therefore, the novel HPV-18 L1/L2 chimeric VLP (alone or in combination with HPV-16 and HPV-18 L1 VLPs) formulated with AS04 has the potential to provide broad protective efficacy in human subjects. IMPORTANCE From evaluations in human papillomavirus (HPV) protection models in rabbits and mice, our study has identified a prophylactic vaccine with the potential to target a wide range of HPVs linked to anogenital cancer. The three currently licensed vaccines contain virus-like particles (VLPs) of the L1 major

  14. Chimeric L2-Based Virus-Like Particle (VLP) Vaccines Targeting Cutaneous Human Papillomaviruses (HPV).

    PubMed

    Huber, Bettina; Schellenbacher, Christina; Shafti-Keramat, Saeed; Jindra, Christoph; Christensen, Neil; Kirnbauer, Reinhard

    2017-01-01

    Common cutaneous human papillomavirus (HPV) types induce skin warts, whereas species beta HPV are implicated, together with UV-radiation, in the development of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in immunosuppressed patients. Licensed HPV vaccines contain virus-like particles (VLP) self-assembled from L1 major capsid proteins that provide type-restricted protection against mucosal HPV infections causing cervical and other ano-genital and oro-pharyngeal carcinomas and warts (condylomas), but do not target heterologous HPV. Experimental papillomavirus vaccines have been designed based on L2 minor capsid proteins that contain type-common neutralization epitopes, to broaden protection to heterologous mucosal and cutaneous HPV types. Repetitive display of the HPV16 L2 cross-neutralization epitope RG1 (amino acids (aa) 17-36) on the surface of HPV16 L1 VLP has greatly enhanced immunogenicity of the L2 peptide. To more directly target cutaneous HPV, L1 fusion proteins were designed that incorporate the RG1 homolog of beta HPV17, the beta HPV5 L2 peptide aa53-72, or the common cutaneous HPV4 RG1 homolog, inserted into DE surface loops of HPV1, 5, 16 or 18 L1 VLP scaffolds. Baculovirus expressed chimeric proteins self-assembled into VLP and VLP-raised NZW rabbit immune sera were evaluated by ELISA and L1- and L2-based pseudovirion (PsV) neutralizing assays, including 12 novel beta PsV types. Chimeric VLP displaying the HPV17 RG1 epitope, but not the HPV5L2 aa53-72 epitope, induced cross-neutralizing humoral immune responses to beta HPV. In vivo cross-protection was evaluated by passive serum transfer in a murine PsV challenge model. Immune sera to HPV16L1-17RG1 VLP (cross-) protected against beta HPV5/20/24/38/96/16 (but not type 76), while antisera to HPV5L1-17RG1 VLP cross-protected against HPV20/24/96 only, and sera to HPV1L1-4RG1 VLP cross-protected against HPV4 challenge. In conclusion, RG1-based VLP are promising next generation vaccine candidates to target cutaneous HPV

  15. Chimeric L2-Based Virus-Like Particle (VLP) Vaccines Targeting Cutaneous Human Papillomaviruses (HPV)

    PubMed Central

    Huber, Bettina; Schellenbacher, Christina; Shafti-Keramat, Saeed; Jindra, Christoph; Christensen, Neil

    2017-01-01

    Common cutaneous human papillomavirus (HPV) types induce skin warts, whereas species beta HPV are implicated, together with UV-radiation, in the development of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in immunosuppressed patients. Licensed HPV vaccines contain virus-like particles (VLP) self-assembled from L1 major capsid proteins that provide type-restricted protection against mucosal HPV infections causing cervical and other ano-genital and oro-pharyngeal carcinomas and warts (condylomas), but do not target heterologous HPV. Experimental papillomavirus vaccines have been designed based on L2 minor capsid proteins that contain type-common neutralization epitopes, to broaden protection to heterologous mucosal and cutaneous HPV types. Repetitive display of the HPV16 L2 cross-neutralization epitope RG1 (amino acids (aa) 17–36) on the surface of HPV16 L1 VLP has greatly enhanced immunogenicity of the L2 peptide. To more directly target cutaneous HPV, L1 fusion proteins were designed that incorporate the RG1 homolog of beta HPV17, the beta HPV5 L2 peptide aa53-72, or the common cutaneous HPV4 RG1 homolog, inserted into DE surface loops of HPV1, 5, 16 or 18 L1 VLP scaffolds. Baculovirus expressed chimeric proteins self-assembled into VLP and VLP-raised NZW rabbit immune sera were evaluated by ELISA and L1- and L2-based pseudovirion (PsV) neutralizing assays, including 12 novel beta PsV types. Chimeric VLP displaying the HPV17 RG1 epitope, but not the HPV5L2 aa53-72 epitope, induced cross-neutralizing humoral immune responses to beta HPV. In vivo cross-protection was evaluated by passive serum transfer in a murine PsV challenge model. Immune sera to HPV16L1-17RG1 VLP (cross-) protected against beta HPV5/20/24/38/96/16 (but not type 76), while antisera to HPV5L1-17RG1 VLP cross-protected against HPV20/24/96 only, and sera to HPV1L1-4RG1 VLP cross-protected against HPV4 challenge. In conclusion, RG1-based VLP are promising next generation vaccine candidates to target cutaneous

  16. HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibody precursor B cells revealed by germline-targeting immunogen

    DOE PAGES

    Jardine, Joseph G.; Kulp, Daniel W.; Havenar-Daughton, Colin; ...

    2016-03-25

    Induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is a major HIV vaccine goal. Germline-targeting immunogens aim to initiate bnAb induction by activating bnAb germline precursor B cells. Critical unmet challenges are to determine whether bnAb precursor naïve B cells bind germline-targeting immunogens and occur at sufficient frequency in humans for reliable vaccine responses. We employed deep mutational scanning and multi-target optimization to develop a germline-targeting immunogen (eOD-GT8) for diverse VRC01-class bnAbs. We then used the immunogen to isolate VRC01-class precursor naïve B cells from HIV-uninfected donors. Frequencies of true VRC01-class precursors, their structures, and their eOD-GT8 affinities support this immunogen asmore » a candidate human vaccine prime. Lastly, these methods could be applied to germline targeting for other classes of HIV bnAbs and for Abs to other pathogens.« less

  17. HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibody precursor B cells revealed by germline-targeting immunogen

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jardine, Joseph G.; Kulp, Daniel W.; Havenar-Daughton, Colin

    Induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is a major HIV vaccine goal. Germline-targeting immunogens aim to initiate bnAb induction by activating bnAb germline precursor B cells. Critical unmet challenges are to determine whether bnAb precursor naïve B cells bind germline-targeting immunogens and occur at sufficient frequency in humans for reliable vaccine responses. We employed deep mutational scanning and multi-target optimization to develop a germline-targeting immunogen (eOD-GT8) for diverse VRC01-class bnAbs. We then used the immunogen to isolate VRC01-class precursor naïve B cells from HIV-uninfected donors. Frequencies of true VRC01-class precursors, their structures, and their eOD-GT8 affinities support this immunogen asmore » a candidate human vaccine prime. Lastly, these methods could be applied to germline targeting for other classes of HIV bnAbs and for Abs to other pathogens.« less

  18. HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibody precursor B cells revealed by germline-targeting immunogen.

    PubMed

    Jardine, Joseph G; Kulp, Daniel W; Havenar-Daughton, Colin; Sarkar, Anita; Briney, Bryan; Sok, Devin; Sesterhenn, Fabian; Ereño-Orbea, June; Kalyuzhniy, Oleksandr; Deresa, Isaiah; Hu, Xiaozhen; Spencer, Skye; Jones, Meaghan; Georgeson, Erik; Adachi, Yumiko; Kubitz, Michael; deCamp, Allan C; Julien, Jean-Philippe; Wilson, Ian A; Burton, Dennis R; Crotty, Shane; Schief, William R

    2016-03-25

    Induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is a major HIV vaccine goal. Germline-targeting immunogens aim to initiate bnAb induction by activating bnAb germline precursor B cells. Critical unmet challenges are to determine whether bnAb precursor naïve B cells bind germline-targeting immunogens and occur at sufficient frequency in humans for reliable vaccine responses. Using deep mutational scanning and multitarget optimization, we developed a germline-targeting immunogen (eOD-GT8) for diverse VRC01-class bnAbs. We then used the immunogen to isolate VRC01-class precursor naïve B cells from HIV-uninfected donors. Frequencies of true VRC01-class precursors, their structures, and their eOD-GT8 affinities support this immunogen as a candidate human vaccine prime. These methods could be applied to germline targeting for other classes of HIV bnAbs and for Abs to other pathogens. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  19. Safety and Immunogenicity Testing of a Pilot Polysaccharide Vaccine Preparation to Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-09-01

    8217-NAL." BUR-._,AL)- ’..O,.-,.S.AN--DA. .-D-S.... . . . .A AD___________ Safety and Immunogenicity Testing of a Pilot Polysaccharide Vaccine Preparation...COVERED Safety and Immunogenicity Testing of a Pilot Annual Report Polysaccharide Vaccine Preparation to (16 Aug. 80 - 1 Aug. 81) Pseudomonas...immunogenic or biologically active component of the vaccine. The vaccine is a high molecu- lar weight polysaccharide (PS) material isolated from the outer

  20. Oxygen-boosted immunogenic photodynamic therapy with gold nanocages@manganese dioxide to inhibit tumor growth and metastases.

    PubMed

    Liang, Ruijing; Liu, Lanlan; He, Huamei; Chen, Zhikuan; Han, Zhiqun; Luo, Zhenyu; Wu, Zhihao; Zheng, Mingbin; Ma, Yifan; Cai, Lintao

    2018-09-01

    Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) is an aggressive disease among women worldwide, characterized by high mortality and poor prognosis despite systemic therapy with radiation and chemotherapies. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an important strategy to eliminate the primary tumor, however its therapeutic efficacy against metastases and recurrence is still limited. Here, we employed a template method to develop the core-shell gold nanocage@manganese dioxide (AuNC@MnO 2 , AM) nanoparticles as tumor microenvironment responsive oxygen producers and near-infrared (NIR)-triggered reactive oxygen species (ROS) generators for oxygen-boosted immunogenic PDT against mTNBC. In this platform, MnO 2 shell degrades in acidic tumor microenvironment pH/H 2 O 2 conditions and generates massive oxygen to boost PDT effect of AM nanoparticles under laser irradiation. Fluorescence (FL)/photoacoustic (PA)/magnetic resonance (MR) multimodal imaging confirms the effective accumulation of AM nanoparticles with sufficient oxygenation in tumor site to ameliorate local hypoxia. Moreover, the oxygen-boosted PDT effect of AM not only destroys primary tumor effectively but also elicits immunogenic cell death (ICD) with damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) release, which subsequently induces DC maturation and effector cells activation, thereby robustly evoking systematic antitumor immune responses against mTNBC. Hence, this oxygen-boosted immunogenic PDT nanosystem offers a promising approach to ablate primary tumor and simultaneously prevent tumor metastases via immunogenic abscopal effects. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Reducing V3 Antigenicity and Immunogenicity on Soluble, Native-Like HIV-1 Env SOSIP Trimers.

    PubMed

    Ringe, Rajesh P; Ozorowski, Gabriel; Rantalainen, Kimmo; Struwe, Weston B; Matthews, Katie; Torres, Jonathan L; Yasmeen, Anila; Cottrell, Christopher A; Ketas, Thomas J; LaBranche, Celia C; Montefiori, David C; Cupo, Albert; Crispin, Max; Wilson, Ian A; Ward, Andrew B; Sanders, Rogier W; Klasse, P J; Moore, John P

    2017-08-01

    Native-like trimers of the SOSIP design are being developed as immunogens in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccine development programs. These trimers display the epitopes for multiple broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) but can also expose binding sites for some types of nonneutralizing antibodies (non-NAbs). Among the latter are epitopes in the gp120 V3 region that are highly immunogenic when SOSIP trimers are evaluated in animal models. It is presently uncertain whether antibodies against V3 can interfere with the induction of NAbs, but there are good arguments in favor of suppressing such "off-target" immune responses. Accordingly, we have assessed how to minimize the exposure of V3 non-NAb epitopes and thereby reduce their immunogenicity by introducing N -glycans within the V3 region of BG505 SOSIP trimers. We found that inserting glycans at positions 306 and 314 (termed M1 and M7) markedly reduced V3 antigenicity while improving the presentation of trimer apex bNAb epitopes. Both added glycans were shown to be predominantly of the Man 6 GlcNAc 2 form. The additional introduction of the E64K ground-state stabilizing substitution markedly reduced or ablated soluble CD4 (sCD4) induction of non-NAb epitopes in V3 and/or associated with the coreceptor binding site. When a V3 glycan- and E64K-modified trimer variant, BG505 SOSIP.664-E64K.M1M7, was tested in rabbits, V3 immunogenicity was eliminated while the autologous NAb response was unchanged. IMPORTANCE Trimeric proteins are being developed for future HIV-1 vaccine trials in humans, with the goal of eliciting broadly active neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) that are active against a wide variety of circulating strains. In animal models, the present generation of native-like trimer immunogens, exemplified by the BG505 SOSIP.664 construct, induces narrow-specificity antibodies against the neutralization-resistant (tier-2), sequence-matched virus and more broadly active antibodies against sequence

  2. Reducing V3 Antigenicity and Immunogenicity on Soluble, Native-Like HIV-1 Env SOSIP Trimers

    PubMed Central

    Ringe, Rajesh P.; Ozorowski, Gabriel; Rantalainen, Kimmo; Struwe, Weston B.; Matthews, Katie; Torres, Jonathan L.; Yasmeen, Anila; Cottrell, Christopher A.; Ketas, Thomas J.; LaBranche, Celia C.; Montefiori, David C.; Cupo, Albert; Crispin, Max; Wilson, Ian A.; Ward, Andrew B.; Sanders, Rogier W.; Klasse, P. J.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Native-like trimers of the SOSIP design are being developed as immunogens in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccine development programs. These trimers display the epitopes for multiple broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) but can also expose binding sites for some types of nonneutralizing antibodies (non-NAbs). Among the latter are epitopes in the gp120 V3 region that are highly immunogenic when SOSIP trimers are evaluated in animal models. It is presently uncertain whether antibodies against V3 can interfere with the induction of NAbs, but there are good arguments in favor of suppressing such “off-target” immune responses. Accordingly, we have assessed how to minimize the exposure of V3 non-NAb epitopes and thereby reduce their immunogenicity by introducing N-glycans within the V3 region of BG505 SOSIP trimers. We found that inserting glycans at positions 306 and 314 (termed M1 and M7) markedly reduced V3 antigenicity while improving the presentation of trimer apex bNAb epitopes. Both added glycans were shown to be predominantly of the Man6GlcNAc2 form. The additional introduction of the E64K ground-state stabilizing substitution markedly reduced or ablated soluble CD4 (sCD4) induction of non-NAb epitopes in V3 and/or associated with the coreceptor binding site. When a V3 glycan- and E64K-modified trimer variant, BG505 SOSIP.664-E64K.M1M7, was tested in rabbits, V3 immunogenicity was eliminated while the autologous NAb response was unchanged. IMPORTANCE Trimeric proteins are being developed for future HIV-1 vaccine trials in humans, with the goal of eliciting broadly active neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) that are active against a wide variety of circulating strains. In animal models, the present generation of native-like trimer immunogens, exemplified by the BG505 SOSIP.664 construct, induces narrow-specificity antibodies against the neutralization-resistant (tier-2), sequence-matched virus and more broadly active antibodies against

  3. Factors contributing to the immunogenicity of meningococcal conjugate vaccines

    PubMed Central

    Bröker, Michael; Berti, Francesco; Costantino, Paolo

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Various glycoprotein conjugate vaccines have been developed for the prevention of invasive meningococcal disease, having significant advantages over pure polysaccharide vaccines. One of the most important features of the conjugate vaccines is the induction of a T-cell dependent immune response, which enables both the induction of immune memory and a booster response after repeated immunization. The nature of the carrier protein to which the polysaccharides are chemically linked, is often regarded as the main component of the vaccine in determining its immunogenicity. However, other factors can have a significant impact on the vaccine's profile. In this review, we explore the physico-chemical properties of meningococcal conjugate vaccines, which can significantly contribute to the vaccine's immunogenicity. We demonstrate that the carrier is not the sole determining factor of the vaccine's profile, but, moreover, that the conjugate vaccine's immunogenicity is the result of multiple physico-chemical structures and characteristics. PMID:26934310

  4. Enhancement of VP6 immunogenicity and protective efficacy against rotavirus by VP2 in a genetic immunization.

    PubMed

    Lopez-Guerrero, D V; Arias, N; Gutierrez-Xicotencatl, L; Chihu-Amparan, L; González, A; Pedroza-Saavedra, A; Rosas-Salgado, G; Villegas-Garcia, J C; Badillo-Godinez, O; Fernandez, G; Lopez, S; Esquivel-Guadarrama, F

    2018-05-24

    VP2/VP6 virus like particles (VLPs) are very effective in inducing protection against the rotavirus infection in animal models. Individually, VP6 can also induce protection. However, there is no information about the immunogenicity of VP2. The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of DNA vaccines codifying for VP2 or VP6, alone or combined, to induce protection against the rotavirus infection. Murine rotavirus VP2 and VP6 genes were cloned into the pcDNA3 vector. Adult BALB/c mice were inoculated three times by intramuscular (i.m.) injections with 100 or 200µg of pcDNA3-VP2 or pcDNA3-VP6 alone or co-administered with 100µg of pcDNA3-VP2/100µg of pcDNA3-VP6. Two weeks after the last inoculation, mice were challenged with the wild type murine rotavirus strain epizootic diarrhea of infant mice (EDIM wt ). We found that both plasmids, pcDNA3-VP2 and pcDNA3-VP6, were able to induce rotavirus-specific serum antibodies, but not intestinal rotavirus-specific IgA; only 200µg of pcDNA3-VP6 induced 35% protection against the infection. A similar level of protection was found when mice were co-administered with 100µg of pcDNA3-VP2/100µg of pcDNA3-VP6 (1:1 ratio). However, the best protection (up to 58%) occurred when mice were inoculated with 10µg of pcDNA3-VP2/100µg of pcDNA3-VP6 (1:10 ratio). These results indicate that the DNA plasmid expressing VP6 is a better vaccine candidate that the one expressing VP2. However, when co-expressed, VP2 potentiates the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of VP6. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  5. Effect of Vaccine Administration Modality on Immunogenicity and Efficacy

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Lu; Wang, Wei; Wang, Shixia

    2016-01-01

    Summary The many factors impacting the efficacy of a vaccine can be broadly divided into three categories: (1) features of the vaccine itself, including immunogen design, vaccine type, formulation, adjuvant, and dosing; (2) individual variations among vaccine recipients; and (3) vaccine administration-related parameters. While much literature exists related to vaccines, and recently systems biology has started to dissect the impact of individual subject variation on vaccine efficacy, few studies have focused on the role of vaccine administration-related parameters on vaccine efficacy. Parenteral and mucosal vaccinations are traditional approaches for licensed vaccines; novel vaccine delivery approaches, including needless injection and adjuvant formulations, are being developed to further improve vaccine safety and efficacy. This review provides a brief summary of vaccine administration-related factors, including vaccination approach, delivery route, and method of administration, to gain a better understanding of their potential impact on the safety and immunogenicity of candidate vaccines. PMID:26313239

  6. Ineffective Degradation of Immunogenic Gluten Epitopes by Currently Available Digestive Enzyme Supplements

    PubMed Central

    Janssen, George; Christis, Chantal; Kooy-Winkelaar, Yvonne; Edens, Luppo; Smith, Drew

    2015-01-01

    Background Due to the high proline content of gluten molecules, gastrointestinal proteases are unable to fully degrade them leaving large proline-rich gluten fragments intact, including an immunogenic 33-mer from α-gliadin and a 26-mer from γ-gliadin. These latter peptides can trigger pro-inflammatory T cell responses resulting in tissue remodeling, malnutrition and a variety of other complications. A strict lifelong gluten-free diet is currently the only available treatment to cope with gluten intolerance. Post-proline cutting enzymes have been shown to effectively degrade the immunogenic gluten peptides and have been proposed as oral supplements. Several existing digestive enzyme supplements also claim to aid in gluten degradation. Here we investigate the effectiveness of such existing enzyme supplements in comparison with a well characterized post-proline cutting enzyme, Prolyl EndoPeptidase from Aspergillus niger (AN-PEP). Methods Five commercially available digestive enzyme supplements along with purified digestive enzymes were subjected to 1) enzyme assays and 2) mass spectrometric identification. Gluten epitope degradation was monitored by 1) R5 ELISA, 2) mass spectrometric analysis of the degradation products and 3) T cell proliferation assays. Findings The digestive enzyme supplements showed comparable proteolytic activities with near neutral pH optima and modest gluten detoxification properties as determined by ELISA. Mass spectrometric analysis revealed the presence of many different enzymes including amylases and a variety of different proteases with aminopeptidase and carboxypeptidase activity. The enzyme supplements leave the nine immunogenic epitopes of the 26-mer and 33-mer gliadin fragments largely intact. In contrast, the pure enzyme AN-PEP effectively degraded all nine epitopes in the pH range of the stomach at much lower dose. T cell proliferation assays confirmed the mass spectrometric data. Conclusion Currently available digestive enzyme

  7. Safety, immunogenicity and efficacy after switching from reference infliximab to biosimilar SB2 compared with continuing reference infliximab and SB2 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results of a randomised, double-blind, phase III transition study.

    PubMed

    Smolen, Josef S; Choe, Jung-Yoon; Prodanovic, Nenad; Niebrzydowski, Jaroslaw; Staykov, Ivan; Dokoupilova, Eva; Baranauskaite, Asta; Yatsyshyn, Roman; Mekic, Mevludin; Porawska, Wieslawa; Ciferska, Hana; Jedrychowicz-Rosiak, Krystyna; Zielinska, Agnieszka; Lee, Younju; Rho, Young Hee

    2018-02-01

    Efficacy, safety and immunogenicity results from the phase III study of SB2, a biosimilar of reference infliximab (INF), were previously reported through 54 weeks. This transition period compared results in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who switched from INF to SB2 with those in patients who maintained treatment with INF or SB2. Patients with moderate to severe RA despite methotrexate treatment were randomised (1:1) to receive SB2 or INF at weeks 0, 2 and 6 and every 8 weeks thereafter until week 46. At week 54, patients previously receiving INF were rerandomised (1:1) to switch to SB2 (INF/SB2 (n=94)) or to continue on INF (INF/INF (n=101)) up to week 70. Patients previously receiving SB2 continued on SB2 (SB2/SB2 (n=201)) up to week 70. Efficacy, safety and immunogenicity were assessed up to week 78. Efficacy was sustained and comparable across treatment groups. American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20 responses between weeks 54 and 78 ranged from 63.5% to 72.3% with INF/SB2, 66.3%%-69.4% with INF/INF and 65.6%-68.3% with SB2/SB2. Treatment-emergent adverse events during this time occurred in 36.2%, 35.6% and 40.3%, respectively, and infusion-related reactions in 3.2%, 2.0% and 3.5%. Among patients who were negative for antidrug antibodies (ADA) up to week 54, newly developed ADAs were reported in 14.6%, 14.9% and 14.1% of the INF/SB2, INF/INF and SB2/SB2 groups, respectively. The efficacy, safety and immunogenicity profiles remained comparable among the INF/SB2, INF/INF and SB2/SB2 groups up to week 78, with no treatment-emergent issues or clinically relevant immunogenicity after switching from INF to SB2. NCT01936181; EudraCT number: 2012-005733-37. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  8. Perspectives on Subcutaneous Route of Administration as an Immunogenicity Risk Factor for Therapeutic Proteins.

    PubMed

    Hamuro, Lora; Kijanka, Grzegorz; Kinderman, Francis; Kropshofer, Harald; Bu, De-Xiu; Zepeda, Monica; Jawa, Vibha

    2017-10-01

    An increasing number of therapeutic proteins are being developed for delivery through the subcutaneous (SC) route of administration. Relative to intravenous (IV) administration, the SC route offers more convenience to patients, flexibility in dosing, and potential to reduce health care costs. There is a perception that SC administration can pose a higher immunogenicity risk than IV administration for a given protein. To evaluate whether there is a difference in therapeutic protein immunogenicity associated with administration routes, a more detailed understanding of the interactions with the immune system by each route is needed. Few approved therapeutic proteins have available clinical immunogenicity data sets in the public domain that represent both IV and SC administration routes. This has prevented a direct comparison of the 2 routes of administration across a large sample size. Of the 6 marketed products where SC and IV route-related incidences of anti-drug antibody (ADA) were available, 4 were associated with higher immunogenicity incidence with SC. In other cases, there was no apparent difference between the SC and IV routes. Overall, the ADA incidence was low (<15%) with no impact on safety or efficacy. The challenges associated with identifying specific risk factors unique to SC administration are discussed. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Identification of In Vivo-Expressed Immunogenic Proteins by Serological Proteome Analysis of the Bacillus anthracis Secretome▿ †

    PubMed Central

    Chitlaru, Theodor; Gat, Orit; Grosfeld, Haim; Inbar, Itzhak; Gozlan, Yael; Shafferman, Avigdor

    2007-01-01

    In a previous comparative proteomic study of Bacillus anthracis examining the influence of the virulence plasmids and of various growth conditions on the composition of the bacterial secretome, we identified 64 abundantly expressed proteins (T. Chitlaru, O. Gat, Y. Gozlan, N. Ariel, and A. Shafferman, J. Bacteriol. 188:3551-3571, 2006). Using a battery of sera from B. anthracis-infected animals, in the present study we demonstrated that 49 of these proteins are immunogenic. Thirty-eight B. anthracis immunogens are documented in this study for the first time. The relative immunogenicities of the 49 secreted proteins appear to span a >10,000-fold range. The proteins eliciting the highest humoral response in the course of infection include, in addition to the well-established immunogens protective antigen (PA), Sap, and EA1, GroEL (BA0267), AhpC (BA0345), MntA (BA3189), HtrA (BA3660), 2,3-cyclic nucleotide diesterase (BA4346), collagen adhesin (BAS5205), an alanine amidase (BA0898), and an endopeptidase (BA1952), as well as three proteins having unknown functions (BA0796, BA0799, and BA0307). Of these 14 highly potent secreted immunogens, 11 are known to be associated with virulence and pathogenicity in B. anthracis or in other bacterial pathogens. Combining the results reported here with the results of a similar study of the membranal proteome of B. anthracis (T. Chitlaru, N. Ariel, A. Zvi, M. Lion, B. Velan, A. Shafferman, and E. Elhanany, Proteomics 4:677-691, 2004) and the results obtained in a functional genomic search for immunogens (O. Gat, H. Grosfeld, N. Ariel, I. Inbar, G. Zaide, Y. Broder, A. Zvi, T. Chitlaru, Z. Altboum, D. Stein, S. Cohen, and A. Shafferman, Infect. Immun. 74:3987-4001, 2006), we generated a list of 84 in vivo-expressed immunogens for future evaluation for vaccine development, diagnostics, and/or therapeutic intervention. In a preliminary study, the efficacies of eight immunogens following DNA immunization of guinea pigs were compared to

  10. Novel Epstein-Barr virus-like particles incorporating gH/gL-EBNA1 or gB-LMP2 induce high neutralizing antibody titers and EBV-specific T-cell responses in immunized mice.

    PubMed

    Perez, Elizabeth M; Foley, Joslyn; Tison, Timelia; Silva, Rute; Ogembo, Javier Gordon

    2017-03-21

    Previous Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) prophylactic vaccines based on the major surface glycoprotein gp350/220 as an immunogen have failed to block viral infection in humans, suggesting a need to target other viral envelope glycoproteins. In this study, we reasoned that incorporating gH/gL or gB, critical glycoproteins for viral fusion and entry, on the surface of a virus-like particle (VLP) would be more immunogenic than gp350/220 for generating effective neutralizing antibodies to prevent viral infection of both epithelial and B cell lines. To boost the humoral response and trigger cell-mediated immunity, EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) and latent membrane protein 2 (LMP2), intracellular latency proteins expressed in all EBV-infected cells, were also included as critical components of the polyvalent EBV VLP. gH/gL-EBNA1 and gB-LMP2 VLPs were efficiently produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells, an FDA-approved vehicle for mass-production of biologics. Immunization with gH/gL-EBNA1 and gB-LMP2 VLPs without adjuvant generated both high neutralizing antibody titers in vitro and EBV-specific T-cell responses in BALB/c mice. These data demonstrate that will be invaluable not only in preventing EBV infection, but importantly, in preventing and treating the 200,000 cases of EBV-associated cancers that occur globally every year.

  11. Identification of Immunogenic Hot Spots within Plum Pox Potyvirus Capsid Protein for Efficient Antigen Presentation

    PubMed Central

    Fernández-Fernández, M. Rosario; Martínez-Torrecuadrada, Jorge L.; Roncal, Fernando; Domínguez, Elvira; García, Juan Antonio

    2002-01-01

    PEPSCAN analysis has been used to characterize the immunogenic regions of the capsid protein (CP) in virions of plum pox potyvirus (PPV). In addition to the well-known highly immunogenic N- and C-terminal domains of CP, regions within the core domain of the protein have also shown high immunogenicity. Moreover, the N terminus of CP is not homogeneously immunogenic, alternatively showing regions frequently recognized by antibodies and others that are not recognized at all. These results have helped us to design efficient antigen presentation vectors based on PPV. As predicted by PEPSCAN analysis, a small displacement of the insertion site in a previously constructed vector, PPV-γ, turned the derived chimeras into efficient immunogens. Vectors expressing foreign peptides at different positions within a highly immunogenic region (amino acids 43 to 52) in the N-terminal domain of CP were the most effective at inducing specific antibody responses against the foreign sequence. PMID:12438590

  12. Chicken IgY Fc expressed by Eimeria mitis enhances the immunogenicity of E. mitis.

    PubMed

    Qin, Mei; Tang, Xinming; Yin, Guangwen; Liu, Xianyong; Suo, Jingxia; Tao, Geru; Ei-Ashram, Saeed; Li, Yuan; Suo, Xun

    2016-03-21

    Eimeria species are obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasites, causing great economic losses in the poultry industry. Currently wild-and attenuated- type anticoccidial vaccines are used to control coccidiosis. However, their use in fast growing broilers is limited by vaccination side effects caused by medium and/or low immunogenic Eimeria spp. There is, therefore, a need for a vaccine with high immunogenicity for broilers. The avian yolk sac IgY Fc is the avian counterpart of the mammalian IgG Fc, which enhances immunogenicity of Fc-fusion proteins. Here, we developed a stable transgenic Eimeria mitis expressing IgY Fc (Emi.chFc) and investigated whether the avian IgY Fc fragment enhances the immunogenicity of E. mitis. Two-week-old broilers were immunized with either Emi.chFc or wild type Eimeria and challenged with wild type E. mitis to analyze the protective properties of transgenic Emi.chFc. Chickens immunized with Emi.chFc had significantly lower oocyst output, in comparison with PBS, mock control (transgenic E. mitis expressing HA1 from H9N2 avian influenza virus) and wildtype E. mitis immunized groups after challenge, indicating that IgY Fc enhanced the immunogenicity of E. mitis. Our findings suggest that IgY Fc-expressing Eimeria may be a better coccidiosis vaccine, and transgenic Eimeria expressing Fc-fused exogenous antigens may be used as a novel vaccine-delivery vehicle against a wide variety of pathogens.

  13. Evaluation of immunogenicity of LY2963016 insulin glargine compared with Lantus® insulin glargine in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus.

    PubMed

    Ilag, L L; Deeg, M A; Costigan, T; Hollander, P; Blevins, T C; Edelman, S V; Konrad, R J; Ortmann, R A; Pollom, R K; Huster, W J; Zielonka, J S; Prince, M J

    2016-02-01

    To compare the immunogenicity profiles and the potential effects on clinical outcomes of LY2963016 insulin glargine (LY IGlar) and Lantus® insulin glargine (IGlar), products with identical primary amino acid sequences, in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T1DM or T2DM). To assess immunogenicity, anti-insulin glargine antibodies (measured as percent binding) were compared between treatments in 52-week (open-label) and 24-week (double-blind) randomized studies in total study populations of patients with T1DM (N = 535) and T2DM (N = 756), respectively, and two subgroups of patients with T2DM: insulin-naïve patients and those reporting prestudy IGlar treatment (prior IGlar). Relationships between insulin antibody levels and clinical outcomes were assessed using analysis of covariance and partial correlations. Insulin antibody levels were assessed using Wilcoxon rank sum. Treatment comparisons for treatment-emergent antibody response (TEAR) and incidence of detectable antibodies were analysed using Fisher's exact test. No significant treatment differences were observed for insulin antibody levels, incidence of detectable anti-insulin glargine antibodies, or incidence of TEAR [overall and endpoint, by last-observation-carried-forward (LOCF)] in patients with T1DM or patients with T2DM, including the insulin-naïve subgroup. A statistically significant difference was noted in the overall incidence of detectable antibodies but not at endpoint (LOCF) nor in TEAR for the prior IGlar subgroup of patients with T2DM. Insulin antibody levels were low (<5%) in both treatment groups. Insulin antibody levels or developing TEAR was not associated with clinical outcomes. LY IGlar and IGlar have similar immunogenicity profiles; anti-insulin glargine antibody levels were low for both treatments, with no observed effect on efficacy and safety outcomes. © 2015 The Authors. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Immunogenicity and safety of a CRM-conjugated meningococcal ACWY vaccine administered concomitantly with routine vaccines starting at 2 months of age

    PubMed Central

    Nolan, Terry M; Nissen, Michael D; Naz, Aftab; Shepard, Julie; Bedell, Lisa; Hohenboken, Matthew; Odrljin, Tatjana; Dull, Peter M

    2014-01-01

    Background: Infants are at the highest risk for meningococcal disease and a broadly protective and safe vaccine is an unmet need in this youngest population. We evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of a 4-dose infant/toddler regimen of MenACWY-CRM given at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months of age concomitantly with pentavalent diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis-Hemophilus influenzae type b-inactivated poliovirus-combination vaccine (DTaP-IPV/Hib), hepatitis B vaccine (HBV), 7- or 13-valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine (PCV), and measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR). Results: Four doses of MenACWY-CRM induced hSBA titers ≥8 in 89%, 95%, 97%, and 96% of participants against serogroups A, C, W-135, and Y, respectively. hSBA titers ≥8 were present in 76–98% of participants after the first 3 doses. A categorical linear analysis incorporating vaccine group and study center showed responses to routine vaccines administered with MenACWY-CRM were non-inferior to routine vaccines alone, except for seroresponse to the pertussis antigen fimbriae. The reactogenicity profile was not affected when MenACWY-CRM was administered concomitantly with routine vaccines. Conclusion: MenACWY-CRM administered with routine concomitant vaccinations in young infants was well tolerated and induced highly immunogenic responses against each of the serogroups without significant interference with the immune responses to routine infant vaccinations. Methods: Healthy 2 month old infants were randomized to receive MenACWY-CRM with routine vaccines (n = 258) or routine vaccines alone (n = 271). Immunogenicity was assessed by serum bactericidal assay using human complement (hSBA). Medically attended adverse events (AEs), serious AEs (SAEs) and AEs leading to study withdrawal were collected throughout the study period. PMID:24220326

  15. Durable immunity to oncogenic human papillomaviruses elicited by adjuvanted recombinant Adeno-associated virus-like particle immunogen displaying L2 17–36 epitopes

    PubMed Central

    Jagu, Subhashini; Karanam, Balusubramanyam; Wang, Joshua W.; Zayed, Hatem; Weghofer, Margit; Brendle, Sarah A.; Balogh, Karla K.; Tossi, Kerstin Pino; Roden, Richard B.S.; Christensen, Neil D.

    2016-01-01

    Vaccination with the minor capsid protein L2, notably the 17–36 neutralizing epitope, induces broadly protective antibodies, although the neutralizing titers attained in serum are substantially lower than for the licensed L1 VLP vaccines. Here we examine the impact of other less reactogenic adjuvants upon the induction of durable neutralizing serum antibody responses and protective immunity after vaccination with HPV16 and HPV31 L2 amino acids 17–36 inserted at positions 587 and 453 of VP3, respectively, for surface display on Adeno-Associated Virus 2-like particles [AAVLP (HPV16/31L2)]. Mice were vaccinated three times subcutaneously with AAVLP (HPV16/31L2) at two week intervals at several doses either alone or formulated with alum, alum and MPL, RIBI adjuvant or Cervarix. The use of adjuvant with AAVLP (HPV16/31L2) was necessary in mice for the induction of L2-specific neutralizing antibody and protection against vaginal challenge with HPV16. While use of alum was sufficient to elicit durable protection (>3 months after the final immunization), antibody titers were increased by addition of MPL and RIBI adjuvants. To determine the breadth of immunity, rabbits were immunized three times with AAVLP (HPV16/31L2) either alone, formulated with alum ± MPL, or RIBI adjuvants, and after serum collection, the animals were concurrently challenged with HPV16/31/35/39/45/58/59 quasivirions or cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) at 6 or 12 months post-immunization. Strong protection against all HPV types was observed at both 6 and 12 months post-immunization, including robust protection in rabbits receiving the vaccine without adjuvant. In summary, vaccination with AAVLP presenting HPV L2 17–36 epitopes at two sites on their surface induced cross-neutralizing serum antibody, immunity against HPV16 in the genital tract, and long-term protection against skin challenge with the 7 most common oncogenic HPV types when using a clinically relevant adjuvant. PMID:26382603

  16. Achieving Potent Autologous Neutralizing Antibody Responses against Tier 2 HIV-1 Viruses by Strategic Selection of Envelope Immunogens.

    PubMed

    Hessell, Ann J; Malherbe, Delphine C; Pissani, Franco; McBurney, Sean; Krebs, Shelly J; Gomes, Michelle; Pandey, Shilpi; Sutton, William F; Burwitz, Benjamin J; Gray, Matthew; Robins, Harlan; Park, Byung S; Sacha, Jonah B; LaBranche, Celia C; Fuller, Deborah H; Montefiori, David C; Stamatatos, Leonidas; Sather, D Noah; Haigwood, Nancy L

    2016-04-01

    Advancement in immunogen selection and vaccine design that will rapidly elicit a protective Ab response is considered critical for HIV vaccine protective efficacy. Vaccine-elicited Ab responses must therefore have the capacity to prevent infection by neutralization-resistant phenotypes of transmitted/founder (T/F) viruses that establish infection in humans. Most vaccine candidates to date have been ineffective at generating Abs that neutralize T/F or early variants. In this study, we report that coimmunizing rhesus macaques with HIV-1 gp160 DNA and gp140 trimeric protein selected from native envelope gene sequences (envs) induced neutralizing Abs against Tier 2 autologous viruses expressing cognate envelope (Env). The Env immunogens were selected from envs emerging during the earliest stages of neutralization breadth developing within the first 2 years of infection in two clade B-infected human subjects. Moreover, the IgG responses in macaques emulated the targeting to specific regions of Env known to be associated with autologous and heterologous neutralizing Abs developed within the human subjects. Furthermore, we measured increasing affinity of macaque polyclonal IgG responses over the course of the immunization regimen that correlated with Tier 1 neutralization. In addition, we report firm correlations between Tier 2 autologous neutralization and Tier 1 heterologous neutralization, as well as overall TZM-bl breadth scores. Additionally, the activation of Env-specific follicular helper CD4 T cells in lymphocytes isolated from inguinal lymph nodes of vaccinated macaques correlated with Tier 2 autologous neutralization. These results demonstrate the potential for native Env derived from subjects at the time of neutralization broadening as effective HIV vaccine elements. Copyright © 2016 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

  17. Screening of primary gp120 immunogens to formulate the next generation polyvalent DNA prime-protein boost HIV-1 vaccines

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Shixia; Chou, Te-hui; Hackett, Anthony; Efros, Veronica; Wang, Yan; Han, Dong; Wallace, Aaron; Chen, Yuxin; Hu, Guangnan; Liu, Shuying; Clapham, Paul; Arthos, James; Montefiori, David; Lu, Shan

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Our previous preclinical studies and a Phase I clinical trial DP6-001 have indicated that a polyvalent Env formulation was able to elicit broadly reactive antibody responses including low titer neutralizing antibody responses against viral isolates of subtypes A, B, C and AE. In the current report, a panel of 62 gp120 immunogens were screened in a rabbit model to identify gp120 immunogens that can elicit improved binding and neutralizing antibody responses and some of them can be included in the next polyvalent formulation. Only about 19% of gp120 immunogens in this panel were able to elicit neutralizing antibodies against greater than 50% of the viruses included in a high throughput PhenoSense neutralization assay when these immuongens were tested as a DNA prime followed by a fixed 5-valent gp120 protein vaccine boost. The new polyvalent formulation, using five gp120 immunogens selected from this subgroup, elicited improved quality of antibody responses in rabbits than the previous DP6-001 formulation. More significantly, this new polyvalent formulation elicited higher antibody responses against a panel of gp70V1/V2 antigens expressing V1/V2 sequences from diverse subtypes. Bioinformatics analysis supports the design of a 4-valent or 5-valent formulation using gp120 immunogens from this screening study to achieve a broad coverage against 16 HIV-1 subtypes. PMID:28933684

  18. Combined radiotherapy and Corynebacterium parvum treatment of rat tumors with different immunogenicity. [X rays

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Moroson, H.; Stowe, S.; Rotman, M.

    1978-01-01

    Evidence is presented that combined radiotherapy and Corynebacterium parvum treatment gives better results than radiotherapy alone in rats bearing a chemically-induced highly-immunogenic transplanted fibrosarcoma termed BP 179; however, similar behavior is not observed with either of two weakly-immunogenic mammary carcinomas, 13762 or ME/H. Relative immunogenicity is determined by the ability of immunized rats to reject tumor cell challenge. Both 13762 and ME/H carcinomata grow progressively and metastasize early to the retroperitoneal cavity and lungs if they are left untreated. Local radiotherapy of the primary tumor has no influence on growth of metastases whether it is combined with C. parvum ormore » not. Results of cell-mediated cytotoxicity studies with lymphocytes from BP 179 and ME/H tumor bearing rats treated with radiation or radiation plus C. parvum support the in vivo findings of combined radiotherapy. These data suggest that unlike strongly immunogenic tumors, weakly immunogenic tumors will not respond better to C. parvum combined with radiation therapy.« less

  19. Comparative Genomics and Proteomic Analysis of Four Non-tuberculous Mycobacterium Species and Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex: Occurrence of Shared Immunogenic Proteins.

    PubMed

    Gcebe, Nomakorinte; Michel, Anita; Gey van Pittius, Nicolaas C; Rutten, Victor

    2016-01-01

    identified a total of 609 proteins in the six PPDs and 22 of these were identified as shared between PPD of M.bovis and one or more of the NTM PPDs. Previously characterized M tuberculosis/M. bovis homologous immunogenic proteins detected in one or more of the nonpathogenic NTM in this study included CFP-10 (detected in M. malmesburii sp. nov. PPD), GroES (detected in all NTM PPDs but M. malmesburii sp. nov.), DnaK (detected in all NTM PPDs), and GroEL (detected in all NTM PPDs). This study confirms reports that the ESX-1, ESX-3, and ESX-4 regions are ancestral regions and thus found in the genomes of most mycobacteria. Identification of NTM homologs of immunogenic proteins warrants further investigation of their ability to cause cross-reactive immune responses with MTBC antigens.

  20. Investigation of the immunogenicity of different types of aggregates of a murine monoclonal antibody in mice.

    PubMed

    Freitag, Angelika J; Shomali, Maliheh; Michalakis, Stylianos; Biel, Martin; Siedler, Michael; Kaymakcalan, Zehra; Carpenter, John F; Randolph, Theodore W; Winter, Gerhard; Engert, Julia

    2015-02-01

    The potential contribution of protein aggregates to the unwanted immunogenicity of protein pharmaceuticals is a major concern. In the present study a murine monoclonal antibody was utilized to study the immunogenicity of different types of aggregates in mice. Samples containing defined types of aggregates were prepared by processes such as stirring, agitation, exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light and exposure to elevated temperatures. Aggregates were analyzed by size-exclusion chromatography, light obscuration, turbidimetry, infrared (IR) spectroscopy and UV spectroscopy. Samples were separated into fractions based on aggregate size by asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation or by centrifugation. Samples containing different types and sizes of aggregates were subsequently administered to C57BL/6 J and BALB/c mice, and serum was analyzed for the presence of anti-IgG1, anti-IgG2a, anti-IgG2b and anti-IgG3 antibodies. In addition, the pharmacokinetic profile of the murine antibody was investigated. In this study, samples containing high numbers of different types of aggregates were administered in order to challenge the in vivo system. The magnitude of immune response depends on the nature of the aggregates. The most immunogenic aggregates were of relatively large and insoluble nature, with perturbed, non-native structures. This study shows that not all protein drug aggregates are equally immunogenic.

  1. A Streptococcus mutans immunogen that reacts equally with S. mutans antibody of all serotypes.

    PubMed

    Everhart, D L; Miglietta, L M; Maresca, V A; Kelly-Hatfield, P

    1984-01-01

    We have studied a possible immunogen from S. mutans that has the capability of producing antibody to S. mutans which reacts equally well with all serotypes. This immunogen, a ribosomal preparation, is immunogenic in mice, is antigenic with rabbit anti-S. mutans, and is antigenic with the human antibody that also reacts with S. mutans. The human antibody is of the IgG class and S-IgA class.

  2. A novel pathway combining calreticulin exposure and ATP secretion in immunogenic cancer cell death

    PubMed Central

    Garg, Abhishek D; Krysko, Dmitri V; Verfaillie, Tom; Kaczmarek, Agnieszka; Ferreira, Gabriela B; Marysael, Thierry; Rubio, Noemi; Firczuk, Malgorzata; Mathieu, Chantal; Roebroek, Anton J M; Annaert, Wim; Golab, Jakub; de Witte, Peter; Vandenabeele, Peter; Agostinis, Patrizia

    2012-01-01

    Surface-exposed calreticulin (ecto-CRT) and secreted ATP are crucial damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) for immunogenic apoptosis. Inducers of immunogenic apoptosis rely on an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-based (reactive oxygen species (ROS)-regulated) pathway for ecto-CRT induction, but the ATP secretion pathway is unknown. We found that after photodynamic therapy (PDT), which generates ROS-mediated ER stress, dying cancer cells undergo immunogenic apoptosis characterized by phenotypic maturation (CD80high, CD83high, CD86high, MHC-IIhigh) and functional stimulation (NOhigh, IL-10absent, IL-1βhigh) of dendritic cells as well as induction of a protective antitumour immune response. Intriguingly, early after PDT the cancer cells displayed ecto-CRT and secreted ATP before exhibiting biochemical signatures of apoptosis, through overlapping PERK-orchestrated pathways that require a functional secretory pathway and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-mediated plasma membrane/extracellular trafficking. Interestingly, eIF2α phosphorylation and caspase-8 signalling are dispensable for this ecto-CRT exposure. We also identified LRP1/CD91 as the surface docking site for ecto-CRT and found that depletion of PERK, PI3K p110α and LRP1 but not caspase-8 reduced the immunogenicity of the cancer cells. These results unravel a novel PERK-dependent subroutine for the early and simultaneous emission of two critical DAMPs following ROS-mediated ER stress. PMID:22252128

  3. Intrinsic immunogenicity of rapidly-degradable polymers evolves during degradation.

    PubMed

    Andorko, James I; Hess, Krystina L; Pineault, Kevin G; Jewell, Christopher M

    2016-03-01

    Recent studies reveal many biomaterial vaccine carriers are able to activate immunostimulatory pathways, even in the absence of other immune signals. How the changing properties of polymers during biodegradation impact this intrinsic immunogenicity is not well studied, yet this information could contribute to rational design of degradable vaccine carriers that help direct immune response. We use degradable poly(beta-amino esters) (PBAEs) to explore intrinsic immunogenicity as a function of the degree of polymer degradation and polymer form (e.g., soluble, particles). PBAE particles condensed by electrostatic interaction to mimic a common vaccine approach strongly activate dendritic cells, drive antigen presentation, and enhance T cell proliferation in the presence of antigen. Polymer molecular weight strongly influences these effects, with maximum stimulation at short degradation times--corresponding to high molecular weight--and waning levels as degradation continues. In contrast, free polymer is immunologically inert. In mice, PBAE particles increase the numbers and activation state of cells in lymph nodes. Mechanistic studies reveal that this evolving immunogenicity occurs as the physicochemical properties and concentration of particles change during polymer degradation. This work confirms the immunological profile of degradable, synthetic polymers can evolve over time and creates an opportunity to leverage this feature in new vaccines. Degradable polymers are increasingly important in vaccination, but how the inherent immunogenicity of polymers changes during degradation is poorly understood. Using common rapidly-degradable vaccine carriers, we show that the activation of immune cells--even in the absence of other adjuvants--depends on polymer form (e.g., free, particulate) and the extent of degradation. These changing characteristics alter the physicochemical properties (e.g., charge, size, molecular weight) of polymer particles, driving changes in

  4. Combined typhoid fever and hepatitis A vaccine: comparison of immunogenicity and safety to concomitant monovalent vaccine over 3 years.

    PubMed

    Overbosch, David; Peyron, François; Picot, Nicole; Varichon, Jean-Paul; Dumas, Rafaele; Chambonneau, Laurent; Weber, Françoise

    2005-01-01

    The safety and immunogenicity of Viatim, a combined hepatitis A (HA) and typhoid fever (Vi) vaccine, were compared with the monovalent component vaccines up to and 1 month after a booster dose at 3 years. Healthy, adult volunteers were randomized to receive Viatim (group A, n = 179) or separate HA and Vi vaccines (group B, n = 181); subgroups were boosted after 3 years with Viatim (groups C and D, n = 56 and 46, respectively). Local and systemic reactions were recorded for 28 days postvaccination. Seroconversion and seroprotection rates and geometric mean antibody concentrations were measured at 14 and 28 days, 1, 2, and 3 years postvaccination, and 28 days after the booster dose. Local and systemic safety profiles were equivalent between the two groups. Immediate local reactions were infrequent (1 in group A and 2 in group B). Local reactions, consisting mostly of mild or moderate pain, were least frequent with monovalent HA. Antibody concentrations to both antigens were similar in groups A and B, in which HA seroprotection rates (> or = 20 mIU/mL) were respectively, 98.7% and 100% at day 28, and 99.1% and 99.0% after 3 years, achieving 100% after the booster. Vi seroprotection rates (> or = 1 microg/mL) of 85.2% and 84.9% after 28 days fell to 32.1% and 35.6% after 3 years, increasing to 67.3% and 69.8% after the booster dose. The combined HA/Vi vaccine, Viatim, had equivalent tolerability and safety and was as rapidly immunogenic as its component monovalent vaccines when given concurrently. A booster dose after 3 years significantly increased antibody levels with some evidence of relative hyporesponsiveness of the typhoid response.

  5. Instability study for LOFT for L2-1, L2-2, and L2-3 pretest steady-state operating conditions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Eide, S.A.

    The results are presented of a thermal-hydrodynamic flow instability study of the LOFT reactor for the L2-1, L2-2, and L2-3 pretest steady-state operating conditions. Comparison is made between the LOFT reactor and a typical PWR, and the effects on stability of differences in operating parameters and geometry are discussed. Results indicate that the LOFT reactor will be thermal-hydrodynamically stable for nominal and worst case operating conditions. The study supports the LOFT Experimental Safety Analyses for the L2-1, L2-2, and L2-3 tests.

  6. Enhancing the Immunogenicity of a Tetravalent Dengue DNA Vaccine

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-08-01

    is safe and well tolerated, but does not elicit a sufficient immune response. The objectives of this project are to conduct studies in non -human...injection for enhancing TVDV in non -human primates. Specific Aim 2: Develop an improved dengue vaccine using a heterologous prime boost approach...not elicit a sufficient immune response. The objectives of this project are to conduct studies in non -human primates to enhance the immunogenicity of

  7. Immunogenic proteins of Brucella abortus to minimize cross reactions in brucellosis diagnosis.

    PubMed

    Ko, Kyung Yuk; Kim, Jong-Wan; Her, Moon; Kang, Sung-Il; Jung, Suk Chan; Cho, Dong Hee; Kim, Ji-Yeon

    2012-05-04

    To overcome the limitations of serological diagnosis, including false positive reactions caused by other pathogens, specific antigens for diagnosis of brucellosis other than LPS have been required. The present study was conducted to separate and identify immuno-dominant insoluble proteins of Brucella abortus against the antisera of cattle infected with B. abortus, or/and Yersinia enterocolitica, or the sera of non-infected cattle. After separating insoluble proteins of B. abortus by two dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), their immuno-reactivity was determined by western blotting. A portion of the immunogenic spots against the positive antisera of B. abortus that have the potential for use as specific antigens were identified by MS/MS analysis. Overall, 18 immunogenic insoluble proteins of B. abortus 1119-3 showed immuno-reactivity against only the positive antisera of B. abortus, but failed to have immunogenicity toward both the positive sera of Y. enterocolitica and the negative sera of B. abortus. Identification of these proteins revealed the following: F0F1 ATP synthase subunit β, solute-binding family 5 protein, 28 kDa OMP, Leu/Ile/Val-binding family protein, Histidinol dehyddrogenase, Hypothetical protein, Twin-arginine translocation pathway signal sequence domain-containing protein, Dihydroorotase, Serine protease family protein, β-hydroxyacyl-(acyl-carrier-protein) dehydratase FabA, Short-chain dehydrogenase-/reductase carbonic anhydrase, Orinithine carbamoyltransferase, Leucyl aminopeptidase, Cold shock DNA-binding domain-containing protein, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, and Methionine aminopeptidase. The 18 immunogenic proteins separated in the present study can be considered candidate antigens to minimize cross reaction in the diagnosis of brucellosis and useful sources for Brucella vaccine development. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Gene transfer preferentially selects MHC class I positive tumour cells and enhances tumour immunogenicity.

    PubMed

    Hacker, Ulrich T; Schildhauer, Ines; Barroso, Margarita Céspedes; Kofler, David M; Gerner, Franz M; Mysliwietz, Josef; Buening, Hildegard; Hallek, Michael; King, Susan B S

    2006-05-01

    The modulated expression of MHC class I on tumour tissue is well documented. Although the effect of MHC class I expression on the tumorigenicity and immunogenicity of MHC class I negative tumour cell lines has been rigorously studied, less is known about the validity of gene transfer and selection in cell lines with a mixed MHC class I phenotype. To address this issue we identified a C26 cell subline that consists of distinct populations of MHC class I (H-2D/K) positive and negative cells. Transient transfection experiments using liposome-based transfer showed a lower transgene expression in MHC class I negative cells. In addition, MHC class I negative cells were more sensitive to antibiotic selection. This led to the generation of fully MHC class I positive cell lines. In contrast to C26 cells, all transfectants were rejected in vivo and induced protection against the parental tumour cells in rechallenge experiments. Tumour cell specificity of the immune response was demonstrated in in vitro cytokine secretion and cytotoxicity assays. Transfectants expressing CD40 ligand and hygromycin phosphotransferase were not more immunogenic than cells expressing hygromycin resistance alone. We suggest that the MHC class I positive phenotype of the C26 transfectants had a bearing on their immunogenicity, because selected MHC class I positive cells were more immunogenic than parental C26 cells and could induce specific anti-tumour immune responses. These data demonstrate that the generation of tumour cell transfectants can lead to the selection of subpopulations that show an altered phenotype compared to the parental cell line and display altered immunogenicity independent of selection marker genes or other immune modulatory genes. Our results show the importance of monitoring gene transfer in the whole tumour cell population, especially for the evaluation of in vivo therapies targeted to heterogeneous tumour cell populations.

  9. Immunogenicity and safety of an E. coli-produced bivalent human papillomavirus (type 16 and 18) vaccine: A randomized controlled phase 2 clinical trial.

    PubMed

    Wu, Ting; Hu, Yue-Mei; Li, Juan; Chu, Kai; Huang, Shou-Jie; Zhao, Hui; Wang, Zhong-Ze; Yang, Chang-Lin; Jiang, Han-Min; Wang, Yi-Jun; Lin, Zhi-Jie; Pan, Hui-Rong; Sheng, Wei; Wei, Fei-Xue; Li, Shao-Wei; Wang, Ying; Zhu, Feng-Cai; Li, Chang-Gui; Zhang, Jun; Xia, Ning-Shao

    2015-07-31

    This study aimed to investigate the dosage, immunogenicity and safety profile of a novel human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 bivalent vaccine produced by E. coli. This randomized, double-blinded, controlled phase 2 trial enrolled women aged 18-25 years in China. Totally 1600 eligible participants were randomized to receive 90μg, 60μg, or 30μg of the recombinant HPV 16/18 bivalent vaccine or the control hepatitis B vaccine on a 0, 1 and 6 month schedule. The designated doses are the combined micrograms of HPV16 and 18 VLPs with dose ratio of 2:1. The immunogenicity of the vaccines was assessed by measuring anti-HPV 16 and 18 neutralizing antibodies and total IgG antibodies. Safety of the vaccine was assessed. All but one of the seronegative participants who received 3 doses of the HPV vaccines seroconverted at month 7 for anti-HPV 16/18 neutralizing antibodies and IgG antibodies. For HPV 16, the geometric mean titers (GMTs) of the neutralizing antibodies were similar between the 60μg (GMT=10,548) and 90μg (GMT=12,505) HPV vaccine groups and were significantly higher than those in the 30μg (GMT=7596) group. For HPV 18, the GMTs of the neutralizing antibodies were similar among the 3 groups. The HPV vaccine was well tolerated. No vaccine-associated serious adverse events were identified. The prokaryotic-expressed HPV vaccine is safe and immunogenic in women aged 18-25 years. The 60μg dosage formulation was selected for further investigation for efficacy. NCT01356823. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. The formulation and immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins: Product quality as a key factor.

    PubMed

    Richard, Joel; Prang, Nadia

    2010-08-01

    The formation of anti-drug antibodies represents a risk that should be assessed carefully during biopharmaceutical drug product (DP) development, as such antibodies compromise safety and efficacy and may alter the pharmacokinetic properties of a compound. This feature review discusses immunogenicity issues in biopharmaceutical DP development, with a focus on product quality. Excipient-induced and aggregate-induced immunogenicity are reviewed based on the concepts of 'aggregation-competent' species and 'provocative' aggregates. In addition, the influence of formulation parameters, such as particulates and contaminants appearing in the DP during processing and storage, on aggregate-induced immunogenicity are presented, including the role of fill-and-finish equipments and the effect of interactions with container materials. Furthermore, methods to detect and quantify aggregation and precursor conformational changes in a protein formulation are reviewed, and immunological mechanisms that may lead to aggregate-induced immunogenicity are proposed and discussed.

  11. Empirical fitness models for hepatitis C virus immunogen design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hart, Gregory R.; Ferguson, Andrew L.

    2015-12-01

    Hepatitis C virus (HCV) afflicts 170 million people worldwide, 2%-3% of the global population, and kills 350 000 each year. Prophylactic vaccination offers the most realistic and cost effective hope of controlling this epidemic in the developing world where expensive drug therapies are not available. Despite 20 years of research, the high mutability of the virus and lack of knowledge of what constitutes effective immune responses have impeded development of an effective vaccine. Coupling data mining of sequence databases with spin glass models from statistical physics, we have developed a computational approach to translate clinical sequence databases into empirical fitness landscapes quantifying the replicative capacity of the virus as a function of its amino acid sequence. These landscapes explicitly connect viral genotype to phenotypic fitness, and reveal vulnerable immunological targets within the viral proteome that can be exploited to rationally design vaccine immunogens. We have recovered the empirical fitness landscape for the HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (protein NS5B) responsible for viral genome replication, and validated the predictions of our model by demonstrating excellent accord with experimental measurements and clinical observations. We have used our landscapes to perform exhaustive in silico screening of 16.8 million T-cell immunogen candidates to identify 86 optimal formulations. By reducing the search space of immunogen candidates by over five orders of magnitude, our approach can offer valuable savings in time, expense, and labor for experimental vaccine development and accelerate the search for a HCV vaccine. Abbreviations: HCV—hepatitis C virus, HLA—human leukocyte antigen, CTL—cytotoxic T lymphocyte, NS5B—nonstructural protein 5B, MSA—multiple sequence alignment, PEG-IFN—pegylated interferon.

  12. Immunogenicity and safety of LBVH0101, a new Haemophilus influenzae type b tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine, compared with Hiberix™ in Korean infants and children: a randomized trial.

    PubMed

    Kim, Kyung-Hyo; Kim, Yun-Kyung; Kim, Nam Hee; Chang, Sung Hee; Lee, Jina; Park, Eun Ae; Park, Su Eun; Eun, Byung Wook; Lee, Hyunju; Lee, Hoan Jong

    2012-02-27

    The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that all countries adopt Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine into routine child immunization programs to protect children from the significant burden of life-threatening pneumonia and meningitis. In this blind, comparative, randomized, phase-III Korean multicenter study, we assessed immunogenicity and safety following primary vaccination of a new H. influenzae type b tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine, LBVH0101 (LG Life Sciences, Ltd., Seoul, Korea) compared with Hiberix™ (GSK, Rixensart, Belgium) in Korean children at 2, 4 and 6 months of age followed by a booster vaccination at 12-15 months. Serum anti-PRP IgG concentration and bactericidal activity were determined. Local/systemic symptoms were assessed after vaccination. Serious adverse events were recorded throughout the study. A total of 185 infants were included in immunogenicity evaluations. After the second and third doses of LBVH0101, 90.32% and 100% of infants achieved an antibody level ≥1 μg/mL, respectively, compared with 78.26% and 96.74% of those who received Hiberix™. After the second vaccination, the geometric mean concentration (GMC) of LBVH0101 recipients was 7.34 μg/mL and was higher than that of Hiberix™ recipients (3.55 μg/mL). After the third vaccination, the GMCs were 14.59 μg/mL and 12.15 μg/mL in the LBVH0101 and Hiberix™ recipients, respectively. The booster dose produced higher antibody concentrations: 30.25 μg/mL and 71.64 μg/mL for LBVH0101 and Hiberix™ recipients, respectively. Bactericidal capacity and antibody potency of anti-PRP IgG induced by LBVH0101 was 35.05 and 116.27 after the second and third vaccinations, respectively, compared with 53.76 and 79.64 for Hiberix™. Anti-PRP IgG seroprotection rate and GMC were similar post-primary immunization between the groups; both showed functional maturation and similar booster responses. LBVH0101 had comparable safety results as the control vaccine, Hiberix™, as

  13. Induction of anti-melanoma CTL response using DC transfected with mutated mRNA encoding full-length Melan-A/MART-1 antigen with an A27L amino acid substitution.

    PubMed

    Abdel-Wahab, Zeinab; Kalady, Matthew F; Emani, Sirisha; Onaitis, Mark W; Abdel-Wahab, Omar I; Cisco, Robin; Wheless, Lee; Cheng, Tsung-Yen; Tyler, Douglas S; Pruitt, Scott K

    2003-08-01

    Modification of the parental immunodominant Melan-A/MART-1 peptide (MART-1(26-35)) by replacing the alanine with leucine (A27L) enhances its immunogenicity. Because of the reported advantages of RNA over peptides in DC vaccines, we sought to mutate the MART-1 gene to encode a full-length MART-1 antigen with an A27L amino acid substitution. Human DC were transfected with A27L-mutated MART-1 RNA (A27L RNA) or native MART-1 RNA, and then used to stimulate autologous T cells from a series of 8 HLA-A2+ volunteers. After three stimulations, all CTL induced with DC/A27L RNA exhibited more tetramer+ cells, and demonstrated stronger antigen-specific IFNgamma-secreting activity compared to CTL induced with DC/native RNA. A potent MART-1-specific, and predominantly class-I-restricted lysis was detected in most CTL induced with DC/A27L RNA, while native RNA-induced CTL showed minimal and non-specific lysis. HLA-A2+ DC and MART-1 negative/A2+ melanoma cells transfected with the A27L RNA were recognized and killed by MART-1-specific CTL, suggesting that these APC efficiently processed the A27L RNA and presented correct MART-1-specific epitope(s). In summary, introducing an A27L mutation into the MART-1 full-length mRNA sequence enhanced the immunogenicity of the encoded MART-1 Ag. The ease with which such a mutation can be made in RNA presents another potential advantage of using RNA for immunotherapy. Our results support considering this strategy for enhancing the immunogenicity of DC-based RNA vaccines.

  14. Immunogenic peptides comprising a T-helper epitope and a B-cell neutralizing antibody epitope

    DOEpatents

    Haynes, Barton F [Durham, NC; Korber, Bette T [Los Alamos, NM; De Lorimier, Robert M [Durham, NC

    2006-12-26

    The present invention relates, generally, to a polyvalent immunogen and, more particularly, to a method of inducing neutralizing antibodies against HIV and to a polyvalent immunogen suitable for use in such a method.

  15. Safety and Immunogenicity of Sequential Rotavirus Vaccine Schedules

    PubMed Central

    Libster, Romina; McNeal, Monica; Walter, Emmanuel B.; Shane, Andi L.; Winokur, Patricia; Cress, Gretchen; Berry, Andrea A.; Kotloff, Karen L.; Sarpong, Kwabena; Turley, Christine B.; Harrison, Christopher J.; Pahud, Barbara A.; Marbin, Jyothi; Dunn, John; El-Khorazaty, Jill; Barrett, Jill

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although both licensed rotavirus vaccines are safe and effective, it is often not possible to complete the schedule by using the same vaccine formulation. The goal of this study was to investigate the noninferiority of the immune responses to the 2 licensed rotavirus vaccines when administered as a mixed schedule compared with administering a single vaccine formulation alone. METHODS: Randomized, multicenter, open-label study. Healthy infants (6–14 weeks of age) were randomized to receive rotavirus vaccines in 1 of 5 different schedules (2 using a single vaccine for all doses, and 3 using mixed schedules). The group receiving only the monovalent rotavirus vaccine received 2 doses of vaccine and the other 4 groups received 3 doses of vaccine. Serum for immunogenicity testing was obtained 1 month after the last vaccine dose and the proportion of seropositive children (rotavirus immunoglobulin A ≥20 U/mL) were compared in all the vaccine groups. RESULTS: Between March 2011 and September 2013, 1393 children were enrolled and randomized. Immune responses to all the sequential mixed vaccine schedules were shown to be noninferior when compared with the 2 single vaccine reference groups. The proportion of children seropositive to at least 1 vaccine antigen at 1 month after vaccination ranged from 77% to 96%, and was not significantly different among all the study groups. All schedules were well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Mixed schedules are safe and induced comparable immune responses when compared with the licensed rotavirus vaccines given alone. PMID:26823540

  16. Self-administration of intranasal influenza vaccine: Immunogenicity and volunteer acceptance

    PubMed Central

    Burgess, Timothy H.; Murray, Clinton K.; Bavaro, Mary F.; Landrum, Michael L.; O’Bryan, Thomas A.; Rosas, Jessica G.; Cammarata, Stephanie M.; Martin, Nicholas J.; Ewing, Daniel; Raviprakash, Kanakatte; Mor, Deepika; Zell, Elizabeth R.; Wilkins, Kenneth J.; Millar, Eugene V.

    2018-01-01

    Background In outbreak settings, mass vaccination strategies could maximize health protection of military personnel. Self-administration of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) may be a means to vaccinate large numbers of people and achieve deployment readiness while sparing the use of human resources. Methods A phase IV, open-label, randomized controlled trial evaluating the immunogenicity and acceptance of self-administered (SA) LAIV was conducted from 2012 to 2014. SA subjects were randomized to either individual self-administration or self-administration in a group setting. Control randomized subjects received healthcare worker-administered (HCWA) LAIV. Anti-hemagglutinin (HAI) antibody concentrations were measured pre- and post-vaccination. The primary endpoint was immunogenicity non-inferiority between SA and HCWA groups. Subjects were surveyed on preferred administration method. Results A total of 1077 subjects consented and were randomized (529 SA, 548 HCWA). Subject characteristics were very similar between groups, though SA subjects were younger, more likely to be white and on active duty. The per-protocol analysis included 1024 subjects (501 SA, 523 HCWA). Post-vaccination geometric mean titers by vaccine strain and by study group (HCWA vs. SA) were: A/H1N1 (45.8 vs. 48.7, respectively; p = 0.43), A/H3N2 (45.5 vs. 46.4; p = 0.80), B/Yamagata (17.2 vs. 17.8; p = 0.55). Seroresponses to A components were high (∼67%), while seroresponses to B components were lower (∼25%). Seroresponse did not differ by administration method. Baseline preference for administration method was similar between groups, with the majority in each group expressing no preference. At follow-up, the majority (64%) of SA subjects preferred SA vaccine. Conclusions LAIV immunogenicity was similar for HCWA and SA vaccines. SA was well-tolerated and preferred to HCWA among those who performed SA. PMID:26117150

  17. Identification of immunogenic polypeptides from a Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae genome library by phage display.

    PubMed

    Kügler, Jonas; Nieswandt, Simone; Gerlach, Gerald F; Meens, Jochen; Schirrmann, Thomas; Hust, Michael

    2008-09-01

    The identification of immunogenic polypeptides of pathogens is helpful for the development of diagnostic assays and therapeutic applications like vaccines. Routinely, these proteins are identified by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot using convalescent serum, followed by mass spectrometry. This technology, however, is limited, because low or differentially expressed proteins, e.g. dependent on pathogen-host interaction, cannot be identified. In this work, we developed and improved a M13 genomic phage display-based method for the selection of immunogenic polypeptides of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, a pathogen causing porcine enzootic pneumonia. The fragmented genome of M. hyopneumoniae was cloned into a phage display vector, and the genomic library was packaged using the helperphage Hyperphage to enrich open reading frames (ORFs). Afterwards, the phage display library was screened by panning using convalescent serum. The analysis of individual phage clones resulted in the identification of five genes encoding immunogenic proteins, only two of which had been previously identified and described as immunogenic. This M13 genomic phage display, directly combining ORF enrichment and the presentation of the corresponding polypeptide on the phage surface, complements proteome-based methods for the identification of immunogenic polypeptides and is particularly well suited for the use in mycoplasma species.

  18. Immunogenicity of HSP-70, KMP-11 and PFR-2 leishmanial antigens in the experimental model of canine visceral leishmaniasis.

    PubMed

    Carrillo, Eugenia; Crusat, Martín; Nieto, Javier; Chicharro, Carmen; Thomas, Maria del Carmen; Martínez, Enrique; Valladares, Basilio; Cañavate, Carmen; Requena, Jose María; López, Manuel Carlos; Alvar, Jorge; Moreno, Javier

    2008-03-28

    Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) is a parasitic disease caused by Leishmania infantum/L. chagasi that is emerging as an important medical and veterinary problem. Dogs are the domestic reservoir for this parasite and, therefore, the main target for controlling the transmission to humans. In the present work, we have evaluated the immunogenicity of the Leishmania infantum heat shock protein (HSP)-70, paraflagellar rod protein (PFR)-2 and kinetoplastida membrane protein (KMP)-11 recombinant proteins in dogs experimentally infected with the parasite. We have shown that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from experimentally infected dogs proliferated in response to these recombinant antigens and against the soluble leishmanial antigen (SLA). We have also quantified the mRNA expression level of the cytokines induced in PBMC upon stimulation with the HSP-70, PFR-2 and KMP-11 proteins. These recombinant proteins induced an up-regulation of IFN-gamma. HSP-70 and PFR-2 also produced an increase of the TNF-alpha transcripts abundance. No measurable induction of IL-10 was observed and low levels of IL-4 mRNA were produced in response to the three mentioned recombinant antigens. Serum levels of specific antibodies against HSP-70, PFR-2 and KMP-11 recombinant proteins were also determined in these animals. Our study showed that HSP-70, KMP-11 and PFR-2 proteins are recognized by infected canines. Furthermore, these antigens produce a Th1-type immune response, suggesting that they may be involved in protection. The identification as vaccine candidates of Leishmania antigens that elicit appropriate immune responses in the canine model is a key step in the rational approach to generate a vaccine for canine visceral leishmaniasis.

  19. Efficacy, Immunogenicity and Safety of a Human Rotavirus Vaccine RIX4414 in Singaporean Infants.

    PubMed

    Phua, Kong Boo; Lim, Fong Seng; Quak, Seng Hock; Lee, Bee Wah; Teoh, Yee Leong; Suryakiran, Pemmaraju V; Han, Htay Htay; Bock, Hans L

    2016-02-01

    This was the first study conducted to evaluate the efficacy of 2 oral doses of the human rotavirus vaccine, RIX4414 in Singaporean infants during the first 3 years of life. Healthy infants, 11 to 17 weeks of age were enrolled in this randomised (1:1), double-blinded, placebo-controlled study to receive 2 oral doses of RIX4414 vaccine/placebo following a 0-, 1-month schedule. Vaccine efficacy against severe rotavirus (RV) gastroenteritis (Vesikari score ≥11) caused by wild-type RV strains from a period starting from 2 weeks post-Dose 2 until 2 and 3 years of age was calculated with 95% confidence interval (CI). Immunogenicity and safety of the vaccine were also assessed. Of 6542 infants enrolled, 6466 were included in the efficacy analysis and a subset of 100 infants was included in the immunogenicity analysis. Fewer severe RV gastroenteritis episodes were reported in the RIX4414 group when compared to placebo at both 2 and 3 year follow-up periods. Vaccine efficacy against severe RV gastroenteritis at the respective time points were 93.8% (95% CI, 59.9 to 99.9) and 95.2% (95% CI, 70.5 to 99.9). One to 2 months post-Dose 2 of RIX4414, 97.5% (95% CI, 86.8 to 99.9) of infants seroconverted for anti-RV IgA antibodies. The number of serious adverse events recorded from Dose 1 until 3 years of age was similar in both groups. Two oral doses of RIX4414 vaccine was immunogenic and provided high level of protection against severe RV gastroenteritis in Singaporean children, during the first 3 years of life when the disease burden is highest.

  20. [Effects of exogenous carbon monoxide-releasing molecules 2 on the vitality and toxicity of E.coli].

    PubMed

    Qiu, Xue-feng; Liu, Da-dong; Sun, Bing-wei; Liang, Feng; Cao, Jie

    2013-04-01

    To explore the effects of exogenous carbon monoxide-releasing molecules 2 (CORM-2) on the vitality and toxicity of E. coli ATCC 25922, and to analyze the potential mechanism. (1) In vitro experiments. Standard strains of E. coli ATCC 25922 were divided into groups A (without addition), B, C, D, and E according to the random number table, and then the latter 4 groups were respectively cultured with 1.2 mmol/L CORM-2, 1.6 mmol/L CORM-2, 1.2 mmol/L inactive CORM-2 (iCORM-2), 1.6 mmol/L iCORM-2, with six samples in each group. After being cultured for 0, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24, 27, 30, 48 hours, proliferative vitality of E. coli was examined (denoted as absorption value under 600 nm wavelength), and bacteria number was counted. Other standard strains of E. coli ATCC 25922 were divided into groups F (without addition) and G (cultured with 0.8 mmol/L CORM-2), the expressions of genes fliA, dnaK, marA, and waaQ related to E. coli were detected by quantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR. (2) In vivo experiments. Other standard strains of E. coli ATCC 25922 were grouped as A', B', C', D', and E' and treated with the same method as that in groups A, B, C, D, and E, and 0.5 mL bacterial liquid of each group were collected when the absorption value of bacterial liquid in group A' was equal to 0.4 (under 600 nm wavelength). Seventy-two C57BL/6 mice were divided into groups, namely blank control (without treatment), H, I, J, K, and L according to the random number table, with 12 mice in each group. The mice in the latter 5 groups were intraperitoneally injected with 0.5 mL bacterial suspension of groups A', B', C', D', and E' respectively. After injection, general condition of mice in groups H, I, J, K, and L was observed. The serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were determined at post injection hour (PIH) 6, 12. The liver and lung samples were harvested for determination of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity at PIH 12. The same process was carried out in blank control group. Data were

  1. Immunogenicity and immunomodulatory properties of hepatocyte-like cells derived from human amniotic epithelial cells.

    PubMed

    Tee, Jing Yang; Vaghjiani, Vijesh; Liu, Yu Han; Murthi, Padma; Chan, James; Manuelpillai, Ursula

    2013-01-01

    Hepatocyte transplantation is being trialled as an alternative to whole organ transplant for patients with acute liver failure and liver specific metabolic diseases. Due to the scarcity of human hepatocytes, hepatocyte-like cells (HLC) generated from stem cells may become a viable alternative to hepatocyte transplantation. Human amniotic epithelial cells (hAEC) from the placenta have stem cell-like properties and can be differentiated into HLC. Naïve hAEC have low immunogenicity and exert immunomodulatory effects that may facilitate allogeneic transplantation. However, whether the immunogenicity and immunomodulatory properties alter with differentiation into HLC are unknown. We further characterized HLC generated from hAEC, examined changes in human leucocyte antigens (HLA) and co-stimulatory molecules and effects exerted by the HLC on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). HLC derived from hAEC expressed proteins found in hepatocytes, had CYP3A4 drug metabolizing enzyme activity and secreted urea. IFN-γ treatment increased HLA Class IA, Class II and co-stimulatory molecule CD40 expression in the HLC. IFN-γ treated HLC stimulated proliferation of PBMC in one-way mixed lymphocyte reactions and were more immunogenic than undifferentiated hAEC. However, the HLC showed immunomodulatory properties and inhibited mitogen induced PBMC proliferation in vitro. PBMC proliferation may have been inhibited by IL-6, TGF-β1, PGE2 and HLA-G secreted by the HLC. The retention of immunomodulatory properties may enable HLC grafts to survive for longer periods despite the immunogenicity of the HLC.

  2. Safety and Immunogenicity of 3 Formulations of an Investigational Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine in Nonpregnant Women: Results From 2 Phase 2 Trials

    PubMed Central

    Beran, Jiři; Lickliter, Jason D; Schwarz, Tino F; Johnson, Casey; Chu, Laurence; Domachowske, Joseph B; Van Damme, Pierre; Withanage, Kanchanamala; Fissette, Laurence A; David, Marie-Pierre; Maleux, Koen; Schmidt, Alexander C; Picciolato, Marta; Dieussaert, Ilse

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes bronchiolitis and pneumonia in neonates and infants. RSV vaccination during pregnancy could boost preexisting neutralizing antibody titers, providing passive protection to newborns. Methods Two observer-blinded, controlled studies (RSV F-020 [clinical trials registration NCT02360475] and RSV F-024 [NCT02753413]) evaluated immunogenicity and safety of an investigational RSV vaccine in healthy, nonpregnant 18–45-year-old women. Both studies used a licensed adult formulation of combined tetanus toxoid-diphtheria toxoid-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine as a control. RSV F-020 evaluated immunogenicity and safety: participants were randomized (1:1:1:1) to receive 1 dose of RSV–prefusion F protein (PreF) vaccine containing 30 µg or 60 µg of nonadjuvanted RSV-PreF, 60 µg of aluminum-adjuvanted RSV-PreF, or Tdap. RSV F-024 evaluated safety: participants were randomized 1:1 to receive 1 dose of 60 µg of nonadjuvanted RSV-PreF or Tdap. Results Both studies showed similar reactogenicity profiles for RSV-PreF and Tdap. No serious adverse events were considered vaccine related. In RSV F-020, geometric mean ratios of RSV-A neutralizing antibody levels at day 30 versus prevaccination were 3.1–3.9 in RSV-PreF recipients and 0.9 in controls. Palivizumab-competing antibody concentrations increased >14-fold in RSV-PreF recipients on day 30. RSV antibody titers waned after day 30 but remained well above baseline through day 90. Conclusions All formulations of RSV-PreF boosted preexisting immune responses in 18–45-year old women with comparable immunogenicity. The RSV-PreF safety profile was similar to that of Tdap vaccine. PMID:29401325

  3. L2 Working Memory Capacity and L2 Reading Skill.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harrington, Mike; Sawyer, Mark

    1992-01-01

    Examines the sensitivity of second-language (L2) working memory (ability to store and process information simultaneously) to differences in reading skills among advanced L2 learners. Subjects with larger L2 working memory capacities scored higher on measures of L2 reading skills, but no correlation was found between reading and passive short-term…

  4. High conservation level of CD8(+) T cell immunogenic regions within an unusual H1N2 human influenza variant.

    PubMed

    Komadina, Naomi; Quiñones-Parra, Sergio M; Kedzierska, Katherine; McCaw, James M; Kelso, Anne; Leder, Karin; McVernon, Jodie

    2016-10-01

    Current seasonal influenza vaccines require regular updates due to antigenic drift causing loss of effectiveness and therefore providing little or no protection against novel influenza A subtypes. Next generation vaccines capable of eliciting CD8(+) T cell (CTL) mediated cross-protective immunity may offer a long-term alternative strategy. However, measuring pre- and existing levels of CTL cross-protection in humans is confounded by differences in infection histories across individuals. During 2000-2003, H1N2 viruses circulated persistently in the human population for the first time and we hypothesized that the viral nucleoprotein (NP) contained novel CTL epitopes that may have contributed to the survival of the viruses. This study describes the immunogenic NP peptides of H1N1, H2N2, and H3N2 influenza viruses isolated from humans over the past century, 1918-2003, by comparing this historical dataset to reference NP peptides from H1N2 that circulated in humans during 2000-2003. Observed peptides sequences ranged from highly conserved (15%) to highly variable (12%), with variation unrelated to reported immunodominance. No unique NP peptides which were exclusive to the H1N2 viruses were noted. However, the virus had inherited the NP from a recently emerged H3N2 variant containing novel peptides, which may have assisted its persistence. Any advantage due to this novelty was subsequently lost with emergence of a newer H3N2 variant in 2003. Our approach has potential to provide insight into the population context in which influenza viruses emerge, and may help to inform immunogenic peptide selection for CTL-inducing influenza vaccines. J. Med. Virol. 88:1725-1732, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Enhanced tumor control with combination mTOR and PD-L1 inhibition in syngeneic oral cavity cancers

    PubMed Central

    Moore, Ellen C.; Cash, Harrison A.; Caruso, Andria M.; Uppaluri, Ravindra; Hodge, James W.; Van Waes, Carter; Allen, Clint T.

    2016-01-01

    Significant subsets of patients with oral cancer fail to respond to single-agent programmed death (PD) blockade. Syngeneic models of oral cancer were used to determine if blocking oncogenic signaling improved in vivo responses to PD-L1 monoclonal antibody (mAb). Anti-PD-L1 enhanced durable primary tumor control and survival when combined with mTOR (rapamycin), but not in combination with MEK inhibition (PD901) in immunogenic MOC1 tumors. Conversely, PD-L1 mAb did not enhance tumor control in poorly immunogenic MOC2 tumors. Rapamycin enhanced expansion of peripheral antigen-specific CD8 T cells and IFNγ production following ex vivo antigen stimulation. More CD8 T cells infiltrated and were activated after PD-L1 mAb treatment in mice with immunogenic MOC1 tumors, which was stable or increased by the addition of rapamycin, but suppressed when PD901 was added. Rapamycin increased IFNγ production capacity in peripheral and tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells. In vivo antibody depletion revealed a CD8 T cell, and not NK cell, -dependent mechanism of tumor growth inhibition after treatment with rapamycin and PD-L1 mAb, ruling out significant effects from NK cell–mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Rapamycin also enhanced IFNγ or PD-L1 mAb treatment–associated induction of MHC class I expression on MOC1 tumor cells, an effect abrogated by depleting infiltrating CD8 T cells from the tumor microenvironment. This data conflicts with traditional views of rapamycin as a universal immunosuppressant, and when combined with evidence of enhanced antitumor activity with the combination of rapamycin and PD-L1 mAb, suggests that this treatment combination deserves careful evaluation in the clinical setting. PMID:27076449

  6. Comparison of long-term (10 years) immunogenicity of two- and three-dose regimens of a combined hepatitis A and B vaccine in adolescents.

    PubMed

    Beran, Jiri; Kervyn, Diane; Wertzova, Veronika; Hobzova, Lenka; Tichy, Petr; Kuriyakose, Sherine; Leyssen, Maarten; Jacquet, Jeanne-Marie

    2010-08-23

    300 adolescents aged 12-15 years were randomised (1:1) into two groups to compare the long-term (10 years) immunogenicity profile of two doses of an Adult formulation [Group HAB_2D: 150; 0-6 months] vs. three doses of a Paediatric formulation [Group HAB_3D: 150; 0-1-6 months] of a combined hepatitis A and B (HAB) vaccine. At Year 10, anti-HAV seropositivity rate was 100% in both groups, while 85.9% and 85.1% subjects in the HAB_2D and HAB_3D groups, respectively, had anti-HBs antibody concentrations > or =10 mIU/mL. The anti-HAV antibody GMCs (HAB_2D: 429.3 mIU/mL; HAB_3D: 335.5 mIU/mL) and anti-HBs antibody GMCs (HAB_2D: 50.6 mIU/mL; HAB_3D: 60.1 mIU/mL) were similar in both groups. No vaccine-related serious adverse events were reported. Hence, with respect to long-term antibody persistence, the two-dose schedule of the combined HAB vaccine Adult formulation is an effective alternative to the conventional three-dose schedule of the Paediatric formulation in adolescents. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Structural constraints-based evaluation of immunogenic avirulent toxins from Clostridium botulinum C2 and C3 toxins as subunit vaccines.

    PubMed

    Prisilla, A; Prathiviraj, R; Sasikala, R; Chellapandi, P

    2016-10-01

    Clostridium botulinum (group-III) is an anaerobic bacterium producing C2 and C3 toxins in addition to botulinum neurotoxins in avian and mammalian cells. C2 and C3 toxins are members of bacterial ADP-ribosyltransferase superfamily, which modify the eukaryotic cell surface proteins by ADP-ribosylation reaction. Herein, the mutant proteins with lack of catalytic and pore forming function derived from C2 (C2I and C2II) and C3 toxins were computationally evaluated to understand their structure-function integrity. We have chosen many structural constraints including local structural environment, folding process, backbone conformation, conformational dynamic sub-space, NAD-binding specificity and antigenic determinants for screening of suitable avirulent toxins. A total of 20 avirulent mutants were identified out of 23 mutants, which were experimentally produced by site-directed mutagenesis. No changes in secondary structural elements in particular to α-helices and β-sheets and also in fold rate of all-β classes. Structural stability was maintained by reordered hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding patterns. Molecular dynamic studies suggested that coupled mutations may restrain the binding affinity to NAD(+) or protein substrate upon structural destabilization. Avirulent toxins of this study have stable energetic backbone conformation with a common blue print of folding process. Molecular docking studies revealed that avirulent mutants formed more favorable hydrogen bonding with the side-chain of amino acids near to conserved NAD-binding core, despite of restraining NAD-binding specificity. Thus, structural constraints in the avirulent toxins would determine their immunogenic nature for the prioritization of protein-based subunit vaccine/immunogens to avian and veterinary animals infected with C. botulinum. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Immunogenicity of Phleum pratense depigmented allergoid vaccines: experimental study in rabbits.

    PubMed

    Iraola, V; Gallego, M T; López-Matas, M A; Morales, M; Bel, I; García, N; Carnés, J

    2012-01-01

    Immunogenicity studies are based on accurate preclinical and clinical assessment of pharmaceutical products. The immunogenicity of modified allergen vaccines has not been fully elucidated, and the mechanisms involved are not well understood. Animal and human models have recently shown that depigmented allergoids induce specific immunoglobulin (Ig) G against individual allergens, thus supporting the clinical efficacy of these vaccines. The aim of this study was to investigate the production of specific IgG against individual antigens and their isoforms in rabbits injected with depigmented allergoid extracts of Phleum pratense pollen. Two New Zealand rabbits were immunized with depigmented-polymerized extracts adsorbed onto aluminum hydroxide (Depigoid) of P pratense. Rabbits were injected 3 times (35 microg Phl p 5). Specific IgG titers against native, depigmented, and depigmented-polymerized extracts and individual allergens (rPhl p 1 and rPhl p 5a) were analyzed by direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The capacity of these synthesized antibodies to recognize individual native and depigmented allergens and different isoforms was evaluated by immunoblot and 2-D analysis. All rabbits produced high titers of specific IgG against the 3 extracts. Rabbits injected with depigmented allergoids produced similar specific antibody titers against native, depigmented, and depigmented-polymerized extracts. Serum samples recognized individual allergens and their isoforms in the nonmodified extracts. Vaccines containing depigmented allergoid extracts of P pratense induce immunogenicity in vivo. The antibodies produced after injection of these extracts clearly recognized allergens and different isoforms in their native configuration.

  9. Development of a microarray-based assay for efficient testing of new HSP70/DnaK inhibitors.

    PubMed

    Mohammadi-Ostad-Kalayeh, Sona; Hrupins, Vjaceslavs; Helmsen, Sabine; Ahlbrecht, Christin; Stahl, Frank; Scheper, Thomas; Preller, Matthias; Surup, Frank; Stadler, Marc; Kirschning, Andreas; Zeilinger, Carsten

    2017-12-15

    A facile method for testing ATP binding in a highly miniaturized microarray environment using human HSP70 and DnaK from Mycobacterium tuberculosis as biological targets is reported. Supported by molecular modelling studies we demonstrate that the position of the fluorescence label on ATP has a strong influence on the binding to human HSP70. Importantly, the label has to be positioned on the adenine ring and not to the terminal phosphate group. Unlabelled ATP displaced bound Cy5-ATP from HSP70 in the micromolar range. The affinity of a well-known HSP70 inhibitor VER155008 for the ATP binding site in HSP70 was determined, with a EC 50 in the micromolar range, whereas reblastin, a HSP90-inhibitor, did not compete for ATP in the presence of HSP70. The applicability of the method was demonstrated by screening a small compound library of natural products. This unraveled that terphenyls rickenyl A and D, recently isolated from cultures of the fungus Hypoxylon rickii, are inhibitors of HSP70. They compete with ATP for the chaperone in the range of 29 µM (Rickenyl D) and 49 µM (Rickenyl A). Furthermore, the microarray-based test system enabled protein-protein interaction analysis using full-length HSP70 and HSP90 proteins. The labelled full-length human HSP90 binds with a half-maximal affinity of 5.5 µg/ml (∼40 µM) to HSP70. The data also demonstrate that the microarray test has potency for many applications from inhibitor screening to target-oriented interaction studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Towards Preserving the Immunogenicity of Protein Antigens Carried by Nanoparticles While Avoiding the Cold Chain

    PubMed Central

    Sloat, Brian R.; Sandoval, Michael A.; Cui, Zhengrong

    2010-01-01

    Nanoparticles are an attractive vaccine carrier with potent adjuvant activity. Data from our previous studies showed that immunization of mice with lecithin/glyceryl monostearate-based nanoparticles with protein antigens conjugated onto their surface induced a strong, quick, and long-lasting antigen-specific immune response. In the present study, we evaluated the feasibility of preserving the immunogenicity of protein antigens carried by nanoparticles without refrigeration using these antigen-conjugated nanoparticles as a model. The nanoparticles were lyophilized, and the immunogenicity of the antigens was evaluated in a mouse model using bovine serum albumin or the Bacillus anthracis protective antigen protein as model antigens. With proper excipients, the nanoparticles can be lyophilized while maintaining the immunogenicity of the antigens. Moreover, the immunogenicity of the model antigen conjugated onto the nanoparticles was undamaged after a relatively extended period of storage at room temperature or under accelerated conditions (37°C) when the nanoparticles were lyophilized with 5% mannitol plus 1% polyvinylpyrrolidone. To our knowledge, the present study represents an early attempt to preserve the immunogenicity of the protein antigens carried by nanoparticles without refrigeration. PMID:20416366

  11. Application of M13 phage display for identifying immunogenic proteins from tick (Ixodes scapularis) saliva.

    PubMed

    Becker, Martin; Felsberger, André; Frenzel, André; Shattuck, Wendy M C; Dyer, Megan; Kügler, Jonas; Zantow, Jonas; Mather, Thomas N; Hust, Michael

    2015-05-30

    Ticks act as vectors for a large number of different pathogens, perhaps most notably Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. The most prominent tick vector in the United States is the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. Tick bites are of special public health concern since there are no vaccines available against most tick-transmitted pathogens. Based on the observation that certain non-natural host animals such as guinea pigs or humans can develop adaptive immune responses to tick bites, anti-tick vaccination is a potential approach to tackle health risks associated with tick bites. The aim of this study was to use an oligopeptide phage display strategy to identify immunogenic salivary gland proteins from I. scapularis that are recognized by human immune sera. Oligopeptide libraries were generated from salivary gland mRNA of 18 h fed nymphal I. scapularis. Eight immunogenic oligopeptides were selected using human immune sera. Three selected immunogenic oligopeptides were cloned and produced as recombinant proteins. The immunogenic character of an identified metalloprotease (MP1) was validated with human sera. This enzyme has been described previously and was hypothesized as immunogenic which was confirmed in this study. Interestingly, it also has close homologs in other Ixodes species. An immunogenic protein of I. scapularis was identified by oligopeptide phage display. MP1 is a potential candidate for vaccine development.

  12. Relationships among L1 Print Exposure and Early L1 Literacy Skills, L2 Aptitude, and L2 Proficiency

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sparks, Richard L.; Patton, Jon; Ganschow, Leonore; Humbach, Nancy

    2012-01-01

    Authors examined the relationship between individual differences in L1 print exposure and differences in early L1 skills and later L2 aptitude, L2 proficiency, and L2 classroom achievement. Participants were administered measures of L1 word decoding, spelling, phonemic awareness, reading comprehension, receptive vocabulary, and listening…

  13. Immunogenicity of the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine among infants in two developing countries in Asia, Bangladesh and Vietnam.

    PubMed

    Shin, Sunheang; Anh, Dang Duc; Zaman, K; Yunus, M; Mai, Le Thi Phuong; Thiem, Vu Dinh; Azim, Tasnim; Victor, John C; Dallas, Michael J; Steele, A Duncan; Neuzil, Kathleen M; Ciarlet, Max

    2012-04-27

    We evaluated the immunogenicity of the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (PRV) in two GAVI-eligible Asian countries, Bangladesh and Vietnam, nested in a larger randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled efficacy trial conducted over a two-year period from 2007 through 2009. 2036 infants were randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive three oral doses of PRV or placebo approximately at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age. Concomitant use of EPI vaccines, including oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) and diphtheria-tetanus-whole cell pertussis (DTwP) vaccine, was encouraged in accordance to the local EPI schedule. A total of 303 infants were evaluated for immunogenicity and blood samples were collected before the first dose (pD1) and approximately 14 days following the third dose (PD3). The seroresponse rates (≥3-fold rise from pD1 to PD3) and geometric mean titers (GMTs) were measured for anti-rotavirus immunoglobulin A (IgA) and serum neutralizing antibody (SNA) to human rotavirus serotypes G1, G2, G3, G4, and P1A[8], respectively. Nearly 88% of the subjects showed a ≥3-fold increase in serum anti-rotavirus IgA response in the analysis of the two countries combined. When analyzed separately, the IgA response was lower in Bangladeshi children (78.1% [95% CI: 66.0, 87.5]) than in Vietnamese children (97.0% [95% CI: 89.6, 99.6]), with a PD3 GMT of 29.1 (units/mL) and 158.5 (units/mL), respectively. In the combined population, the SNA responses to the individual serotypes tested ranged from 10 (G3) to 50 (G1) percentage points lower than the responses shown in the developed countries. However, the SNA response to G3 in Vietnamese subjects was 37.3% (95% CI: 25.8, 50.0), which was similar to the G3 response rate in developed countries. Three oral doses of PRV were immunogenic in two GAVI-eligible Asian countries: Bangladesh and Vietnam. The GMTs of both the serum anti-rotavirus IgA and SNA responses were generally higher in Vietnamese than in Bangladeshi children. The SNA

  14. Immunogenicity and safety of one versus two doses of tetravalent dengue vaccine in healthy children aged 2-17 years in Asia and Latin America: 18-month interim data from a phase 2, randomised, placebo-controlled study.

    PubMed

    Sáez-Llorens, Xavier; Tricou, Vianney; Yu, Delia; Rivera, Luis; Jimeno, José; Villarreal, Ana Cecilia; Dato, Epiphany; Mazara, Sonia; Vargas, Maria; Brose, Manja; Rauscher, Martina; Tuboi, Suely; Borkowski, Astrid; Wallace, Derek

    2018-02-01

    Development of vaccines that are effective against all four dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1-4) in all age groups is important. Here, we present 18-month interim data from an ongoing study undertaken to assess the immunogenicity and safety of Takeda's tetravalent dengue vaccine (TDV) candidate over 48 months in children living in dengue-endemic countries. We undertook a phase 2, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study at three sites in the Dominican Republic, Panama, and the Philippines. We randomly assigned children aged 2-17 years to receive either two TDV doses 3 months apart (group 1), one TDV dose (group 2), one TDV dose and a booster dose 1 year later (group 3), or placebo (group 4). We did the randomisation (1:2:5:1) using an interactive web response system stratified by age. The primary endpoint of this 18-month interim analysis was DENV serotype-specific antibody geometric mean titres (GMTs) in the per-protocol immunogenicity subset on days 1, 28, 91, 180, 365, 393, and 540. Secondary safety endpoints were the proportions of participants with serious adverse events and with virologically confirmed dengue in the safety set, and solicited and unsolicited adverse events in the immunogenicity subset. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02302066. Between Dec 5, 2014, and Feb 13, 2015, 1800 children were randomly assigned to group 1 (n=201), group 2 (n=398), group 3 (n=1002), and group 4 (n=199). 1794 participants received at least one dose of TDV or placebo (safety set), of whom 562 participated in the immunogenicity subset and 509 were included in the per-protocol set. Antibody titres remained elevated 18 months after vaccination in all TDV groups. At day 540, in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, DENV-1 GMTs were 476 (95% CI 286-791), 461 (329-647), 1056 (804-1388), and 92 (49-173); DENV-2 GMTs were 1212 (842-1744), 1242 (947-1628), 1457 (1182-1796), and 177 (93-337); DENV-3 GMTs were 286 (171-478), 298 (205

  15. Role of the E2 Hypervariable Region (HVR1) in the Immunogenicity of a Recombinant Hepatitis C Virus Vaccine

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    ABSTRACT Current evidence supports a protective role for virus-neutralizing antibodies in immunity against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Many cross-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies have been identified. These antibodies have been shown to provide protection or to clear infection in animal models. Previous clinical trials have shown that a gpE1/gpE2 vaccine can induce antibodies that neutralize the in vitro infectivity of all the major cell culture-derived HCV (HCVcc) genotypes around the world. However, cross-neutralization appeared to favor certain genotypes, with significant but lower neutralization against others. HCV may employ epitope masking to avoid antibody-mediated neutralization. Hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) at the amino terminus of glycoprotein E2 has been shown to restrict access to many neutralizing antibodies. Consistent with this, other groups have reported that recombinant viruses lacking HVR1 are hypersensitive to neutralization. It has been proposed that gpE1/gpE2 lacking this domain could be a better vaccine antigen to induce broadly neutralizing antibodies. In this study, we examined the immunogenicity of recombinant gpE1/gpE2 lacking HVR1 (ΔHVR1). Our results indicate that wild-type (WT) and ΔHVR1 gpE1/gpE2 antigens induced antibodies targeting many well-characterized cross-genotype-neutralizing epitopes. However, while the WT gpE1/gpE2 vaccine can induce cross-genotype protection against various genotypes of HCVcc and/or HCV-pseudotyped virus (HCVpp), antisera from ΔHVR1 gpE1/gpE2-immunized animals exhibited either reduced homologous neutralization activity compared to that of the WT or heterologous neutralization activity similar to that of the WT. These data suggest that ΔHVR1 gpE1/gpE2 is not a superior vaccine antigen. Based on previously reported chimpanzee protection data using WT gpE1/gpE2 and our current findings, we are preparing a combination vaccine including wild-type recombinant gpE1/gpE2 for clinical testing in the

  16. Immunoproteomic identification of immunogenic proteins in Cronobacter sakazakii strain BAA-894.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jian; Du, Xin-Jun; Lu, Xiao-Nan; Wang, Shuo

    2013-03-01

    Cronobacter spp. are emerging opportunistic pathogens. Cronobacter sakazakii is considered as the predominant species in all infections. So far, our understanding of the species' immunogens and potential virulence factors of Cronobacter spp. remains limited. In this study, an immunoproteomic approach was used to investigate soluble and insoluble proteins from the genome-sequenced strain C. sakazakii ATCC BAA-894. Proteins were separated using two-dimensional electrophoresis, detected by Western blotting with polyclonal antibodies of C. sakazakii BAA-894, and identified using tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS and MALDI-MS/MS, MS/MSMS). A total of 11 immunoreactive proteins were initially identified in C. sakazakii BAA-894, including two outer membrane proteins, four periplasmic proteins, and five cytoplasmic proteins. In silico functional analysis of the 11 identified proteins indicated three proteins that were initially described as immunogens of pathogenic bacteria. For the remaining eight proteins, one protein was categorized as a potential virulence factor involved in protection against reactive oxygen species, and seven proteins were considered to play potential roles in adhesion, invasion, and biofilm formation. To our knowledge, this is the first time that immunogenic proteins of C. sakazakii BAA-894 have been identified as immunogens and potential virulence factors by an immunoproteomics approach. Future studies should investigate the roles of these proteins in bacterial pathogenesis and modulation of host immune responses during infection to identify their potential as molecular therapeutic targets.

  17. Immunogenicity of biologically-derived therapeutics: assessment and interpretation of nonclinical safety studies.

    PubMed

    Ponce, Rafael; Abad, Leslie; Amaravadi, Lakshmi; Gelzleichter, Thomas; Gore, Elizabeth; Green, James; Gupta, Shalini; Herzyk, Danuta; Hurst, Christopher; Ivens, Inge A; Kawabata, Thomas; Maier, Curtis; Mounho, Barbara; Rup, Bonita; Shankar, Gopi; Smith, Holly; Thomas, Peter; Wierda, Dan

    2009-07-01

    An evaluation of potential antibody formation to biologic therapeutics during the course of nonclinical safety studies and its impact on the toxicity profile is expected under current regulatory guidance and is accepted standard practice. However, approaches for incorporating this information in the interpretation of nonclinical safety studies are not clearly established. Described here are the immunological basis of anti-drug antibody formation to biopharmaceuticals (immunogenicity) in laboratory animals, and approaches for generating and interpreting immunogenicity data from nonclinical safety studies of biotechnology-derived therapeutics to support their progression to clinical evaluation. We subscribe that immunogenicity testing strategies should be adapted to the specific needs of each therapeutic development program, and data generated from such analyses should be integrated with available clinical and anatomic pathology, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic data to properly interpret nonclinical studies.

  18. Immunogenicity of HPV prophylactic vaccines: Serology assays and their use in HPV vaccine evaluation and development.

    PubMed

    Pinto, Ligia A; Dillner, Joakim; Beddows, Simon; Unger, Elizabeth R

    2018-01-17

    When administered as standard three-dose schedules, the licensed HPV prophylactic vaccines have demonstrated extraordinary immunogenicity and efficacy. We summarize the immunogenicity of these licensed vaccines and the most commonly used serology assays, with a focus on key considerations for one-dose vaccine schedules. Although immune correlates of protection against infection are not entirely clear, both preclinical and clinical evidence point to neutralizing antibodies as the principal mechanism of protection. Thus, immunogenicity assessments in vaccine trials have focused on measurements of antibody responses to the vaccine. Non-inferiority of antibody responses after two doses of HPV vaccines separated by 6 months has been demonstrated and this evidence supported the recent WHO recommendations for two-dose vaccination schedules in both boys and girls 9-14 years of age. There is also some evidence suggesting that one dose of HPV vaccines may provide protection similar to the currently recommended two-dose regimens but robust data on efficacy and immunogenicity of one-dose vaccine schedules are lacking. In addition, immunogenicity has been assessed and reported using different methods, precluding direct comparison of results between different studies and vaccines. New head-to-head vaccine trials evaluating one-dose immunogenicity and efficacy have been initiated and an increase in the number of trials relying on immunobridging is anticipated. Therefore, standardized measurement and reporting of immunogenicity for the up to nine HPV types targeted by the current vaccines is now critical. Building on previous HPV serology assay standardization and harmonization efforts initiated by the WHO HPV LabNet in 2006, new secondary standards, critical reference reagents and testing guidelines will be generated as part of a new partnership to facilitate harmonization of the immunogenicity testing in new HPV vaccine trials. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

  19. Low immunogenicity of allogeneic human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and in vivo

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, Miyoung; Jeong, Sang Young; Ha, Jueun

    2014-04-18

    Highlights: • hUCB-MSCs maintained low immunogenicity even after immune challenge in vitro. • Humanized NSG mice were established using human UCB CD34+ cells. • Repeated intravenous hUCB-MSC injection into mice did not lead to immune responses and adverse events. • Allogeneic hUCB-MSCs maintained low immunogenicity in vitro and in vivo. - Abstract: Evaluation of the immunogenicity of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in an allogeneic setting during therapy has been hampered by lack of suitable models due to technical and ethical limitations. Here, we show that allogeneic human umbilical cord blood derived-MSCs (hUCB-MSCs) maintained low immunogenicity even after immune challengemore » in vitro. To confirm these properties in vivo, a humanized mouse model was established by injecting isolated hUCB-derived CD34+ cells intravenously into immunocompromised NOD/SCID IL2γnull (NSG) mice. After repeated intravenous injection of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs) or MRC5 cells into these mice, immunological alterations including T cell proliferation and increased IFN-γ, TNF-α, and human IgG levels, were observed. In contrast, hUCB-MSC injection did not elicit these responses. While lymphocyte infiltration in the lung and small intestine and reduced survival rates were observed after hPBMC or MRC5 transplantation, no adverse events were observed following hUCB-MSC introduction. In conclusion, our data suggest that allogeneic hUCB-MSCs have low immunogenicity in vitro and in vivo, and are therefore “immunologically safe” for use in allogeneic clinical applications.« less

  20. Immunogenicity, Protective Efficacy, and Non-Replicative Status of the HSV-2 Vaccine Candidate HSV529 in Mice and Guinea Pigs

    PubMed Central

    Bernard, Marie-Clotilde; Barban, Véronique; Pradezynski, Fabrine; de Montfort, Aymeric; Ryall, Robert; Caillet, Catherine; Londono-Hayes, Patricia

    2015-01-01

    HSV-2 vaccine is needed to prevent genital disease, latent infection, and virus transmission. A replication-deficient mutant virus (dl5-29) has demonstrated promising efficacy in animal models of genital herpes. However, the immunogenicity, protective efficacy, and non-replicative status of the highly purified clinical vaccine candidate (HSV529) derived from dl5-29 have not been evaluated. Humoral and cellular immune responses were measured in mice and guinea pigs immunized with HSV529. Protection against acute and recurrent genital herpes, mortality, latent infection, and viral shedding after vaginal HSV-2 infection was determined in mice or in naïve and HSV-1 seropositive guinea pigs. HSV529 replication and pathogenicity were investigated in three sensitive models of virus replication: severe combined immunodeficient (SCID/Beige) mice inoculated by the intramuscular route, suckling mice inoculated by the intracranial route, and vaginally-inoculated guinea pigs. HSV529 immunization induced HSV-2-neutralizing antibody production in mice and guinea pigs. In mice, it induced production of specific HSV-2 antibodies and splenocytes secreting IFNγ or IL-5. Immunization effectively prevented HSV-2 infection in all three animal models by reducing mortality, acute genital disease severity and frequency, and viral shedding. It also reduced ganglionic viral latency and recurrent disease in naïve and HSV-1 seropositive guinea pigs. HSV529 replication/propagation was not detected in the muscles of SCID/Beige mice, in the brains of suckling mice, or in vaginal secretions of inoculated guinea pigs. These results confirm the non-replicative status, as well as its immunogenicity and efficacy in mice and guinea pigs, including HSV-1 seropositive guinea pigs. In mice, HSV529 produced Th1/Th2 characteristic immune response thought to be necessary for an effective vaccine. These results further support the clinical investigation of HSV529 in human subjects as a prophylactic vaccine

  1. [The effect of aluminum adjuvant and immunization schedule on immunogenicity of Sabin inactivated poliovirus vaccine].

    PubMed

    Wang, Fang; Zhang, Ming; Xie, Bing-Feng; Cao, Han; Tong, Shao-Yong; Wang, Jun-Rong; Yu, Xiao-Ping; Tang, Yang; Yang, Jing-Ran; Sun, Ming-Bo

    2013-04-01

    To study the effect of aluminume adjuvant and immunization schedule on immunogenicity of Sabin inactivated poliovirus vaccine. Four batches of Sabin IPV were produced by different concentrations of type 1, 2, and 3 poliovirus and administrated on three-dose schedule at 0, 1, 2 months and 0, 2, 4 months on rats. Serum samples were collected one month after each dose and neutralizing antibody titers against three types poliovirus were determined by micro-neutralization assay. The GMTs of neutralizing antibodies against three types poliovirus increased significantly and the seropositivity rates were 100% in all groups after 3 doses. There was no significant difference between two immunization schedules, and the 0, 2, 4 month schedule could induce higher level neutralizing antibody compared to the 0, 1, 2 month schedule. The groups with aluminum adjuvant could induce higher level neutralizing antibody compared to the groups without adjuvant. Aluminum djuvant and immunization schedule could improve the immunogenicity of Sabin IPV.

  2. Can dendritic cells improve whole cancer cell vaccines based on immunogenically killed cancer cells?

    PubMed Central

    Cicchelero, Laetitia; Denies, Sofie; Devriendt, Bert; de Rooster, Hilde; Sanders, Niek N

    2015-01-01

    Immunogenic cell death (ICD) offers interesting opportunities in cancer cell (CC) vaccine manufacture, as it increases the immunogenicity of the dead CC. Furthermore, fusion of CCs with dendritic cells (DCs) is considered a superior method for generating whole CC vaccines. Therefore, in this work, we determined in naive mice whether immunogenically killed CCs per se (CC vaccine) elicit an antitumoral immune response different from the response observed when immunogenically killed CCs are associated with DCs through fusion (fusion vaccine) or through co-incubation (co-incubation vaccine). After tumor inoculation, the type of immune response in the prophylactically vaccinated mice differed between the groups. In more detail, fusion vaccines elicited a humoral anticancer response, whereas the co-incubation and CC vaccine mainly induced a cellular response. Despite these differences, all three approaches offered a prophylactic protection against tumor development in the murine mammary carcinoma model. In summary, it can be concluded that whole CC vaccines based on immunogenically killed CCs may not necessarily require association with DCs to elicit a protective anticancer immune response. If this finding can be endorsed in other cancer models, the manufacture of CC vaccines would greatly benefit from this new insight, as production of DC-based vaccines is laborious, time-consuming and expensive. PMID:26587315

  3. Safety and immunogenicity of an investigational meningococcal ACWY conjugate vaccine (MenACWY-CRM) in healthy Indian subjects aged 2 to 75 years.

    PubMed

    Lalwani, Sanjay; Agarkhedkar, Sharad; Gogtay, Nithya; Palkar, Sonali; Agarkhedkar, Shalaka; Thatte, Urmila; Vakil, Hoshang; Jonnalagedda, Rekha; Pedotti, Paola; Hoyle, Margaret; Bhusal, Chiranjiwi; Arora, Ashwani

    2015-09-01

    This phase 3, multi-center, open-label study evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of a quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY-CRM, Menveo(®); Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics S.r.l., Siena, Italy) in healthy Indian subjects aged 2-75 years, to provide data for licensure in India. A total of 180 subjects were enrolled (60 subjects 2-10 years, 60 subjects 11-18 years, and 60 subjects 19-75 years) and received one dose of MenACWY-CRM. Serum bactericidal activity with human complement (hSBA) was measured before and 1 month after vaccination. Adverse events were collected throughout the 29-day study period. Percentages of subjects with post-vaccination hSBA ≥8 were 72%, 95%, 94%, and 90% for serogroups A, C, W, and Y, respectively. Geometric mean titers rose 7-fold to 42-fold against the four serogroups. Similar immune responses were observed for the age subgroups 2-10 years, 11-18 years, and 19-75 years. Seroresponse rates at 1 month following vaccination were 72%, 88%, 55%, and 71% for serogroups A, C, W, and Y, respectively. The vaccine was well tolerated with no safety concerns. A single dose of MenACWY-CRM induced a robust immune response against all four meningococcal serogroups and was well tolerated in an Indian population 2-75 years of age. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  4. [Modification of L-asparaginase with colominic acid and the new characteristics of the modified enzyme].

    PubMed

    Wang, Y D; Guo, L; Qian, S J; Meng, G Z; Zhang, S Z

    2000-07-01

    The colominic acid was covalently coupled to L-asparaginase molecule by reductive amination. Depending on the molar ratios of colominic acid-asparaginase (30:1, 50:1 and 100:1), a modified enzyme molecule contained 4.7, 7.2 and 12 colominic acid molecule, they retained 58%, 56% and 33.2% of the initial asparaginase activity, respectively. In comparison with the native enzyme, modified enzyme had lower immunogenicity and antigenicity, longer half-life time (in vitro), more resistance ability to trypsin proteolysis, and similar Km value for L-asparagine.

  5. Evaluation of the safety and immunogenicity of two antigen concentrations of the Mtb72F/AS02(A) candidate tuberculosis vaccine in purified protein derivative-negative adults.

    PubMed

    Leroux-Roels, Isabel; Leroux-Roels, Geert; Ofori-Anyinam, Opokua; Moris, Philippe; De Kock, Els; Clement, Frédéric; Dubois, Marie-Claude; Koutsoukos, Marguerite; Demoitié, Marie-Ange; Cohen, Joe; Ballou, W Ripley

    2010-11-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major cause of illness and death worldwide, making a new TB vaccine an urgent public health priority. Purified protein derivative (PPD)-negative adults (n = 50) were equally randomized to receive 3 doses at 1-month intervals (at 0, 1, and 2 months) of one of the following vaccines: Mtb72F/AS02(A) (10 or 40 μg antigen), Mtb72F/saline (10 or 40 μg antigen), or AS02(A). Mtb72F/AS02(A) recipients received an additional dose 1 year after the first dose to evaluate if the elicited immune response could be boosted. Mtb72F/AS02(A) vaccines were locally reactogenic but clinically well tolerated, with transient adverse events (usually lasting between 1 and 4 days) that resolved without sequelae being observed. No vaccine-related serious adverse events were reported. Vaccination with Mtb72F/AS02(A) induced a strong Mtb72F-specific humoral response and a robust Mtb72F-specific CD4(+) T-cell response, both of which persisted at 9 months after primary immunization and for 1 year after the booster immunization. There was no significant difference between the magnitude of the CD4(+) T-cell response induced by the 10-μg and 40-μg Mtb72F/AS02(A) vaccines. The Mtb72F-specific CD4(+) T cells predominantly expressed CD40L; CD40L and interleukin-2 (IL-2); CD40L and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α); CD40L, IL-2, and TNF-α; and CD40L, IL-2, TNF-α, and gamma interferon (IFN-γ). Serum IFN-γ, but not TNF-α, was detected 1 day after doses 2 and 3 for the Mtb72F/AS02(A) vaccine but did not persist. Vaccine-induced CD8(+) T-cell responses were not detected, and no immune responses were elicited with AS02(A) alone. In conclusion, Mtb72F/AS02(A) is clinically well tolerated and is highly immunogenic in TB-naïve adults. The 10- and 40-μg Mtb72F/AS02(A) vaccines show comparable safety and immunogenicity profiles.

  6. Immunogenicity and safety of two doses of catch-up immunization with Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine in Indian children living with HIV.

    PubMed

    Arya, Bikas K; Bhattacharya, Sangeeta Das; Sutcliffe, Catherine G; Saha, Malay K; Bhattacharyya, Subhasish; Niyogi, Swapan Kumar; Moss, William J; Panda, Samiran; Das, Ranjan Saurav; Mallick, Mausom; Mandal, Sutapa

    2016-04-27

    Children living with HIV are at increased risk of disease from Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). Data are limited on the immunogenicity of a two-dose, catch-up schedule for Hib conjugate vaccine (HibCV) among HIV-infected children accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART) late. The objectives of the study were to: (1) evaluate baseline immunity to Hib and the immunogenicity and safety of two doses of HibCV among HIV-infected Indian children; and (2) document the threshold antibody level required to prevent Hib colonization among HIV-infected children following immunization. We conducted a prospective cohort study among HIV-infected children 2-15 years of age and HIV-uninfected children 2-5 years of age. HIV-infected children received two doses of HibCV and uninfected children received one. Serum anti-Hib PRP IgG antibodies were measured at baseline and two months after immunization in the HIV-infected children. Nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs were collected at baseline and follow-up. 125 HIV-infected and 44 uninfected children participated. 40% of HIV-infected children were receiving ART and 26% had a viral load >100,000 copies/mL. The geometric mean concentration of serum anti-Hib PRP antibody increased from 0.25 μg/mL at baseline to 2.65 μg/mL after two doses of HibCV, representing a 10.6-fold increase (p<0.0001). 76% percent of HIV-infected children mounted an immune response. Moderate or severe immune suppression, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis, and lower baseline antibody levels were associated with lower post-vaccine serum anti-Hib PRP IgG antibodies. A serum anti-Hib PRP IgG antibody level ≥ 3.3 μg/mL was protective against Hib NP colonization. There were no differences in adverse events between HIV-infected and uninfected children. Including a catch-up immunization schedule for older HIV infected children in countries introducing Hib vaccines is important. Older HIV-infected children with delayed access to ART and without suppressed viral loads

  7. Epstein-Barr virus-encoded EBNA2 alters immune checkpoint PD-L1 expression by downregulating miR-34a in B-cell lymphomas.

    PubMed

    Anastasiadou, Eleni; Stroopinsky, Dina; Alimperti, Stella; Jiao, Alan L; Pyzer, Athalia R; Cippitelli, Claudia; Pepe, Giuseppina; Severa, Martina; Rosenblatt, Jacalyn; Etna, Marilena P; Rieger, Simone; Kempkes, Bettina; Coccia, Eliana M; Sui, Shannan J Ho; Chen, Christopher S; Uccini, Stefania; Avigan, David; Faggioni, Alberto; Trivedi, Pankaj; Slack, Frank J

    2018-06-26

    Cancer cells subvert host immune surveillance by altering immune checkpoint (IC) proteins. Some Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated tumors have higher Programmed Cell Death Ligand, PD-L1 expression. However, it is not known how EBV alters ICs in the context of its preferred host, the B lymphocyte and in derived lymphomas. Here, we found that latency III-expressing Burkitt lymphoma (BL), diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) or their EBNA2-transfected derivatives express high PD-L1. In a DLBCL model, EBNA2 but not LMP1 is sufficient to induce PD-L1. Latency III-expressing DLBCL biopsies showed high levels of PD-L1. The PD-L1 targeting oncosuppressor microRNA miR-34a was downregulated in EBNA2-transfected lymphoma cells. We identified early B-cell factor 1 (EBF1) as a repressor of miR-34a transcription. Short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown of EBF1 was sufficient to induce miR-34a transcription, which in turn reduced PD-L1. MiR-34a reconstitution in EBNA2-transfected DLBCL reduced PD-L1 expression and increased its immunogenicity in mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR) and in three-dimensional biomimetic microfluidic chips. Given the importance of PD-L1 inhibition in immunotherapy and miR-34a dysregulation in cancers, our findings may have important implications for combinatorial immunotherapy, which include IC inhibiting antibodies and miR-34a, for EBV-associated cancers.

  8. Immunogenicity, reactogenicity and safety of human rotavirus vaccine (RIX4414) in Indian infants.

    PubMed

    Narang, Anil; Bose, Anuradha; Pandit, Anand Nilkanth; Dutta, Phalguni; Kang, Gagandeep; Bhattacharya, Sujit Kumar; Datta, Sanjoy Kumar; Suryakiran, P V; Delem, Andrée; Han, Htay Htay; Bock, Hans Ludwig

    2009-06-01

    This study was undertaken to assess the immunogenicity, reactogenicity and safety of two doses of an oral live-attenuated human rotavirus vaccine, strain RIX4414 (Rotarix()) in an Indian setting. The seroconversion rate observed one month post-dose 2 in the RIX4414 group 58.3% [95% CI: 48.7; 67.4] was significantly higher when compared to the placebo group 6.3%; [95% CI: 2.5; 12.5]. The reactogenicity and safety profile was similar for both groups. Healthy infants (N = 363), approximately eight weeks of age were enrolled to receive two doses of RIX4414 vaccine (n = 182) or placebo (n = 181) separated by one month. To assess the immune response, blood samples were taken before vaccination and one month post-dose 2 of RIX4414/placebo. Solicited symptoms were collected for eight-days post each dose and safety data was collected throughout the study. Two doses of RIX4414 (Rotarix()) were immunogenic, had a good safety profile and were well-tolerated when administered to healthy Indian infants. ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT00289172; eTrack 103792.

  9. Randomized phase I trial HIV-CORE 003: Depletion of serum amyloid P component and immunogenicity of DNA vaccination against HIV-1.

    PubMed

    Borthwick, Nicola J; Lane, Thirusha; Moyo, Nathifa; Crook, Alison; Shim, Jung Min; Baines, Ian; Wee, Edmund G; Hawkins, Philip N; Gillmore, Julian D; Hanke, Tomáš; Pepys, Mark B

    2018-01-01

    The failure of DNA vaccination in humans, in contrast to its efficacy in some species, is unexplained. Observational and interventional experimental evidence suggests that DNA immunogenicity may be prevented by binding of human serum amyloid P component (SAP). SAP is the single normal DNA binding protein in human plasma. The drug (R)-1-[6-[(R)-2-carboxypyrrolidin-1-yl]-6-oxo-hexanoyl]pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid (CPHPC, miridesap), developed for treatment of systemic amyloidosis and Alzheimer's disease, depletes circulating SAP by 95-99%. The proof-of-concept HIV-CORE 003 clinical trial tested whether SAP depletion by CPHPC would enhance the immune response in human volunteers to DNA vaccination delivering the HIVconsv immunogen derived from conserved sub-protein regions of HIV-1. Human volunteers received 3 intramuscular immunizations with an experimental DNA vaccine (DDD) expressing HIV-1-derived immunogen HIVconsv, with or without prior depletion of SAP by CPHPC. All subjects were subsequently boosted by simian (chimpanzee) adenovirus (C)- and poxvirus MVA (M)-vectored vaccines delivering the same immunogen. After administration of each vaccine modality, the peak total magnitudes, kinetics, functionality and memory subsets of the T-cell responses to HIVconsv were thoroughly characterized. No differences were observed between the CPHPC treated and control groups in any of the multiple quantitative and qualitative parameters of the T-cell responses to HIVconsv, except that after SAP depletion, there was a statistically significantly greater breadth of T-cell specificities, that is the number of recognized epitopes, following the DDDC vaccination. The protocol used here for SAP depletion by CPHPC prior to DNA vaccination produced only a very modest suggestion of enhanced immunogenicity. Further studies will be required to determine whether SAP depletion might have a practical value in DNA vaccination for other plasmid backbones and/or immunogens. Clinicaltrials

  10. Towards preserving the immunogenicity of protein antigens carried by nanoparticles while avoiding the cold chain.

    PubMed

    Sloat, Brian R; Sandoval, Michael A; Cui, Zhengrong

    2010-06-30

    Nanoparticles are an attractive vaccine carrier with potent adjuvant activity. Data from our previous studies showed that immunization of mice with lecithin/glyceryl monostearate-based nanoparticles with protein antigens conjugated onto their surface induced a strong, quick, and long-lasting antigen-specific immune response. In the present study, we evaluated the feasibility of preserving the immunogenicity of protein antigens carried by nanoparticles without refrigeration using these antigen-conjugated nanoparticles as a model. The nanoparticles were lyophilized, and the immunogenicity of the antigens was evaluated in a mouse model using bovine serum albumin or the Bacillus anthracis protective antigen protein as model antigens. With proper excipients, the nanoparticles can be lyophilized while maintaining the immunogenicity of the antigens. Moreover, the immunogenicity of the model antigen conjugated onto the nanoparticles was undamaged after a relatively extended period of storage at room temperature or under accelerated conditions (37 degrees C) when the nanoparticles were lyophilized with 5% mannitol plus 1% polyvinylpyrrolidone. To our knowledge, the present study represents an early attempt to preserve the immunogenicity of the protein antigens carried by nanoparticles without refrigeration. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Comparative Genomics and Proteomic Analysis of Four Non-tuberculous Mycobacterium Species and Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex: Occurrence of Shared Immunogenic Proteins

    PubMed Central

    Gcebe, Nomakorinte; Michel, Anita; Gey van Pittius, Nicolaas C.; Rutten, Victor

    2016-01-01

    identified a total of 609 proteins in the six PPDs and 22 of these were identified as shared between PPD of M.bovis and one or more of the NTM PPDs. Previously characterized M tuberculosis/M. bovis homologous immunogenic proteins detected in one or more of the nonpathogenic NTM in this study included CFP-10 (detected in M. malmesburii sp. nov. PPD), GroES (detected in all NTM PPDs but M. malmesburii sp. nov.), DnaK (detected in all NTM PPDs), and GroEL (detected in all NTM PPDs). This study confirms reports that the ESX-1, ESX-3, and ESX-4 regions are ancestral regions and thus found in the genomes of most mycobacteria. Identification of NTM homologs of immunogenic proteins warrants further investigation of their ability to cause cross-reactive immune responses with MTBC antigens. PMID:27375559

  12. Accurate structure prediction of peptide–MHC complexes for identifying highly immunogenic antigens

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Park, Min-Sun; Park, Sung Yong; Miller, Keith R.

    2013-11-01

    Designing an optimal HIV-1 vaccine faces the challenge of identifying antigens that induce a broad immune capacity. One factor to control the breadth of T cell responses is the surface morphology of a peptide–MHC complex. Here, we present an in silico protocol for predicting peptide–MHC structure. A robust signature of a conformational transition was identified during all-atom molecular dynamics, which results in a model with high accuracy. A large test set was used in constructing our protocol and we went another step further using a blind test with a wild-type peptide and two highly immunogenic mutants, which predicted substantial conformationalmore » changes in both mutants. The center residues at position five of the analogs were configured to be accessible to solvent, forming a prominent surface, while the residue of the wild-type peptide was to point laterally toward the side of the binding cleft. We then experimentally determined the structures of the blind test set, using high resolution of X-ray crystallography, which verified predicted conformational changes. Our observation strongly supports a positive association of the surface morphology of a peptide–MHC complex to its immunogenicity. Our study offers the prospect of enhancing immunogenicity of vaccines by identifying MHC binding immunogens.« less

  13. Immunogenicity of 2 doses of HPV vaccine in younger adolescents vs 3 doses in young women: a randomized clinical trial.

    PubMed

    Dobson, Simon R M; McNeil, Shelly; Dionne, Marc; Dawar, Meena; Ogilvie, Gina; Krajden, Mel; Sauvageau, Chantal; Scheifele, David W; Kollmann, Tobias R; Halperin, Scott A; Langley, Joanne M; Bettinger, Julie A; Singer, Joel; Money, Deborah; Miller, Dianne; Naus, Monika; Marra, Fawziah; Young, Eric

    2013-05-01

    Global use of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to prevent cervical cancer is impeded by cost. A 2-dose schedule for girls may be possible. To determine whether mean antibody levels to HPV-16 and HPV-18 among girls receiving 2 doses was noninferior to women receiving 3 doses. Randomized, phase 3, postlicensure, multicenter, age-stratified, noninferiority immunogenicity study of 830 Canadian females from August 2007 through February 2011. Follow-up blood samples were provided by 675 participants (81%). Girls (9-13 years) were randomized 1:1 to receive 3 doses of quadrivalent HPV vaccine at 0, 2, and 6 months (n = 261) or 2 doses at 0 and 6 months (n = 259). Young women (16-26 years) received 3 doses at 0, 2, and 6 months (n = 310). Antibody levels were measured at 0, 7, 18, 24, and 36 months. Primary outcome was noninferiority (95% CI, lower bound >0.5) of geometric mean titer (GMT) ratios for HPV-16 and HPV-18 for girls (2 doses) compared with young women (3 doses) 1 month after last dose. Secondary outcomes were noninferiority of GMT ratios of girls receiving 2 vs 3 doses of vaccine; and durability of noninferiority to 36 months. The GMT ratios were noninferior for girls (2 doses) to women (3 doses): 2.07 (95% CI, 1.62-2.65) for HPV-16 and 1.76 (95% CI, 1.41-2.19) for HPV-18. Girls (3 doses) had GMT responses 1 month after last vaccination for HPV-16 of 7736 milli-Merck units per mL (mMU/mL) (95% CI, 6651-8999) and HPV-18 of 1730 mMU/mL (95% CI, 1512-1980). The GMT ratios were noninferior for girls (2 doses) to girls (3 doses): 0.95 (95% CI, 0.73-1.23) for HPV-16 and 0.68 (95% CI, 0.54-0.85) for HPV-18. The GMT ratios for girls (2 doses) to women (3 doses) remained noninferior for all genotypes to 36 months. Antibody responses in girls were noninferior after 2 doses vs 3 doses for all 4 vaccine genotypes at month 7, but not for HPV-18 by month 24 or HPV-6 by month 36. Among girls who received 2 doses of HPV vaccine 6 months apart, responses to HPV-16 and HPV-18

  14. Developing novel immunogens for a safe and effective Alzheimer's disease vaccine.

    PubMed

    Lemere, Cynthia A

    2009-01-01

    , a safe and effective active Abeta vaccine would be more cost-effective and more readily available to a larger AD population. We have developed several novel short Abeta immunogens that target the Abeta N-terminus containing a strong B cell epitope while avoiding the Abeta mid-region and C-terminus containing T cell epitopes. These immunogens include dendrimeric Abeta1-15 (16 copies of Abeta1-15 on a lysine antigen tree), 2xAbeta1-15 (a tandem repeat of two lysine-linked Abeta1-15 peptides), and 2xAbeta1-15 with the addition of a three amino acid RGD motif (R-2xAbeta1-15). Intranasal immunization with our short Abeta fragment immunogens and a mucosal adjuvant, mutant Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin LT(R192G), resulted in reduced cerebral Abeta levels, plaque deposition, and gliosis, as well as increased plasma Abeta levels and improved cognition in a transgenic mouse model of AD. Preclinical trials in nonhuman primates, and human clinical trials using similar Abeta immunogens, are now underway. Abeta immunotherapy looks promising but must be made safer and more effective at generating antibody titers in the elderly. It is hoped that these novel immunogens will enhance Abeta antibody generation across a broad population and avoid the adverse events seen in the earlier clinical trial.

  15. Mucosal immunogenicity of plant lectins in mice

    PubMed Central

    Lavelle, E C; Grant, G; Pusztai, A; Pfüller, U; O’Hagan, D T

    2000-01-01

    The mucosal immunogenicity of a number of plant lectins with different sugar specificities was investigated in mice. Following intranasal (i.n.) or oral administration, the systemic and mucosal antibody responses elicited were compared with those induced by a potent mucosal immunogen (cholera toxin; CT) and a poorly immunogenic protein (ovalbumin; OVA). After three oral or i.n. doses of CT, high levels of specific serum antibodies were measured and specific IgA was detected in the serum, saliva, vaginal wash, nasal wash and gut wash of mice. Immunization with OVA elicited low titres of serum IgG but specific IgA was not detected in mucosal secretions. Both oral and i.n. delivery of all five plant lectins investigated [Viscum album (mistletoe lectin 1; ML‐1), Lycospersicum esculentum (tomato lectin; LEA), Phaseolus vulgaris (PHA), Triticum vulgaris (wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), Ulex europaeus I (UEA‐1)] stimulated the production of specific serum IgG and IgA antibody after three i.n. or oral doses. Immunization with ML‐1 induced high titres of serum IgG and IgA in addition to specific IgA in mucosal secretions. The response to orally delivered ML‐1 was comparable to that induced by CT, although a 10‐fold higher dose was administered. Immunization with LEA also induced high titres of serum IgG, particularly after i.n. delivery. Low specific IgA titres were also detected to LEA in mucosal secretions. Responses to PHA, WGA and UEA‐1 were measured at a relatively low level in the serum, and little or no specific mucosal IgA was detected. PMID:10651938

  16. Homology analysis and cross-immunogenicity of OmpA from pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia pestis.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yuhuang; Duan, Ran; Li, Xu; Li, Kewei; Liang, Junrong; Liu, Chang; Qiu, Haiyan; Xiao, Yuchun; Jing, Huaiqi; Wang, Xin

    2015-12-01

    The outer membrane protein A (OmpA) is one of the intra-species conserved proteins with immunogenicity widely found in the family of Enterobacteriaceae. Here we first confirmed OmpA is conserved in the three pathogenic Yersinia: Yersinia pestis, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica, with high homology at the nucleotide level and at the amino acid sequence level. The identity of ompA sequences for 262 Y. pestis strains, 134 Y. pseudotuberculosis strains and 219 pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains are 100%, 98.8% and 97.7% similar. The main pattern of OmpA of pathogenic Yersinia are 86.2% and 88.8% identical at the nucleotide and amino acid sequence levels, respectively. Immunological analysis showed the immunogenicity of each OmpA and cross-immunogenicity of OmpA for pathogenic Yersinia where OmpA may be a vaccine candidate for Y. pestis and other pathogenic Yersinia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Allergenicity, immunogenicity and dose-relationship of three intact allergen vaccines and four allergoid vaccines for subcutaneous grass pollen immunotherapy

    PubMed Central

    Henmar, H; Lund, G; Lund, L; Petersen, A; Würtzen, P A

    2008-01-01

    Different vaccines containing intact allergens or chemically modified allergoids as active ingredients are commercially available for specific immunotherapy. Allergoids are claimed to have decreased allergenicity without loss of immunogenicity and this is stated to allow administration of high allergoid doses. We compared the allergenicity and immunogenicity of four commercially available chemically modified grass pollen allergoid products with three commercially available intact grass pollen allergen vaccines. The allergenicity was investigated with immunoglobulin (Ig)E-inhibition and basophil activation assays. Human T cell proliferation and specific IgG-titres following mouse immunizations were used to address immunogenicity. Furthermore, intact allergen vaccines with different contents of active ingredients were selected to study the influence of the allergen dose. In general, a lower allergenicity for allergen vaccines was clearly linked to a reduced immunogenicity. Compared with the vaccine with the highest amount of intact allergen, the allergoids caused reduced basophil activation as well as diminished immunogenicity demonstrated by reduced T cell activation and/or reduced induction of murine grass-specific IgG antibodies. Interestingly, intact allergen vaccines with lower content of active ingredient exhibited similarly reduced allergenicity, while immunogenicity was still higher or equal to that of allergoids. The low allergenicity observed for some allergoids was inherently linked to a significantly lower immunogenic response questioning the rationale behind the chemical modification into allergoids. In addition, the linkage between allergenicity, immunogenicity and dose found for intact allergen vaccines and the immunogen as well as allergenic immune responses observed for allergoids suggest that the modified allergen vaccines do not contain high doses of immunologically active ingredients. PMID:18647321

  18. Allergenicity, immunogenicity and dose-relationship of three intact allergen vaccines and four allergoid vaccines for subcutaneous grass pollen immunotherapy.

    PubMed

    Henmar, H; Lund, G; Lund, L; Petersen, A; Würtzen, P A

    2008-09-01

    Different vaccines containing intact allergens or chemically modified allergoids as active ingredients are commercially available for specific immunotherapy. Allergoids are claimed to have decreased allergenicity without loss of immunogenicity and this is stated to allow administration of high allergoid doses. We compared the allergenicity and immunogenicity of four commercially available chemically modified grass pollen allergoid products with three commercially available intact grass pollen allergen vaccines. The allergenicity was investigated with immunoglobulin (Ig)E-inhibition and basophil activation assays. Human T cell proliferation and specific IgG-titres following mouse immunizations were used to address immunogenicity. Furthermore, intact allergen vaccines with different contents of active ingredients were selected to study the influence of the allergen dose. In general, a lower allergenicity for allergen vaccines was clearly linked to a reduced immunogenicity. Compared with the vaccine with the highest amount of intact allergen, the allergoids caused reduced basophil activation as well as diminished immunogenicity demonstrated by reduced T cell activation and/or reduced induction of murine grass-specific IgG antibodies. Interestingly, intact allergen vaccines with lower content of active ingredient exhibited similarly reduced allergenicity, while immunogenicity was still higher or equal to that of allergoids. The low allergenicity observed for some allergoids was inherently linked to a significantly lower immunogenic response questioning the rationale behind the chemical modification into allergoids. In addition, the linkage between allergenicity, immunogenicity and dose found for intact allergen vaccines and the immunogen as well as allergenic immune responses observed for allergoids suggest that the modified allergen vaccines do not contain high doses of immunologically active ingredients.

  19. Expression and immunogenicity of novel subunit enterovirus 71 VP1 antigens

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Xu, Juan; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Nanjing Medical University; Wang, Shixia

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer EV71 is a major emerging infectious disease in many Asian countries. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Inactivated EV71 vaccines are in clinical studies but their safety and efficacy are unknown. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Developing subunit based EV71 vaccines is significant and novel antigen design is needed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer DNA immunization is an efficient tool to test the immunogenicity of VP1 based EV71 vaccines. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Multiple VP1 antigens are developed showing immunogenic potential. -- Abstract: Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common viral illness in young children. HFMD is caused by viruses belonging to the enterovirus genus of the picornavirus family. Recently, enterovirus 71more » (EV71) has emerged as a virulent agent for HFMD with severe clinical outcomes. In the current report, we conducted a pilot antigen engineering study to optimize the expression and immunogenicity of subunit VP1 antigen for the design of EV71 vaccines. DNA immunization was adopted as a simple technical approach to test different designs of VP1 antigens without the need to express VP1 protein in vitro first. Our studies indicated that the expression and immunogenicity of VP1 protein can be improved with alternated VP1 antigen designs. Data presented in the current report revealed novel pathways to optimize the design of VP1 antigen-based EV71 vaccines.« less

  20. [Safety and immunogenicity of a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevenar) booster dose in healthy Chinese toddlers].

    PubMed

    Li, Rong-cheng; Li, Feng-xiang; Li, Yan-ping

    2009-06-01

    To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the booster dose of 7 valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) to the healthy Chinese toddlers who had received 3 primary doses. Four hundred and eighty-eight Chinese toddlers received a booster dose of PCV7 at age of 12-15 months following a primary series of the vaccine given at ages 3, 4, 5 months separately with Diphtheria Tetanus Acellular Pertussis Combined Vaccine (DTaP) in Group 1 or concurrently with DTaP in Group 2. Following the booster dose immunization, each subject was followed up for 30 days to observe the safety of the vaccine. Blood samples were taken from a subset of subjects prior and post 30 days the booster dose immunization to evaluate immunogenicity. A high proportion of subjects in Group 1 (89%) and Group 2 (91%) remained afebrile after the booster dose. Local reactions to the PCV7 booster dose were generally mild. For each serotype, the rise in GMC (post-/pre-vaccination) showed a statistically significant difference (P<0.0001) between both groups. PCV7 administered as a booster dose is generally safe, well tolerate, and immunogenic in healthy Chinese toddlers.

  1. Non-immunogenic, hydrophilic/cationic block copolymers and uses thereof

    DOEpatents

    Scales, Charles W.; Huang, Faqing; McCormick, Charles L.

    2010-05-18

    The present invention provides novel non-immunogenic, hydrophilic/cationic block copolymers comprising a neutral-hydrophilic polymer and a cationic polymer, wherein both polymers have well-defined chain-end functionality. A representative example of such a block copolymer comprises poly(N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide) (PHPMA) and poly(N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]methacrylamide) (PDMAPMA). Also provided is a synthesis method thereof in aqueous media via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Further provided are uses of these block copolymers as drug delivery vehicles and protection agents.

  2. Effects of glycosylation on antigenicity and immunogenicity of classical swine fever virus envelope proteins

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) harbors three envelope glycoproteins (E(rns), E1 and E2). Previous studies have demonstrated that removal of specific glycosylation sites within these proteins yielded attenuated and immunogenic CSFV mutants. Here we analyzed the effects of lack of glycosylation of...

  3. Fused Mycobacterium tuberculosis multi-stage immunogens with an Fc-delivery system as a promising approach for the development of a tuberculosis vaccine.

    PubMed

    Mosavat, Arman; Soleimanpour, Saman; Farsiani, Hadi; Sadeghian, Hamid; Ghazvini, Kiarash; Sankian, Mojtaba; Jamehdar, Saeid Amel; Rezaee, Seyed Abdolrahim

    2016-04-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major health problem worldwide. Currently, the Bacilli Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the only available licensed TB vaccine, which has low efficacy in protection against adult pulmonary TB. Therefore, the development of a safe and effective vaccine against TB needs global attention. In the present study, a novel multi-stage subunit vaccine candidate from culture filtrate protein-10 (CFP-10) and heat shock protein X (HspX) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis fused to the Fc domain of mouse IgG2a as a selective delivery system for antigen-presenting cells (APCs) was produced and its immunogenicity assessed. The optimized gene constructs were introduced into pPICZαA expression vectors, and the resultant plasmids (pPICZαA-CFP-10:Hspx:Fcγ2a and pPICZαA-CFP-10:Hspx:His) were transferred into Pichia pastoris by electroporation. The identification of both purified recombinant fusion proteins was evaluated by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting. Then the immunogenicity of the recombinant proteins with and without BCG was evaluated in BALB/c mice by assessing the level of IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-4, IL-17 and TGF-β cytokines. Both multi-stage vaccines (CFP-10:HspX:Fcγ2a and CFP-10:HspX:His) induced Th1-type cellular responses by producing high level of IFN-γ (272 pg/mL, p<0.001) and IL-12 (191 pg/mL, p<0.001). However, the Fc-tagged recombinant protein induced more effective Th1-type cellular responses with a low level of IL-4 (10 pg/mL) compared to the CFP-10:HspX:His group. The production of IFN-γ to CFP-10:HspX:Fcγ2a was markedly consistent and showed an increasing trend for IL-12 compared with the BCG or CFP-10:HspX:His primed and boosted groups. Findings revealed that CFP-10:Hspx:Fcγ2a fusion protein can elicit strong Th1 antigen-specific immune responses in favor of protective immunity in mice and could provide new insight for introducing an effective multi-stage subunit vaccine against TB. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Targeted Disruption of the β2-Microglobulin Gene Minimizes the Immunogenicity of Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

    PubMed

    Wang, Dachun; Quan, Yuan; Yan, Qing; Morales, John E; Wetsel, Rick A

    2015-10-01

    Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are a promising source of cells for tissue regeneration, yet histoincompatibility remains a major challenge to their clinical application. Because the human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) molecules are the primary mediators of immune rejection, we hypothesized that cells derived from a hESC line lacking HLA-I expression could be transplanted without evoking a robust immune response from allogeneic recipients. In the present study, we used the replacement targeting strategy to delete exons 2 and 3 of β2-microglobulin on both gene alleles in hESCs. Because β2-microglobulin serves as the HLA-I light chain, disruption of the β2-microglobulin gene led to complete HLA-I deficiency on the cell surface of hESCs and their derivatives. Therefore, these cells were resistant to CD8+ T-cell-mediated destruction. Although interferon-γ (IFN-γ) treatment significantly induced β2-microglobulin expression, promoting CD8+ T cell-mediated killing of control hESCs and their derivatives, CD8+ T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity was barely observed with β2-microglobulin-null hESCs and their derivatives treated with IFN-γ. This genetic manipulation to disrupt HLA-I expression did not affect the self-renewal capacity, genomic stability, or pluripotency of hESCs. Despite being relatively sensitive to natural killer (NK) cell-mediated killing due to the lack of HLA-I expression, when transplanted into NK cell-depleted immunocompetent mice, β2-microglobulin-null hESCs developed into tumors resembling those derived from control hESCs in severe combined immunodeficiency mice. These results demonstrate that β2-microglobulin-null hESCs significantly reduce immunogenicity to CD8+ T cells and might provide a renewable source of cells for tissue regeneration without the need for HLA matching in the future. This study reports the generation of a novel β2-microglobulin (B2M)-/- human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line. Differentiated mature cells from this line

  5. Targeted Disruption of the β2-Microglobulin Gene Minimizes the Immunogenicity of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

    PubMed Central

    Quan, Yuan; Yan, Qing; Morales, John E.

    2015-01-01

    Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are a promising source of cells for tissue regeneration, yet histoincompatibility remains a major challenge to their clinical application. Because the human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) molecules are the primary mediators of immune rejection, we hypothesized that cells derived from a hESC line lacking HLA-I expression could be transplanted without evoking a robust immune response from allogeneic recipients. In the present study, we used the replacement targeting strategy to delete exons 2 and 3 of β2-microglobulin on both gene alleles in hESCs. Because β2-microglobulin serves as the HLA-I light chain, disruption of the β2-microglobulin gene led to complete HLA-I deficiency on the cell surface of hESCs and their derivatives. Therefore, these cells were resistant to CD8+ T-cell-mediated destruction. Although interferon-γ (IFN-γ) treatment significantly induced β2-microglobulin expression, promoting CD8+ T cell-mediated killing of control hESCs and their derivatives, CD8+ T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity was barely observed with β2-microglobulin-null hESCs and their derivatives treated with IFN-γ. This genetic manipulation to disrupt HLA-I expression did not affect the self-renewal capacity, genomic stability, or pluripotency of hESCs. Despite being relatively sensitive to natural killer (NK) cell-mediated killing due to the lack of HLA-I expression, when transplanted into NK cell-depleted immunocompetent mice, β2-microglobulin-null hESCs developed into tumors resembling those derived from control hESCs in severe combined immunodeficiency mice. These results demonstrate that β2-microglobulin-null hESCs significantly reduce immunogenicity to CD8+ T cells and might provide a renewable source of cells for tissue regeneration without the need for HLA matching in the future. Significance This study reports the generation of a novel β2-microglobulin (B2M)−/− human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line. Differentiated mature cells

  6. Reading Attitudes in L1 and L2, and Their Influence on L2 Extensive Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yamashita, Junko

    2004-01-01

    This study examines the relationship between both first language (L1) and second language (L2) reading attitudes, and learners' performance in L2 extensive reading. Four reading attitude variables were identified (Comfort, Anxiety, Value, Self-perception), both in L1 and L2, according to learners' responses to a questionnaire. Results of analyses…

  7. [Results of clinical trials on reactogenicity, safety, and immunogenicity of influenza allantoic intranasal live vaccine "Ultragrivac" (type A/H5N2)].

    PubMed

    Mazurkova, N A; Ryndiuk, N N; Shishkina, L N; Ternovoĭ, V A; Tumanov, Iu V; Bulychev, L E; Skarnovich, M O; Kabanov, A S; Panchenko, S G; Aleĭnikov, R P; Il'ina, T N; Kuzubov, V I; Mel'nikov, S Ia; Mironov, A N; Korovkin, S A; Sergeev, A N; Drozdov, I G

    2010-01-01

    Results of phase II of a clinical trial of the influenza allantoic intranasal live vaccine "Ultragrivac" (type A/H5N2) are presented. The vaccine was developed based on strain /17/Duck/Potsdam/86/92 H5N2 [17/H5] - reassortant of two viruses, /Leningrad/134/17/57 (H2N2) and /Duck/Potsdam/1402-86 (H5N2), obtained from the Virology Department, St. Petersburg Institute of Experimental Medicine.Two schemes of immunization (with revaccination on days 10 and 21) were used. Evaluation of vaccine immunogenicity included determination of local, cellular and humoral immunity. A significant rise in the level of secretory IgA in the nasal cavity of vaccinated volunteers (with revaccination on days 10 and 21) was documented after application of the vaccine. The postvaccination humoral immune response was estimated from the level of significant (4-fold and more) antibody seroconversions, geometric mean titers of antibodies to two strains of influenza virus /17/Duck/Potsdam/86/92 H5N2 [17/H5] and /Chicken/Suzdalka/Nov-11/2005 (H5N1), and their incremental rate. Results of measurement of antibody titers in hemagglutination-inhibition assay are presented, with two antigens being used to analyse all serum samples from volunteers twice vaccinated with influenza vaccine "Ultragrivac" at 10 and 21 day intervals. Result of phase II of this clinical study show that influenza allantoic intranasal live vaccine "Ultragrivac" is nonreactogenic and safe for both vaccinated and surrounding individuals. Moreover, it is sufficiently immunogenic with respect not only to homologous virus A(H5N2) but also to the A(H5N1) strain.

  8. Safety and Immunogenicity of an AMA-1 Malaria Vaccine in Malian Adults: Results of a Phase 1 Randomized Controlled Trial

    PubMed Central

    Thera, Mahamadou A.; Doumbo, Ogobara K.; Coulibaly, Drissa; Diallo, Dapa A.; Kone, Abdoulaye K.; Guindo, Ando B.; Traore, Karim; Dicko, Alassane; Sagara, Issaka; Sissoko, Mahamadou S.; Baby, Mounirou; Sissoko, Mady; Diarra, Issa; Niangaly, Amadou; Dolo, Amagana; Daou, Modibo; Diawara, Sory I.; Heppner, D. Gray; Stewart, V. Ann; Angov, Evelina; Bergmann-Leitner, Elke S.; Lanar, David E.; Dutta, Sheetij; Soisson, Lorraine; Diggs, Carter L.; Leach, Amanda; Owusu, Alex; Dubois, Marie-Claude; Cohen, Joe; Nixon, Jason N.; Gregson, Aric; Takala, Shannon L.; Lyke, Kirsten E.; Plowe, Christopher V.

    2008-01-01

    Background The objective was to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of the AMA-1-based blood-stage malaria vaccine FMP2.1/AS02A in adults exposed to seasonal malaria. Methodology/Principal Findings A phase 1 double blind randomized controlled dose escalation trial was conducted in Bandiagara, Mali, West Africa, a rural town with intense seasonal transmission of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. The malaria vaccine FMP2.1/AS02A is a recombinant protein (FMP2.1) based on apical membrane antigen-1 (AMA-1) from the 3D7 clone of P. falciparum, adjuvanted with AS02A. The comparator vaccine was a cell-culture rabies virus vaccine (RabAvert). Sixty healthy, malaria-experienced adults aged 18–55 y were recruited into 2 cohorts and randomized to receive either a half dose or full dose of the malaria vaccine (FMP2.1 25 µg/AS02A 0.25 mL or FMP2.1 50 µg/AS02A 0.5 mL) or rabies vaccine given in 3 doses at 0, 1 and 2 mo, and were followed for 1 y. Solicited symptoms were assessed for 7 d and unsolicited symptoms for 30 d after each vaccination. Serious adverse events were assessed throughout the study. Titers of anti-AMA-1 antibodies were measured by ELISA and P. falciparum growth inhibition assays were performed on sera collected at pre- and post-vaccination time points. Transient local pain and swelling were common and more frequent in both malaria vaccine dosage groups than in the comparator group. Anti-AMA-1 antibodies increased significantly in both malaria vaccine groups, peaking at nearly 5-fold and more than 6-fold higher than baseline in the half-dose and full-dose groups, respectively. Conclusion/Significance The FMP2.1/AS02A vaccine had a good safety profile, was well-tolerated, and was highly immunogenic in malaria-exposed adults. This malaria vaccine is being evaluated in Phase 1 and 2 trials in children at this site. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00308061 PMID:18213374

  9. Comparison of immunogenicity and persistence between inactivated hepatitis A vaccine Healive® and Havrix® among children: A 5-year follow-up study.

    PubMed

    Yu, Chengkai; Song, Yufei; Qi, Yangyang; Li, Chanjuan; Jiang, Zhiwei; Li, Chen; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Ling; Xia, Jielai

    2016-10-02

    Inactivated vaccines for hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection are widely used in China. Mass vaccination programs drive the need for data on long-term persistence of vaccine-induced protection. A prospective, randomized, open-label clinical trial was conducted to compare geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) and seroconversion rates (SRs) of anti-HAV antibody elicited by the inactivated vaccines Healive and Havrix for 5 y post immunization, in which 400 healthy children were randomly assigned in a 3:1 ratio to receive 2 doses of Healive or Havrix at 0 and 6 month. Anti-HAV antibody concentration was detected by microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA) during the study. Furthermore, an attempt was made to predict persistence of protective immunogenicity by using a suitable statistical model. The GMCs were significantly higher after vaccination with Healive than after Havrix as comparator vaccine at 1, 6, 7, 18, 30, 42, 54 and 66 month (P < 0.01) with the peak point at 7 month (3427.2 mIU/ml for Healive and 1441.9 mIU/ml for Comparator). Similarly significant differences of SRs were found between the 2 groups at 1 and 6 month (P < 0.01). Afterwards, the SRs of both groups reached 100% at 7 month and did not decline until 66 month(99.1% for Healive and 97.5% for Comparator). A linear mixed model with a change point at 18 month(Model 3) was found to be suitable to predict persistence of protective immunogenicity induced by vaccines. It was estimated that the duration of protection for Healive was at least 20 y with a lower limit of GMC 95% confidence interval (CI) no less than 20 mIU/mL. Compared with Havrix, the new preservative-free inactivated hepatitis A vaccine (Healive) in 2 doses showed better persistence of antibody concentrations for 5 y after full-course immunization among children and the persistence of protective immunogenicity was estimated for at least 20 y.

  10. Quality, immunogenicity and stability of meningococcal serogroup ACWY-CRM197, DT and TT glycoconjugate vaccines.

    PubMed

    Beresford, Nicola J; Martino, Angela; Feavers, Ian M; Corbel, Michael J; Bai, Xilian; Borrow, Ray; Bolgiano, Barbara

    2017-06-16

    A physicochemical and immunological study of the stability of three different meningococcal (Men) ACWY conjugate vaccines was performed to evaluate any patterns of serogroup oligo- or polysaccharide-specific or carrier protein-specific stability that would affect immunogenicity. Critical quality and stability-indicating characteristics were measured, with the study supporting the suitability of both HPLC-SEC and HPAEC-PAD methods to detect changes following inappropriate vaccine storage. All three final products, ACWY-CRM 197 , -DT and -TT conjugate vaccines had expected quality indicator values and similar immunogenicity in a mouse model (anti-PS IgG and rSBA) when stored at +2-8°C. When stored at ≥+37°C, all conjugated carrier proteins and serogroup saccharides were affected. Direct correlations were observed between the depolymerization of the MenA saccharide as evidenced by a size-reduction in the MenA conjugates (CRM 197 , DT and TT) and their immunogenicity. MenA was the most labile serogroup, followed by MenC; then MenW and Y, which were similar. At high temperatures, the conjugated carrier proteins were prone to unfolding and/or aggregation. The anti-MenC IgG responses of the multivalent conjugate vaccines in mice were equivalent to those observed in monovalent MenC conjugate vaccines, and were independent of the carrier protein. For any newly developing MenACWY saccharide-protein conjugate vaccines, a key recommendation would be to consider the lyophilization of final product to prevent deleterious degradation that would affect immunogenicity. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Immunogenicity and Protective Efficacy in Mice and Hamsters of a β-Propiolactone Inactivated Whole Virus SARS-CoV Vaccine

    PubMed Central

    Roberts, Anjeanette; Lamirande, Elaine W.; Vogel, Leatrice; Baras, Benoît; Goossens, Geneviève; Knott, Isabelle; Chen, Jun; Ward, Jerrold M.; Vassilev, Ventzislav

    2010-01-01

    Abstract The immunogenicity and efficacy of β-propiolactone (BPL) inactivated whole virion SARS-CoV (WI-SARS) vaccine was evaluated in BALB/c mice and golden Syrian hamsters. The vaccine preparation was tested with or without adjuvants. Adjuvant Systems AS01B and AS03A were selected and tested for their capacity to elicit high humoral and cellular immune responses to WI-SARS vaccine. We evaluated the effect of vaccine dose and each adjuvant on immunogenicity and efficacy in mice, and the effect of vaccine dose with or without the AS01B adjuvant on the immunogenicity and efficacy in hamsters. Efficacy was evaluated by challenge with wild-type virus at early and late time points (4 and 18 wk post-vaccination). A single dose of vaccine with or without adjuvant was poorly immunogenic in mice; a second dose resulted in a significant boost in antibody levels, even in the absence of adjuvant. The use of adjuvants resulted in higher antibody titers, with the AS01B-adjuvanted vaccine being slightly more immunogenic than the AS03A-adjuvanted vaccine. Two doses of WI-SARS with and without Adjuvant Systems were highly efficacious in mice. In hamsters, two doses of WI-SARS with and without AS01B were immunogenic, and two doses of 2 μg of WI-SARS with and without the adjuvant provided complete protection from early challenge. Although antibody titers had declined in all groups of vaccinated hamsters 18 wk after the second dose, the vaccinated hamsters were still partially protected from wild-type virus challenge. Vaccine with adjuvant provided better protection than non-adjuvanted WI-SARS vaccine at this later time point. Enhanced disease was not observed in the lungs or liver of hamsters following SARS-CoV challenge, regardless of the level of serum neutralizing antibodies. PMID:20883165

  12. HIV-1 gp120 and Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara (MVA) gp140 Boost Immunogens Increase Immunogenicity of a DNA/MVA HIV-1 Vaccine.

    PubMed

    Shen, Xiaoying; Basu, Rahul; Sawant, Sheetal; Beaumont, David; Kwa, Sue Fen; LaBranche, Celia; Seaton, Kelly E; Yates, Nicole L; Montefiori, David C; Ferrari, Guido; Wyatt, Linda S; Moss, Bernard; Alam, S Munir; Haynes, Barton F; Tomaras, Georgia D; Robinson, Harriet L

    2017-12-15

    An important goal of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine design is identification of strategies that elicit effective antiviral humoral immunity. One novel approach comprises priming with DNA and boosting with modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) expressing HIV-1 Env on virus-like particles. In this study, we evaluated whether the addition of a gp120 protein in alum or MVA-expressed secreted gp140 (MVAgp140) could improve immunogenicity of a DNA prime-MVA boost vaccine. Five rhesus macaques per group received two DNA primes at weeks 0 and 8 followed by three MVA boosts (with or without additional protein or MVAgp140) at weeks 18, 26, and 40. Both boost immunogens enhanced the breadth of HIV-1 gp120 and V1V2 responses, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and low-titer tier 1B and tier 2 neutralizing antibody responses. However, there were differences in antibody kinetics, linear epitope specificity, and CD4 T cell responses between the groups. The gp120 protein boost elicited earlier and higher peak responses, whereas the MVAgp140 boost resulted in improved antibody durability and comparable peak responses after the final immunization. Linear V3 specific IgG responses were particularly enhanced by the gp120 boost, whereas the MVAgp140 boost also enhanced responses to linear C5 and C2.2 epitopes. Interestingly, gp120, but not the MVAgp140 boost, increased peak CD4 + T cell responses. Thus, both gp120 and MVAgp140 can augment potential protection of a DNA/MVA vaccine by enhancing gp120 and V1/V2 antibody responses, whereas potential protection by gp120, but not MVAgp140 boosts, may be further impacted by increased CD4 + T cell responses. IMPORTANCE Prior immune correlate analyses with humans and nonhuman primates revealed the importance of antibody responses in preventing HIV-1 infection. A DNA prime-modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) boost vaccine has proven to be potent in eliciting antibody responses. Here we explore the ability of boosts with

  13. Safety and Immunogenicity of Full-Dose Trivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine (TIV) Compared With Half-Dose TIV Administered to Children 6 Through 35 Months of Age.

    PubMed

    Halasa, Natasha B; Gerber, Michael A; Berry, Andrea A; Anderson, Edwin L; Winokur, Patricia; Keyserling, Harry; Eckard, Allison Ross; Hill, Heather; Wolff, Mark C; McNeal, Monica M; Edwards, Kathryn M; Bernstein, David I

    2015-09-01

    Children 6 through 35 months of age are recommended to receive half the dose of influenza vaccine compared with older children and adults. This was a 6-site, randomized 2:1, double-blind study comparing full-dose (0.5 mL) trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) with half-dose (0.25 mL) TIV in children 6 through 35 months of age. Children previously immunized with influenza vaccine (primed cohort) received 1 dose, and those with no previous influenza immunizations (naive cohort) received 2 doses of TIV. Local and systemic adverse events were recorded. Sera were collected before immunization and 1 month after last dose of TIV. Hemagglutination inhibition antibody testing was performed. Of the 243 subjects enrolled (32 primed, 211 naive), data for 232 were available for complete analysis. No significant differences in local or systemic reactions were observed. Few significant differences in immunogenicity to the 3 vaccine antigens were noted. The immune response to H1N1 was significantly higher in the full-dose group among primed subjects. In the naive cohort, the geometric mean titer for all 3 antigens after 2 doses of TIV were significantly higher in the 12 through 35 months compared with the 6 through 11 months age group. Our study confirms the safety of full-dose TIV given to children 6 through 35 months of age. An increase in antibody responses after full- versus half-dose TIV was not observed, except for H1N1 in the primed group. Larger studies are needed to clarify the potential for improved immunogenicity with higher vaccine doses. Recommending the same dose could simplify the production, storage, and administration of influenza vaccines.

  14. The modulation of Dicer regulates tumor immunogenicity in melanoma

    PubMed Central

    Hoffend, Nicholas C.; Magner, William J.; Tomasi, Thomas B.

    2016-01-01

    MicroRNAs (miRs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate most cellular protein networks by targeting mRNAs for translational inhibition or degradation. Dicer, a type III endoribonuclease, is a critical component in microRNA biogenesis and is required for mature microRNA production. Abnormal Dicer expression occurs in numerous cancer types and correlates with poor patient prognosis. For example, increased Dicer expression in melanoma is associated with more aggressive tumors (higher tumor mitotic index and depth of invasion) and poor patient prognosis. However, the role that Dicer plays in melanoma development and immune evasion remains unclear. Here, we report on a newly discovered relationship between Dicer expression and tumor immunogenicity. To investigate Dicer's role in regulating melanoma immunogenicity, Dicer knockdown studies were performed. We found that B16F0-Dicer deficient cells exhibited decreased tumor growth compared to control cells and were capable of inducing anti-tumor immunity. The decrease in tumor growth was abrogated in immunodeficient NSG mice and was shown to be dependent upon CD8+ T cells. Dicer knockdown also induced a more responsive immune gene profile in melanoma cells. Further studies demonstrated that CD8+ T cells preferentially killed Dicer knockdown tumor cells compared to control cells. Taken together, we present evidence which links Dicer expression to tumor immunogenicity in melanoma. PMID:27356752

  15. The modulation of Dicer regulates tumor immunogenicity in melanoma.

    PubMed

    Hoffend, Nicholas C; Magner, William J; Tomasi, Thomas B

    2016-07-26

    MicroRNAs (miRs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate most cellular protein networks by targeting mRNAs for translational inhibition or degradation. Dicer, a type III endoribonuclease, is a critical component in microRNA biogenesis and is required for mature microRNA production. Abnormal Dicer expression occurs in numerous cancer types and correlates with poor patient prognosis. For example, increased Dicer expression in melanoma is associated with more aggressive tumors (higher tumor mitotic index and depth of invasion) and poor patient prognosis. However, the role that Dicer plays in melanoma development and immune evasion remains unclear. Here, we report on a newly discovered relationship between Dicer expression and tumor immunogenicity. To investigate Dicer's role in regulating melanoma immunogenicity, Dicer knockdown studies were performed. We found that B16F0-Dicer deficient cells exhibited decreased tumor growth compared to control cells and were capable of inducing anti-tumor immunity. The decrease in tumor growth was abrogated in immunodeficient NSG mice and was shown to be dependent upon CD8+ T cells. Dicer knockdown also induced a more responsive immune gene profile in melanoma cells. Further studies demonstrated that CD8+ T cells preferentially killed Dicer knockdown tumor cells compared to control cells. Taken together, we present evidence which links Dicer expression to tumor immunogenicity in melanoma.

  16. Immunogenicity of adenovirus vaccines expressing the PCV2 capsid protein in pigs.

    PubMed

    Li, Delong; Du, Qian; Wu, Bin; Li, Juejun; Chang, Lingling; Zhao, Xiaomin; Huang, Yong; Tong, Dewen

    2017-08-24

    Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the main pathogen of porcine circovirus associated disease (PCVAD), causing great economic losses in pig industry. In previous study, we constructed adenovirus vector vaccines expressing PCV2 Cap either modified with Intron A and WPRE, or CD40L and GMCSF, and evaluated all of these vaccines in mice and in pigs. Although Ad-A-C-W and Ad-CD40L-Cap-GMCSF could induce stronger immune responses than Ad-Cap, neither of them was better than commercial inactivated vaccine PCV2 SH-strain. In this study, secretory recombinant adenoviruses (Ad-A-spCap-W and Ad-A-spCD40L-spCap-spGMCSF-W) and non-secretory recombinant adenovirus Ad-A-CD40L-Cap-GMCSF-W were constructed, and identified by western blot and confocal laser microscope observation. The results of ELISA and VN showed that humoral immune responses induced by Ad-A-spCap-W and Ad-A-CD40L-Cap-GMCSF-W were not significantly different from SH-strain, but Ad-A-spCD40L-spCap-spGMCSF-W could induce significantly higher humoral immune response than SH-strain. Lymphocytes proliferative and cytokines releasing levels of Ad-A-spCap-W and Ad-A-CD40L-Cap-GMCSF-W were not significantly different from SH-strain, but Ad-A-spCD40L-spCap-spGMCSF-W was significantly higher than SH-strain. PCV2-challenge experiment showed that virus loads were significantly reduced in Ad-A-spCD40L-spCap-spGMCSF-W vaccinated group, and no obviously clinical and microscopic lesions were observed in Ad-A-spCD40L-spCap-spGMCSF-W vaccinated group. Altogether, these results demonstrate that recombinant adenovirus vaccine Ad-A-spCD40L-spCap-spGMCSF-W induces stronger immune responses and provides better protection than commercial inactivated vaccine PCV2 SH-strain, and suggest that Ad-A-spCD40L-spCap-spGMCSF-W could be a potential vaccine candidate against PCVAD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Impact of Withholding Breastfeeding at the Time of Vaccination on the Immunogenicity of Oral Rotavirus Vaccine—A Randomized Trial

    PubMed Central

    Ali, Asad; Kazi, Abdul Momin; Cortese, Margaret M.; Fleming, Jessica A.; Moon, SungSil; Parashar, Umesh D.; Jiang, Baoming; McNeal, Monica M.; Steele, Duncan; Bhutta, Zulfiqar; Zaidi, Anita K. M.

    2015-01-01

    Background Breast milk contains anti-rotavirus IgA antibodies and other innate immune factors that inhibit rotavirus replication in vitro. These factors could diminish the immunogenicity of oral rotavirus vaccines, particularly if breastfeeding occurs close to the time of vaccine administration. Methods Between April 2011 and November 2012, we conducted an open label, randomized trial to compare the immunogenicity of Rotarix (RV1) in infants whose breastfeeding was withheld one hour before through one hour after vaccination with that in infants breastfed at the time of vaccination. The trial was conducted in the peri-urban area of Ibrahim Hyderi in Karachi, Pakistan. Both groups received three doses of RV1 at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age. Seroconversion (anti-rotavirus IgA antibodies ≥20 U/mL in subjects seronegative at 6 weeks of age) following three vaccine doses (6, 10 and 14 weeks) was determined at 18 weeks of age (primary objective) and seroconversion following two doses (6 and 10 weeks) was determined at 14 weeks of age (secondary objective). Results Four hundred eligible infants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio between the withholding breastfeeding and immediate breastfeeding arms. Overall, 353 (88.3%) infants completed the study according to protocol; 181 in the withholding breastfeeding group and 172 in the immediate breastfeeding group. After three RV1 doses, anti-rotavirus IgA antibody seroconversion was 28.2% (95% CI: 22.1; 35.1) in the withholding arm and 37.8% (95% CI: 30.9; 45.2) in the immediate breastfeeding arm (difference: -9.6% [95% CI: -19.2; 0.2] p=0.07). After two doses of RV1, seroconversion was 16.6% (95% CI: 11.9; 22.7) in the withholding arm and 29.1% (95% CI: 22.8, 36.3) in the immediate breastfeeding arm (difference: -12.5% [95% CI: -21.2,-3.8] p=0.005). Conclusions Withholding breastfeeding around the time of RV1 vaccine administration did not lead to increased anti-rotavirus IgA seroconversion compared with that seen with a

  18. Integrating Meaning and Structure in L1-L2 and L2-L1 Translations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lim, Jung Hyun; Christianson, Kiel

    2013-01-01

    This article examined the integration of semantic and morphosyntactic information by Korean learners of English as a second language (L2). In Experiment 1, L2 learners listened to English active or passive sentences that were either plausible or implausible and translated them into Korean. A significant number of Korean translations maintained the…

  19. Effect of receptor binding specificity on the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of influenza virus A H1 vaccines

    PubMed Central

    Sun, Xiangjie; Cao, Weiping; Pappas, Claudia; Liu, Feng; Katz, Jacqueline M.; Tumpey, Terrence M.

    2018-01-01

    The biological basis for the poor immunogenicity of unadjuvanted avian influenza A virus vaccines in mammals is not well understood. Here, we mutated the hemagglutinin (HA) of two H1N1 virus vaccines to determine whether virus receptor binding specificity contributes to the low immunogenicity of avian influenza virus vaccines. Mutations were introduced into the HA of an avian influenza virus, A/Duck/New York/15024–21/96 (Dk/96) which switched the binding preference from α2,3- to α2,6-linked sialic acid (SA). A switch in receptor specificity of the human A/South Carolina/1/18 (SC/18) virus generated a mutant virus with α2,3 SA (avian) binding preference. Inactivated vaccines were generated and administered to mice and ferrets intramuscularly. We found that the vaccines with human receptor binding preference induced slightly higher antibody titers and cell-mediated immune responses compared to their isogenic viruses with avian receptor binding specificity. Upon challenge with DK/96 or SC18 virus, differences in lung virus titers between the vaccine groups with different receptor-binding specificities were minimal. Overall, our data suggest that receptor binding specificity contributes only marginally to the immunogenicity of avian influenza vaccines and that other factors may also be involved. PMID:25078114

  20. Interference of Monovalent, Bivalent, and Trivalent Oral Poliovirus Vaccines on Monovalent Rotavirus Vaccine Immunogenicity in Rural Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Emperador, Devy M; Velasquez, Daniel E; Estivariz, Concepcion F; Lopman, Ben; Jiang, Baoming; Parashar, Umesh; Anand, Abhijeet; Zaman, Khalequ

    2016-01-15

    Trivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is known to interfere with monovalent rotavirus vaccine (RV1) immunogenicity. The interference caused by bivalent and monovalent OPV formulations, which will be increasingly used globally in coming years, has not been examined. We conducted a post hoc analysis to assess the effect of coadministration of different OPV formulations on RV1 immunogenicity. Healthy infants in Matlab, Bangladesh, were randomized to receive 3 doses of monovalent OPV type 1 or bivalent OPV types 1 and 3 at either 6, 8, and 10 or 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age or trivalent OPV at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age. All infants received 2 doses of RV1 at about 6 and 10 weeks of age. Concomitant administration was defined as RV1 and OPV given on the same day; staggered administration as RV1 and OPV given ≥1 day apart. Rotavirus seroconversion was defined as a 4-fold rise in immunoglobulin A titer from before the first RV1 dose to ≥3 weeks after the second RV1 dose. There were no significant differences in baseline RV1 immunogenicity among the 409 infants included in the final analysis. Infants who received RV1 and OPV concomitantly, regardless of OPV formulation, were less likely to seroconvert (47%; 95% confidence interval, 39%-54%) than those who received both vaccines staggered ≥1 day (63%; 57%-70%; P < .001). For staggered administration, we found no evidence that the interval between RV1 and OPV administration affected RV1 immunogenicity. Coadministration of monovalent, bivalent, or trivalent OPV seems to lower RV1 immunogenicity. NCT01633216. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2015. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

  1. Interference of Monovalent, Bivalent, and Trivalent Oral Poliovirus Vaccines on Monovalent Rotavirus Vaccine Immunogenicity in Rural Bangladesh

    PubMed Central

    Emperador, Devy M.; Velasquez, Daniel E.; Estivariz, Concepcion F.; Lopman, Ben; Jiang, Baoming; Parashar, Umesh; Anand, Abhijeet; Zaman, Khalequ

    2016-01-01

    Background Trivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is known to interfere with monovalent rotavirus vaccine (RV1) immunogenicity. The interference caused by bivalent and monovalent OPV formulations, which will be increasingly used globally in coming years, has not been examined. We conducted a post hoc analysis to assess the effect of coadministration of different OPV formulations on RV1 immunogenicity. Methods Healthy infants in Matlab, Bangladesh, were randomized to receive 3 doses of monovalent OPV type 1 or bivalent OPV types 1 and 3 at either 6, 8, and 10 or 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age or trivalent OPV at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age. All infants received 2 doses of RV1 at about 6 and 10 weeks of age. Concomitant administration was defined as RV1 and OPV given on the same day; staggered administration as RV1 and OPV given ≥1 day apart. Rotavirus seroconversion was defined as a 4-fold rise in immunoglobulin A titer from before the first RV1 dose to ≥3 weeks after the second RV1 dose. Results There were no significant differences in baseline RV1 immunogenicity among the 409 infants included in the final analysis. Infants who received RV1 and OPV concomitantly, regardless of OPV formulation, were less likely to seroconvert (47%; 95% confidence interval, 39%–54%) than those who received both vaccines staggered ≥1 day (63%; 57%–70%; P < .001). For staggered administration, we found no evidence that the interval between RV1 and OPV administration affected RV1 immunogenicity. Conclusions Coadministration of monovalent, bivalent, or trivalent OPV seems to lower RV1 immunogenicity. Clinical Trials Registration NCT01633216. PMID:26349548

  2. 2012 AAPS National Biotech Conference Open Forum: a perspective on the current state of immunogenicity prediction and risk management.

    PubMed

    Rajadhyaksha, Manoj; Subramanyam, Meena; Rup, Bonnie

    2013-10-01

    The immunogenicity profile of a biotherapeutic is determined by multiple product-, process- or manufacturing-, patient- and treatment-related factors and the bioanalytical methodology used to monitor for immunogenicity. This creates a complex situation that limits direct correlation of individual factors to observed immunogenicity rates. Therefore, mechanistic understanding of how these factors individually or in concert could influence the overall incidence and clinical risk of immunogenicity is crucial to provide the best benefit/risk profile for a given biotherapeutic in a given indication and to inform risk mitigation strategies. Advances in the field of immunogenicity have included development of best practices for monitoring anti-drug antibody development, categorization of risk factors contributing to immunogenicity, development of predictive tools, and development of effective strategies for risk management and mitigation. Thus, the opportunity to ask "where we are now and where we would like to go from here?" was the main driver for organizing an Open Forum on Improving Immunogenicity Risk Prediction and Management, conducted at the 2012 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists' (AAPS) National Biotechnology Conference in San Diego. The main objectives of the Forum include the following: to understand the nature of immunogenicity risk factors, to identify analytical tools used and animal models and management strategies needed to improve their predictive value, and finally to identify collaboration opportunities to improve the reliability of risk prediction, mitigation, and management. This meeting report provides the Forum participant's and author's perspectives on the barriers to advancing this field and recommendations for overcoming these barriers through collaborative efforts.

  3. Immunotherapeutic Potential of Oncolytic H-1 Parvovirus: Hints of Glioblastoma Microenvironment Conversion towards Immunogenicity.

    PubMed

    Angelova, Assia L; Barf, Milena; Geletneky, Karsten; Unterberg, Andreas; Rommelaere, Jean

    2017-12-15

    Glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive primary brain tumors, is characterized by highly immunosuppressive microenvironment. This contributes to glioblastoma resistance to standard treatment modalities and allows tumor growth and recurrence. Several immune-targeted approaches have been recently developed and are currently under preclinical and clinical investigation. Oncolytic viruses, including the autonomous protoparvovirus H-1 (H-1PV), show great promise as novel immunotherapeutic tools. In a first phase I/IIa clinical trial (ParvOryx01), H-1PV was safe and well tolerated when locally or systemically administered to recurrent glioblastoma patients. The virus was able to cross the blood-brain (tumor) barrier after intravenous infusion. Importantly, H-1PV treatment of glioblastoma patients was associated with immunogenic changes in the tumor microenvironment. Tumor infiltration with activated cytotoxic T cells, induction of cathepsin B and inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS) expression in tumor-associated microglia/macrophages (TAM), and accumulation of activated TAM in cluster of differentiation (CD) 40 ligand (CD40L)-positive glioblastoma regions was detected. These are the first-in-human observations of H-1PV capacity to switch the immunosuppressed tumor microenvironment towards immunogenicity. Based on this pilot study, we present a tentative model of H-1PV-mediated modulation of glioblastoma microenvironment and propose a combinatorial therapeutic approach taking advantage of H-1PV-induced microglia/macrophage activation for further (pre)clinical testing.

  4. HIV-1 Immunogen: an overview of almost 30 years of clinical testing of a candidate therapeutic vaccine.

    PubMed

    Graziani, Gina M; Angel, Jonathan B

    2016-07-01

    Although current antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed HIV infection into a chronic, manageable disease, ART does not cure HIV infection. Furthermore, the majority of the world's infected individuals live in resource-limited countries in which access to ART is limited. Thus, the development of an effective therapeutic HIV vaccine would be an invaluable treatment alternative. Developed by the late Dr. Jonas Salk, HIV-1 Immunogen (Remune®) is a candidate therapeutic vaccine that has been studied in thousands of HIV-infected individuals in more than a dozen clinical trials during almost three decades. This Drug Evaluation, which summarizes the results of these trials that have shown the vaccine to be safe and immunogenic, also discusses the contradictory and controversial conclusions drawn from the phases 2, 2/3 and 3 trials that assessed the clinical efficacy of this vaccine. Given the lack of unequivocal clinical benefits of HIV-1 Immunogen despite almost 30 years of extensive testing, it does not appear, in our view, that this vaccine is a clinically effective immunotherapy. However, inclusion of this vaccine in the newly proposed 'Kick/Shock and Kill' strategy for HIV eradication, or use as a prophylactic vaccine, could be considered for future trials.

  5. Safety and immunogenicity of a live attenuated mumps vaccine: a phase I clinical trial.

    PubMed

    Liang, Yan; Ma, Jingchen; Li, Changgui; Chen, Yuguo; Liu, Longding; Liao, Yun; Zhang, Ying; Jiang, Li; Wang, Xuan-Yi; Che, Yanchun; Deng, Wei; Li, Hong; Cui, Xiaoyu; Ma, Na; Ding, Dong; Xie, Zhongping; Cui, Pingfang; Ji, Qiuyan; Wang, JingJing; Zhao, Yuliang; Wang, Junzhi; Li, Qihan

    2014-01-01

    Mumps, a communicable, acute and previously well-controlled disease, has had recent and occasional resurgences in some areas. A randomized, double-blind, controlled and multistep phase I study of an F-genotype attenuated mumps vaccine produced in human diploid cells was conducted. A total of 300 subjects were enrolled and divided into 4 age groups: 16-60 years, 5-16 years, 2-5 years and 8-24 months. The groups were immunized with one injection per subject. Three different doses of the F-genotype attenuated mumps vaccine, A (3.5 ± 0.25 logCCID50), B (4.25 ± 0.25 logCCID50) and C (5.0 ± 0.25 logCCID50), as well as a placebo control and a positive control of a licensed A-genotype vaccine (S79 strain) were used. The safety and immunogenicity of this vaccine were compared with those of the controls. The safety evaluation suggested that mild adverse reactions were observed in all groups. No serious adverse event (SAE) was reported throughout the trial. The immunogenicity test showed a similar seroconversion rate of the neutralizing and ELISA antibody in the 2- to 5-year-old and 8- to 24-month-old groups compared with the seroconversion rate in the positive control. The GMT of the neutralizing anti-F-genotype virus antibodies in the vaccine groups was slightly higher than that in the positive control group. The F-genotype attenuated mumps vaccine evaluated in this clinical trial was demonstrated to be safe and have effective immunogenicity vs. control.

  6. Killing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Chicken Cathelicidin-2 Is Immunogenically Silent, Preventing Lung Inflammation In Vivo

    PubMed Central

    Coorens, Maarten; Banaschewski, Brandon J. H.; Baer, Brandon J.; Yamashita, Cory; van Dijk, Albert; Veldhuizen, Ruud A. W.; Veldhuizen, Edwin J. A.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT The development of antibiotic resistance by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major concern in the treatment of bacterial pneumonia. In the search for novel anti-infective therapies, the chicken-derived peptide cathelicidin-2 (CATH-2) has emerged as a potential candidate, with strong broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and the ability to limit inflammation by inhibiting Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR4 activation. However, as it is unknown how CATH-2 affects inflammation in vivo, we investigated how CATH-2-mediated killing of P. aeruginosa affects lung inflammation in a murine model. First, murine macrophages were used to determine whether CATH-2-mediated killing of P. aeruginosa reduced proinflammatory cytokine production in vitro. Next, a murine lung model was used to analyze how CATH-2-mediated killing of P. aeruginosa affects neutrophil and macrophage recruitment as well as cytokine/chemokine production in the lung. Our results show that CATH-2 kills P. aeruginosa in an immunogenically silent manner both in vitro and in vivo. Treatment with CATH-2-killed P. aeruginosa showed reduced neutrophil recruitment to the lung as well as inhibition of cytokine and chemokine production, compared to treatment with heat- or gentamicin-killed bacteria. Together, these results show the potential for CATH-2 as a dual-activity antibiotic in bacterial pneumonia, which can both kill P. aeruginosa and prevent excessive inflammation. PMID:28947647

  7. Assessing the relationship between antigenicity and immunogenicity of human rabies vaccines when administered by intradermal route

    PubMed Central

    Bilagumba, Gangaboraiah; Ravish, Haradanahalli Shankarappa; Narayana, Hanumanthappa Ashwath Doddabele

    2010-01-01

    The metadata of 10 published studies and 3 vaccine trial reports comprising of 19 vaccine cohorts from four countries conducted over a period of 23 years (1986–2009) was used for metaanalysis. The vaccines studied were purified chick embryo cell vaccine (Rabipur, India and Germany), purified vero cell rabies vaccine (Verorab, France; Indirab, India) and human diploid cell vaccine (MIRV, France). The potency of these vaccines varied from 0.55 IU to 2.32 IU per intradermal dose of 0.1 ml per site. The vaccines were administered to 1,011 subjects comprising of 19 cohorts and using five different ID regimens. The immunogenicity was measured by assays of rabies virus neutralizing antibody (RVNA) titres using rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT) [15 cohorts] and mouse neutralization test (MNT) [4 cohorts]. The statistical analysis of the data was done by Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient to measure the relationship between antigenicity and immunogenicity. It was revealed that, there was no significant linear relationship between antigenicity and immunogenicity of rabies vaccines when administered by intradermal route (p > 0.230 and p > 0.568). PMID:20523131

  8. Safety, efficacy and immunogenicity evaluation of the SAG2 oral rabies vaccine in Formosan ferret badgers.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Ai-Ping; Tseng, Chun-Hsien; Barrat, Jacques; Lee, Shu-Hwae; Shih, Yu-Hua; Wasniewski, Marine; Mähl, Philippe; Chang, Chia-Chia; Lin, Chun-Ta; Chen, Re-Shang; Tu, Wen-Jane; Cliquet, Florence; Tsai, Hsiang-Jung

    2017-01-01

    Since 2013, rabies cases have been reported among Formosan ferret badgers in Taiwan, and they have been shown to be the major reservoirs for Taiwanese enzootics. To control and eradicate rabies, the authorities plan to implement a vaccination programme. Before distributing live vaccines in the field, this study assessed the safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity of SAG2 vaccine on ferret badgers by direct oral instillation. After application of 109 TCID50/dose, no virus was excreted into the oral cavity 1-7 days post-application, and safety was also satisfactorily verified over a 266-day period. Moreover, despite the low level of rabies virus neutralising antibodies induced after vaccination of a 108 TCID50/dose, the efficacy assessment revealed a 100% survival rate (15/15) of vaccinees and an 87.5% fatality rate (7/8) in control animals after a challenge on the 198th day post-vaccination. The immunisation and protection rates obtained more than 6 months after a single vaccination dose demonstrated that SAG2 is an ideal vaccine candidate to protect Formosan ferret badgers against rabies in Taiwan.

  9. Molecular pathways: the immunogenic effects of platinum-based chemotherapeutics.

    PubMed

    Hato, Stanleyson V; Khong, Andrea; de Vries, I Jolanda M; Lesterhuis, W Joost

    2014-06-01

    The platinum-based drugs cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin belong to the most widely used chemotherapeutics in oncology, showing clinical efficacy against many solid tumors. Their main mechanism of action is believed to be the induction of cancer cell apoptosis as a response to their covalent binding to DNA. In recent years, this picture has increased in complexity, based on studies indicating that cellular molecules other than DNA may potentially act as targets, and that part of the antitumor effects of platinum drugs occurs through modulation of the immune system. These immunogenic effects include modulation of STAT signaling; induction of an immunogenic type of cancer cell death through exposure of calreticulin and release of ATP and high-mobility group protein box-1 (HMGB-1); and enhancement of the effector immune response through modulation of programmed death receptor 1-ligand and mannose-6-phosphate receptor expression. Both basic and clinical studies indicate that at least part of the antitumor efficacy of platinum chemotherapeutics may be due to immune potentiating mechanisms. Clinical studies exploiting this novel mechanism of action of these old cancer drugs have been initiated. Here, we review the literature on the immunogenic effects of platinum, summarize the clinical advances using platinum as a cytotoxic compound with immune adjuvant properties, and discuss the limitations to these studies and the gaps in our understanding of the immunologic effects of these drugs. Clin Cancer Res; 20(11); 2831-7. ©2014 AACR. ©2014 American Association for Cancer Research.

  10. Genipin crosslinking reduced the immunogenicity of xenogeneic decellularized porcine whole-liver matrices through regulation of immune cell proliferation and polarization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yujia; Bao, Ji; Wu, Xiujuan; Wu, Qiong; Li, Yi; Zhou, Yongjie; Li, Li; Bu, Hong

    2016-04-01

    Decellularized xenogeneic whole-liver matrices are plausible biomedical materials for the bioengineering of liver transplantation. A common method to reduce the inflammatory potential of xenogeneic matrices is crosslinking. Nevertheless, a comprehensive analysis of the immunogenic features of cross-linked decellularized tissue is still lacking. We aimed to reduce the immunogenicity of decellularized porcine whole-liver matrix through crosslinking with glutaraldehyde or genipin, a new natural agent, and investigated the mechanism of the immune-mediated responses. The histologic assessment of the host’s immune reaction activated in response to these scaffolds, as well as the M1/M2 phenotypic polarization profile of macrophages, was studied in vivo. The genipin-fixed scaffold elicited a predominantly M2 phenotype response, while the glutaraldehyde-fixed scaffold resulted in disrupted host tissue remodeling and a mixed macrophage polarization profile. The specific subsets of immune cells involved in the responses to the scaffolds were identified in vitro. Crosslinking alleviated the host response by reducing the proliferation of lymphocytes and their subsets, accompanied by a decreased release of both Th1 and Th2 cytokines. Therefore, we conclude that the natural genipin crosslinking could lower the immunogenic potential of xenogeneic decellularized whole-liver scaffolds.

  11. Immunogenicity Evaluation of a Rationally Designed Polytope Construct Encoding HLA-A*0201 Restricted Epitopes Derived from Leishmania major Related Proteins in HLA-A2/DR1 Transgenic Mice: Steps toward Polytope Vaccine

    PubMed Central

    Seyed, Negar; Taheri, Tahereh; Vauchy, Charline; Dosset, Magalie; Godet, Yann; Eslamifar, Ali; Sharifi, Iraj; Adotevi, Olivier; Borg, Christophe; Rohrlich, Pierre Simon; Rafati, Sima

    2014-01-01

    Background There are several reports demonstrating the role of CD8 T cells against Leishmania species. Therefore peptide vaccine might represent an effective approach to control the infection. We developed a rational polytope-DNA construct encoding immunogenic HLA-A2 restricted peptides and validated the processing and presentation of encoded epitopes in a preclinical mouse model humanized for the MHC-class-I and II. Methods and Findings HLA-A*0201 restricted epitopes from LPG-3, LmSTI-1, CPB and CPC along with H-2Kd restricted peptides, were lined-up together as a polytope string in a DNA construct. Polytope string was rationally designed by harnessing advantages of ubiquitin, spacers and HLA-DR restricted Th1 epitope. Endotoxin free pcDNA plasmid expressing the polytope was inoculated into humanized HLA-DRB1*0101/HLA-A*0201 transgenic mice intramuscularly 4 days after Cardiotoxin priming followed by 2 boosters at one week interval. Mice were sacrificed 10 days after the last booster, and splenocytes were subjected to ex-vivo and in-vitro evaluation of specific IFN-γ production and in-vitro cytotoxicity against individual peptides by ELISpot and standard chromium-51(51Cr) release assay respectively. 4 H-2Kd and 5 HLA-A*0201 restricted peptides were able to induce specific CD8 T cell responses in BALB/C and HLA-A2/DR1 mice respectively. IFN-γ and cytolytic activity together discriminated LPG-3-P1 as dominant, LmSTI-1-P3 and LmSTI-1-P6 as subdominant with both cytolytic activity and IFN-γ production, LmSTI-1-P4 and LPG-3-P5 as subdominant with only IFN-γ production potential. Conclusions Here we described a new DNA-polytope construct for Leishmania vaccination encompassing immunogenic HLA-A2 restricted peptides. Immunogenicity evaluation in HLA-transgenic model confirmed CD8 T cell induction with expected affinities and avidities showing almost efficient processing and presentation of the peptides in relevant preclinical model. Further evaluation will determine

  12. The safety and immunogenicity of influenza vaccine in children with asthma in Mexico.

    PubMed

    Pedroza, Alvaro; Huerta, José G; Garcia, Maria de la Luz; Rojas, Arsheli; López-Martínez, Irma; Penagos, Martín; Franco-Paredes, Carlos; Deroche, Christele; Mascareñas, Cesar

    2009-07-01

    The morbidity and mortality associated with influenza is substantial in children with asthma. There are no available data on the safety and immunogenicity of influenza vaccine in children with asthma in Latin America. Furthermore, it is unclear if influenza vaccination may cause asthma exacerbations. We conducted a placebo-controlled trial to investigate the safety and immunogenicity of an inactivated trivalent split virus influenza vaccine in children with asthma in Mexico. We also measured the impact of influenza vaccination on pulmonary function tests in this population. The inactivated influenza vaccine was immunogenic and safe in terms of local and systemic side effects compared to placebo. We observed no significant impact on pulmonary function tests among vaccine recipients. Given the significant morbidity associated with influenza in children, strategies to promote increased influenza vaccination coverage in this high-risk group in Latin America and elsewhere are urgently needed.

  13. Structural and Computational Biology in the Design of Immunogenic Vaccine Antigens

    PubMed Central

    Liljeroos, Lassi; Malito, Enrico; Ferlenghi, Ilaria; Bottomley, Matthew James

    2015-01-01

    Vaccination is historically one of the most important medical interventions for the prevention of infectious disease. Previously, vaccines were typically made of rather crude mixtures of inactivated or attenuated causative agents. However, over the last 10–20 years, several important technological and computational advances have enabled major progress in the discovery and design of potently immunogenic recombinant protein vaccine antigens. Here we discuss three key breakthrough approaches that have potentiated structural and computational vaccine design. Firstly, genomic sciences gave birth to the field of reverse vaccinology, which has enabled the rapid computational identification of potential vaccine antigens. Secondly, major advances in structural biology, experimental epitope mapping, and computational epitope prediction have yielded molecular insights into the immunogenic determinants defining protective antigens, enabling their rational optimization. Thirdly, and most recently, computational approaches have been used to convert this wealth of structural and immunological information into the design of improved vaccine antigens. This review aims to illustrate the growing power of combining sequencing, structural and computational approaches, and we discuss how this may drive the design of novel immunogens suitable for future vaccines urgently needed to increase the global prevention of infectious disease. PMID:26526043

  14. Structural and Computational Biology in the Design of Immunogenic Vaccine Antigens.

    PubMed

    Liljeroos, Lassi; Malito, Enrico; Ferlenghi, Ilaria; Bottomley, Matthew James

    2015-01-01

    Vaccination is historically one of the most important medical interventions for the prevention of infectious disease. Previously, vaccines were typically made of rather crude mixtures of inactivated or attenuated causative agents. However, over the last 10-20 years, several important technological and computational advances have enabled major progress in the discovery and design of potently immunogenic recombinant protein vaccine antigens. Here we discuss three key breakthrough approaches that have potentiated structural and computational vaccine design. Firstly, genomic sciences gave birth to the field of reverse vaccinology, which has enabled the rapid computational identification of potential vaccine antigens. Secondly, major advances in structural biology, experimental epitope mapping, and computational epitope prediction have yielded molecular insights into the immunogenic determinants defining protective antigens, enabling their rational optimization. Thirdly, and most recently, computational approaches have been used to convert this wealth of structural and immunological information into the design of improved vaccine antigens. This review aims to illustrate the growing power of combining sequencing, structural and computational approaches, and we discuss how this may drive the design of novel immunogens suitable for future vaccines urgently needed to increase the global prevention of infectious disease.

  15. Immunogenicity of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells

    PubMed Central

    Schu, Sabine; Nosov, Mikhail; O'Flynn, Lisa; Shaw, Georgina; Treacy, Oliver; Barry, Frank; Murphy, Mary; O'Brien, Timothy; Ritter, Thomas

    2012-01-01

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) inhibit proliferation of allogeneic T cells and express low levels of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI), MHCII and vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). We investigated whether their immunosuppressive properties and low immunophenotype protect allogeneic rat MSCs against cytotoxic lysis in vitro and result in a reduced immune response in vivo. Rat MSCs were partially protected against alloantigen-specific cytotoxic T cells in vitro. However, after treatment with IFN-γ and IL-1β, MSCs upregulated MHCI, MHCII and VCAM-1, and cytotoxic lysis was significantly increased. In vivo, allogeneic T cells but not allogeneic MSCs induced upregulation of the activation markers CD25 and CD71 as well as downregulation of CD62L on CD4+ T cells from recipient rats. However, intravenous injection of allo-MSCs in rats led to the formation of alloantibodies with the capacity to facilitate complement-mediated lysis, although IgM levels were markedly decreased compared with animals that received T cells. The allo-MSC induced immune response was sufficient to lead to significantly reduced survival of subsequently injected allo-MSCs. Interestingly, no increased immunogenicity of IFN-γ stimulated allo-MSCs was observed in vivo. Both the loss of protection against cytotoxic lysis under inflammatory conditions and the induction of complement-activating antibodies will likely impact the utility of allogeneic MSCs for therapeutic applications. PMID:22151542

  16. FDA advisory committees meet January 26 on Salk HIV-1 immunogen.

    PubMed

    1995-01-06

    Two advisory committees of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will meet to consider future trials of the HIV-1 immunogen developed by Dr. Jonas Salk. The Immune Response Corporation has already conducted several studies of the immunogen, and has found improvement in various immunological and other blood tests, and no adverse effects. However, the studies have not been large enough to show conclusively that the treatment has clinical benefit in delaying disease progression. The new, larger trials are intended to demonstrate a delay in disease progression and validate the use of blood-test markers of disease progression for studying an immune-based treatment.

  17. Revisiting Fluctuations in L2 Article Choice in L1-Korean L2-English Learners.

    PubMed

    Sarker, Bijon K; Baek, Seunghyun

    2017-04-01

    The current study investigated the distinction of L2 (second language) English article choice sensitivity in fifty-three L1-Korean L2-English learners in semantic contexts. In the context of English as a foreign language, the participants were divided into two groups based on grammatical ability as determined by their performance on a cloze test. In addition, a forced-choice elicitation test and a writing production test were administered to assess, respectively, the participants' receptive and productive article choice abilities. Regardless of grammatical ability, the results disclosed the overuse of the indefinite a in the [[Formula: see text]definite, -specific] context and the definite the in the [-definite, [Formula: see text]specific] context on the forced-choice elicitation test. In the [[Formula: see text]definite, [Formula: see text]specific] and [-definite, -specific] contexts, however, the overuse of either the indefinite a or the definite the, respectively, was less likely. Furthermore, it was revealed on the writing test that the participants more accurately used the definite the than the indefinite a, and they were also found to unreasonably omit more articles than to add or substitute articles on the writing production test. The findings across the two tests indicate that L1-Korean L2-English learners are more likely to have intrinsic difficulties transferring their L1 noun phrase (NP) knowledge to L2 NP knowledge owing to structural discrepancies and complex interfaces between L1 NPs and L2 NPs with respect to syntactic, semantic and pragmatic/discourse language subsystems.

  18. Extended Safety, Immunogenicity and Efficacy of a Blood-Stage Malaria Vaccine in Malian Children: 24-Month Follow-Up of a Randomized, Double-Blinded Phase 2 Trial

    PubMed Central

    Laurens, Matthew B.; Thera, Mahamadou A.; Coulibaly, Drissa; Ouattara, Amed; Kone, Abdoulaye K.; Guindo, Ando B.; Traore, Karim; Traore, Idrissa; Kouriba, Bourema; Diallo, Dapa A.; Diarra, Issa; Daou, Modibo; Dolo, Amagana; Tolo, Youssouf; Sissoko, Mahamadou S.; Niangaly, Amadou; Sissoko, Mady; Takala-Harrison, Shannon; Lyke, Kirsten E.; Wu, Yukun; Blackwelder, William C.; Godeaux, Olivier; Vekemans, Johan; Dubois, Marie-Claude; Ballou, W. Ripley; Cohen, Joe; Dube, Tina; Soisson, Lorraine; Diggs, Carter L.; House, Brent; Bennett, Jason W.; Lanar, David E.; Dutta, Sheetij; Heppner, D. Gray; Plowe, Christopher V.; Doumbo, Ogobara K.

    2013-01-01

    Background The FMP2.1/AS02A candidate malaria vaccine was tested in a Phase 2 study in Mali. Based on results from the first eight months of follow-up, the vaccine appeared well-tolerated and immunogenic. It had no significant efficacy based on the primary endpoint, clinical malaria, but marginal efficacy against clinical malaria in secondary analyses, and high allele-specific efficacy. Extended follow-up was conducted to evaluate extended safety, immunogenicity and efficacy. Methods A randomized, double-blinded trial of safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of the candidate Plasmodium falciparum apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) vaccine FMP2.1/AS02A was conducted in Bandiagara, Mali. Children aged 1–6 years were randomized in a 1∶1 ratio to receive FMP2.1/AS02A or control rabies vaccine on days 0, 30 and 60. Using active and passive surveillance, clinical malaria and adverse events as well as antibodies against P. falciparum AMA1 were monitored for 24 months after the first vaccination, spanning two malaria seasons. Findings 400 children were enrolled. Serious adverse events occurred in nine participants in the FMP2.1/AS02A group and three in the control group; none was considered related to study vaccination. After two years, anti-AMA1 immune responses remained significantly higher in the FMP2.1/AS02A group than in the control group. For the entire 24-month follow-up period, vaccine efficacy was 7.6% (p = 0.51) against first clinical malaria episodes and 9.9% (p = 0.19) against all malaria episodes. For the final 16-month follow-up period, vaccine efficacy was 0.9% (p = 0.98) against all malaria episodes. Allele-specific efficacy seen in the first malaria season did not extend into the second season of follow-up. Interpretation Allele-specific vaccine efficacy was not sustained in the second malaria season, despite continued high levels of anti-AMA1 antibodies. This study presents an opportunity to evaluate correlates of partial protection against

  19. Immunogenicity of a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) and impact on carriage in Venezuelan children at risk of invasive pneumococcal diseases.

    PubMed

    Rivera-Olivero, Ismar A; Del Nogal, Berenice; Fuentes, Mariana; Cortez, Rossana; Bogaert, Debby; Hermans, Peter W M; Waard, Jacobus H de

    2014-06-30

    We evaluated the immunogenicity of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7), and its impact on pneumococcal carriage in Venezuelan children at high risk for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). 82 children (age 2-59 months) with sickle cell anemia (n=22), chronic heart disease (n=19), HIV infection (n=12), immune-suppressive therapy (n=11) and other IPD-predisposing conditions (n=18) were vaccinated with PCV7 according to CDC-recommended age-related immunization schedules. Blood samples were taken to determine the concentration of IgG antibody, and nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained to isolate Streptococcus pneumoniae, before the first vaccine dose and 1 month after completion of the vaccination schedule. Pneumococcal carriage prior to the first immunization was 27% (n=22), with the most frequently carried serotypes being vaccine serotypes 6B (22%) and 14 (13%). One month after completion of the vaccination scheme pneumococcal carriage was 22% (n=17), dominated by non-vaccine serotypes 19A (24%) and 7F (12%). Before immunization, 65% of the subjects had IgG antibody titers >0.35 μg/mL for five serotypes tested. Post-vaccination, 100% of the subjects showed titers >1.0 μg/mL for all PCV7 serotypes with geometric mean concentrations (GMC) ranging from 1.75 μg/mL (serotype 23F) to 17.16 μg/mL (serotype 14). Children previously colonized with serotype 6B had a significantly lower GMC to this serotype following immunization than children not carrying 6B prior to the first PCV dose (p<0.05). PCV7 is highly immunogenic in Venezuelan children at high-risk for IPD. Vaccination was associated with an immediate shift in nasopharyngeal carriage toward non-PCV7 serotypes. Finally, we observed serotype-specific hyporesponsiveness to immunization after natural carriage with the same serotype in high-risk children. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Cur l 3, a major allergen of Curvularia lunata-derived short synthetic peptides, shows promise for successful immunotherapy.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Vidhu; Singh, Bhanu Pratap; Arora, Naveen

    2011-12-01

    Allergens with reduced IgE binding and intact T cell reactivity are required for safety and efficacy of immunotherapy (IT). Curvularia lunata is an important fungus for respiratory allergic disorders having cross-reactive and specific allergens. Previously, we have identified major allergens-namely, Cur l 1 (31 kD, serine protease), Cur l 2 (48 kD, enolase), and Cur l 3 (12 kD, cytochrome c)-from this fungus. Furthermore, Cur l 3 epitope-peptide, P6, showed immunogenicity and higher IgE binding, where cysteine and histidine were observed to be vital for IgE binding. Thus, this peptide and three derivatives with reduced IgE binding were selected for analysis in mice. In the present study, the effect of IT was assessed with Cur l 3, P6, its derivatives (P6.1-6.3), and P10 in a mouse model of allergy. IT with P6.2 and P10 reduced IgE and IgG1 levels significantly (P < 0.05), with increase in IgG2a levels as compared to other antigens. There was a significant reduction of IL-4 level associated with increased IFN-γ after IT. Airway inflammation was reduced significantly in terms of eosinophil counts in lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. IT with P6 and P6.2 induced significantly higher IL-10 secretion than baseline after 40 days of treatment. Generally, the effect of IT was more pronounced after 40 days than after 10 days of treatment. In summary, the modified peptide, P6.2, with reduced IgE binding, but intact immunogenicity, showed promise for successful IT.

  1. [Immunogenicity of biosimilars].

    PubMed

    van Aerts, L A G J M; Franken, A A M; Leufkens, H G M

    2016-01-01

    Biosimilars of more complex recombinant protein drugs, such as monoclonal antibodies and fusion proteins, are entering the market. The manufacturer should demonstrate that its product does not show any relevant differences in terms of quality characteristics, biological activity, safety and efficacy compared to the reference product, as outlined in EMA guidelines. This should be established with an extensive comparability exercise. One aspect that is subject to particular scrutiny is the immunogenicity of the biosimilar and the reference medicinal product. For three cases, one etanercept and two infliximab biosimilars, we describe how data are assessed and an opinion is reached by authorities. Not in all cases unanimity exists whether all remaining uncertainties on biosimilarity have been resolved satisfactorily before marketing authorisation. The Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board therefore emphasises that even after marketing authorisation, biosimilars and other biologicals should be properly monitored.

  2. Nanosecond-Pulsed DBD Plasma-Generated Reactive Oxygen Species Trigger Immunogenic Cell Death in A549 Lung Carcinoma Cells through Intracellular Oxidative Stress

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Abraham; Truong, Billy; Patel, Sohil; Kaushik, Nagendra; Choi, Eun Ha; Fridman, Gregory; Fridman, Alexander; Miller, Vandana

    2017-01-01

    A novel application for non-thermal plasma is the induction of immunogenic cancer cell death for cancer immunotherapy. Cells undergoing immunogenic death emit danger signals which facilitate anti-tumor immune responses. Although pathways leading to immunogenic cell death are not fully understood; oxidative stress is considered to be part of the underlying mechanism. Here; we studied the interaction between dielectric barrier discharge plasma and cancer cells for oxidative stress-mediated immunogenic cell death. We assessed changes to the intracellular oxidative environment after plasma treatment and correlated it to emission of two danger signals: surface-exposed calreticulin and secreted adenosine triphosphate. Plasma-generated reactive oxygen and charged species were recognized as the major effectors of immunogenic cell death. Chemical attenuators of intracellular reactive oxygen species successfully abrogated oxidative stress following plasma treatment and modulated the emission of surface-exposed calreticulin. Secreted danger signals from cells undergoing immunogenic death enhanced the anti-tumor activity of macrophages. This study demonstrated that plasma triggers immunogenic cell death through oxidative stress pathways and highlights its potential development for cancer immunotherapy. PMID:28467380

  3. Immunogenicity and safety of an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine when coadministered with Diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis and haemophilus influenzae type B vaccines in children 15 months of age.

    PubMed

    Trofa, Andrew F; Klein, Nicola P; Paul, Ian M; Michaels, Marian G; Goessler, Mary; Chandrasekaran, Vijayalakshmi; Blatter, Mark

    2011-09-01

    This study (NCT00197236) evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of a hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccine when coadministered with diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccines in children 15 months of age. This was an open-labeled, multicenter study with healthy subjects enrolled and randomized (1:1:1) into 3 treatment groups. A total of 394 subjects received the first study vaccinations at 15 months of age. Group HAV (N = 135) received 2 doses of HAV vaccine 6 to 9 months apart. Group HAV+DTaP+Hib (N = 127) received HAV vaccine coadministered with DTaP and Hib vaccines and the second dose of HAV vaccine, 6 to 9 months later. Group DTaP+Hib→HAV (N = 132) received the DTaP and Hib vaccines at 15 months of age, followed by HAV vaccine 30 days later and the second dose of HAV vaccine 7 to 10 months after the DTaP+Hib vaccines. Immune responses were evaluated before the first study vaccination and 30 days after each vaccine dose. Solicited, unsolicited, and serious adverse events were collected. After 2 doses of the HAV vaccine, all subjects in the 3 groups were seropositive. The geometric mean concentration of anti-HAV antibodies ranged between 1625.1 and 1904.4 mIU/mL. Coadministration of the 3 vaccines did not impact immunogenicity of the HAV, DTaP, or Hib vaccines. Vaccines were well tolerated in all groups. A 2-dose schedule of HAV vaccine was well tolerated and immunogenic when administered to children starting at 15 months of age. Immune responses to the DTaP or Hib vaccines were similar whether they were administered alone or were coadministered with the HAV vaccine.

  4. Human Papillomavirus Virus-Like Particles Are Efficient Oral Immunogens when Coadministered with Escherichia coli Heat-Labile Enterotoxin Mutant R192G or CpG DNA

    PubMed Central

    Gerber, S.; Lane, C.; Brown, D. M.; Lord, E.; DiLorenzo, M.; Clements, J. D.; Rybicki, E.; Williamson, A.-L.; Rose, R. C.

    2001-01-01

    Certain human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause most cervical cancer, which remains a significant source of morbidity and mortality among women worldwide. HPV recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs) are promising vaccine candidates for controlling anogenital HPV disease and are now being evaluated as a parenteral vaccine modality in human subjects. Vaccines formulated for injection generally are more costly, more difficult to administer, and less acceptable to recipients than are mucosally administered vaccines. Since oral delivery represents an attractive alternative to parenteral injection for large-scale human vaccination, the oral immunogenicity of HPV type 11 (HPV-11) VLPs in mice was previously investigated; it was found that a modest systemic neutralizing antibody response was induced (R. C. Rose, C. Lane, S. Wilson, J. A. Suzich, E. Rybicki, and A. L. Williamson, Vaccine 17:2129–2135, 1999). Here we examine whether VLPs of other genotypes may also be immunogenic when administered orally and whether mucosal adjuvants can be used to enhance VLP oral immunogenicity. We show that HPV-16 and HPV-18 VLPs are immunogenic when administered orally and that oral coadministration of these antigens with Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) mutant R192G (LT R192G) or CpG DNA can significantly improve anti-VLP humoral responses in peripheral blood and in genital mucosal secretions. Our results also suggest that LT R192G may be superior to CpG DNA in this ability. These findings support the concept of oral immunization against anogenital HPV disease and suggest that clinical studies involving this approach may be warranted. PMID:11312347

  5. Revisiting Fluctuations in L2 Article Choice in L1-Korean L2-English Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sarker, Bijon K.; Baek, Seunghyun

    2017-01-01

    The current study investigated the distinction of L2 (second language) English article choice sensitivity in fifty-three L1-Korean L2-English learners in semantic contexts. In the context of English as a foreign language, the participants were divided into two groups based on grammatical ability as determined by their performance on a cloze test.…

  6. The Effects of L1 and L2 Group Discussions on L2 Reading Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turnbull, Blake; Evans, Moyra Sweetnam

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore the effects of post-reading group discussions in both first (L1) and second (L2) languages on L2 reading comprehension. The participants were fifteen Japanese university students of intermediate-level English. Three cohorts read four English texts and produced individual written recalls. Group 1 (the control…

  7. On the effects of L2 perception and of individual differences in L1 production on L2 pronunciation

    PubMed Central

    Kartushina, Natalia; Frauenfelder, Ulrich H.

    2014-01-01

    The speech of late second language (L2) learners is generally marked by an accent. The dominant theoretical perspective attributes accents to deficient L2 perception arising from a transfer of L1 phonology, which is thought to influence L2 perception and production. In this study we evaluate the explanatory role of L2 perception in L2 production and explore alternative explanations arising from the L1 phonological system, such as for example, the role of L1 production. Specifically we examine the role of an individual’s L1 productions in the production of L2 vowel contrasts. Fourteen Spanish adolescents studying French at school were assessed on their perception and production of the mid-close/mid-open contrasts, /ø-œ/ and /e-ε/, which are, respectively, acoustically distinct from Spanish sounds, or similar to them. The participants’ native productions were explored to assess (1) the variability in the production of native vowels (i.e., the compactness of vowel categories in F1/F2 acoustic space), and (2) the position of the vowels in the acoustic space. The results revealed that although poorly perceived contrasts were generally produced poorly, there was no correlation between individual performance in perception and production, and no effect of L2 perception on L2 production in mixed-effects regression analyses. This result is consistent with a growing body of psycholinguistic and neuroimaging research that suggest partial dissociations between L2 perception and production. In contrast, individual differences in the compactness and position of native vowels predicted L2 production accuracy. These results point to existence of surface transfer of individual L1 phonetic realizations to L2 space and demonstrate that pre-existing features of the native space in production partly determine how new sounds can be accommodated in that space. PMID:25414678

  8. Assessment of the Safety and Immunogenicity of 2 Novel Vaccine Platforms for HIV-1 Prevention: A Randomized Trial.

    PubMed

    Baden, Lindsey R; Karita, Etienne; Mutua, Gaudensia; Bekker, Linda-Gail; Gray, Glenda; Page-Shipp, Liesl; Walsh, Stephen R; Nyombayire, Julien; Anzala, Omu; Roux, Surita; Laher, Fatima; Innes, Craig; Seaman, Michael S; Cohen, Yehuda Z; Peter, Lauren; Frahm, Nicole; McElrath, M Juliana; Hayes, Peter; Swann, Edith; Grunenberg, Nicole; Grazia-Pau, Maria; Weijtens, Mo; Sadoff, Jerry; Dally, Len; Lombardo, Angela; Gilmour, Jill; Cox, Josephine; Dolin, Raphael; Fast, Patricia; Barouch, Dan H; Laufer, Dagna S

    2016-03-01

    A prophylactic HIV-1 vaccine is a global health priority. To assess a novel vaccine platform as a prophylactic HIV-1 regimen. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Both participants and study personnel were blinded to treatment allocation. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01215149). United States, East Africa, and South Africa. Healthy adults without HIV infection. 2 HIV-1 vaccines (adenovirus serotype 26 with an HIV-1 envelope A insert [Ad26.EnvA] and adenovirus serotype 35 with an HIV-1 envelope A insert [Ad35.Env], both administered at a dose of 5 × 1010 viral particles) in homologous and heterologous combinations. Safety and immunogenicity and the effect of baseline vector immunity. 217 participants received at least 1 vaccination, and 210 (>96%) completed follow-up. No vaccine-associated serious adverse events occurred. All regimens were generally well-tolerated. All regimens elicited humoral and cellular immune responses in nearly all participants. Preexisting Ad26- or Ad35-neutralizing antibody titers had no effect on vaccine safety and little effect on immunogenicity. In both homologous and heterologous regimens, the second vaccination significantly increased EnvA antibody titers (approximately 20-fold from the median enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titers of 30-300 to 3000). The heterologous regimen of Ad26-Ad35 elicited significantly higher EnvA antibody titers than Ad35-Ad26. T-cell responses were modest and lower in East Africa than in South Africa and the United States. Because the 2 envelope inserts were not identical, the boosting responses were complex to interpret. Durability of the immune responses elicited beyond 1 year is unknown. Both vaccines elicited significant immune responses in all populations. Baseline vector immunity did not significantly affect responses. Second vaccinations in all regimens significantly boosted EnvA antibody titers, although vaccine order in the heterologous regimen had a modest effect on the immune response

  9. Approaches to Mitigate the Unwanted Immunogenicity of Therapeutic Proteins during Drug Development.

    PubMed

    Salazar-Fontana, Laura I; Desai, Dharmesh D; Khan, Tarik A; Pillutla, Renuka C; Prior, Sandra; Ramakrishnan, Radha; Schneider, Jennifer; Joseph, Alexandra

    2017-03-01

    All biotherapeutics have the potential to induce an immune response. This immunological response is complex and, in addition to antibody formation, involves T cell activation and innate immune responses that could contribute to adverse effects. Integrated immunogenicity data analysis is crucial to understanding the possible clinical consequences of anti-drug antibody (ADA) responses. Because patient- and product-related factors can influence the immunogenicity of a therapeutic protein, a risk-based approach is recommended and followed by most drug developers to provide insight over the potential harm of unwanted ADA responses. This paper examines mitigation strategies currently implemented and novel under investigation approaches used by drug developers. The review describes immunomodulatory regimens used in the clinic to mitigate deleterious ADA responses to replacement therapies for deficiency syndromes, such as hemophilia A and B, and high risk classical infantile Pompe patients (e.g., cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, rituximab); novel in silico and in vitro prediction tools used to select candidates based on their immunogenicity potential (e.g., anti-CD52 antibody primary sequence and IFN beta-1a formulation); in vitro generation of tolerogenic antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to reduce ADA responses to factor VIII and IX in murine models of hemophilia; and selection of novel delivery systems to reduce in vivo ADA responses to highly immunogenic biotherapeutics (e.g., asparaginase). We conclude that mitigation strategies should be considered early in development for biotherapeutics based on our knowledge of existing clinical data for biotherapeutics and the immune response involved in the generation of these ADAs.

  10. Preparation, characterization, and immunogenicity of Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide-protein conjugates

    PubMed Central

    1980-01-01

    A method is presented for covalently bonding Haemophilus influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide (HIB Ps) to several proteins. The method is efficient and relies upon the use of adipic dihydrazide as a spacer between the capsular polysaccharide and the carrier protein. In contrast to the poor immunogenicity of the purified HIB Ps in mice and rabbits, the HIB Ps-protein conjugates induced serum anti-type b antibodies having bactericidal activity at levels shown to be protective in humans when low doses were injected subcutaneously in a saline solution. The antibody response in mice was related to the dose of the conjugates, increased with the number of injections, and could be primed by the previous injection of the carrier protein. The HIB Ps- protein conjugates were immunogenic in three different mouse strains. The importance of the carrier molecule for the enhanced immunogenicity of the HIB Ps-protein conjugates was shown by the failure of HIB Ps hybrids prepared with either the homologous polysaccharide or pneumococcus type 3 polysaccharide to induce antibodie in mice. Rabbits injected with the HIB Ps-protein conjugates emulsified in Freund's adjuvant produced high levels of serum anti-type b antibodies which induced a bactericidal effect upon H. influenzae type b organisms. It is proposed that the HIB Ps component of the polysaccharide protein conjugates has been converted to a thymic-dependent immunogen. This method may be used to prepare protein-polysaccharide conjugates with HIB Ps and other polysaccharides to be considered for human use. PMID:6967514

  11. Integrated immunogenicity analysis of a tetravalent dengue vaccine up to 4 y after vaccination.

    PubMed

    Vigne, Claire; Dupuy, Martin; Richetin, Aline; Guy, Bruno; Jackson, Nicholas; Bonaparte, Matthew; Hu, Branda; Saville, Melanie; Chansinghakul, Danaya; Noriega, Fernando; Plennevaux, Eric

    2017-09-02

    Two large pivotal phase III studies demonstrated the efficacy of the tetravalent dengue vaccine (CYD-TDV; Dengvaxia®, Sanofi Pasteur) against all dengue serotypes. Here we present an unprecedented integrated summary of the immunogenicity of CYD-TDV to identify the parameters driving the neutralizing humoral immune response and evolution over time. We summarized the immunogenicity profiles of a 3-dose schedule of CYD-TDV administered 6 months apart across 10 phase II and 6 phase III trials undertaken in dengue endemic and non-endemic countries. Dengue neutralizing antibody titers in sera were determined at centralized laboratories using the 50% plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT 50 ) at baseline, 28 d after the third dose, and annually thereafter for up to 4 y after the third dose in some studies. CYD-TDV elicits neutralizing antibody responses against all 4 dengue serotypes; geometric mean titers (GMTs) increased from baseline to post-dose 3. GMTs were influenced by several parameters including age, baseline dengue seropositivity and region. In the 2 pivotal studies, GMTs decreased initially during the first 2 y post-dose 3 but appear to stabilize or slightly increase again in the third year. GMTs persisted 1.2-3.2-fold higher than baseline levels for up to 4 y post-dose 3 in other studies undertaken in dengue endemic countries. Our integrated analysis captures the fullness of the CYD-TDV immunogenicity profile across studies, age groups and regions; by presenting the available data in this way general trends and substantial outliers within each grouping can be easily identified. CYD-TDV elicits neutralizing antibody responses against all dengue serotypes, with differences by age and endemicity, which persist above baseline levels in endemic countries.

  12. Integrated immunogenicity analysis of a tetravalent dengue vaccine up to 4 y after vaccination

    PubMed Central

    Vigne, Claire; Dupuy, Martin; Richetin, Aline; Guy, Bruno; Jackson, Nicholas; Bonaparte, Matthew; Hu, Branda; Saville, Melanie; Chansinghakul, Danaya; Noriega, Fernando; Plennevaux, Eric

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Two large pivotal phase III studies demonstrated the efficacy of the tetravalent dengue vaccine (CYD-TDV; Dengvaxia®, Sanofi Pasteur) against all dengue serotypes. Here we present an unprecedented integrated summary of the immunogenicity of CYD-TDV to identify the parameters driving the neutralizing humoral immune response and evolution over time. We summarized the immunogenicity profiles of a 3-dose schedule of CYD-TDV administered 6 months apart across 10 phase II and 6 phase III trials undertaken in dengue endemic and non-endemic countries. Dengue neutralizing antibody titers in sera were determined at centralized laboratories using the 50% plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT50) at baseline, 28 d after the third dose, and annually thereafter for up to 4 y after the third dose in some studies. CYD-TDV elicits neutralizing antibody responses against all 4 dengue serotypes; geometric mean titers (GMTs) increased from baseline to post-dose 3. GMTs were influenced by several parameters including age, baseline dengue seropositivity and region. In the 2 pivotal studies, GMTs decreased initially during the first 2 y post-dose 3 but appear to stabilize or slightly increase again in the third year. GMTs persisted 1.2–3.2-fold higher than baseline levels for up to 4 y post-dose 3 in other studies undertaken in dengue endemic countries. Our integrated analysis captures the fullness of the CYD-TDV immunogenicity profile across studies, age groups and regions; by presenting the available data in this way general trends and substantial outliers within each grouping can be easily identified. CYD-TDV elicits neutralizing antibody responses against all dengue serotypes, with differences by age and endemicity, which persist above baseline levels in endemic countries. PMID:28598256

  13. A Review of the Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Immunogenicity of Vedolizumab.

    PubMed

    Rosario, Maria; Dirks, Nathanael L; Milch, Catherine; Parikh, Asit; Bargfrede, Michael; Wyant, Tim; Fedyk, Eric; Fox, Irving

    2017-11-01

    Vedolizumab is a humanized anti-α 4 β 7 integrin monoclonal antibody that selectively blocks trafficking of memory T cells to inflamed gut tissue by inhibiting the α 4 β 7 -mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1) interaction. Approved for treating patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD), vedolizumab is administered as a 300 mg intravenous infusion. Vedolizumab undergoes a rapid, saturable, non-linear, target-mediated elimination process at low concentrations and a slower, linear, non-specific elimination process at higher concentrations. At therapeutic concentrations, vedolizumab primarily undergoes linear elimination. From population pharmacokinetic modeling, the vedolizumab terminal elimination half-life (t ½ β) was estimated to be 25.5 days; linear clearance (CL L ) was similar for patients with UC (0.159 L/day) and CD (0.155 L/day). Extreme low albumin concentrations and extreme high body weight values were potentially clinically important predictors of vedolizumab CL L . Other factors, including concomitant therapy use (methotrexate, azathioprine, mercaptopurine, or aminosalicylates) or prior tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) antagonist use, had no clinically relevant effects on CL L . A positive exposure-efficacy relationship for clinical remission and clinical response was apparent for vedolizumab induction therapy in patients with UC or CD. On average, patients with higher albumin, lower fecal calprotectin (UC only), lower C-reactive protein (CD only), and no prior TNF-α antagonist use had a higher probability of remission. Off drug, 10% of patients with UC or CD were positive for anti-drug antibodies. This article provides a comprehensive review of the clinical pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, exposure-efficacy relationships, and immunogenicity of vedolizumab.

  14. Trial Watch: Immunogenic cell death inducers for anticancer chemotherapy.

    PubMed

    Pol, Jonathan; Vacchelli, Erika; Aranda, Fernando; Castoldi, Francesca; Eggermont, Alexander; Cremer, Isabelle; Sautès-Fridman, Catherine; Fucikova, Jitka; Galon, Jérôme; Spisek, Radek; Tartour, Eric; Zitvogel, Laurence; Kroemer, Guido; Galluzzi, Lorenzo

    2015-04-01

    The term "immunogenic cell death" (ICD) is now employed to indicate a functionally peculiar form of apoptosis that is sufficient for immunocompetent hosts to mount an adaptive immune response against dead cell-associated antigens. Several drugs have been ascribed with the ability to provoke ICD when employed as standalone therapeutic interventions. These include various chemotherapeutics routinely employed in the clinic (e.g., doxorubicin, epirubicin, idarubicin, mitoxantrone, bleomycin, bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and oxaliplatin) as well as some anticancer agents that are still under preclinical or clinical development (e.g., some microtubular inhibitors of the epothilone family). In addition, a few drugs are able to convert otherwise non-immunogenic instances of cell death into bona fide ICD, and may therefore be employed as chemotherapeutic adjuvants within combinatorial regimens. This is the case of cardiac glycosides, like digoxin and digitoxin, and zoledronic acid. Here, we discuss recent developments on anticancer chemotherapy based on ICD inducers.

  15. TvMP50 is an Immunogenic Metalloproteinase during Male Trichomoniasis*

    PubMed Central

    Quintas-Granados, Laura Itzel; Villalpando, José Luis; Vázquez-Carrillo, Laura Isabel; Arroyo, Rossana; Mendoza-Hernández, Guillermo; Álvarez-Sánchez, María Elizbeth

    2013-01-01

    Trichomonas vaginalis, a human urogenital tract parasite, is capable of surviving in the male microenvironment, despite of the presence of Zn2+. Concentrations > 1.6 mm of Zn2+ have a trichomonacidal effect; however, in the presence of ≤1.6 mm Zn2+, several trichomonad proteins are up- or down-regulated. Herein, we analyzed the proteome of a T. vaginalis male isolate (HGMN01) grown in the presence of Zn2+ and found 32 protein spots that were immunorecognized by male trichomoniasis patient serum. Using mass spectrometry (MS), the proteins were identified and compared with 23 spots that were immunorecognized in the proteome of a female isolate using the same serum. Interestingly, we found a 50-kDa metallopeptidase (TvMP50). Unexpectedly, this proteinase was immunodetected by the serum of male trichomoniasis patients but not by the female patient serum or sera from healthy men and women. We analyzed the T. vaginalis genome and localized the mp50 gene in locus TVAG_403460. Using an RT-PCR assay, we amplified a 1320-bp mp50 mRNA transcript that was expressed in the presence of Zn2+ in the HGMN01 and CNCD147 T. vaginalis isolates. According to a Western blot assay, native TvMP50 was differentially expressed in the presence of Zn2+. The TvMP50 proteolytic activity increased in the presence of Zn2+ in both isolates and was inhibited by EDTA but not by ptosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK), E64, leupeptin, or phenylmethane sulfonyl fluoride. Furthermore, the recombinant TvMP50 had proteolytic activity that was inhibited by EDTA. These data suggested that TvMP50 is immunogenic during male trichomoniasis, and Zn2+ induces its expression. PMID:23579185

  16. Immunization of broiler chickens against Clostridium perfringens-induced necrotic enteritis using purified recombinant immunogenic proteins.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Yanfen; Kulkarni, Raveendra R; Parreira, Valeria R; Prescott, John F

    2009-09-01

    This study identified and assessed secreted proteins of Clostridium perfringens additional to those previously described for their ability to protect broiler chickens against necrotic enteritis (NE). Secreted proteins of virulent and avirulent C. perfringens were electrophoretically separated and reacted with serum of chickens immune to NE. Three immunoreactive protein bands unique to the virulent C. perfringens were identified by mass spectrometry as the toxin C. perfringens large cytotoxin (TpeL), endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase (Naglu), and phosphoglyceromutase (Pgm). The genes encoding Naglu and Pgm proteins were cloned, and their gene products were purified as histidine-tagged recombinant proteins from Escherichia coli and used in immunizing chickens. Immunized and nonimmunized control broiler chickens were then challenged with two different strains (CP1, CP4) of C. perfringens and assessed for the development of NE. Of the two immunogens, Pgm immunization showed significant protection of broiler chickens against experimental NE, although protection reduced as challenge severity increased. However, birds immunized with Naglu were protected from challenge only with strain CP4. Birds immunized with these proteins had antigen-specific antibodies when tested in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the partial efficacy of additional secreted proteins in immunity of broiler chickens to NE. The study also showed that there may be differences in the protective ability of immunogens depending on the infecting C. perfringens strain.

  17. The safety and immunogenicity of two hepatitis B vaccine formulations (thiomersal-free and thiomersal-containing) in healthy vietnamese infants: a phase III, prospective, single-blinded, randomized, controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Hieu, Nguyen Trong; Sarnecki, Michal; Tolboom, Jeroen

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the thiomersal-free (TF) and thiomersal-containing (TC) formulations of Hepavax-Gene in healthy Vietnamese neonates. A single-blind, randomized, controlled study in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Healthy infants, born after a normal gestational period (37-42 weeks) to hepatitis B surface antigen-negative mothers, participated in the study. Subjects were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive either Hepavax-Gene TC or Hepavax-Gene TF using a standard 0-1-6-month administration schedule. Postvaccination blood samples were taken at months 1, 6 and 7. Parents/legal guardians recorded solicited local and systemic adverse events up to 4 weeks after each vaccination. Very high proportions of subjects were seroprotected. Seroprotection rates at 1, 6 and 7 months were all above 95% using a 10 IU/L cutoff, and were mostly above 90% using a 100 IU/L cutoff. Seroprotection rates between the 2 formulations were equivalent within a 5% margin for either cutoff titer both after 6 and 7 months. There were no significant differences in the number of adverse events reported between the 2 formulations. Safety results were in line with previous reports for Hepavax-Gene. Both formulations of Hepavax-Gene were well tolerated. There were no local adverse events reported in the TF group. No serious adverse events were reported during the study. The thiomersal-free formulation of Hepavax-Gene was noninferior to the thiomersal-containing formulation of Hepavax-Gene in terms of immunogenicity. There was evidence that the thiomersal-free vaccine was associated with fewer local adverse events.

  18. Low immunogenicity predicted for emerging avian-origin H7N9

    PubMed Central

    De Groot, Anne S.; Ardito, Matthew; Terry, Frances; Levitz, Lauren; Ross, Ted; Moise, Leonard; Martin, William

    2013-01-01

    A new avian-origin influenza virus emerged near Shanghai in February 2013, and by the beginning of May it had caused over 130 human infections and 36 deaths. Human-to-human transmission of avian-origin H7N9 influenza A has been limited to a few family clusters, but the high mortality rate (27%) associated with human infection has raised concern about the potential for this virus to become a significant human pathogen. European, American, and Asian vaccine companies have already initiated the process of cloning H7 antigens such as hemagglutinin (HA) into standardized vaccine production vehicles. Unfortunately, previous H7 HA-containing vaccines have been poorly immunogenic. We used well-established immunoinformatics tools to analyze the H7N9 protein sequences and compare their T cell epitope content to other circulating influenza A strains as a means of estimating the immunogenic potential of the new influenza antigen. We found that the HA proteins derived from closely related human-derived H7N9 strains contain fewer T cell epitopes than other recently circulating strains of influenza, and that conservation of T cell epitopes with other strains of influenza was very limited. Here, we provide a detailed accounting of the type and location of T cell epitopes contained in H7N9 and their conservation in other H7 and circulating (A/California/07/2009, A/Victoria/361/2011, and A/Texas/50/2012) influenza A strains. Based on this analysis, avian-origin H7N9 2013 appears to be a “stealth” virus, capable of evading human cellular and humoral immune response. Should H7N9 develop pandemic potential, this analysis predicts that novel strategies for improving vaccine immunogenicity for this unique low-immunogenicity strain of avian-origin influenza will be urgently needed. PMID:23807079

  19. Goose parvovirus structural proteins expressed by recombinant baculoviruses self-assemble into virus-like particles with strong immunogenicity in goose

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ju, Huanyu; Wei, Na; Wang, Qian

    Highlights: {yields} All three capsid proteins can be expressed in insect cells in baculovirus expression system. {yields} All three recombinant proteins were spontaneously self-assemble into virus-like particles whose size and appearance were similar to those of native purified GPV virions. {yields} The immunogenicity of GPV-VLPs was better than commercial inactivated vaccine and attenuated vaccine. -- Abstract: Goose parvovirus (GPV), a small non-enveloped ssDNA virus, can cause Derzsy's disease, and three capsid proteins of VP1, VP2, and VP3 are encoded by an overlapping nucleotide sequence. However, little is known on whether recombinant viral proteins (VPs) could spontaneously assemble into virus-like particlesmore » (VLPs) in insect cells and whether these VLPs could retain their immunoreactivity and immunogenicity in susceptible geese. To address these issues, genes for these GPV VPs were amplified by PCR, and the recombinant VPs proteins were expressed in insect cells using a baculovirus expression system for the characterization of their structures, immunoreactivity, and immunogenicity. The rVP1, rVP2, and rVP3 expressed in Sf9 cells were detected by anti-GPV sera, anti-VP3 sera, and anti-His antibodies, respectively. Electron microscopy revealed that these rVPs spontaneously assembled into VLPs in insect cells, similar to that of the purified wild-type GPV virions. In addition, vaccination with individual types of VLPs, particularly with the rVP2-VLPs, induced higher titers of antibodies and neutralized different strains of GPVs in primary goose and duck embryo fibroblast cells in vitro. These data indicated that these VLPs retained immunoreactivity and had strong immunogenicity in susceptible geese. Therefore, our findings may provide a framework for development of new vaccines for the prevention of Derzsy's disease and vehicles for the delivery of drugs.« less

  20. Conjugate-like immunogens produced as protein capsular matrix vaccines.

    PubMed

    Thanawastien, Ann; Cartee, Robert T; Griffin, Thomas J; Killeen, Kevin P; Mekalanos, John J

    2015-03-10

    Capsular polysaccharides are the primary antigenic components involved in protective immunity against encapsulated bacterial pathogens. Although immunization of adolescents and adults with polysaccharide antigens has reduced pathogen disease burden, pure polysaccharide vaccines have proved ineffective at conferring protective immunity to infants and the elderly, age cohorts that are deficient in their adaptive immune responses to such antigens. However, T-cell-independent polysaccharide antigens can be converted into more potent immunogens by chemically coupling to a "carrier protein" antigen. Such "conjugate vaccines" efficiently induce antibody avidity maturation, isotype switching, and immunological memory in immunized neonates. These immune responses have been attributed to T-cell recognition of peptides derived from the coupled carrier protein. The covalent attachment of polysaccharide antigens to the carrier protein is thought to be imperative to the immunological properties of conjugate vaccines. Here we provide evidence that covalent attachment to carrier proteins is not required for conversion of T-independent antigens into T-dependent immunogens. Simple entrapment of polysaccharides or a d-amino acid polymer antigen in a cross-linked protein matrix was shown to be sufficient to produce potent immunogens that possess the key characteristics of conventional conjugate vaccines. The versatility and ease of manufacture of these antigen preparations, termed protein capsular matrix vaccines (PCMVs), will likely provide improvements in the manufacture of vaccines designed to protect against encapsulated microorganisms. This in turn could improve the availability of such vaccines to the developing world, which has shown only a limited capacity to afford the cost of conventional conjugate vaccines.

  1. Protective Immunogenicity of Group A Streptococcal M-Related Proteins

    PubMed Central

    Niedermeyer, Shannon E.; Agbaosi, Tina; Hysmith, Nicholas D.; Penfound, Thomas A.; Hohn, Claudia M.; Pullen, Matthew; Bright, Michael I.; Murrell, Daniel S.; Shenep, Lori E.; Courtney, Harry S.

    2015-01-01

    Many previous studies have focused on the surface M proteins of group A streptococci (GAS) as virulence determinants and protective antigens. However, the majority of GAS isolates express M-related protein (Mrp) in addition to M protein, and both have been shown to be required for optimal virulence. In the current study, we evaluated the protective immunogenicity of Mrp to determine its potential as a vaccine component that may broaden the coverage of M protein-based vaccines. Sequence analyses of 33 mrp genes indicated that there are three families of structurally related Mrps (MrpI, MrpII, and MrpIII). N-terminal peptides of Mrps were cloned, expressed, and purified from M type 2 (M2) (MrpI), M4 (MrpII), and M49 (MrpIII) GAS. Rabbit antisera against the Mrps reacted at high titers with the homologous Mrp, as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and promoted bactericidal activity against GAS emm types expressing Mrps within the same family. Mice passively immunized with rabbit antisera against MrpII were protected against challenge infections with M28 GAS. Assays for Mrp antibodies in serum samples from 281 pediatric subjects aged 2 to 16 indicated that the Mrp immune response correlated with increasing age of the subjects. Affinity-purified human Mrp antibodies promoted bactericidal activity against a number of GAS representing different emm types that expressed an Mrp within the same family but showed no activity against emm types expressing an Mrp from a different family. Our results indicate that Mrps have semiconserved N-terminal sequences that contain bactericidal epitopes which are immunogenic in humans. These findings may have direct implications for the development of GAS vaccines. PMID:25630406

  2. Improved immunogenicity of individual influenza vaccine components delivered with a novel dissolving microneedle patch stable at room temperature

    PubMed Central

    Vassilieva, Elena V.; Kalluri, Haripriya; McAllister, Devin; Taherbhai, Misha T.; Esser, E. Stein; Pewin, Winston P.; Pulit-Penaloza, Joanna A.; Prausnitz, Mark R.; Compans, Richard W.; Skountzou, Ioanna

    2015-01-01

    Prevention of seasonal influenza epidemics and pandemics relies on widespread vaccination coverage to induce protective immunity. In addition to a good antigenic match with the circulating viruses, the effectiveness of individual strains represented in the trivalent vaccines depends on their immunogenicity. In this study we evaluated the immunogenicity of H1N1, H3N2 and B seasonal influenza virus vaccine strains delivered individually with a novel dissolving microneedle patch and the stability of this formulation during storage at 25°C. Our data demonstrate that all strains retained their antigenic activity after incorporation in the dissolving patches as measured by SRID assay and immune responses to vaccination in BALB/c mice. After a single immunization all three antigens delivered with microneedle patches induced superior neutralizing antibody titers compared to intramuscular immunization. Cutaneous antigen delivery was especially beneficial for the less immunogenic B strain. Mice immunized with dissolving microneedle patches encapsulating influenza A/Brisbane/59/07 (H1N1) vaccine were fully protected against lethal challenge by homologous mouse-adapted influenza virus. All vaccine components retained activity during storage at room temperature for at least three months as measured in vitro by SRID assay and in vivo by mouse immunization studies. Our data demonstrate that dissolving microneedle patches are a promising advance for influenza cutaneous vaccination due to improved immune responses using less immunogenic influenza antigens and enhanced stability. PMID:25895053

  3. Processing Focus Structure in L1 and L2 French: L2 Proficiency Effects on ERPs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reichle, Robert V.; Birdsong, David

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by focus processing among first language (L1) speakers and second language (L2) learners of French. Participants read wh-questions containing explicit focus marking, followed by responses instantiating contrastive and informational focus. We hypothesized that L2 proficiency would…

  4. L1 and L2 Distance Effects in Learning L3 Dutch

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schepens, Job J.; der Slik, Frans; Hout, Roeland

    2016-01-01

    Many people speak more than two languages. How do languages acquired earlier affect the learnability of additional languages? We show that linguistic distances between speakers' first (L1) and second (L2) languages and their third (L3) language play a role. Larger distances from the L1 to the L3 and from the L2 to the L3 correlate with lower…

  5. [Immunogenicity and safety of a booster dose of inactivated polio vaccine].

    PubMed

    Li, Xiao-mei; Zhang, Zhu-jia-zi; Wang, Hai-hong; Liu, Fang; Zhang, Li-wen; Chu, Ping; Xu, Ying; Zhang, He-run; Li, Juan; Liu, Dong-lei; Lu, Li

    2013-10-01

    To evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of a boost dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) among children aged 18 months who had been administered with primary doses of IPV. Form 2011 to 2012, a total of 97 children were enrolled in the present study who were vaccinated with IPV at 2, 3, 4 months of age and boosted with the same vaccine at 18 months of age. Anti-poliovirus neutralizing antibody titers in serum were measured before and after booster vaccination, geometric mean titers (GMT) and seroprotection rate were calculated. Adverse events occurring within 30 days after booster vaccination were observed, including pain, redness/swelling and induration at the injection site, fever, vomit, abnormal crying, drowsiness, loss of appetite, irritability, and all other physical discomfort and related medications were also recorded. A descriptive analysis was performed for the safety assessment. Immunogenicity was assessed in 84 subjects. The pre-booster seropositivity rates of neutralizing antibody against poliovirus type 1, 2, 3 before booster were all 100% (84/84) and the corresponding GMT (95% CI) was 1: 148.5 (116.49-189.29) , 1: 237.68 (178.39-316.67) and 1: 231.87 (181.27-296.58) , respectively. The seropositivity rates of neutralizing antibody against the three types of poliovirus after booster were all 100% (84/84) and the corresponding GMT (95% CI) was 1: 1612.14 (1470.57-1767.34) , 1: 1854.92 (1715.83-2005.29) and 1: 1625.50 (1452.12-1819.58) , respectively. The pre-booster titer of neutralizing antibody against poliovirus type 1, 2, 3 mainly ranged 1: 128-1: 512, which accounted for 65% (55/84) , 55% (46/84) , 74% (62/84) in each type. After the booster immunization, titers of neutralizing antibody against type 1, 2, 3 were increased as subjects with titer ≥ 1: 1024 accounted for 94% (78/84) , 95% (80/84) , 92% (77/84) , respectively.Safety was evaluated in 96 subjects, of which 16 subjects reported adverse events with the rate of 17%. The observed local

  6. Radiation-induced immunogenic modulation of tumor enhances antigen processing and calreticulin exposure, resulting in enhanced T-cell killing

    PubMed Central

    Gameiro, Sofia R.; Jammed, Momodou L.; Wattenberg, Max M.; Tsang, Kwong Y.; Ferrone, Soldano; Hodge, James W.

    2014-01-01

    Radiation therapy (RT) is used for local tumor control through direct killing of tumor cells. Radiation-induced cell death can trigger tumor antigen-specific immune responses, but these are often noncurative. Radiation has been demonstrated to induce immunogenic modulation (IM) in various tumor types by altering the biology of surviving cells to render them more susceptible to T cell-mediated killing. Little is known about the mechanism(s) underlying IM elicited by sub-lethal radiation dosing. We have examined the molecular and immunogenic consequences of radiation exposure in breast, lung, and prostate human carcinoma cells. Radiation induced secretion of ATP and HMGB1 in both dying and surviving tumor cells. In vitro and in vivo tumor irradiation induced significant upregulation of multiple components of the antigen-processing machinery and calreticulin cell-surface expression. Augmented CTL lysis specific for several tumor-associated antigens was largely dictated by the presence of calreticulin on the surface of tumor cells and constituted an adaptive response to endoplasmic reticulum stress, mediated by activation of the unfolded protein response. This study provides evidence that radiation induces a continuum of immunogenic alterations in tumor biology, from immunogenic modulation to immunogenic cell death. We also expand the concept of immunogenic modulation, where surviving tumor cells recovering from radiation-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress become more sensitive to CTL killing. These observations offer a rationale for the combined use of radiation with immunotherapy, including for patients failing RT alone. PMID:24480782

  7. A Recombinant Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine Candidate Attenuated by a Low-Fusion F Protein Is Immunogenic and Protective against Challenge in Cotton Rats

    PubMed Central

    Rostad, Christina A.; Stobart, Christopher C.; Gilbert, Brian E.; Pickles, Ray J.; Hotard, Anne L.; Meng, Jia; Blanco, Jorge C. G.; Moin, Syed M.; Graham, Barney S.; Piedra, Pedro A.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Although respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants, a safe and effective vaccine is not yet available. Live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs) are the most advanced vaccine candidates in RSV-naive infants. However, designing an LAV with appropriate attenuation yet sufficient immunogenicity has proven challenging. In this study, we implemented reverse genetics to address these obstacles with a multifaceted LAV design that combined the codon deoptimization of genes for nonstructural proteins NS1 and NS2 (dNS), deletion of the small hydrophobic protein (ΔSH) gene, and replacement of the wild-type fusion (F) protein gene with a low-fusion RSV subgroup B F consensus sequence of the Buenos Aires clade (BAF). This vaccine candidate, RSV-A2-dNS-ΔSH-BAF (DB1), was attenuated in two models of primary human airway epithelial cells and in the upper and lower airways of cotton rats. DB1 was also highly immunogenic in cotton rats and elicited broadly neutralizing antibodies against a diverse panel of recombinant RSV strains. When vaccinated cotton rats were challenged with wild-type RSV A, DB1 reduced viral titers in the upper and lower airways by 3.8 log10 total PFU and 2.7 log10 PFU/g of tissue, respectively, compared to those in unvaccinated animals (P < 0.0001). DB1 was thus attenuated, highly immunogenic, and protective against RSV challenge in cotton rats. DB1 is the first RSV LAV to incorporate a low-fusion F protein as a strategy to attenuate viral replication and preserve immunogenicity. IMPORTANCE RSV is a leading cause of infant hospitalizations and deaths. The development of an effective vaccine for this high-risk population is therefore a public health priority. Although live-attenuated vaccines have been safely administered to RSV-naive infants, strategies to balance vaccine attenuation with immunogenicity have been elusive. In this study, we introduced a novel strategy to attenuate a recombinant RSV

  8. Structural basis of the interspecies interaction between the chaperone DnaK(Hsp70) and the co-chaperone GrpE of archaea and bacteria.

    PubMed

    Zmijewski, Michał A; Skórko-Glonek, Joanna; Tanfani, Fabio; Banecki, Bogdan; Kotlarz, Agnieszka; Macario, Alberto J L; Lipińska, Barbara

    2007-01-01

    Hsp70s are chaperone proteins that are conserved in evolution and present in all prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. In the archaea, which form a distinct kingdom, the Hsp70 chaperones have been found in some species only, including Methanosarcina mazei. Both the bacterial and archaeal Hsp70(DnaK) chaperones cooperate with a GrpE co-chaperone which stimulates the ATPase activity of the DnaK protein. It is currently believed that the archaeal Hsp70 system was obtained by the lateral transfer of chaperone genes from bacteria. Our previous finding that the DnaK and GrpE proteins of M. mazei can functionally cooperate with the Escherichia coli GrpE and DnaK supported this hypothesis. However, the cooperation was surprising, considering the very low identity of the GrpE proteins (26%) and the relatively low identity of the DnaK proteins (56%). The aim of this work was to investigate the molecular basis of the observed interspecies chaperone interaction. Infrared resolution-enhanced spectra of the M. mazei and E. coli DnaK proteins were almost identical, indicating high similarity of their secondary structures, however, some small differences in band position and in the intensity of amide I' band components were observed and discussed. Profiles of thermal denaturation of both proteins were similar, although they indicated a higher thermostability of the M. mazei DnaK compared to the E. coli DnaK. Electrophoresis under non-denaturing conditions demonstrated that purified DnaK and GrpE of E. coli and M. mazei formed mixed complexes. Protein modeling revealed high similarity of the 3-dimensional structures of the archaeal and bacterial DnaK and GrpE proteins.

  9. Human papillomavirus 16/18 AS04-adjuvanted cervical cancer vaccine: immunogenicity and safety in 15-25 years old healthy Korean women.

    PubMed

    Kim, Seung Cheol; Song, Yong Sang; Kim, Young-Tae; Kim, Young Tak; Ryu, Ki-Sung; Gunapalaiah, Bhavyashree; Bi, Dan; Bock, Hans L; Park, Jong-Sup

    2011-06-30

    The study assessed the immunogenicity and safety of human papillomavirus (HPV)-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted cervical cancer vaccine in healthy Korean women aged 15-25 years. Phase IIIB, double-blind, randomised (2:1), multi-centre trial was conducted in Korea from June 2007 to March 2008. The study enrolled 225 women in the HPV (N=149) and placebo (N=76) groups who received three doses of HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine or placebo (aluminium hydroxide) administered intramuscularly at 0, 1, and 6 months and were followed until one month post-dose 3. Serum samples were collected pre-vaccination and one month post-dose 3. Safety and reactogenicity data were collected throughout. In this trial, 208 women completed the study (141 in HPV group; 67 in placebo group). At month 7, all initially seronegative women had seroconverted for HPV-16 and HPV-18 antibodies with anti-HPV-16 and anti-HPV-18 geometric mean titres of 9,351.4 El.U/mL (95% CI, 8,145.5 to 10,735.8) and 4204.1 El.U/mL (95% CI, 3,626.5 to 4,873.6), respectively. Initially seropositive women showed similar increase in geometric mean titre levels. Compliance to the three dose vaccination course was 95.3% in HPV and 89.5% in placebo group. Solicited local (pain) and general (fatigue, myalgia or headache) symptoms were commonly reported in both groups. Three serious adverse events were reported (two in HPV group; one in placebo group), all unrelated to vaccination by the investigator; all recovered. The HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine was highly immunogenic with a clinically acceptable safety profile in Korean women. This study was in line with previous global studies in Europe, North America, and Brazil. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT 00485732.).

  10. Ribosomal vaccines. I. Immunogenicity of ribosomal fractions isolated from Salmonella typhimurium and Yersinia pestis.

    PubMed

    Johnson, W

    1972-06-01

    The immunogenicity of ribosomes and ribosomal subfractions isolated from Yersina pestis and Salmonella typhimurium has been studied. Ribosomes and ribosomal protein isolated from S. typhimurium protected mice against lethal challenge. Ribosomal ribonucleic acid isolated by phenol extraction failed to induce any significant level of protection in mice. None of the ribosomes or ribosomal subfractions isolated from Y. pestis were effective in inducing immunity to lethal challenge. These results suggest that the immunogen of the ribosomal vaccine is protein.

  11. Comparison of safety and immunogenicity of purified chick embryo cell vaccine using Zagreb and Essen regimens in patients with category II exposure in China.

    PubMed

    Hu, Quan; Liu, Man-Qing; Zhu, Zheng-Gang; Zhu, Ze-Rong; Lu, Sha

    2014-01-01

    The aim was to compare the safety and immunogenicity of purified chick embryo cell vaccine (PCECV) with Zagreb 2-1-1 and Essen 1-1-1-1-1 regimens in patients with WHO category II exposure in China. Side effects including systemic and local symptoms were recorded for all patients during vaccination with purified chick embryo cell vaccine (PCECV) under Zagreb 2-1-1 or Essen 1-1-1-1-1 regimens, and the rabies neutralization antibody titers in patients' serum at days 0, 7, 14, 45, 365 post-immunization were measured to determine the immunogenicity. Fever and pain were the most common events for systemic and local symptoms respectively, and most side effects (86.78%, 105/121) occurred after the first dose of vaccination. Safety analysis showed differences in side effects in<5-year-old patients between Zagreb and Essen regimens, especially after the first dose of vaccination (P = 0.043). Immunogenicity analysis indicated that Zagreb can achieve higher neutralization antibody titers and a greater seroconversion rate in a shorter time but had less persistence than Essen. When compared with the Essen regimen, the Zagreb regimen had a different immunogenicity in all study subjects, and different safety profile in young children, and a further study with a larger population and longer surveillance is warranted.

  12. Immunogenicity of variable regions of hepatitis C virus proteins: selection and modification of peptide epitopes to assess hepatitis C virus genotypes by ELISA.

    PubMed

    Rodríguez-López, M; Riezu-Boj, J I; Ruiz, M; Berasain, C; Civeira, M P; Prieto, J; Borrás-Cuesta, F

    1999-03-01

    The immunogenicity of variable regions of hepatitis C virus (HCV) proteins was studied by ELISA by using 543 synthetic peptides from 120 variable regions and 90 sera from HCV-infected patients. Some regions from certain genotypes were less immunogenic, or even non-immunogenic, compared with their equivalents in other genotypes. However, the mean recognition of all peptides from genotypes 1a, 1b and 3 by sera infected with genotypes 1a, 1b and 3, respectively, showed no significant differences, suggesting a similar overall immunogenicity of variable regions from these genotypes. Proteins NS4a, NS4b and NS5a were found to be the most immunogenic. Recognition of individual peptides by the sera of infected patients showed that the humoral response against HCV is patient-dependent. The work shows that 15-mer peptides may encompass several B-cell epitopes. These epitopes may lie in slightly different positions in different genotypes. Thirty-one percent of the 543 peptides were recognized by some of the 35 healthy donors. This may be a reflection of the large number of antigens to which they had been exposed, but it may also reflect a strategy of HCV to respond to immune pressure. After selection and modification, a set of 40 peptides was used to assess genotypes 1a, 1b, 1, 2 and 3 in the sera of HCV-infected patients, with sensitivities of 34.1, 48.5, 68.8, 58.3 and 48.9% and specificities of 100, 99.1, 97.1, 99.5 and 99%, respectively. The overall sensitivity and specificity for the assessment of genotypes 1, 2 and 3 were 64 and 98%, respectively.

  13. Studies on Nanoparticle Based Avian Influenza Vaccines to Present Immunogenic Epitopes of the Virus with Concentration on Ectodomain of Matrix 2 (M2e) Protein

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Babapoor Dighaleh, Sankhiros

    2011-12-01

    Avian influenza is an infectious disease of avian species caused by type A influenza viruses with a significant economic impact on the poultry industry. Vaccination is the main prevention strategy in many countries worldwide. However, available vaccines elicit antibodies against two major surface protein of the virus hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA), where they constantly change by point mutations. Influenza viruses can also easily undergo gene reassortment. Therefore, to protect chickens against new strain of avian influenza virus, as well as control and prevent virus spread among farms, new vaccines needed to be designed which is a tedious, time consuming and expensive. Recently, conserved regions of the influenza genome have been evaluated as possible universal vaccines to eliminate constant vaccine updates based on circulating virus. In this study, peptide nanotechnology was used to generate vaccine nanoparticles that carry the highly conserved external domain of matrix 2 protein (M2e). These nanoparticles presented M2e in monomeric or tetrameric forms, designated as PSC-M2e-CH and BNSC-M2eN-CH. respectively. First, to demonstrate immunogenicity of these nanoparticles, we measured anti-M2e antibody in chickens, particularly when a high dose was applied. Prior to vaccination-challenge study, the challenge dose were determined by oculonasal inoculation of 10 6 EID50 or 107.7 EID50 of low pathogenicity AI virus HSN2 followed by measuring cloacal and tracheal virus shedding. A biphasic virus shedding pattern was observed with two peaks of virus shedding at days 4 and 8 for both tracheal and cloacal swabs. The chickens infected with 107.7 EID50 had significant virus shedding as compared with 106 EID50. Based on results of mentioned studies, a vaccination-challenge study was conducted by using 75mug of each vaccine construct per inoculation (with and without adjuvant) and higher dose of virus for challenge. BN5C-M2e-CH with adjuvant significantly reduced the

  14. Safety and immunogenicity of a CRM or TT conjugated meningococcal vaccine in healthy toddlers.

    PubMed

    Bona, Gianni; Castiglia, Paolo; Zoppi, Giorgio; de Martino, Maurizio; Tasciotti, Annaelisa; D'Agostino, Diego; Han, Linda; Smolenov, Igor

    2016-06-17

    MenACWY-CRM (Menveo(®); GlaxoSmithKline) and MenACWY-TT (Nimenrix(®); Pfizer) are two meningococcal vaccines licensed in the European Union for use in both children and adults. While both vaccines target meningococcal serogroups A, C, W and Y, immunogenicity and reactogenicity of these quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccines may differ due to differences in formulation processes and chemical structure. Yet data on the comparability of these two vaccines are limited. The reactogenicity and immunogenicity of one dose of either MenACWY-CRM or MenACWY-TT were evaluated in healthy toddlers aged 12-15 months. Immunogenicity was assessed using serum bactericidal antibody assays (SBA) with human (hSBA) and rabbit (rSBA) complement. A total of 202 children aged 12-15 months were enrolled to receive one dose of MenACWY-CRM or MenACWY-TT. Similar numbers of subjects reported solicited reactions within 7 days following either vaccination. Tenderness at the injection site was the most common local reaction. Systemic reactions reported were similar for both vaccines and mostly mild to moderate in severity: irritability, sleepiness and change in eating habits were most commonly reported. Immunogenicity at 1 month post-vaccination was generally comparable for both vaccines across serogroups. At 6 months post-vaccination antibody persistence against serogroups C, W, and Y was substantial for both vaccines, as measured by both assay methodologies. For serogroup A, hSBA titers declined in both groups, while rSBA titers remained high. Despite differences in composition, the MenACWY-CRM and MenACWY-TT vaccines have comparable reactogenicity and immunogenicity profiles. Immediate immune responses and short-term antibody persistence were largely similar between groups. Both vaccines were well-tolerated and no safety concerns were identified. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  15. Immunogenicity is preferentially induced in sparse dendritic cell cultures

    PubMed Central

    Nasi, Aikaterini; Bollampalli, Vishnu Priya; Sun, Meng; Chen, Yang; Amu, Sylvie; Nylén, Susanne; Eidsmo, Liv; Rothfuchs, Antonio Gigliotti; Réthi, Bence

    2017-01-01

    We have previously shown that human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) acquired different characteristics in dense or sparse cell cultures. Sparsity promoted the development of IL-12 producing migratory DCs, whereas dense cultures increased IL-10 production. Here we analysed whether the density-dependent endogenous breaks could modulate DC-based vaccines. Using murine bone marrow-derived DC models we show that sparse cultures were essential to achieve several key functions required for immunogenic DC vaccines, including mobility to draining lymph nodes, recruitment and massive proliferation of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells, in addition to their TH1 polarization. Transcription analyses confirmed higher commitment in sparse cultures towards T cell activation, whereas DCs obtained from dense cultures up-regulated immunosuppressive pathway components and genes suggesting higher differentiation plasticity towards osteoclasts. Interestingly, we detected a striking up-regulation of fatty acid and cholesterol biosynthesis pathways in sparse cultures, suggesting an important link between DC immunogenicity and lipid homeostasis regulation. PMID:28276533

  16. Immunogenicity is preferentially induced in sparse dendritic cell cultures.

    PubMed

    Nasi, Aikaterini; Bollampalli, Vishnu Priya; Sun, Meng; Chen, Yang; Amu, Sylvie; Nylén, Susanne; Eidsmo, Liv; Rothfuchs, Antonio Gigliotti; Réthi, Bence

    2017-03-09

    We have previously shown that human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) acquired different characteristics in dense or sparse cell cultures. Sparsity promoted the development of IL-12 producing migratory DCs, whereas dense cultures increased IL-10 production. Here we analysed whether the density-dependent endogenous breaks could modulate DC-based vaccines. Using murine bone marrow-derived DC models we show that sparse cultures were essential to achieve several key functions required for immunogenic DC vaccines, including mobility to draining lymph nodes, recruitment and massive proliferation of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells, in addition to their TH1 polarization. Transcription analyses confirmed higher commitment in sparse cultures towards T cell activation, whereas DCs obtained from dense cultures up-regulated immunosuppressive pathway components and genes suggesting higher differentiation plasticity towards osteoclasts. Interestingly, we detected a striking up-regulation of fatty acid and cholesterol biosynthesis pathways in sparse cultures, suggesting an important link between DC immunogenicity and lipid homeostasis regulation.

  17. Safety, efficacy and immunogenicity evaluation of the SAG2 oral rabies vaccine in Formosan ferret badgers

    PubMed Central

    Hsu, Ai-Ping; Tseng, Chun-Hsien; Barrat, Jacques; Lee, Shu-Hwae; Shih, Yu-Hua; Wasniewski, Marine; Mähl, Philippe; Chang, Chia-Chia; Lin, Chun-Ta; Chen, Re-Shang; Tu, Wen-Jane; Cliquet, Florence

    2017-01-01

    Since 2013, rabies cases have been reported among Formosan ferret badgers in Taiwan, and they have been shown to be the major reservoirs for Taiwanese enzootics. To control and eradicate rabies, the authorities plan to implement a vaccination programme. Before distributing live vaccines in the field, this study assessed the safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity of SAG2 vaccine on ferret badgers by direct oral instillation. After application of 109 TCID50/dose, no virus was excreted into the oral cavity 1–7 days post-application, and safety was also satisfactorily verified over a 266-day period. Moreover, despite the low level of rabies virus neutralising antibodies induced after vaccination of a 108 TCID50/dose, the efficacy assessment revealed a 100% survival rate (15/15) of vaccinees and an 87.5% fatality rate (7/8) in control animals after a challenge on the 198th day post-vaccination. The immunisation and protection rates obtained more than 6 months after a single vaccination dose demonstrated that SAG2 is an ideal vaccine candidate to protect Formosan ferret badgers against rabies in Taiwan. PMID:28977009

  18. Comparison of the immunogenicity and safety of the conventional subunit, MF59-adjuvanted, and intradermal influenza vaccines in the elderly.

    PubMed

    Seo, Yu Bin; Choi, Won Suk; Lee, Jacob; Song, Joon Young; Cheong, Hee Jin; Kim, Woo Joo

    2014-07-01

    The influenza vaccination is known as the most effective method for preventing influenza infection and its complications in the elderly. Conventional subunit (Agrippal S1; Novartis), MF59-adjuvanted (Fluad; Novartis), and intradermal (IDflu15; Sanofi Pasteur) influenza vaccines are widely used throughout South Korea. However, few comparative studies evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of these vaccines are available. Prior to the beginning of the 2011-2012 influenza season, 335 healthy elderly volunteers randomly received one of three seasonal trivalent influenza vaccines, the conventional subunit, MF59-adjuvanted, or intradermal influenza vaccine. Serum hemagglutination-inhibiting antibody levels were measured at the time of vaccination and at 1 and 6 months after vaccination. Adverse events were recorded prospectively. A total of 113 conventional subunit, 111 MF59-adjuvanted, and 111 intradermal influenza vaccine volunteers were followed up during a 6-month postvaccination period. One month after vaccination, all three vaccines satisfied Committee for Medical Products for Human Use (CHMP) immunogenicity criteria for the A/H1N1 and A/H3N2 strains but not for the B strain. Compared with the subunit vaccine, the intradermal vaccine exhibited noninferiority, while the MF59-adjuvanted vaccine exhibited superiority. Furthermore, the MF59-adjuvanted vaccine was more immunogenic against the A/H3N2 strain than was the subunit vaccine up to 6 months postvaccination. The most common local and systemic reactions to the conventional subunit, MF59-adjuvanted, and intradermal influenza vaccines were pain at the injection site (7.1%, 10.8%, and 6.3%, respectively) and generalized myalgia (0.9%, 8.1%, and 5.4%, respectively). Local and systemic reactions were similar among the three vaccine groups. MF59-adjuvanted vaccine exhibited superior immunogenicity compared with a conventional subunit vaccine and had a comparable safety profile. For older adults, the MF59-adjuvanted

  19. Enhanced butyric acid tolerance and production by Class I heat shock protein-overproducing Clostridium tyrobutyricum ATCC 25755.

    PubMed

    Suo, Yukai; Luo, Sheng; Zhang, Yanan; Liao, Zhengping; Wang, Jufang

    2017-08-01

    The response of Clostridium tyrobutyricum to butyric acid stress involves various stress-related genes, and therefore overexpression of stress-related genes can improve butyric acid tolerance and yield. Class I heat shock proteins (HSPs) play an important role in the process of protecting bacteria from sudden changes of extracellular stress by assisting protein folding correctly. The results of quantitative real-time PCR indicated that the Class I HSGs grpE, dnaK, dnaJ, groEL, groES, and htpG were significantly upregulated under butyric acid stress, especially the dnaK and groE operons. Overexpression of groESL and htpG could significantly improve the tolerance of C. tyrobutyricum to butyric acid, while overexpression of dnaK and dnaJ showed negative effects on butyric acid tolerance. Acid production was also significantly promoted by increased GroESL expression levels; the final butyric acid and acetic acid concentrations were 28.2 and 38% higher for C. tyrobutyricum ATCC 25755/groESL than for the wild-type strain. In addition, when fed-batch fermentation was carried out using cell immobilization in a fibrous-bed bioreactor, the butyric acid yield produced by C. tyrobutyricum ATCC 25755/groESL reached 52.2 g/L, much higher than that for the control. The improved butyric acid yield is probably attributable to the high GroES and GroEL levels, which can stabilize the biosynthetic machinery of C. tyrobutyricum under extracellular butyric acid stress.

  20. A novel recombinant pseudorabies virus expressing parvovirus VP2 gene: Immunogenicity and protective efficacy in swine.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yang; Guo, Wanzhu; Xu, Zhiwen; Yan, Qigui; Luo, Yan; Shi, Qian; Chen, Dishi; Zhu, Ling; Wang, Xiaoyu

    2011-06-16

    Porcine parvovirus (PPV) VP2 gene has been successfully expressed in many expression systems resulting in self-assembly of virus-like particles (VLPs) with similar morphology to the native capsid. Here, a pseudorabies virus (PRV) system was adopted to express the PPV VP2 gene. A recombinant PRV SA215/VP2 was obtained by homologous recombination between the vector PRV viral DNA and a transfer plasmid. Then recombinant virus was purified with plaque purification, and its identity confirmed by PCR amplification, Western blot and indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) analyses. Electronic microscopy of PRV SA215/VP2 confirmed self-assembly of both pseudorabies virus and VLPs from VP2 protein. Immunization of piglets with recombinant virus elicited PRV-specific and PPV-specific humoral immune responses and provided complete protection against a lethal dose of PRV challenges. Gilts immunized with recombinant viruses induced PPV-specific antibodies, and significantly reduced the mortality rate of (1 of 28) following virulent PPV challenge compared with the control (7 of 31). Furthermore, PPV virus DNA was not detected in the fetuses of recombinant virus immunized gilts. In this study, a recombinant PRV SA215/VP2 virus expressing PPV VP2 protein was constructed using PRV SA215 vector. The safety, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy of the recombinant virus were demonstrated in piglets and primiparous gilts. This recombinant PRV SA215/VP2 represents a suitable candidate for the development of a bivalent vaccine against both PRV and PPV infection.

  1. Antigenic Structure of the Human Muscle Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Main Immunogenic Region

    PubMed Central

    Luo, Jie; Lindstrom, Jon

    2009-01-01

    The main immunogenic region on the α1 subunits of muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors provokes half or more of the autoantibodies in myasthenia gravis and its animal model. Many of these autoantibodies depend on the native conformation of the receptor for their ability to bind with high affinity. We mapped this region and explained the conformation-dependence of its epitopes by making chimeras in which sequences of human muscle α1 subunits were replaced in human neuronal α7 subunits or Aplysia acetylcholine binding protein. These chimeras also revealed that the main immunogenic region can play a major role in promoting conformational maturation, and, consequently, assembly of receptor subunits. PMID:19705087

  2. Electrode Potentials of l-Tryptophan, l-Tyrosine, 3-Nitro-l-tyrosine, 2,3-Difluoro-l-tyrosine, and 2,3,5-Trifluoro-l-tyrosine.

    PubMed

    Mahmoudi, Leila; Kissner, Reinhard; Nauser, Thomas; Koppenol, Willem H

    2016-05-24

    Electrode potentials for aromatic amino acid radical/amino acid couples were deduced from cyclic voltammograms and pulse radiolysis experiments. The amino acids investigated were l-tryptophan, l-tyrosine, N-acetyl-l-tyrosine methyl ester, N-acetyl-3-nitro-l-tyrosine ethyl ester, N-acetyl-2,3-difluoro-l-tyrosine methyl ester, and N-acetyl-2,3,5-trifluoro-l-tyrosine methyl ester. Conditional potentials were determined at pH 7.4 for all compounds listed; furthermore, Pourbaix diagrams for l-tryptophan, l-tyrosine, and N-acetyl-3-nitro-l-tyrosine ethyl ester were obtained. Electron transfer accompanied by proton transfer is reversible, as confirmed by detailed analysis of the current waves, and because the slopes of the Pourbaix diagrams obey Nernst's law. E°'(Trp(•),H(+)/TrpH) and E°'(TyrO(•),H(+)/TyrOH) at pH 7 are 0.99 ± 0.01 and 0.97 ± 0.01 V, respectively. Pulse radiolysis studies of two dipeptides that contain both amino acids indicate a difference in E°' of approximately 0.06 V. Thus, in small peptides, we recommend values of 1.00 and 0.96 V for E°'(Trp(•),H(+)/TrpH) and E°'(TyrO(•),H(+)/TyrOH), respectively. The electrode potential of N-acetyl-3-nitro-l-tyrosine ethyl ester is higher, while because of mesomeric stabilization of the radical, those of N-acetyl-2,3-difluoro-l-tyrosine methyl ester and N-acetyl-2,3,5-trifluoro-l-tyrosine methyl ester are lower than that of tyrosine. Given that the electrode potentials at pH 7 of E°'(Trp(•),H(+)/TrpH) and E°'(TyrO(•),H(+)/TyrOH) are nearly equal, they would be, in principle, interchangeable. Proton-coupled electron transfer pathways in proteins that use TrpH and TyrOH are thus nearly thermoneutral.

  3. Immunogenicity, protective efficacy and mechanism of novel CCS adjuvanted influenza vaccine.

    PubMed

    Even-Or, Orli; Samira, Sarit; Rochlin, Eli; Balasingam, Shobana; Mann, Alex J; Lambkin-Williams, Rob; Spira, Jack; Goldwaser, Itzhak; Ellis, Ronald; Barenholz, Yechezkel

    2010-09-07

    We optimized the immunogenicity of adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine based on commercial split influenza virus as an antigen (hemagglutinin = HA) and on a novel polycationic liposome as a potent adjuvant and efficient antigen carrier (CCS/C-HA vaccine). The vaccine was characterized physicochemically, and the mechanism of action of CCS/C as antigen carrier and adjuvant was studied. The optimized CCS/C-HA split virus vaccine, when administered intramuscularly (i.m.), is significantly more immunogenic in mice, rats and ferrets than split virus HA vaccine alone, and it provides for protective immunity in ferrets and mice against live virus challenge that exceeds the degree of efficacy of the split virus vaccine. Similar adjuvant effects of optimized CCS/C are also observed in mice for H1N1 swine influenza antigen. The CCS/C-HA vaccine enhances immune responses via the Th1 and Th2 pathways, and it increases both the humoral responses and the production of IL-2 and IFN-γ but not of the pro-inflammatory factor TNFα. In mice, levels of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cells and of MHC II and CD40 co-stimulatory molecules are also elevated. Structure-function relationship studies of the CCS molecule as an adjuvant/carrier show that replacing the saturated palmitoyl acyl chain with the mono-unsaturated oleoyl (C18:1) chain affects neither size distribution and zeta potential nor immune responses in mice. However, replacing the polyalkylamine head group spermine (having two secondary amines) with spermidine (having only one secondary amine) reduces the enhancement of the immune response by ∼ 50%, while polyalkylamines by themselves are ineffective in improving the immunogenicity over the commercial HA vaccine. This highlights the importance of the particulate nature of the carrier and the polyalkylamine secondary amines in the enhancement of the immune responses against seasonal influenza. Altogether, our results suggest that the CCS/C polycationic liposomes combine the

  4. High pathogenicity and strong immunogenicity of a Chinese isolate of Eimeria magna Pérard, 1925.

    PubMed

    Tao, Geru; Wang, Yunzhou; Li, Chao; Gu, Xiaolong; Cui, Ping; Fang, Sufang; Suo, Xun; Liu, Xianyong

    2017-06-01

    Coccidia infection of rabbits with one or several species of parasites of the genus Eimeria causes coccidiosis, a disease leading to huge economic losses in the rabbit industry. Eimeria magna, one of the causal agents of rabbit coccidiosis, was characterized as mildly pathogenic and moderately immunogenic in previous studies. In this study, we identified a Chinese isolate of E. magna by testing its biological features (oocyst morphology and size, prepatent time) and sequencing its internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) DNA fragment. This isolate is highly pathogenic; infection of rabbits with only 1×10 2 oocysts caused a 55% reduction in weight gain in 14days. In addition, immunization with 1×10 2 oocysts prevented body weight loss against re-infection with 5×10 4 oocysts, indicating the high immunogenicity of this isolate. Our study described the distinctive phenotype of the Chinese isolate of E. magna and contributed to the research of geographic variation of rabbit coccidia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Ribosomal Vaccines I. Immunogenicity of Ribosomal Fractions Isolated from Salmonella typhimurium and Yersinia pestis

    PubMed Central

    Johnson, William

    1972-01-01

    The immunogenicity of ribosomes and ribosomal subfractions isolated from Yersina pestis and Salmonella typhimurium has been studied. Ribosomes and ribosomal protein isolated from S. typhimurium protected mice against lethal challenge. Ribosomal ribonucleic acid isolated by phenol extraction failed to induce any significant level of protection in mice. None of the ribosomes or ribosomal subfractions isolated from Y. pestis were effective in inducing immunity to lethal challenge. These results suggest that the immunogen of the ribosomal vaccine is protein. Images PMID:4564407

  6. Measurements of Development in L2 Written Production: The Case of L2 Chinese

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jiang, Wenying

    2013-01-01

    This study investigates measures for second language (L2) writing development. A T-unit, which has been found the most satisfactory unit of analysis for measuring L2 development in English, is extended to measure L2 Chinese writing development through a cross-sectional design in this study. Data were collected from three L2 Chinese learner groups…

  7. Safety and Immunogenicity of Cell Culture-Derived A/H3N2 Variant Influenza Vaccines: A Phase I Randomized, Observer-Blind, Dose-Ranging Study.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Casey; Hohenboken, Matthew; Poling, Terry; Jaehnig, Peter; Kanesa-Thasan, Niranjan

    2015-07-01

    A/H3N2 variant (H3N2v) influenza may sustain human-to-human transmission, and an available candidate vaccine would be important. In this phase I, randomized, observer-blind, dose-ranging study, 627 healthy subjects ≥ 3 years of age were randomized to receive 2 vaccinations with H3N2c cell-culture-derived vaccine doses containing 3.75 µg, 7.5 µg, or 15 µg hemagglutinin antigen of H3N2v with or without MF59 (registered trademark of Novartis AG) adjuvant (an oil-in-water emulsion). This paper reports Day 43 planned interim data. Single MF59-adjuvanted H3N2c doses elicited immune responses in almost all subjects regardless of antigen and adjuvant dose; the Center for Biologics Evaluation Research and Review (CBER) licensure criteria were met for all groups. Subjects with prevaccination hemagglutination inhibition titers <10 and children 3-<9 years achieve CBER criteria only after receiving 2 doses of nonadjuvanted H3N2c vaccine. Highest antibody titers were observed in the 7.5 µg + 0.25 mL MF59 groups in all age cohorts. MF59-adjuvanted H3N2c vaccines showed the highest rates of solicited local and systemic events, predominately mild or moderate. A single dose of H3N2c vaccine may be immunogenic and supports further development of MF59-adjuvanted H3N2c vaccines, especially for pediatric populations. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01855945 (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01855945). © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  8. Critical review: assessment of interferon-β immunogenicity in multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Bendtzen, Klaus

    2010-10-01

    This review discusses type I interferon (IFN) immunogenicity with focus on methods of detection of anti-IFN antibodies in patients treated with human recombinant IFN-;2;. Pitfalls involved in the clinical use of various types of assays for binding antibodies and neutralizing antibodies against IFN-;2; are presented, and the widely held distinction between binding antibodies and neutralizing antibodies is questioned both in terms of detection and clinical importance. The article also addresses important bioavailability and pharmacokinetic issues occurring with prolonged use of protein drugs. The rationale for individualized or personalized medicine, ie, optimizing therapies according to individual needs rather than using standardized trial-and-error regimens to all patients, is highlighted.

  9. Immunogenicity of a Japanese encephalitis chimeric virus vaccine as a booster dose after primary vaccination with SA14-14-2 vaccine in Thai children.

    PubMed

    Janewongwirot, Pakpoom; Puthanakit, Thanyawee; Anugulruengkitt, Suvaporn; Jantarabenjakul, Watsamon; Phasomsap, Chayapa; Chumket, Sompong; Yoksan, Sutee; Pancharoen, Chitsanu

    2016-10-17

    Japanese Encephalitis chimeric virus vaccine (JE-CV) and SA14-14-2 vaccine are live-attenuated JE vaccines produced from the same virus strain. Data on interchangeability is limited. To evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of JE-CV booster after primary vaccination with SA14-14-2 vaccine. This study was an open-label clinical trial in Thai children who had received a primary SA14-14-2 vaccination at 12-24monthsbefore enrollment (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02602652). JE-CV was administered. A 50% plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT 50 ) against three virus strains; JE-CV, SA-14-14-2andwild-type JE virus was measured before and 28-days post vaccination. The laboratory was performed at PRNT 50 titers ⩾10 (1/dil) were considered seroprotective against JE. Geometric mean titer (GMT) of PRNT 50 was calculated. Adverse events were observed for 28days. From March 2014 to June 2015, 50 children (64% male) were enrolled. Mean age and duration after primary vaccination was 26.9 (SD 4.6) and 12.8 (SD 2.7) months, respectively. The proportion of participants who had PRNT 50 pre and post-booster vaccination were 92% and 96% against JE-CV virus, 56% and 98% against SA-14-14-2 strain and 70% and 98% against wild-type JE virus, respectively. Solicited injection site reactions including erythema, pain and swelling occurred in 18%, 10% and 4% of subjects, respectively. Four children (8%) had fever (⩾37.7Celsius). Eight children (16%) had adverse events, which were not related to the vaccine. AJE-CV booster dose is highly immunogenic and safe among children who previously received SA14-14-2 vaccine. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Safety and Immunogenicity of 2009 pH1N1 Vaccination in HIV-Infected Pregnant Women

    PubMed Central

    Abzug, Mark J.; Nachman, Sharon A.; Muresan, Petronella; Handelsman, Edward; Watts, D. Heather; Fenton, Terence; Heckman, Barbara; Petzold, Elizabeth; Weinberg, Adriana; Levin, Myron J.; Siberry, George; Miller, Judi; Levy, Wende; Heckman, Barbara; Ebiasah, Ruth; Palumbo, Paul; Dragavon, Joan; Donelson, Lori; Jurgrau, Andrea; Garry, David; Bloom, Anthony

    2013-01-01

    Background. Pregnant women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may have particular vulnerability to 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza (pH1N1) infection. The safety and immunogenicity of pH1N1 vaccination in HIV-infected pregnant women are unknown. Methods. HIV-infected women 18–39 years of age and 14–34 weeks’ gestation on antiretroviral therapy received two 30-μg doses of unadjuvanted, inactivated pH1N1 vaccine 21 days apart. Hemagglutination inhibition titers were measured at entry, 21 days after dose 1, and 10 and 21 days after dose 2, and, in mothers and infants, at delivery and 3 and 6 months postdelivery. Results. No severe vaccine-related adverse events were observed among 127 subjects. At entry, 21% had seroprotective (≥1:40) titers. Seroprotection and seroresponse (≥4-fold rise) occurred in 73% and 66% after dose 1 and 80% and 72% after dose 2, respectively. Of women lacking seroprotection at entry, 66% attained seroprotection after dose 1 and 75% after dose 2. Seroprotective titers were present in 67% of mothers and 65% of infants at delivery (median 66 days after dose 2), 60% of mothers and 26% of infants at 3 months postdelivery, and 59% of mothers and 12% of infants at 6 months postdelivery. Conclusions. Two 30-μg doses were moderately immunogenic in HIV-infected pregnant women. No concerning vaccine-related safety signals were observed. Seroprotection persisted in most women postpartum. Efficient transplacental antibody transfer occurred, but seroprotection in infants waned rapidly. Vaccination to protect HIV-infected pregnant women and their newborns from new influenza strains is feasible, but more immunogenic platforms should be evaluated. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT00992017. PMID:23378284

  11. Standardizing terms, definitions and concepts for describing and interpreting unwanted immunogenicity of biopharmaceuticals: recommendations of the Innovative Medicines Initiative ABIRISK consortium.

    PubMed

    Rup, B; Pallardy, M; Sikkema, D; Albert, T; Allez, M; Broet, P; Carini, C; Creeke, P; Davidson, J; De Vries, N; Finco, D; Fogdell-Hahn, A; Havrdova, E; Hincelin-Mery, A; C Holland, M; H Jensen, P E; Jury, E C; Kirby, H; Kramer, D; Lacroix-Desmazes, S; Legrand, J; Maggi, E; Maillère, B; Mariette, X; Mauri, C; Mikol, V; Mulleman, D; Oldenburg, J; Paintaud, G; R Pedersen, C; Ruperto, N; Seitz, R; Spindeldreher, S; Deisenhammer, F

    2015-09-01

    Biopharmaceuticals (BPs) represent a rapidly growing class of approved and investigational drug therapies that is contributing significantly to advancing treatment in multiple disease areas, including inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, genetic deficiencies and cancer. Unfortunately, unwanted immunogenic responses to BPs, in particular those affecting clinical safety or efficacy, remain among the most common negative effects associated with this important class of drugs. To manage and reduce risk of unwanted immunogenicity, diverse communities of clinicians, pharmaceutical industry and academic scientists are involved in: interpretation and management of clinical and biological outcomes of BP immunogenicity, improvement of methods for describing, predicting and mitigating immunogenicity risk and elucidation of underlying causes. Collaboration and alignment of efforts across these communities is made difficult due to lack of agreement on concepts, practices and standardized terms and definitions related to immunogenicity. The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI; www.imi-europe.org), ABIRISK consortium [Anti-Biopharmaceutical (BP) Immunization Prediction and Clinical Relevance to Reduce the Risk; www.abirisk.eu] was formed by leading clinicians, academic scientists and EFPIA (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations) members to elucidate underlying causes, improve methods for immunogenicity prediction and mitigation and establish common definitions around terms and concepts related to immunogenicity. These efforts are expected to facilitate broader collaborations and lead to new guidelines for managing immunogenicity. To support alignment, an overview of concepts behind the set of key terms and definitions adopted to date by ABIRISK is provided herein along with a link to access and download the ABIRISK terms and definitions and provide comments (http://www.abirisk.eu/index_t_and_d.asp). © 2015 British Society for Immunology.

  12. Standardizing terms, definitions and concepts for describing and interpreting unwanted immunogenicity of biopharmaceuticals: recommendations of the Innovative Medicines Initiative ABIRISK consortium

    PubMed Central

    Rup, B; Pallardy, M; Sikkema, D; Albert, T; Allez, M; Broet, P; Carini, C; Creeke, P; Davidson, J; De Vries, N; Finco, D; Fogdell-Hahn, A; Havrdova, E; Hincelin-Mery, A; C Holland, M; H Jensen, P E; Jury, E C; Kirby, H; Kramer, D; Lacroix-Desmazes, S; Legrand, J; Maggi, E; Maillère, B; Mariette, X; Mauri, C; Mikol, V; Mulleman, D; Oldenburg, J; Paintaud, G; R Pedersen, C; Ruperto, N; Seitz, R; Spindeldreher, S; Deisenhammer, F

    2015-01-01

    Biopharmaceuticals (BPs) represent a rapidly growing class of approved and investigational drug therapies that is contributing significantly to advancing treatment in multiple disease areas, including inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, genetic deficiencies and cancer. Unfortunately, unwanted immunogenic responses to BPs, in particular those affecting clinical safety or efficacy, remain among the most common negative effects associated with this important class of drugs. To manage and reduce risk of unwanted immunogenicity, diverse communities of clinicians, pharmaceutical industry and academic scientists are involved in: interpretation and management of clinical and biological outcomes of BP immunogenicity, improvement of methods for describing, predicting and mitigating immunogenicity risk and elucidation of underlying causes. Collaboration and alignment of efforts across these communities is made difficult due to lack of agreement on concepts, practices and standardized terms and definitions related to immunogenicity. The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI; http://www.imi-europe.org), ABIRISK consortium [Anti-Biopharmaceutical (BP) Immunization Prediction and Clinical Relevance to Reduce the Risk; http://www.abirisk.eu] was formed by leading clinicians, academic scientists and EFPIA (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations) members to elucidate underlying causes, improve methods for immunogenicity prediction and mitigation and establish common definitions around terms and concepts related to immunogenicity. These efforts are expected to facilitate broader collaborations and lead to new guidelines for managing immunogenicity. To support alignment, an overview of concepts behind the set of key terms and definitions adopted to date by ABIRISK is provided herein along with a link to access and download the ABIRISK terms and definitions and provide comments (http://www.abirisk.eu/index_t_and_d.asp). PMID:25959571

  13. Immunogencity of HSA-L7/L12 (Brucella abortus ribosomal protein) in an animal model.

    PubMed

    Pakzad, Iraj; Rezaee, Abbas; Rasaee, Mohammad Javad; Tabbaraee, Bahman; Delpisheh, Ali

    2009-03-01

    The immunogenic Brucella abortus ribosomal protein L7/L12 is a promising candidate antigen for the development of subunit vaccines against brucellosis. This study was aimed to evaluate the protection of recombinant Human Serum Albumin (HAS)-L7/L12 fusion protein in Balb/c mice. The amplified L7/L12 gene was cloned in pYHSA5 vector, pYHSA5-L7/L12 construct was transformed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the expressed protein from supernatant was purified by affinity chromatography. Balb/c mice were immunized in five groups by tHSA-L7/L12 fusion protein (group 1), Brucella abortus S19 (group 2), HSA (group 3), recombinant L7/L12 (group 4), PBS (group 5). ELISA to detect antibody production, LTT test to assess antigen specific lymphocyte response were conducted prior to virulent B. abortus strain 544 challenge two weeks after the last injection. Bacterial counts from spleens of immunized mice were done four weeks after challenge. In ELISA tests, the specific antibodies exhibited a dominance of immunoglobulin IgG1 over IgG2a. In addition, the tHSA-L7/L12 fusion protein and L7/L12 elicited a strong T-cell proliferative response upon restimulation in vitro with recombinant tHSA-L7/L12 and L7/L12, suggesting the induction of a cellular immunity response in vivo. However, there was no significant difference in proliferative response of L7/L12 and tHSA-L7/L12 fusion protein (p>0.05). The L7/L12 and tHSA-L7/L12 fusion protein vaccines could also induce significant protection against challenge with the virulent strain B. abortus 544 in Balb/c mice (p< or =0.05). The tHSA-L7/L12 fusion protein, similar to L7/L12 has the ability to induce antigen specific lymphocyte proliferation, stimulate humoral immunity and engender protection.

  14. Immunogenicity and reactogenicity of the human rotavirus vaccine, RIX4414 oral suspension, when co-administered with routine childhood vaccines in Chinese infants.

    PubMed

    Li, Rong-Cheng; Huang, Teng; Li, Yanping; Wang, Lao-Hong; Tao, Junhui; Fu, Botao; Si, Guoai; Nong, Yi; Mo, Zhaojun; Liao, XueYan; Luan, Ivy; Tang, Haiwen; Rathi, Niraj; Karkada, Naveen; Han, Htay Htay

    2016-03-03

    This study evaluated the immunogenicity of the human rotavirus (RV) vaccine (RIX4414) when co-administered with routine childhood vaccines in Chinese infants (NCT01171963). Healthy infants aged 6-16 weeks received 2 doses of either RIX4414 or placebo according to a 0, 1-month schedule. Infants received routine diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTPa) and oral poliovirus (OPV) vaccines either separately from or concomitantly with RIX4414/placebo (separate and co-administration cohorts, respectively). Anti-RV IgA seroconversion rates (one month post-dose-2) and seropositivity rates (at one year of age) were measured using ELISA. Immune responses against the DTPa and OPV antigens were measured one month post-DTPa dose-3 in the co-administration cohort. Solicited local and general symptoms were recorded for 8-days post-vaccination (total cohort). The according-to-protocol immunogenicity population included 511 infants in the separate cohort and 275 in the co-administration cohort. One month post-RIX4414 dose-2, anti-RV IgA seroconversion rates were 74.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 68.9-79.9) and 64.2% (95% CI: 55.4-72.3) in the separate and co-administration cohorts; seropositivity rates at one year of age were 71.5% (95% CI: 65.5-77.1) and 50.0% (95% CI: 40.9-59.1), respectively. One month post-DTPa dose-3, all infants in the co-administration cohort were seroprotected against diphtheria and tetanus, and seropositive for pertussis toxoid, pertactin and filamentous haemaglutinin. Two months post-OPV dose-3, seroprotection rates against anti-poliovirus types 1, 2 and 3 were >99% in the co-administration cohort. Reactogenicity profiles were similar in both cohorts. RIX4414 was immunogenic and well-tolerated in Chinese infants and did not appear to interfere with the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of co-administered routine childhood vaccines.

  15. Development of a strategy and computational application to select candidate protein analogues with reduced HLA binding and immunogenicity.

    PubMed

    Dhanda, Sandeep Kumar; Grifoni, Alba; Pham, John; Vaughan, Kerrie; Sidney, John; Peters, Bjoern; Sette, Alessandro

    2018-01-01

    Unwanted immune responses against protein therapeutics can reduce efficacy or lead to adverse reactions. T-cell responses are key in the development of such responses, and are directed against immunodominant regions within the protein sequence, often associated with binding to several allelic variants of HLA class II molecules (promiscuous binders). Herein, we report a novel computational strategy to predict 'de-immunized' peptides, based on previous studies of erythropoietin protein immunogenicity. This algorithm (or method) first predicts promiscuous binding regions within the target protein sequence and then identifies residue substitutions predicted to reduce HLA binding. Further, this method anticipates the effect of any given substitution on flanking peptides, thereby circumventing the creation of nascent HLA-binding regions. As a proof-of-principle, the algorithm was applied to Vatreptacog α, an engineered Factor VII molecule associated with unintended immunogenicity. The algorithm correctly predicted the two immunogenic peptides containing the engineered residues. As a further validation, we selected and evaluated the immunogenicity of seven substitutions predicted to simultaneously reduce HLA binding for both peptides, five control substitutions with no predicted reduction in HLA-binding capacity, and additional flanking region controls. In vitro immunogenicity was detected in 21·4% of the cultures of peptides predicted to have reduced HLA binding and 11·4% of the flanking regions, compared with 46% for the cultures of the peptides predicted to be immunogenic. This method has been implemented as an interactive application, freely available online at http://tools.iedb.org/deimmunization/. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. 2017 White Paper on recent issues in bioanalysis: a global perspective on immunogenicity guidelines & biomarker assay performance (Part 3 - LBA: immunogenicity, biomarkers and PK assays).

    PubMed

    Gupta, Shalini; Richards, Susan; Amaravadi, Lakshmi; Piccoli, Steven; Desilva, Binodh; Pillutla, Renuka; Stevenson, Lauren; Mehta, Devangi; Carrasco-Triguero, Montserrat; Neely, Robert; Partridge, Michael; Staack, Roland F; Zhao, Xuemei; Gorovits, Boris; Kolaitis, Gerry; Sumner, Giane; Stubenrauch, Kay-Gunnar; Zou, Linglong; Amur, Shashi; Beaver, Chris; Berger, Isabella; Berisha, Flora; Birnboeck, Herbert; Bower, Joe; Cho, Seongeun Julia; Cludts, Isabelle; Cocea, Laurent; Donato, Lorella Di; Fischer, Saloumeh; Fraser, Stephanie; Garofolo, Fabio; Haidar, Sam; Haulenbeek, Jonathan; Hottenstein, Charles; Hu, Jenny; Ishii-Watabe, Akiko; Islam, Rafiq; Jani, Darshana; Kadavil, John; Kamerud, John; Kramer, Daniel; Kurki, Pekka; MacMannis, Stephen; McNally, Jim; Mullan, Ashley; Papadimitriou, Apollon; Pedras-Vasconcelos, João; Ray, Soma; Safavi, Afshin; Saito, Yoshiro; Savoie, Natasha; Fjording, Marianne Scheel; Scheibner, Kara; Smeraglia, John; Song, An; Stouffer, Bruce; Tampal, Nilufer; der Strate, Barry van; Verch, Thorsten; Welink, Jan; Xu, Yuanxin; Yang, Tong-Yuan; Yengi, Lilian; Zeng, Jianing; Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Yanhua; Zoog, Stephen

    2017-12-01

    The 2017 11th Workshop on Recent Issues in Bioanalysis took place in Los Angeles/Universal City, California, on 3-7 April 2017 with participation of close to 750 professionals from pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, contract research organizations and regulatory agencies worldwide. WRIB was once again a 5-day, week-long event - a full immersion week of bioanalysis, biomarkers and immunogenicity. As usual, it was specifically designed to facilitate sharing, reviewing, discussing and agreeing on approaches to address the most current issues of interest including both small- and large-molecule analysis involving LC-MS, hybrid ligand-binding assay (LBA)/LC-MS and LBA approaches. This 2017 White Paper encompasses recommendations emerging from the extensive discussions held during the workshop, and is aimed to provide the bioanalytical community with key information and practical solutions on topics and issues addressed, in an effort to enable advances in scientific excellence, improved quality and better regulatory compliance. Due to its length, the 2017 edition of this comprehensive White Paper has been divided into three parts for editorial reasons. This publication (Part 3) covers the recommendations for large-molecule bioanalysis, biomarkers and immunogenicity using LBA. Part 1 (LC-MS for small molecules, peptides and small molecule biomarkers) and Part 2 (hybrid LBA/LC-MS for biotherapeutics and regulatory agencies' inputs) are published in volume 9 of Bioanalysis, issues 22 and 23 (2017), respectively.

  17. PD-L1 expression in colorectal cancer defines three subsets of tumor immune microenvironments.

    PubMed

    Valentini, Anna Maria; Di Pinto, Federica; Cariola, Filomena; Guerra, Vito; Giannelli, Gianluigi; Caruso, Maria Lucia; Pirrelli, Michele

    2018-02-02

    We investigated the PD-L1 expression in colorectal cancer (CRC) and in its microenvironment. PD-L1 was expressed in neoplastic cells (NCs) and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (IICs). All samples PD-L1+ on NCs were also on IICs. Three types of cancers could be grouped: group A(NCs-/ IICs-); group B (NCs-/ IICs+); group C (NCs+/IICs+). To group A belong tumors characterized by poorly immunogenic competence, poor immune response but massive granulocyte infiltrate, justifying the absence of PD-L1 as an immunoinhibitor receptor. To Group B probably belong more immunogenic CRCs, justifying the strong IICs-mediated immune response, and up-regulation of PD-L1 expression only on IICs. To group C belong CRCs probably characterized by a large amount of tumor neoantigens resulting in a marked infiltration of lymphocytes and PD-L1 upregulation also in NCs. Sixty-three colorectal cancer specimens from a cohort of 61 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty-seven MSS and 26 MSI-H CRCs enrolled in this study. Immunohistochemical staining to PD-L1 was performed by using MAb E1L3N. Our study calls attention to the importance to assess PD-L1 expression in tumor microenvironment also evaluating type and density of infiltrating immune cells to better stratify CRCs with different immunological patterns.

  18. PD-L1 expression in colorectal cancer defines three subsets of tumor immune microenvironments

    PubMed Central

    Valentini, Anna Maria; Di Pinto, Federica; Cariola, Filomena; Guerra, Vito; Giannelli, Gianluigi; Caruso, Maria Lucia; Pirrelli, Michele

    2018-01-01

    Objectives We investigated the PD-L1 expression in colorectal cancer (CRC) and in its microenvironment. Results PD-L1 was expressed in neoplastic cells (NCs) and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (IICs). All samples PD-L1+ on NCs were also on IICs. Three types of cancers could be grouped: group A(NCs-/ IICs-); group B (NCs-/ IICs+); group C (NCs+/IICs+). To group A belong tumors characterized by poorly immunogenic competence, poor immune response but massive granulocyte infiltrate, justifying the absence of PD-L1 as an immunoinhibitor receptor. To Group B probably belong more immunogenic CRCs, justifying the strong IICs-mediated immune response, and up-regulation of PD-L1 expression only on IICs. To group C belong CRCs probably characterized by a large amount of tumor neoantigens resulting in a marked infiltration of lymphocytes and PD-L1 upregulation also in NCs. Materials and Methods Sixty-three colorectal cancer specimens from a cohort of 61 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty-seven MSS and 26 MSI-H CRCs enrolled in this study. Immunohistochemical staining to PD-L1 was performed by using MAb E1L3N. Conclusions Our study calls attention to the importance to assess PD-L1 expression in tumor microenvironment also evaluating type and density of infiltrating immune cells to better stratify CRCs with different immunological patterns. PMID:29492219

  19. Immunogenicity and immunologic memory of meningococcal C conjugate vaccine in premature infants.

    PubMed

    Collins, Clare L; Ruggeberg, Jens U; Balfour, Gail; Tighe, Helen; Archer, Marion; Bowen-Morris, Jane; Diggle, Linda; Borrow, Ray; Balmer, Paul; Buttery, Jim P; Moxon, E Richard; Pollard, Andrew J; Heath, Paul T

    2005-11-01

    Protein-polysaccharide conjugate vaccines against Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C were introduced into the U.K. routine immunization schedule in 1999. This study is the first to describe both persistence of antibody and evidence for induction of immune memory using meningococcal C conjugate (MCC) vaccine in preterm infants. Immunogenicity and induction of immunologic memory by as MCC vaccine was assessed in premature infants; 62 preterm and 60 term controls received MCC at the accelerated schedule (2, 3 and 4 months of age). A meningococcal C polysaccharide challenge was administered at 12 months of age. Both groups achieved similar protective titers after primary immunization that then waned significantly by 1 year of age. Postchallenge serum bactericidal activity was significantly lower in preterm infants (P = 0.03); 73% of preterm versus 88% of term controls achieved a 4-fold rise in serum bactericidal activity (P = 0.07). MCC vaccine is immunogenic and primes for immunologic memory in preterm infants. The decreased memory responses in these preterm infants in conjunction with waning clinical efficacy data for all U.K. infants suggest a role for a routine booster dose of vaccine in all infants receiving MCC, especially those born preterm.

  20. An inactivated, adjuvanted whole virion clade 2.2 H5N1 (A/Chicken/Astana/6/05) influenza vaccine is safe and immunogenic in a single dose in humans.

    PubMed

    Sansyzbay, Abylay R; Erofeeva, Marianna K; Khairullin, Berik M; Sandybayev, Nurlan T; Kydyrbayev, Zhailaubay K; Mamadaliyev, Seidigapbar M; Kassenov, Markhabat M; Sergeeva, Maria V; Romanova, Julia R; Krivitskaya, Vera Z; Kiselev, Oleg I; Stukova, Marina A

    2013-08-01

    In this study, we assessed in humans the immunogenicity and safety of one dose (7.5 or 15 μg of hemagglutinin [HA]) of a whole-virion inactivated prepandemic influenza vaccine adjuvanted with aluminum hydroxide. The vaccine strain was made by reverse genetics from the highly pathogenic avian A/Chicken/Astana/6/05 (H5N1) clade 2.2 strain isolated from a dead bird in Kazakhstan. The humoral immune response was evaluated after a single vaccination by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and microneutralization (MN) assays. The vaccine was safe and immunogenic, inducing seroconversion in 55% of the evaluated patients, with a geometric mean titer (GMT) of 17.1 and a geometric mean increase (GMI) of 3.42 after a dose of 7.5 μg in the HI test against the vaccine strain. The rate of seroconversion increased up to 70% when the dose of 15 μg was used. The percentages of individuals achieving anti-HA titers of ≥1:40 were 52.5% and 57.5% for the 7.5- and 15-μg dose groups, respectively. Similar results were obtained when antibodies were analyzed in an MN test. Substantial cross-neutralization titers (seroconversion in 35% and 52.5% of subjects in the two dose groups, respectively) were detected against heterologous clade 1 strain NIBRG14 (H5N1). Thus, one dose of this whole-virion prepandemic vaccine adjuvanted with aluminum has the potential to be effective against H5N1 viruses of different clades.

  1. Addressing the Immunogenicity of the Cargo and of the Targeting Antibodies with a Focus on Deimmunized Bacterial Toxins and on Antibody-Targeted Human Effector Proteins

    PubMed Central

    Grinberg, Yehudit; Benhar, Itai

    2017-01-01

    Third-generation immunotoxins are composed of a human, or humanized, targeting moiety, usually a monoclonal antibody or an antibody fragment, and a non-human effector molecule. Due to the non-human origin of the cytotoxic domain, these molecules stimulate potent anti-drug immune responses, which limit treatment options. Efforts are made to deimmunize such immunotoxins or to combine treatment with immunosuppression. An alternative approach is using the so-called “human cytotoxic fusion proteins”, in which antibodies are used to target human effector proteins. Here, we present three relevant approaches for reducing the immunogenicity of antibody-targeted protein therapeutics: (1) reducing the immunogenicity of the bacterial toxin, (2) fusing human cytokines to antibodies to generate immunocytokines and (3) addressing the immunogenicity of the targeting antibodies. PMID:28574434

  2. T-cell dependent immunogenicity of protein therapeutics: Preclinical assessment and mitigation.

    PubMed

    Jawa, Vibha; Cousens, Leslie P; Awwad, Michel; Wakshull, Eric; Kropshofer, Harald; De Groot, Anne S

    2013-12-01

    Protein therapeutics hold a prominent and rapidly expanding place among medicinal products. Purified blood products, recombinant cytokines, growth factors, enzyme replacement factors, monoclonal antibodies, fusion proteins, and chimeric fusion proteins are all examples of therapeutic proteins that have been developed in the past few decades and approved for use in the treatment of human disease. Despite early belief that the fully human nature of these proteins would represent a significant advantage, adverse effects associated with immune responses to some biologic therapies have become a topic of some concern. As a result, drug developers are devising strategies to assess immune responses to protein therapeutics during both the preclinical and the clinical phases of development. While there are many factors that contribute to protein immunogenicity, T cell- (thymus-) dependent (Td) responses appear to play a critical role in the development of antibody responses to biologic therapeutics. A range of methodologies to predict and measure Td immune responses to protein drugs has been developed. This review will focus on the Td contribution to immunogenicity, summarizing current approaches for the prediction and measurement of T cell-dependent immune responses to protein biologics, discussing the advantages and limitations of these technologies, and suggesting a practical approach for assessing and mitigating Td immunogenicity. © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Cloning, sequencing, and expression of dnaK-operon proteins from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus.

    PubMed

    Osipiuk, J; Joachimiak, A

    1997-09-12

    We propose that the dnaK operon of Thermus thermophilus HB8 is composed of three functionally linked genes: dnaK, grpE, and dnaJ. The dnaK and dnaJ gene products are most closely related to their cyanobacterial homologs. The DnaK protein sequence places T. thermophilus in the plastid Hsp70 subfamily. In contrast, the grpE translated sequence is most similar to GrpE from Clostridium acetobutylicum, a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium. A single promoter region, with homology to the Escherichia coli consensus promoter sequences recognized by the sigma70 and sigma32 transcription factors, precedes the postulated operon. This promoter is heat-shock inducible. The dnaK mRNA level increased more than 30 times upon 10 min of heat shock (from 70 degrees C to 85 degrees C). A strong transcription terminating sequence was found between the dnaK and grpE genes. The individual genes were cloned into pET expression vectors and the thermophilic proteins were overproduced at high levels in E. coli and purified to homogeneity. The recombinant T. thermophilus DnaK protein was shown to have a weak ATP-hydrolytic activity, with an optimum at 90 degrees C. The ATPase was stimulated by the presence of GrpE and DnaJ. Another open reading frame, coding for ClpB heat-shock protein, was found downstream of the dnaK operon.

  4. Cellular GFP Toxicity and Immunogenicity: Potential Confounders in in Vivo Cell Tracking Experiments.

    PubMed

    Ansari, Amir Mehdi; Ahmed, A Karim; Matsangos, Aerielle E; Lay, Frank; Born, Louis J; Marti, Guy; Harmon, John W; Sun, Zhaoli

    2016-10-01

    Green Fluorescent protein (GFP), used as a cellular tag, provides researchers with a valuable method of measuring gene expression and cell tracking. However, there is evidence to suggest that the immunogenicity and cytotoxicity of GFP potentially confounds the interpretation of in vivo experimental data. Studies have shown that GFP expression can deteriorate over time as GFP tagged cells are prone to death. Therefore, the cells that were originally marked with GFP do not survive and cannot be accurately traced over time. This review will present current evidence for the immunogenicity and cytotoxicity of GFP in in vivo studies by characterizing these responses.

  5. RNActive® Technology: Generation and Testing of Stable and Immunogenic mRNA Vaccines.

    PubMed

    Rauch, Susanne; Lutz, Johannes; Kowalczyk, Aleksandra; Schlake, Thomas; Heidenreich, Regina

    2017-01-01

    Developing effective mRNA vaccines poses certain challenges concerning mRNA stability and ability to induce sufficient immune stimulation and requires a specific panel of techniques for production and testing. Here, we describe the production of stabilized mRNA with enhanced immunogenicity, generated using conventional nucleotides only, by introducing changes to the mRNA sequence and by complexation with the nucleotide-binding peptide protamine (RNActive® technology). Methods described here include the synthesis, purification, and protamine complexation of mRNA vaccines as well as a comprehensive panel of in vitro and in vivo methods for evaluation of vaccine quality and immunogenicity.

  6. Immunogenicity and Safety of 10-valent Pneumococcal Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Protein D Conjugate Vaccine (PHiD-CV) Administered to Children With Sickle Cell Disease Between 8 Weeks and 2 Years of Age: A Phase III, Open, Controlled Study.

    PubMed

    Sirima, Sodiomon B; Tiono, Alfred; Gansané, Zakaria; Siribié, Mohamadou; Zongo, Angèle; Ouédraogo, Alphonse; François, Nancy; Strezova, Ana; Dobbelaere, Kurt; Borys, Dorota

    2017-05-01

    Immunogenicity, safety and reactogenicity of the 10-valent pneumococcal nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) were evaluated in children with sickle cell disease (SCD), who are at increased risk for infections. In this phase III, open-label, single-center, controlled study in Burkina Faso (NCT01175083), children with SCD (S) or without SCD (NS) were assigned to 6 groups (N = 300): children 8-11 weeks of age (<6 months; <6S and <6NS groups) received 3 primary doses and a booster dose of PHiD-CV coadministered with routine childhood vaccines; children 7-11 months of age (7-11S and 7-11NS groups) received 2 primary doses and a booster dose of PHiD-CV; children 12-23 months of age (12-23S and 12-23NS groups) received 2 catch-up doses of PHiD-CV. Pneumococcal antibody responses were measured using 22F-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and functional opsonophagocytic activity. Responses to other antigens were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Adverse events were recorded. One month postprimary vaccination, for each vaccine serotype ≥98% of infants in the <6S and <6NS groups had antibody concentrations ≥0.2 µg/mL, except for 6B (≥85%) and 23F (≥89%). Immune responses to PHiD-CV after age-appropriate vaccination in children <2 years did not appear influenced by SCD. All infants were seroprotected/seropositive for diphtheria, tetanus and Bordetella pertussis antigens postprimary and booster vaccination. Safety and reactogenicity profiles were similar in children with or without SCD. PHiD-CV was immunogenic with an acceptable safety profile in children with and without SCD starting vaccination at 8 weeks to 23 months of age.

  7. Multimodal immunogenic cancer cell death as a consequence of anticancer cytotoxic treatments

    PubMed Central

    Inoue, H; Tani, K

    2014-01-01

    Apoptotic cell death generally characterized by a morphologically homogenous entity has been considered to be essentially non-immunogenic. However, apoptotic cancer cell death, also known as type 1 programmed cell death (PCD), was recently found to be immunogenic after treatment with several chemotherapeutic agents and oncolytic viruses through the emission of various danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Extensive studies have revealed that two different types of immunogenic cell death (ICD) inducers, recently classified by their distinct actions in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, can reinitiate immune responses suppressed by the tumor microenvironment. Indeed, recent clinical studies have shown that several immunotherapeutic modalities including therapeutic cancer vaccines and oncolytic viruses, but not conventional chemotherapies, culminate in beneficial outcomes, probably because of their different mechanisms of ICD induction. Furthermore, interests in PCD of cancer cells have shifted from its classical form to novel forms involving autophagic cell death (ACD), programmed necrotic cell death (necroptosis), and pyroptosis, some of which entail immunogenicity after anticancer treatments. In this review, we provide a brief outline of the well-characterized DAMPs such as calreticulin (CRT) exposure, high-mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release, which are induced by the morphologically distinct types of cell death. In the latter part, our review focuses on how emerging oncolytic viruses induce different forms of cell death and the combinations of oncolytic virotherapies with further immunomodulation by cyclophosphamide and other immunotherapeutic modalities foster dendritic cell (DC)-mediated induction of antitumor immunity. Accordingly, it is increasingly important to fully understand how and which ICD inducers cause multimodal ICD, which should aid the design of reasonably multifaceted anticancer modalities to

  8. Efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety of a 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine in Latin American girls, boys, and young women.

    PubMed

    Ruiz-Sternberg, Ángela María; Moreira, Edson D; Restrepo, Jaime A; Lazcano-Ponce, Eduardo; Cabello, Robinson; Silva, Arnaldo; Andrade, Rosires; Revollo, Francisco; Uscanga, Santos; Victoria, Alejandro; Guevara, Ana María; Luna, Joaquín; Plata, Manuel; Dominguez, Claudia Nossa; Fedrizzi, Edison; Suarez, Eugenio; Reina, Julio C; Ellison, Misoo C; Moeller, Erin; Ritter, Michael; Shields, Christine; Cashat, Miguel; Perez, Gonzalo; Luxembourg, Alain

    2018-06-01

    A 9-valent human papillomavirus (HPV6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58; 9vHPV) vaccine was developed to expand coverage of the previously developed quadrivalent (HPV6/11/16/18; qHPV) vaccine. Efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety outcomes were assessed in Latin American participants enrolled in 2 international studies of the 9vHPV vaccine, including a randomized, double-blinded, controlled with qHPV vaccine, efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety study in young women aged 16-26 years, and an immunogenicity and safety study in girls and boys aged 9-15 years. Participants (N=5312) received vaccination at Day 1, Month 2, and Month 6. Gynecological swabs were collected regularly in young women for cytological and HPV DNA testing. Serum was analyzed for HPV antibodies in all participants. Adverse events (AEs) were also monitored in all participants. The 9vHPV vaccine prevented HPV 31-, 33-, 45-, 52-, and 58-related high-grade cervical, vulvar, and vaginal dysplasia with 92.3% efficacy (95% confidence interval 54.4, 99.6). Anti-HPV6, 11, 16, and 18 geometric mean titers at Month 7 were similar in the 9vHPV and qHPV vaccination groups. Anti-HPV antibody responses following vaccination were higher among girls and boys than in young women. Most (>99%) 9vHPV vaccine recipients seroconverted for all 9 HPV types at Month 7. Antibody responses to the 9 HPV types persisted over 5 years. The most common AEs were injection-site related, mostly of mild to moderate intensity. The 9vHPV vaccine is efficacious, immunogenic, and well tolerated in Latin American young women, girls, and boys. These data support 9vHPV vaccination programs in Latin America, a region with substantial cervical cancer burden. Copyright © 2018 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., and The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Do L2 Writing Courses Affect the Improvement of L1 Writing Skills via Skills Transfer from L2 to L1?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gonca, Altmisdort

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates the relationship of second language (L2) writing skills proficiency with the first language (L1) writing skills, in light of the language transfer. The study aims to analyze the positive effects of L2 writing proficiency on L1 writing proficiency. Forty native Turkish-speaking university students participated in the study.…

  10. Low immunogenicity of tocilizumab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

    PubMed

    Burmester, Gerd R; Choy, Ernest; Kivitz, Alan; Ogata, Atsushi; Bao, Min; Nomura, Akira; Lacey, Stuart; Pei, Jinglan; Reiss, William; Pethoe-Schramm, Attila; Mallalieu, Navita L; Wallace, Thomas; Michalska, Margaret; Birnboeck, Herbert; Stubenrauch, Kay; Genovese, Mark C

    2017-06-01

    Subcutaneous (SC) and intravenous formulations of tocilizumab (TCZ) are available for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), based on the efficacy and safety observed in clinical trials. Anti-TCZ antibody development and its impact on safety and efficacy were evaluated in adult patients with RA treated with intravenous TCZ (TCZ-IV) or TCZ-SC as monotherapy or in combination with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs). Data from 5 TCZ-SC and 8 TCZ-IV phase III clinical trials and 1 TCZ-IV clinical pharmacology safety study (>50 000 samples) were pooled to assess the immunogenicity profile of TCZ-SC and TCZ-IV (8974 total patients). The analysis included antidrug antibody (ADA) measurement following TCZ-SC or TCZ-IV treatment as monotherapy or in combination with csDMARDs, after dosing interruptions or in TCZ-washout samples, and the correlation of ADAs with clinical response, adverse events or pharmacokinetics (PK). The proportion of patients who developed ADAs following TCZ-SC or TCZ-IV treatment was 1.5% and 1.2%, respectively. ADA development was also comparable between patients who received TCZ monotherapy and those who received concomitant csDMARDs (0.7-2.0%). ADA development did not correlate with PK or safety events, including anaphylaxis, hypersensitivity or injection-site reactions, and no patients who developed ADAs had loss of efficacy. The immunogenicity risk of TCZ-SC and TCZ-IV treatment was low, either as monotherapy or in combination with csDMARDs. Anti-TCZ antibodies developed among the small proportion of patients had no evident impact on PK, efficacy or safety. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  11. Assimilation of L2 vowels to L1 phonemes governs L2 learning in adulthood: a behavioral and ERP study

    PubMed Central

    Grimaldi, Mirko; Sisinni, Bianca; Gili Fivela, Barbara; Invitto, Sara; Resta, Donatella; Alku, Paavo; Brattico, Elvira

    2014-01-01

    According to the Perceptual Assimilation Model (PAM), articulatory similarity/dissimilarity between sounds of the second language (L2) and the native language (L1) governs L2 learnability in adulthood and predicts L2 sound perception by naïve listeners. We performed behavioral and neurophysiological experiments on two groups of university students at the first and fifth years of the English language curriculum and on a group of naïve listeners. Categorization and discrimination tests, as well as the mismatch negativity (MMN) brain response to L2 sound changes, showed that the discriminatory capabilities of the students did not significantly differ from those of the naïve subjects. In line with the PAM model, we extend the findings of previous behavioral studies showing that, at the neural level, classroom instruction in adulthood relies on assimilation of L2 vowels to L1 phoneme categories and does not trigger improvement in L2 phonetic discrimination. Implications for L2 classroom teaching practices are discussed. PMID:24860470

  12. An escalating dose study to assess the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of a Herpes Simplex Virus DNA vaccine, COR-1.

    PubMed

    Dutton, Julie L; Woo, Wai-Ping; Chandra, Janin; Xu, Yan; Li, Bo; Finlayson, Neil; Griffin, Paul; Frazer, Ian H

    2016-12-01

    This paper describes a single site, open-label Phase I clinical trial evaluating the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity in healthy volunteers of a herpes simplex polynucleotide vaccine that has previously been shown to enhance immunogenicity and protect against lethal herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) challenge in mice. Five escalating doses of the vaccine, COR-1, were given by intradermal injection to HSV-1 and 2 seronegative healthy individuals. COR-1 was found to be safe and well-tolerated; the only vaccine-related adverse events were mild. While vaccine-induced antibody responses were not detectable, cell-mediated immune responses to HSV-specific peptide groups were identified in 19 of the 20 subjects who completed the study, and local inflammation at the immunisation site was observed. This study indicates COR-1 has potential to be used as a therapeutic vaccine for HSV-2 infection.

  13. An inactivated vaccine made from a U.S. field isolate of porcine epidemic disease virus is immunogenic in pigs as demonstrated by a dose-titration.

    PubMed

    Collin, Emily A; Anbalagan, Srivishnupriya; Okda, Faten; Batman, Ron; Nelson, Eric; Hause, Ben M

    2015-03-15

    Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), a highly pathogenic and transmissible virus in swine, was first detected in the U.S. in May, 2013, and has caused tremendous losses to the swine industry. Due to the difficulty in isolating and growing this virus in cell culture, few vaccine studies using cell culture propagated PEDV have been performed on U.S. strains in pigs. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the humoral immune response to the selected inactivated PEDV vaccine candidate in a dose-titration manner. PEDV was isolated from a pig with diarrhea and complete genome sequencing found >99% nucleotide identity to other U.S. PEDV. Inactivated adjuvanted monovalent vaccines were administered intramuscularly to five week old pigs in a dose titration experimental design, ranging from 6.0-8.0 log10 tissue culture infective dose (TCID50/mL), to evaluate immunogenicity using a fluorescent foci neutralization assay (FFN), fluorescent microsphere immunoassay (FMIA), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on sera. Pigs vaccinated with 8.0 log10 TCID50/mL inactivated virus showed significantly higher FFN titers as well as FMIA and ELISA values than 6.0 log10 TCID50/mL vaccinates and the negative controls. These results demonstrate the immunogenicity of a PEDV inactivated viral vaccine with a U.S. strain via dose-titration. A future vaccination-challenge study would illustrate the efficacy of an inactivated vaccine and help evaluate protective FFN titers and ELISA and FMIA responses.

  14. [Construction and application of prokaryotic expression system of Leptospira interrogans lipL32/1-lipL41/1 fusion gene].

    PubMed

    Luo, Dong-jiao; Yan, Jie; Mao, Ya-fei; Li, Shu-ping; Luo, Yi-hui; Li, Li-wei

    2005-01-01

    To construct lipL32/1-lipL41/1 fusion gene and its prokaryotic expression system and to determine frequencies of carrying and expression of lipL32 and lipL41 genes in L.interrogans wild strains and specific antibody levels in sera from leptospirosis patients. lipL32/1-lipL41/1 fusion gene was constructed using linking primer PCR method and the prokaryotic expression system of the fusion gene done with routine techniques. SDS-PAGE was used to examine expression of the target recombinant protein rLipL32/1-rLipL41/1. Immunogenicity of rLipL32/1-rLipL41/1 was identified by Western blot. PCR and MAT were performed to detect carrying and expression of lipL32 and lipL41 genes in 97 wild L.interrogans strains. Antibodies against products of lipL32 and lipL41 genes in serum samples from 228 leptospirosis patients were detected by ELISA method. The homogeneity of nucleotide and putative amino acid sequence of lipL32/1-lipL41/1 fusion gene were 99.9 % and 99.8 % in comparison with the reported sequences. Expression output of the target recombinant protein rLipL32/1-rLipL41/1, mainly present in inclusion body, accounted for 10 % of the total bacterial proteins. Both the rabbit antisera against rLipL32/1 and rLipL41/1 could combine to rLipL32/1-rLipL41/1. 97.9 % and 87.6 % of the L.interrogans wild strains had lipL32 and lipL41 genes, respectively. 95.9 % and 84.5 % of the wild strains were positive for MAT with titers of 1:4 - 1:128 using rabbit anti-rLipL32s or anti-rLipL41s sera, respectively. 94.7 % - 97.4 % of the patients'serum samples were positive for rLipL32s antibodies, while 78.5 % - 84.6 % of them were rLipL41s antibodies detectable. lipL32/1-jlipL41/1 fusion gene and its prokaryotic expression system were successfully constructed. The expressed fusion protein had qualified immunogenicity. Both the lipL32 and lipL41 genes are extensively carried and frequently expressed by different serogroups of L.interrogans, and their expression products exhibit cross-antigenicity.

  15. Adaptation and immunogenicity of Cryptosporidium parvum to immunocompetent mice.

    PubMed

    Matsuo, Tomohide; Tsuge, Yasuko; Umemiya-Shirafuji, Rika; Fujino, Takashi; Matsui, Toshihiro

    2014-03-01

    The adaptation and immunogenisity of Cryptosporidium parvum isolated from Siberian chipmunks (SC1 strain) in immunocompetent (ICR) mice were examined. The oocysts were received to the severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice by repeated passage. The oocysts collected from the 18th SCID mice were inoculated to 5 ICR mice. The mice began to shed oocysts from 6 days after inoculation, the patency was 5 days, and the maximum oocysts per gram of feces (OPG) value was 10(4). The maximum of OPG value was gradually increased by successive passage, and finally that in the 22nd mice reached 10(6) (patency: 11 days). It is considered that these results indicate completion of their adaptation to ICR mice. To examine the immunogenicity of C. parvum to ICR mice, 8 groups of 5 mice each were inoculated with 1.3 × 10(6) oocysts of SC1 strain, which were collected after adaptation to SCID mice. All groups shed oocysts from 6th day, and their patency was from 8 to 12 days. On the 21st day after the primary infection, these mice were challenged with 1.3 × 10(6) oocysts. No oocysts shed from any groups, although 2 control groups shed oocysts from the 6th day, and their OPG values were more than 10(6). These results suggest that this strain has strong immunogenicity against ICR mice. Therefore, the immunological healthy mice were considered a useful experimental model to investigate immunological and drug treatments in the strain of C. parvum.

  16. Efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of a human rotavirus vaccine (RIX4414) in Hong Kong children up to three years of age: a randomized, controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Lau, Yu-Lung; Nelson, E Anthony S; Poon, Kin-Hung; Chan, Paul K S; Chiu, Susan; Sung, Rita; Leung, Chi Wai; Ng, Daniel; Ma, Yee Man; Chan, Desmond; Lee, Tsz Leung; Tang, Joyce; Kwan, Yat Wah; Ip, Patricia; Ho, Marco; Fung, Lai-Wah Eva; Tang, Haiwen; Suryakiran, P V; Han, Htay Htay; Bock, Hans

    2013-04-26

    A phase III, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial was conducted in Hong Kong to evaluate the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of a human rotavirus vaccine, RIX4414 (Rotarix) against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis in children up to three years of age. Healthy infants aged 6-12 weeks were enrolled between 08-December-2003 and 31-August-2005 and received two oral doses of either RIX4414 vaccine (N=1513) or placebo (N=1512) given 2 months apart. Vaccine efficacy was assessed from two weeks post-Dose 2 until the children were two and three years of age. Anti-rotavirus IgA seroconversion rate was calculated pre-vaccination and 1-2 months post-Dose 2 using ELISA (cut-off=20 U/mL) for 100 infants. Safety was assessed until the children were two years of age; serious adverse events (SAEs) were recorded throughout the study period. In children aged two and three years of life, vaccine efficacy against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis was 95.6% (95% CI: 73.1%-99.9%) and 96.1% (95% CI: 76.5%-99.9%), respectively. The seroconversion rate 1-2 months after the second dose of RIX4414 was 97.5% (95% CI: 86.8%-99.9%). At least one SAE was recorded in 439 and 477 infants who were administered RIX4414 and placebo, respectively (p-value=0.130). Six intussusception cases were reported (RIX4414=4; placebo=2) and none was assessed to be vaccine-related. RIX4414 was efficacious, immunogenic and safe in the prevention of rotavirus gastroenteritis for at least two years post-vaccination in Hong Kong children. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. TES/Aura L2 Ozone (O3) Limb V6 (TL2O3L)

    Atmospheric Science Data Center

    2018-03-01

    TES/Aura L2 Ozone (O3) Limb (TL2O3L) News:  TES News Join TES ... Project Title:  TES Discipline:  Tropospheric Composition Version:  V6 Level:  L2 Platform:  TES/Aura L2 Ozone Spatial Coverage:  27 x 23 km Limb Spatial ...

  18. A novel recombinant pseudorabies virus expressing parvovirus VP2 gene: Immunogenicity and protective efficacy in swine

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Porcine parvovirus (PPV) VP2 gene has been successfully expressed in many expression systems resulting in self-assembly of virus-like particles (VLPs) with similar morphology to the native capsid. Here, a pseudorabies virus (PRV) system was adopted to express the PPV VP2 gene. Methods A recombinant PRV SA215/VP2 was obtained by homologous recombination between the vector PRV viral DNA and a transfer plasmid. Then recombinant virus was purified with plaque purification, and its identity confirmed by PCR amplification, Western blot and indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) analyses. Electronic microscopy of PRV SA215/VP2 confirmed self-assembly of both pseudorabies virus and VLPs from VP2 protein. Results Immunization of piglets with recombinant virus elicited PRV-specific and PPV-specific humoral immune responses and provided complete protection against a lethal dose of PRV challenges. Gilts immunized with recombinant viruses induced PPV-specific antibodies, and significantly reduced the mortality rate of (1 of 28) following virulent PPV challenge compared with the control (7 of 31). Furthermore, PPV virus DNA was not detected in the fetuses of recombinant virus immunized gilts. Conclusions In this study, a recombinant PRV SA215/VP2 virus expressing PPV VP2 protein was constructed using PRV SA215 vector. The safety, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy of the recombinant virus were demonstrated in piglets and primiparous gilts. This recombinant PRV SA215/VP2 represents a suitable candidate for the development of a bivalent vaccine against both PRV and PPV infection. PMID:21679423

  19. Goose parvovirus structural proteins expressed by recombinant baculoviruses self-assemble into virus-like particles with strong immunogenicity in goose.

    PubMed

    Ju, Huanyu; Wei, Na; Wang, Qian; Wang, Chunyuan; Jing, Zhiqiang; Guo, Lu; Liu, Dapeng; Gao, Mingchun; Ma, Bo; Wang, Junwei

    2011-05-27

    Goose parvovirus (GPV), a small non-enveloped ssDNA virus, can cause Derzsy's disease, and three capsid proteins of VP1, VP2, and VP3 are encoded by an overlapping nucleotide sequence. However, little is known on whether recombinant viral proteins (VPs) could spontaneously assemble into virus-like particles (VLPs) in insect cells and whether these VLPs could retain their immunoreactivity and immunogenicity in susceptible geese. To address these issues, genes for these GPV VPs were amplified by PCR, and the recombinant VPs proteins were expressed in insect cells using a baculovirus expression system for the characterization of their structures, immunoreactivity, and immunogenicity. The rVP1, rVP2, and rVP3 expressed in Sf9 cells were detected by anti-GPV sera, anti-VP3 sera, and anti-His antibodies, respectively. Electron microscopy revealed that these rVPs spontaneously assembled into VLPs in insect cells, similar to that of the purified wild-type GPV virions. In addition, vaccination with individual types of VLPs, particularly with the rVP2-VLPs, induced higher titers of antibodies and neutralized different strains of GPVs in primary goose and duck embryo fibroblast cells in vitro. These data indicated that these VLPs retained immunoreactivity and had strong immunogenicity in susceptible geese. Therefore, our findings may provide a framework for development of new vaccines for the prevention of Derzsy's disease and vehicles for the delivery of drugs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of a novel pneumococcal protein-based vaccine in adults: a phase I/II randomized clinical study.

    PubMed

    Leroux-Roels, Geert; Maes, Cathy; De Boever, Fien; Traskine, Magali; Rüggeberg, Jens U; Borys, Dorota

    2014-11-28

    New vaccines containing highly conserved Streptococcus pneumoniae proteins such as pneumolysin toxoid (dPly) and histidine-triad protein D (PhtD) are being developed to provide broader protection against pneumococcal disease. This study evaluated the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of different pneumococcal protein-containing formulations in adults. In a phase I double-blind study (www.clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00707798), healthy adults (18-40 years) were randomized (1:2:2:2:2:2:2) to receive two doses of one of six investigational vaccine formulations 2 months apart, or a single dose of the control 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (23PPV; Pneumovax23™, Sanofi Pasteur MSD) followed by placebo. The investigational formulations contained dPly alone (10 or 30 μg), or both dPly and PhtD (10 or 30 μg each) alone or combined with the polysaccharide conjugates of the 10-valent pneumococcal non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV; Synflorix™, GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines). Two groups primed with a formulation containing dPly and PhtD (10 or 30 μg each) continued to the follow-up phase II study (NCT00896064), in which they received a booster dose at 5-9 months after primary vaccination. Of 156 enrolled and vaccinated adults, 146 completed the primary immunization and 43 adults received a booster dose. During primary and booster vaccination, for any formulation, ≤ 8.9% of doses were followed by grade 3 solicited local or general adverse events. No fever >39.5°C (oral temperature) was reported. Unsolicited adverse events considered causally related to vaccination were reported following ≤ 33.3% of investigational vaccine doses. No serious adverse events were reported for adults receiving investigational vaccine formulations. Formulations containing dPly with or without PhtD were immunogenic for these antigens; polysaccharide conjugate-containing formulations were also immunogenic for those 10 polysaccharides

  1. A Recombinant Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine Candidate Attenuated by a Low-Fusion F Protein Is Immunogenic and Protective against Challenge in Cotton Rats.

    PubMed

    Rostad, Christina A; Stobart, Christopher C; Gilbert, Brian E; Pickles, Ray J; Hotard, Anne L; Meng, Jia; Blanco, Jorge C G; Moin, Syed M; Graham, Barney S; Piedra, Pedro A; Moore, Martin L

    2016-08-15

    Although respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants, a safe and effective vaccine is not yet available. Live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs) are the most advanced vaccine candidates in RSV-naive infants. However, designing an LAV with appropriate attenuation yet sufficient immunogenicity has proven challenging. In this study, we implemented reverse genetics to address these obstacles with a multifaceted LAV design that combined the codon deoptimization of genes for nonstructural proteins NS1 and NS2 (dNS), deletion of the small hydrophobic protein (ΔSH) gene, and replacement of the wild-type fusion (F) protein gene with a low-fusion RSV subgroup B F consensus sequence of the Buenos Aires clade (BAF). This vaccine candidate, RSV-A2-dNS-ΔSH-BAF (DB1), was attenuated in two models of primary human airway epithelial cells and in the upper and lower airways of cotton rats. DB1 was also highly immunogenic in cotton rats and elicited broadly neutralizing antibodies against a diverse panel of recombinant RSV strains. When vaccinated cotton rats were challenged with wild-type RSV A, DB1 reduced viral titers in the upper and lower airways by 3.8 log10 total PFU and 2.7 log10 PFU/g of tissue, respectively, compared to those in unvaccinated animals (P < 0.0001). DB1 was thus attenuated, highly immunogenic, and protective against RSV challenge in cotton rats. DB1 is the first RSV LAV to incorporate a low-fusion F protein as a strategy to attenuate viral replication and preserve immunogenicity. RSV is a leading cause of infant hospitalizations and deaths. The development of an effective vaccine for this high-risk population is therefore a public health priority. Although live-attenuated vaccines have been safely administered to RSV-naive infants, strategies to balance vaccine attenuation with immunogenicity have been elusive. In this study, we introduced a novel strategy to attenuate a recombinant RSV vaccine by

  2. Snake venoms from Angola: Intra-specific variations and immunogenicity.

    PubMed

    Oliveira, Paula Regina Simões de; França, Felipe Silva de; Villas Boas, Isadora Maria; Rocha, Marisa Maria Teixeira da; Sant'Anna, Sávio Stefanini; Bastos, Maria de Lourdes; Tambourgi, Denise V

    2018-06-15

    Snakebite is a public health problem in many countries of world. These accidents are considered a Neglected Tropical Disease and are responsible for a high morbidity and mortality index in the South and Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Angolan snake venoms are poorly investigated and no specific antivenom against them is available in the country. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate biochemical and immunogenic properties of male and female venoms from Naja nigricollis, Bitis arietans and Bitis gabonica snakes. These animals were collected during an expedition covering 1350 km of Angola, including the Provinces of Cuanza Sul, Benguela, Huíla and Malanje. Results showed that Angolan snake venoms present distinctive immunogenic properties and large intra-specific variations, associated to the gender and the geographic origin of the animals. Thus, it is possible to suggest that for the preparation of a therapeutic antivenom, intra-species variability should be taken into account, in order to obtain an efficient serum to neutralize the toxic effects of the Angolan snake venoms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Identification of immunogenic proteins and evaluation of four recombinant proteins as potential vaccine antigens from Vibrio anguillarum in flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus).

    PubMed

    Xing, Jing; Xu, Hongsen; Wang, Yang; Tang, Xiaoqian; Sheng, Xiuzhen; Zhan, Wenbin

    2017-05-31

    Vibrio anguillarum is a severe bacterial pathogen that can infect a wide range of fish species. Identification of immunogenic proteins and development of vaccine are essential for disease prevention. In this study, immunogenic proteins were screened and identified from V. anguillarum, and then protective efficacy of the immunogenic proteins was evaluated. Immunogenic proteins in V. anguillarum whole cell were detected by Western blotting (WB) using immunized flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) serum, and then identified by Mass spectrometry (MS). The recombinant proteins of four identified immunogenic proteins were produced and immunized to fish, and then percentages of surface membrane immunoglobulin-positive (sIg+) cells in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), total antibodies, antibodies against V. anguillarum, antibodies against recombinant proteins and relative percent survival (RPS) were measured, respectively. The results showed that five immunogenic proteins, VAA, Groel, OmpU, PteF and SpK, were identified; their recombinant proteins, rOmpU, rGroel, rSpK and rVAA, could induce the proliferation of sIg+ cells in PBL and production of total antibodies, antibodies against V. anguillarum and antibodies against the recombinant proteins; their protection against V. anguillarum showed 64.86%, 72.97%, 21.62% and 78.38% RPS, respectively. The results revealed that the immunoproteomic technique using fish anti-V. anguillarum serum provided an efficient way to screen the immunogenic protein for vaccine antigen. Moreover, the rVAA, rGroel and rOmpU had potential to be vaccine candidates against V. anguillarum infection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Canine Parvovirus VP2 Protein Expressed in Silkworm Pupae Self-Assembles into Virus-Like Particles with High Immunogenicity

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Hua-lei; Liang, Meng; Liang, Hongru; Guo, He; Zhao, Pingsen; Yang, Yu-jiao; Zheng, Xue-xing; Zhang, Zhi-fang; Zhao, Yong-kun; Gao, Yu-wei; Yang, Song-tao; Xia, Xian-zhu

    2014-01-01

    The VP2 structural protein of parvovirus can produce virus-like particles (VLPs) by a self-assembly process in vitro, making VLPs attractive vaccine candidates. In this study, the VP2 protein of canine parvovirus (CPV) was expressed using a baculovirus expression system and assembled into parvovirus-like particles in insect cells and pupae. Electron micrographs of VLPs showed that they were very similar in size and morphology when compared to the wild-type parvovirus. The immunogenicity of the VLPs was investigated in mice and dogs. Mice immunized intramuscularly with purified VLPs, in the absence of an adjuvant, elicited CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses and were able to elicit a neutralizing antibody response against CPV, while the oral administration of raw homogenates containing VLPs to the dogs resulted in a systemic immune response and long-lasting immunity. These results demonstrate that the CPV-VLPs stimulate both cellular and humoral immune responses, and so CPV-VLPs may be a promising candidate vaccine for the prevention of CPV-associated disease. PMID:24465364

  5. Canine parvovirus VP2 protein expressed in silkworm pupae self-assembles into virus-like particles with high immunogenicity.

    PubMed

    Feng, Hao; Hu, Gui-qiu; Wang, Hua-lei; Liang, Meng; Liang, Hongru; Guo, He; Zhao, Pingsen; Yang, Yu-jiao; Zheng, Xue-xing; Zhang, Zhi-fang; Zhao, Yong-kun; Gao, Yu-wei; Yang, Song-tao; Xia, Xian-zhu

    2014-01-01

    The VP2 structural protein of parvovirus can produce virus-like particles (VLPs) by a self-assembly process in vitro, making VLPs attractive vaccine candidates. In this study, the VP2 protein of canine parvovirus (CPV) was expressed using a baculovirus expression system and assembled into parvovirus-like particles in insect cells and pupae. Electron micrographs of VLPs showed that they were very similar in size and morphology when compared to the wild-type parvovirus. The immunogenicity of the VLPs was investigated in mice and dogs. Mice immunized intramuscularly with purified VLPs, in the absence of an adjuvant, elicited CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell responses and were able to elicit a neutralizing antibody response against CPV, while the oral administration of raw homogenates containing VLPs to the dogs resulted in a systemic immune response and long-lasting immunity. These results demonstrate that the CPV-VLPs stimulate both cellular and humoral immune responses, and so CPV-VLPs may be a promising candidate vaccine for the prevention of CPV-associated disease.

  6. Evidence of Two Lyssavirus Phylogroups with Distinct Pathogenicity and Immunogenicity

    PubMed Central

    Badrane, Hassan; Bahloul, Chokri; Perrin, Pierre; Tordo, Noël

    2001-01-01

    The genetic diversity of representative members of the Lyssavirus genus (rabies and rabies-related viruses) was evaluated using the gene encoding the transmembrane glycoprotein involved in the virus-host interaction, immunogenicity, and pathogenicity. Phylogenetic analysis distinguished seven genotypes, which could be divided into two major phylogroups having the highest bootstrap values. Phylogroup I comprises the worldwide genotype 1 (classic Rabies virus), the European bat lyssavirus (EBL) genotypes 5 (EBL1) and 6 (EBL2), the African genotype 4 (Duvenhage virus), and the Australian bat lyssavirus genotype 7. Phylogroup II comprises the divergent African genotypes 2 (Lagos bat virus) and 3 (Mokola virus). We studied immunogenic and pathogenic properties to investigate the biological significance of this phylogenetic grouping. Viruses from phylogroup I (Rabies virus and EBL1) were found to be pathogenic for mice when injected by the intracerebral or the intramuscular route, whereas viruses from phylogroup II (Mokola and Lagos bat viruses) were only pathogenic by the intracerebral route. We showed that the glycoprotein R333 residue essential for virulence was naturally replaced by a D333 in the phylogroup II viruses, likely resulting in their attenuated pathogenicity. Moreover, cross-neutralization distinguished the same phylogroups. Within each phylogroup, the amino acid sequence of the glycoprotein ectodomain was at least 74% identical, and antiglycoprotein virus-neutralizing antibodies displayed cross-neutralization. Between phylogroups, the identity was less than 64.5% and the cross-neutralization was absent, explaining why the classical rabies vaccines (phylogroup I) cannot protect against lyssaviruses from phylogroup II. Our tree-axial analysis divided lyssaviruses into two phylogroups that more closely reflect their biological characteristics than previous serotypes and genotypes. PMID:11238853

  7. Immunogenicity of sanofi pasteur tetravalent dengue vaccine.

    PubMed

    Guy, Bruno

    2009-10-01

    A candidate tetravalent (TV) dengue vaccine based on the yellow fever (YF) 17D vaccine has been developed by sanofi pasteur. This dengue TV vaccine induced a controlled dendritic cell stimulation in vitro. In clinical trials, Th1 and CD8 responses were induced with an IFN-gamma/TNF-alpha ratio favouring IFN-gamma in both cases, regardless of whether the vaccine recipients were flavivirus naive or not. There was an absence of Th2 response in all cases. The Th1 response was dominated by the D4 serotype in flavivirus naive individuals after initial vaccination but broadened to include all serotypes after second vaccination. This broadened response was also observed after primary dengue TV vaccination in subjects previously administered monovalent live-attenuated dengue 1 and dengue 2 vaccines. Notably, virtually no cross-reactivity between YF 17D and dengue NS3 antigens at the CD8 level was observed. Clinical and pre-clinical results support the favourable immunogenicity and short-term safety of the dengue TV. Future studies will establish the longevity of the vaccine-induced immunity and requirements for boosters.

  8. CD4 T cell-mediated masking effects of the immunogenicity of tumor-associated antigens are qualitatively and quantitatively different depending on the individual antigens.

    PubMed

    Okano, Shinji; Matsumoto, Yoshihiro; Yoshiya, Shohei; Yamashita, Yo-ichi; Harimoto, Norifumi; Ikegami, Toru; Shirabe, Ken; Harada, Mamoru; Yoshikai, Yasunobu; Maehara, Yoshihiko

    2013-01-01

    The use of cancer immunotherapy as part of multidisciplinary therapies for cancer is a promising strategy for the cure of advanced cancer patients. In cancer immunotherapy, the effective priming of tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-specific CD8+ T cells is essential, and therefore, the appropriate selection of the best peptide for targeting the cancer is a most important concern. One criticism in the selection of a TAA is the immunogenicity of the TAA, the vaccination of which effectively elicits clinical responses. However, the critical basic immunological factors that affect the differences in the immunogenicity of TAAs remain to be elucidated. Here we found that CD4 T-cell responses suppressed the immunogenicity of the concomitant TAA in a murine melanoma model in which intratumoral activated dendritic therapy (ITADT) was used for treatment of the established cancer, and we observed that the antitumor effects were largely dependent on the CD8 T-cell response. CD4 T-cell depletion simply enhanced the tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-2(180-188) peptide-specific cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) responses, and CD4 T-cell depletion provided immunogenicity for mgp100(25-33) peptide, to which a CTL response could not be detected at all in CD4 T-cell-intact mice in the early therapeutic phase. Further, the mgp100(25-33) peptide-specific CTL response again became undetectable after the recovery of CD4 T cells in previously CD4-depleted, tumor-eradicated mice, whereas the TRP-2(180-188) peptide-specific CTL response was still much stronger in CD4-depleted mice than in CD4-intact mice. These findings suggest that the CD4 T cell-mediated masking effects of the immunogenicity of tumor-associated antigens are qualitatively and quantitatively different depending on the individual antigens.

  9. Antigenicity and Immunogenicity in HIV-1 Antibody-Based Vaccine Design

    PubMed Central

    Kong, Leopold; Sattentau, Quentin J

    2012-01-01

    Neutralizing antibodies can protect from infection by immunodeficiency viruses. However, the induction by active vaccination of antibodies that can potently neutralize a broad range of circulating virus strains is a goal not yet achieved, despite more than 2 decades of research. Here we review progress made in the field, from early empirical studies to today’s rational structure-based vaccine antigen design. We discuss the existence of broadly neutralizing antibodies, their implications for epitope discovery and recent progress made in antigen design. Finally, we consider the relationship between antigenicity and immunogenicity for B cell recognition and antibody production, a major hurdle for rational vaccine design to overcome. PMID:23227445

  10. Safety and Immunogenicity of a Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae bacterin for domestic sheep (Ovis aries).

    PubMed

    Ziegler, Jessie C; Lahmers, Kevin K; Barrington, George M; Parish, Steven M; Kilzer, Katherine; Baker, Katherine; Besser, Thomas E

    2014-01-01

    Mortality from epizootic pneumonia is hindering re-establishment of bighorn sheep populations in western North America. Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, a primary agent of this disease, is frequently carried asymptomatically by the domestic sheep and goats that constitute the reservoir of this agent for transmission to bighorn sheep. Our long-term objective is to reduce the risk of M. ovipneumoniae infection of bighorn sheep; one approach to this objective is to control the pathogen in its reservoir hosts. The safety and immunogenicity of M. ovipneumoniae for domestic sheep was evaluated in three experimental immunization protocols: 1) live M. ovipneumoniae (50 ug protein); 2) killed M. ovipneumoniae (50 ug whole cell protein) in oil adjuvant; and 3) killed M. ovipneumoniae (250 ug whole cell protein) in oil adjuvant. Immunogenicity was assessed by two serum antibody measures: competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) (experiments 1-3) and serum growth inhibition (Experiment 3). Passive immunogenicity was also assessed in the third experiment using the same assays applied to blood samples obtained from the lambs of immunized ewes. Adverse reactions to immunization were generally minor, but local reactions were regularly observed at immunization sites with bacterins in oil adjuvants. No evidence of M. ovipneumoniae specific antibody responses were observed in the first or second experiments and no resistance to colonization was observed in the first experiment. However, the ewes in the third experiment developed strong cELISA serum antibody responses and significant serum M. ovipneumoniae inhibition activity, and these responses were passively transferred to their lambs. The results of these trials indicate that immunization with relatively large antigenic mass combined with an adjuvant is capable of inducing strong active antibody responses in ewes and passively immunizing lambs.

  11. Safety and Immunogenicity of a Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae Bacterin for Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries)

    PubMed Central

    Ziegler, Jessie C.; Lahmers, Kevin K.; Barrington, George M.; Parish, Steven M.; Kilzer, Katherine; Baker, Katherine; Besser, Thomas E.

    2014-01-01

    Background Mortality from epizootic pneumonia is hindering re-establishment of bighorn sheep populations in western North America. Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, a primary agent of this disease, is frequently carried asymptomatically by the domestic sheep and goats that constitute the reservoir of this agent for transmission to bighorn sheep. Our long-term objective is to reduce the risk of M. ovipneumoniae infection of bighorn sheep; one approach to this objective is to control the pathogen in its reservoir hosts. Methods The safety and immunogenicity of M. ovipneumoniae for domestic sheep was evaluated in three experimental immunization protocols: 1) live M. ovipneumoniae (50 ug protein); 2) killed M. ovipneumoniae (50 ug whole cell protein) in oil adjuvant; and 3) killed M. ovipneumoniae (250 ug whole cell protein) in oil adjuvant. Immunogenicity was assessed by two serum antibody measures: competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) (experiments 1–3) and serum growth inhibition (Experiment 3). Passive immunogenicity was also assessed in the third experiment using the same assays applied to blood samples obtained from the lambs of immunized ewes. Results and Conclusions Adverse reactions to immunization were generally minor, but local reactions were regularly observed at immunization sites with bacterins in oil adjuvants. No evidence of M. ovipneumoniae specific antibody responses were observed in the first or second experiments and no resistance to colonization was observed in the first experiment. However, the ewes in the third experiment developed strong cELISA serum antibody responses and significant serum M. ovipneumoniae inhibition activity, and these responses were passively transferred to their lambs. The results of these trials indicate that immunization with relatively large antigenic mass combined with an adjuvant is capable of inducing strong active antibody responses in ewes and passively immunizing lambs. PMID:24752006

  12. Immunogenicity and safety of a single dose of a CRM-conjugated meningococcal ACWY vaccine in children and adolescents aged 2-18 years in Taiwan: results of an open label study.

    PubMed

    Huang, Li-Min; Chiu, Nan-Chang; Yeh, Shu-Jen; Bhusal, Chiranjiwi; Arora, Ashwani Kumar

    2014-09-08

    MenACWY-CRM (Menveo®, Novartis Vaccines, Siena, Italy) is a quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine developed to help prevent invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, W, and Y. It is approved within the European Union in persons >2 years of age and in persons from 2 months to 55 years of age in the United States, among other countries. Little is known about the immunogenicity and safety of this vaccine in Taiwanese children >2 years and adolescents. This study assessed the immunogenicity and safety of a single injection of MenACWY-CRM vaccine in Taiwanese subjects aged 2-18 years old. In this phase III, multicentre, open-label study 341 subjects received one dose of MenACWY-CRM. Immunogenicity measures were rates of seroresponse (defined as the proportion of subjects with a postvaccination hSBA ≥1:8 if the prevaccination (baseline) titre was <1:4, or at least a fourfold higher hSBA titre than baseline if the prevaccination titre was ≥1:4), percentages of subjects with serum bactericidal activity (hSBA) ≥1:8 for serogroups A, C, W and Y and hSBA geometric mean titres (GMTs). Local and systemic reactions and all adverse events (AEs) were recorded for 7 days, and medically attended AEs for 1 month post-vaccination. Seroresponse rates after MenACWY-CRM vaccination at Day 29 for the serogroups A, C, W, and Y were 83%, 93%, 50%, and 65%, respectively. At Day 29 the percentages of subjects with hSBA ≥1:8 against all four serogroups A, C, W and Y were: 83%, 96%, 96% and 82%, respectively. GMTs against all serogroups rose by ≥7-fold from baseline to Day 29. The vaccine was well tolerated. A single dose of MenACWY-CRM demonstrated a robust immune response, and an acceptable safety profile in Taiwanese children and adolescents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Safety and immunogenicity of an adjuvanted herpes zoster subunit candidate vaccine in HIV-infected adults: a phase 1/2a randomized, placebo-controlled study.

    PubMed

    Berkowitz, Elchonon M; Moyle, Graeme; Stellbrink, Hans-Jürgen; Schürmann, Dirk; Kegg, Stephen; Stoll, Matthias; El Idrissi, Mohamed; Oostvogels, Lidia; Heineman, Thomas C

    2015-04-15

    Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals are at increased risk of herpes zoster (HZ), even in the antiretroviral therapy (ART) era. Because concerns exist about the use of live-attenuated vaccines in immunocompromised individuals, a subunit vaccine may be an appropriate alternative. This phase 1/2, randomized, placebo-controlled study evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of an investigational HZ subunit vaccine (HZ/su). Three cohorts of HIV-infected adults aged ≥18 years were enrolled: 94 ART recipients with a CD4(+) T-cell count of ≥200 cells/mm(3), 14 ART recipients with a CD4(+) T-cell count of 50-199 cells/mm(3), and 15 ART-naive adults with a CD4(+) T-cell count of ≥500 cells/mm(3). Subjects received 3 doses of HZ/su (50 µg varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein E [gE] combined with AS01B adjuvant) or 3 doses of saline at months 0, 2, and 6. One month after dose 3, serum anti-gE antibody concentrations and frequencies of gE-specific CD4(+) T cells were higher following HZ/su vaccination than after receipt of saline (P < .0001). Median cell-mediated immune responses peaked after dose 2. Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses persisted until the end of the study (month 18). No vaccination-related serious adverse events were reported. No sustained impact on HIV load or CD4(+) T-cell count was noted following vaccinations. HZ/su was immunogenic and had a clinically acceptable safety profile in HIV-infected adults. NCT01165203. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

  14. Evaluation of the use of various rat strains for immunogenic potency tests of Sabin-derived inactivated polio vaccines.

    PubMed

    Someya, Yuichi; Ami, Yasushi; Takai-Todaka, Reiko; Fujimoto, Akira; Haga, Kei; Murakami, Kosuke; Fujii, Yoshiki; Shirato, Haruko; Oka, Tomoichiro; Shimoike, Takashi; Katayama, Kazuhiko; Wakita, Takaji

    2018-03-01

    Slc:Wistar rats have been the only strain used in Japan for purpose of evaluating a national reference vaccine for the Sabin-derived inactivated polio vaccine (sIPV) and the immunogenicity of sIPV-containing products. However, following the discovery that the Slc:Wistar strain was genetically related to the Fischer 344 strain, other "real" Wistar strains, such as Crlj:WI, that are available worldwide were tested in terms of their usefulness in evaluating the immunogenicity of the past and current lots of a national reference vaccine. The response of the Crlj:WI rats against the serotype 1 of sIPV was comparable to that of the Slc:Wistar rats, while the Crlj:WI rats exhibited a higher level of response against the serotypes 2 and 3. The immunogenic potency units of a national reference vaccine determined using the Slc:Wistar rats were reproduced on tests using the Crlj:WI rats. These results indicate that a titer of the neutralizing antibody obtained in response to a given dose of sIPV cannot be directly compared between these two rat strains, but that, more importantly, the potency units are almost equivalent for the two rat strains. Copyright © 2018 International Alliance for Biological Standardization. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Long-term immunogenicity of an initial booster dose of an inactivated, Vero cell culture-derived Japanese encephalitis vaccine (JE-VC) and the safety and immunogenicity of a second JE-VC booster dose in children previously vaccinated with an inactivated, mouse brain-derived Japanese encephalitis vaccine.

    PubMed

    Yun, Ki Wook; Lee, Hoan Jong; Park, Ji Young; Cho, Hye-Kyung; Kim, Yae-Jean; Kim, Kyung-Hyo; Kim, Nam Hee; Hong, Young Jin; Kim, Dong Ho; Kim, Hwang Min; Cha, Sung-Ho

    2018-03-07

    This study was performed with the aim of determining the long-term immunogenicity of an inactivated, Vero cell culture-derived Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine (JE-VC) and an inactivated, mouse brain-derived JE vaccine (JE-MB) after the 1st booster dose at 2 years of age, as well as the safety and immunogenicity of the 2nd booster dose of JE-VC at 6 years of age, in children primed and given a 1st booster dose of either JE-VC or JE-MB. In this multicenter, open-label clinical trial, the study population consisted of healthy Korean children (aged 6 years) who participated in the previous JE vaccine trial. All subjects were subcutaneously vaccinated once for the booster immunization with Boryung Cell Culture Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine® (JE-VC). Approximately 4 years after the 1st booster dose of JE-VC, the seroprotection rate (SPR) and geometric mean titer (GMT) of the neutralizing antibody were 100% and 1113.8, respectively. In children primed and given a 1st booster dose of JE-MB, the SPR and GMT were 88.5% and 56.3, respectively. After the 2nd booster dose of JE-VC, all participants primed and given a 1st booster dose of either JE-MB or JE-VC were seroprotective against JE virus. The GMT of the neutralizing antibody was higher in children primed and given a 1st booster dose of JE-VC (8144.1) than in those primed and given a 1st booster dose of JE-MB (942.5) after the vaccination (p < 0.001). In addition, the 2nd booster dose of JE-VC showed a good safety profile with no serious vaccine-related adverse events. The 1st booster dose of JE-VC and JE-MB showed long-term immunogenicity of at least 4 years, and the 2nd booster dose of JE-VC showed a good safety and immunogenicity profile in children primed and given a 1st booster dose of either JE-VC or JE-MB. ClinicalTtrials.gov Identifier: NCT02532569. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Safety and Immunogenicity of a Tetravalent Dengue Vaccine Candidate in Healthy Children and Adults in Dengue-Endemic Regions: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase 2 Study.

    PubMed

    Sirivichayakul, Chukiat; Barranco-Santana, Elizabeth A; Esquilin-Rivera, Inés; Oh, Helen M L; Raanan, Marsha; Sariol, Carlos A; Shek, Lynette P; Simasathien, Sriluck; Smith, Mary Kathryn; Velez, Ivan Dario; Wallace, Derek; Gordon, Gilad S; Stinchcomb, Dan T

    2016-05-15

    A safe, effective tetravalent dengue vaccine is a global health priority. The safety and immunogenicity of a live attenuated, recombinant tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate (TDV) were evaluated in healthy volunteers from dengue-endemic countries. This multicenter, double-blind, phase 2 study was conducted in Puerto Rico, Colombia, Singapore, and Thailand. During stage I, 148 volunteers aged 1.5-45 years were sequentially enrolled into 4 age-descending groups and randomized at a ratio of 2:1 to receive TDV or placebo. In stage II (group 5), 212 children aged 1.5-11 years were randomized at a ratio of 3:1 to receive TDV or placebo. Participants received a subcutaneous injection of TDV or placebo on days 0 and 90 and were followed for analysis of safety, seropositivity, and neutralizing antibodies to DENV-1-4. Injection site pain, itching, and erythema (mostly mild) were the only solicited adverse events more frequently reported with TDV than with placebo in all age groups. After 2 TDV doses, seropositivity was >95% in all 5 groups for DENV-1-3 and 72.7%-100% for DENV-4; geometric mean titers ranged from 582 to 1187 for DENV-1, from 582 to 1187 for DENV-2, from 196 to 630 for DENV-3, and from 41 to 210 for DENV-4 among the 5 groups. TDV was well tolerated and immunogenic in volunteers aged 1.5-45 years, irrespective of prevaccination dengue exposure. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mailjournals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. [Effects of canine IL-2 and IL-7 genes on enhancing immunogenicity of canine parvovirus VP2 gene vaccine in mice].

    PubMed

    Chen, Huihui; Zhong, Fei; Li, Xiujin; Wang, Lu; Sun, Yan; Neng, Changai; Zhang, Kao; Li, Wenyan; Wen, Jiexia

    2012-11-04

    To investigate the effects of canine interleukin-2 (cIL-2) and cIL-7 genes on enhancing the immunogenicity of canine parvovirus (CPV) VP2 DNA vaccine. The bicistronic vectors of cIL-2 and cIL-7 genes were constructed using the eukaryotic expression vector containing internal ribosome entry site (IRES). The cIL-2/ cIL-7 dicistronic vector plus previously constructed vectors, including CPV VP2 DNA vaccine vector, cIL-2 vector and cIL-7 vector, were used to co-immunize mice with different combinations, consisting of VP2 alone, VP2 + cIL-2, VP2 + cIL-7 and VP2 + cIL-2/cIL-7. The VP2-specific antibody levels in immunized mice were measured by ELISA at different time post-immunization. The proliferation indices and interferon-gamma expression were measured by lymphocyte proliferation assay and ELISA, respectively. The cIL-2/cIL-7 bicistronic vector was correct and could mediate cIL-2 and cIL-7 gene expression in eukaryotic cells. Immunization results revealed that the antibody titers and the neutralizing antibody levels of the mice co-immunized with VP2 + cIL-7/cIL-2 vectors were significantly higher than that with either VP2 + cIL-2 vectors or VP2 + cIL-7 vectors (P < 0.05). The lymphocyte proliferation indices of VP2 + cIL-7/cIL-2 vector-immunized mice were also higher than that of other two groups although not statistically significant. However, the IFN-gamma expression levels of VP2 + cIL-7/cIL-2 vector-immunized mice were significantly higher than other immunized mice (P < 0.05). The cIL-2 and cIL-7 genes showed the significant synergic effects on enhancing the immunogenecity of CPV VP2 DNA vaccine.

  18. A randomised trial to evaluate the immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and safety of the 10-valent pneumococcal non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) co-administered with routine childhood vaccines in Singapore and Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Lim, Fong Seng; Koh, Mia Tuang; Tan, Kah Kee; Chan, Poh Chong; Chong, Chia Yin; Shung Yehudi, Yeo Wee; Teoh, Yee Leong; Shafi, Fakrudeen; Hezareh, Marjan; Swinnen, Kristien; Borys, Dorota

    2014-10-02

    The immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and safety of the 10-valent pneumococcal non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) co-administered with routine childhood vaccines were evaluated among infants from Singapore and Malaysia, where PHiD-CV has been licensed. In the primary vaccination phase, 298 infants from Singapore and 168 infants from Malaysia were randomised to receive the Phase III Clinical (Clin) or the Commercial (Com) lot of PHiD-CV at 2, 3, and 5 months of age. In the booster vaccination phase, 238 toddlers from Singapore received one dose of the PHiD-CV Commercial lot at 18-21 months of age. Immune responses to pneumococcal polysaccharides were measured using 22F-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and functional opsonophagocytic activity (OPA) assay and to protein D, using ELISA. Immune responses induced by primary vaccination with the PHiD-CV Commercial lot were non-inferior to the Phase III Clinical lot in terms of adjusted antibody geometric mean concentration (GMC) ratios for each vaccine pneumococcal serotype and protein D. For each vaccine pneumococcal serotype, ≥93.6% and ≥88.5% of infants from Malaysia and Singapore had post-primary vaccination antibody concentrations ≥0.2 μg/mL and OPA titres ≥8, in the Clin and Com groups, respectively. For each vaccine pneumococcal serotype, ≥60.8% and ≥98.2% of toddlers from Singapore had pre- and post-booster antibody concentrations ≥0.2 μg/mL, in the Clin and Com groups, respectively. All children, except one, had measurable anti-protein D antibodies and the primary and booster doses of the co-administered vaccines were immunogenic. The incidence of each grade 3 solicited symptom was ≤11.1% in both study phases. No serious adverse events considered causally related to vaccination were reported throughout the study. PHiD-CV given as three-dose primary vaccination to infants in Singapore and Malaysia and booster vaccination to toddlers in

  19. Effects of Chicken Interferon Gamma on Newcastle Disease Virus Vaccine Immunogenicity

    PubMed Central

    Cardenas-Garcia, Stivalis; Dunwoody, Robert P.; Marcano, Valerie; Diel, Diego G.; Williams, Robert J.; Gogal, Robert M.; Brown, Corrie C.; Miller, Patti J.; Afonso, Claudio L.

    2016-01-01

    More effective vaccines are needed to control avian diseases. The use of chicken interferon gamma (chIFNγ) during vaccination is a potentially important but controversial approach that may improve the immune response to antigens. In the present study, three different systems to co-deliver chIFNγ with Newcastle disease virus (NDV) antigens were evaluated for their ability to enhance the avian immune response and their protective capacity upon challenge with virulent NDV. These systems consisted of: 1) a DNA vaccine expressing the Newcastle disease virus fusion (F) protein co-administered with a vector expressing the chIFNγ gene for in ovo and booster vaccination, 2) a recombinant Newcastle disease virus expressing the chIFNγ gene (rZJ1*L/IFNγ) used as a live vaccine delivered in ovo and into juvenile chickens, and 3) the same rZJ1*L/IFNγ virus used as an inactivated vaccine for juvenile chickens. Co-administration of chIFNγ with a DNA vaccine expressing the F protein resulted in higher levels of morbidity and mortality, and higher amounts of virulent virus shed after challenge when compared to the group that did not receive chIFNγ. The live vaccine system co-delivering chIFNγ did not enhanced post-vaccination antibody response, nor improved survival after hatch, when administered in ovo, and did not affect survival after challenge when administered to juvenile chickens. The low dose of the inactivated vaccine co-delivering active chIFNγ induced lower antibody titers than the groups that did not receive the cytokine. The high dose of this vaccine did not increase the antibody titers or antigen-specific memory response, and did not reduce the amount of challenge virus shed or mortality after challenge. In summary, regardless of the delivery system, chIFNγ, when administered simultaneously with the vaccine antigen, did not enhance Newcastle disease virus vaccine immunogenicity. PMID:27409587

  20. Threshold to Transfer Writing Skills from L1 to L2

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ito, Fumihiko

    2009-01-01

    Background: It has been hypothesized that L2 (second language) readers are not able to draw on their L1 (first language) reading skills for the successful development of L2 reading skills until they develop a certain proficiency in L2 because a lack of proficiency blocks transfer of L1 reading skills to the reading of L2 texts. This minimum degree…

  1. Toward Independent L2 Readers: Effects of Text Adjuncts, Subject Knowledge, L1 Reading, and L2 Proficiency

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brantmeier, Cindy; Hammadou Sullivan, JoAnn; Strube, Michael

    2014-01-01

    With 97 learners in an advanced Spanish course, the study examines the effects of textual enhancement adjuncts, prior subject knowledge, first language (L1) reading ability, and second language (L2) Spanish proficiency on L2 comprehension of scientific passages. Readings included two texts with two types of embedded questions: a pause or written…

  2. Immunogenicity, safety, and efficacy of abatacept administered subcutaneously with or without background methotrexate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from a phase III, international, multicenter, parallel-arm, open-label study.

    PubMed

    Nash, Peter; Nayiager, Sauithree; Genovese, Mark C; Kivitz, Alan J; Oelke, Kurt; Ludivico, Charles; Palmer, William; Rodriguez, Cristian; Delaet, Ingrid; Elegbe, Ayanbola; Corbo, Michael

    2013-05-01

    To evaluate the impact of concomitant methotrexate (MTX) on subcutaneous (SC) abatacept immunogenicity, and to assess safety and efficacy. This phase III, open-label study had a 4-month short-term (ST) period and an ongoing long-term extension (LTE) period. Rheumatoid arthritis patients were stratified to receive SC abatacept (125 mg/week) with (combination) or without MTX (monotherapy), with no intravenous loading dose; patients receiving monotherapy could add MTX in the LTE period. Immunogenicity (percentage of anti-abatacept antibody-positive patients) was assessed. ST and LTE period data are reported, including efficacy through LTE month 14 and safety through LTE month 20. Ninety-six of 100 enrolled patients completed the ST period; 3.9% (combination) and 4.1% of patients (monotherapy) developed transient immunogenicity, and no patients were antibody positive at month 4. Serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported in 3.9% (combination) and 6.1% of patients (monotherapy); 5.9% (combination) and 8.2% of patients (monotherapy) experienced SC injection reactions, and all were mild in intensity. Mean 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28) changes were -1.67 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] -2.06, -1.28; combination) and -1.94 (95% CI -2.46, -1.42; monotherapy) at month 4. Ninety patients entered and were treated in the LTE period; 83.3% (75 of 90) remained ongoing at month 24. One LTE-treated patient (1.1%) developed immunogenicity, 14.4% of patients experienced SAEs, and no SC injection reactions were reported. For patients entering the LTE period, mean DAS28 changes from baseline were -1.84 (95% CI -2.23, -1.34; combination) and -2.86 (95% CI -3.46, -2.27; monotherapy) at month 18. SC abatacept did not elicit immunogenicity associated with loss of safety or efficacy, either with or without MTX. Copyright © 2013 by the American College of Rheumatology.

  3. Infective and inactivated filamentous phage as carriers for immunogenic peptides.

    PubMed

    Samoylova, Tatiana I; Norris, Mandy D; Samoylov, Alexandre M; Cochran, Anna M; Wolfe, Karen G; Petrenko, Valery A; Cox, Nancy R

    2012-07-01

    The focus of this study is on development of vaccines using filamentous phage as a delivery vector for immunogenic peptides. The use of phage as a carrier for immunogenic peptides provides significant benefits such as high immunogenicity, low production costs, and high stability of phage preparations. However, introduction of live recombinant phage into the environment might represent a potential ecological problem. This, for example, may occur when vaccines are used in oral or nasal formulations in field conditions for wild and feral animals. To address this issue, comparative studies of antigenic properties of live and inactivated (non-viable) phage were accomplished. Inactivated phage, if released, will not propagate and will degrade as any other protein. In these experiments, a model phage clone that was previously selected from a phage display library and shown to stimulate production of anti-sperm antibodies with contraceptive properties was used. Multiple methods of phage inactivation were tested, including drying, freezing, autoclaving, heating, and UV irradiation. Under studied conditions, heating at 76°C for 3h, UV irradiation, and autoclaving resulted in complete phage inactivation. Phage samples treated by heat and UV were characterized by spectrophotometry and electron microscopy. To test antigenicity, live and inactivated phage preparations were injected into mice and antibody responses assayed by ELISA. It was found that phage killed by heat causes little to no immune responses, probably due to destruction of phage particles. In contrast, UV-inactivated phage stimulated production of IgG serum antibodies at the levels comparable to live phage. Thus, vaccines formulated to include UV-inactivated filamentous phage might represent environmentally safe alternatives to live phage vaccines. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. IMMUNOGENICITY AND SAFETY OF QUINVAXEM® (DIPHTHERIA, TETANUS, WHOLE-CELL PERTUSSIS, HEPATITIS B AND HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE TYPE B VACCINE) GIVEN TO VIETNAMESE INFANTS AT 2 TO 4 MONTHS OF AGE.

    PubMed

    Huu, Tran Ngoc; Phuong, Nguyen Thi Minh; Toan, Nguyen Trong; Thang, Ho Vinh

    2015-07-01

    Vietnam plans to replace the routine childhood diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus combination (DPT) vaccine with a pentavalent vaccine. The present study was performed to assess the immunogenicity and safety of the combined diphtheria, tetanus, whole-cell pertussis, hepatitis B (HepB), and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTwP-HepB-Hib) Quinvaxem® vaccine in children. A total of 131 infants received the Quinvaxem® vaccine at 2, 3 and 4 months. Antibody levels were measured at baseline, at one month after the third injection and one year after the first injection. Seroprotection rates were high for each vaccine antigen at one month after the third dose: 93.1% for diphtheria, 98.5% for tetanus, 99.2% for pertussis (seroconversion rate), 93.1% for HepB, and 100% for Hib (anti-PRP ≥ 0.15 µg/ml). The rate of children with protective antibodies persisting at one year after the first dose was 88.4% for diphtheria, 49.6% for pertussis, 82.2% for tetanus, 76.7% for HepB and 97.7% for Hib (anti-PRP ≥ 0.15 µg/ml). The Quinvaxem® vaccine was well tolerated and has a low rate of adverse events. Quinvaxem® given at 2, 3 and 4 months of age was immunogenic and safe for primary immunization among infants in Vietnam.

  5. Immunogenicity and safety assessment of a trivalent, inactivated split influenza vaccine in Korean children: Double-blind, randomized, active-controlled multicenter phase III clinical trial.

    PubMed

    Han, Seung Beom; Rhim, Jung-Woo; Shin, Hye Jo; Lee, Soo Young; Kim, Hyun-Hee; Kim, Jong-Hyun; Lee, Kyung-Yil; Ma, Sang Hyuk; Park, Joon Soo; Kim, Hwang Min; Kim, Chun Soo; Kim, Dong Ho; Choi, Young Youn; Cha, Sung-Ho; Hong, Young Jin; Kang, Jin Han

    2015-01-01

    A multicenter, double-blind, randomized, active-control phase III clinical trial was performed to assess the immunogenicity and safety of a trivalent, inactivated split influenza vaccine. Korean children between the ages of 6 months and 18 y were enrolled and randomized into a study (study vaccine) or a control vaccine group (commercially available trivalent, inactivated split influenza vaccine) in a 5:1 ratio. Antibody responses were determined using hemagglutination inhibition assay, and post-vaccination immunogenicity was assessed based on seroconversion and seroprotection rates. For safety assessment, solicited local and systemic adverse events up to 28 d after vaccination and unsolicited adverse events up to 6 months after vaccination were evaluated. Immunogenicity was assessed in 337 and 68 children of the study and control groups. In the study vaccine group, seroconversion rates against influenza A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B strains were 62.0% (95% CI: 56.8-67.2), 53.4% (95% CI: 48.1-58.7), and 54.9% (95% CI: 48.1-60.2), respectively. The corresponding seroprotection rates were 95.0% (95% CI: 92.6-97.3), 93.8% (95% CI: 91.2-96.4), and 95.3% (95% CI: 93.0-97.5). The lower 95% CI limits of the seroconversion and seroprotection rates were over 40% and 70%, respectively, against all strains. Seroconversion and seroprotection rates were not significantly different between the study and control vaccine groups. Furthermore, the frequencies of adverse events were not significantly different between the 2 vaccine groups, and no serious vaccination-related adverse events were noted. In conclusion, the study vaccine exhibited substantial immunogenicity and safety in Korean children and is expected to be clinically effective.

  6. Immunogenicity of live attenuated Japanese encephalitis SA 14-14-2 vaccine among Sri Lankan children with previous receipt of inactivated JE vaccine.

    PubMed

    Wijesinghe, Pushpa Ranjan; Abeysinghe, M R Nihal; Yoksan, Sutee; Yao, Yafu; Zhou, Benli; Zhang, Lei; Fleming, Jessica A; Marfin, Anthony A; Victor, John C

    2016-11-21

    The performance of live attenuated Japanese Encephalitis SA 14-14-2 vaccine (CD-JEV) among children previously given inactivated mouse brain-derived JE vaccine (IMBV) is unknown. We evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of CD-JEV administered to 2- and 5-year-old children in Sri Lanka. In this open-label, single arm trial in the Colombo District of Sri Lanka, generally healthy children 2 and 5years of age who had previously received two and three doses of IMBV, respectively, were administered one dose of CD-JEV subcutaneously. Participants were monitored for adverse events for one year post-vaccination. Serum neutralizing antibody responses were evaluated pre and 28 and 365days post-vaccination using JE plaque reduction neutralization test and characterized as the proportion of participants seroconverting. Seroconversion was defined as either reaching a titer considered seroprotective (⩾1:10) among participants with a baseline titer <1:10 or achieving at least a 4-fold rise in titer among participants with a baseline titer ⩾1:10. Of 305 children given CD-JEV, 294 were included in the primary analysis of immunogenicity. Prior to vaccination, 144/147 (98.0%) 2-year-olds and 146/147 (99.3%) 5-year-olds had seroprotective levels. 28days post-vaccination, 79/147 [53.7% (95% CI, 45.3-62.0)] 2-year olds and of 60/147 [40.8% (95% CI, 32.8-49.2)] 5-year olds achieved seroconversion. Among 2-year-olds, geometric mean titers (GMTs) rose from 697 to 3175 28days post-vaccination. Among 5-year-olds, GMTs rose from 926 to 2776. Most adverse reactions were mild, and no serious adverse events were related to study vaccination. Administration of CD-JEV to these children with pre-existing neutralizing JE antibody titers was safe and resulted in substantial boosting of antibody levels. These results may inform other countries in Asia considering switching from IMBV to now WHO-prequalified CD-JEV vaccine to combat this disease of public health importance. Copyright © 2016 The

  7. Immunogenicity and tolerability of yellow fever vaccination in 23 French HIV-infected patients.

    PubMed

    Pistone, Thierry; Verdière, Claire-Hélène; Receveur, Marie-Catherine; Ezzedine, Khaled; Lafon, Marie-Edith; Malvy, Denis

    2010-09-01

    Vaccination of asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with a CD4 cell count ≥ 200/mm³ is strongly suggested prior to travel to a region where yellow fever (YF) is endemic. However, few data describing YF vaccination in such patients are available. In this retrospective observational study of 23 HIV-infected patients, YF antibody titers, CD4 cell counts, and viral loads were measured before and after vaccination. Serologies were performed retrospectively on samples that had been stored as part of routine hospital procedures. Ninety-three percent of patients (13/14) with no baseline immunity, seroconverted after vaccination. Immunogenicity appeared slowly; only 2 of the 5 patients tested within 5 weeks of vaccination had seroconverted. A booster effect was noted in 3 of the 9 patients with baseline immunogenicity. Finally, due to unawareness of his HIV status, one patient was vaccinated and was found later to have a CD4 cell count < 200/mm³.The YF vaccine was well tolerated and no serious adverse events were reported. The impact of vaccination on immunologic and viral parameters was variable. Both decreases (n = 7) and increases (n = 5) in CD4 cell counts were recorded. Viral loads became undetectable in 2 patients and doubled or became positive in 3 patients. Yellow fever vaccination was safe and effective in a large majority of this cohort of stable, HIV-infected patients.

  8. Immunogenicity of type 2 monovalent oral and inactivated poliovirus vaccines for type 2 poliovirus outbreak response: an open-label, randomised controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Zaman, Khalequ; Estívariz, Concepción F; Morales, Michelle; Yunus, Mohammad; Snider, Cynthia J; Gary, Howard E; Weldon, William C; Oberste, M Steven; Wassilak, Steven G; Pallansch, Mark A; Anand, Abhijeet

    2018-06-01

    Monovalent type 2 oral poliovirus vaccine (mOPV2) and inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) are used to respond to type 2 poliovirus outbreaks. We aimed to assess the effect of two mOPV2 doses on the type 2 immune response by varying the time interval between mOPV2 doses and IPV co-administration with mOPV2. We did a randomised, controlled, parallel, open-label, non-inferiority, inequality trial at two study clinics in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Healthy infants aged 6 weeks (42-48 days) at enrolment were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to receive two mOPV2 doses (each dose consisting of two drops [0·1 mL in total] of about 10 5 50% cell culture infectious dose of type 2 Sabin strain) at intervals of 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks (standard or control group), or 4 weeks with IPV (0·5 mL of type 1 [Mahoney, 40 D-antigen units], type 2 [MEF-1, 8 D-antigen units], and type 3 [Saukett, 32 D-antigen units]) administered intramuscularly with the first mOPV2 dose. We used block randomisation, randomly selecting blocks of sizes four, eight, 12, or 16 stratified by study sites. We concealed randomisation assignment from staff managing participants in opaque, sequentially numbered, sealed envelopes. Parents and clinic staff were unmasked to assignment after the randomisation envelope was opened. Laboratory staff analysing sera were masked to assignment, but investigators analysing data and assessing outcomes were not. The primary outcome was type 2 immune response measured 4 weeks after mOPV2 administration. The primary modified intention-to-treat analysis included participants with testable serum samples before and after vaccination. A non-inferiority margin of 10% and p=0·05 (one-tailed) was used. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02643368, and is closed to accrual. Between Dec 7, 2015, and Jan 5, 2016, we randomly assigned 760 infants to receive two mOPV2 doses at intervals of 1 week (n=191), 2 weeks (n=191), 4 weeks (n=188), or 4 weeks plus IPV (n=190). Immune

  9. L1 Explicit Instruction Can Improve L2 Online and Offline Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McManus, Kevin; Marsden, Emma

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated the effectiveness of providing L1 explicit information (EI) with practice for making more accurate and faster interpretations of L2 French "Imparfait" (IMP). Two treatments were investigated: (a) "L2-only," providing EI about the L2 with L2 interpretation practice, and (b) "L2+L1," providing…

  10. The Effects of L2 Experience on L3 Perception

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Onishi, Hiromi

    2016-01-01

    This study examines the influence of experience with a second language (L2) on the perception of phonological contrasts in a third language (L3). This study contributes to L3 phonology by examining the influence of L2 phonological perception abilities on the perception of an L3 at the beginner level. Participants were native speakers of Korean…

  11. Immunogenicity and reactogenicity of the human rotavirus vaccine, RIX4414 oral suspension, when co-administered with routine childhood vaccines in Chinese infants

    PubMed Central

    Li, Rong-cheng; Huang, Teng; Li, Yanping; Wang, Lao-Hong; Tao, Junhui; Fu, Botao; Si, Guoai; Nong, Yi; Mo, Zhaojun; Liao, XueYan; Luan, Ivy; Tang, Haiwen; Rathi, Niraj; Karkada, Naveen; Han, Htay Htay

    2016-01-01

    Abstract This study evaluated the immunogenicity of the human rotavirus (RV) vaccine (RIX4414) when co-administered with routine childhood vaccines in Chinese infants (NCT01171963). Healthy infants aged 6–16 weeks received 2 doses of either RIX4414 or placebo according to a 0, 1-month schedule. Infants received routine diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTPa) and oral poliovirus (OPV) vaccines either separately from or concomitantly with RIX4414/placebo (separate and co-administration cohorts, respectively). Anti-RV IgA seroconversion rates (one month post-dose-2) and seropositivity rates (at one year of age) were measured using ELISA. Immune responses against the DTPa and OPV antigens were measured one month post-DTPa dose-3 in the co-administration cohort. Solicited local and general symptoms were recorded for 8-days post-vaccination (total cohort). The according-to-protocol immunogenicity population included 511 infants in the separate cohort and 275 in the co-administration cohort. One month post-RIX4414 dose-2, anti-RV IgA seroconversion rates were 74.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 68.9–79.9) and 64.2% (95% CI: 55.4–72.3) in the separate and co-administration cohorts; seropositivity rates at one year of age were 71.5% (95% CI: 65.5–77.1) and 50.0% (95% CI: 40.9–59.1), respectively. One month post-DTPa dose-3, all infants in the co-administration cohort were seroprotected against diphtheria and tetanus, and seropositive for pertussis toxoid, pertactin and filamentous haemaglutinin. Two months post-OPV dose-3, seroprotection rates against anti-poliovirus types 1, 2 and 3 were >99% in the co-administration cohort. Reactogenicity profiles were similar in both cohorts. RIX4414 was immunogenic and well-tolerated in Chinese infants and did not appear to interfere with the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of co-administered routine childhood vaccines. PMID:27149266

  12. From the bench to clinical practice: understanding the challenges and uncertainties in immunogenicity testing for biopharmaceuticals

    PubMed Central

    Gunn, G. R.; Sealey, D. C. F.; Jamali, F.; Meibohm, B.; Ghosh, S.

    2016-01-01

    Summary Unlike conventional chemical drugs where immunogenicity typically does not occur, the development of anti‐drug antibodies following treatment with biologics has led to concerns about their impact on clinical safety and efficacy. Hence the elucidation of the immunogenicity of biologics is required for drug approval by health regulatory authorities worldwide. Published ADA ‘incidence’ rates can vary greatly between same‐class products and different patient populations. Such differences are due to disparate bioanalytical methods and interpretation approaches, as well as a plethora of product‐specific and patient‐specific factors that are not fully understood. Therefore, the incidence of ADA and their association with clinical consequences cannot be generalized across products. In this context, the intent of this review article is to discuss the complex nature of ADA and key nuances of the methodologies used for immunogenicity assessments, and to dispel some fallacies and myths. PMID:26597698

  13. Enhancing the Thermostability and Immunogenicity of a Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Live-Attenuated Vaccine by Incorporating Unique RSV Line19F Protein Residues.

    PubMed

    Rostad, Christina A; Stobart, Christopher C; Todd, Sean O; Molina, Samuel A; Lee, Sujin; Blanco, Jorge C G; Moore, Martin L

    2018-03-15

    Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants, and an effective vaccine is not yet available. We previously generated an RSV live-attenuated vaccine (LAV) candidate, DB1, which was attenuated by a low-fusion subgroup B F protein (BAF) and codon-deoptimized nonstructural protein genes. DB1 was immunogenic and protective in cotton rats but lacked thermostability and stability of the prefusion conformation of F compared to strains with the line19F gene. We hypothesized that substitution of unique residues from the thermostable A2-line19F strain could thermostabilize DB1 and boost its immunogenicity. We therefore substituted 4 unique line19F residues into the BAF protein of DB1 by site-directed mutagenesis and rescued the recombinant virus, DB1-QUAD. Compared to DB1, DB1-QUAD had improved thermostability at 4°C and higher levels of prefusion F as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). DB1-QUAD was attenuated in normal human bronchial epithelial cells, in BALB/c mice, and in cotton rats but grew to wild-type titers in Vero cells. In mice, DB1-QUAD was highly immunogenic and generated significantly higher neutralizing antibody titers to a panel of RSV A and B strains than did DB1. DB1-QUAD was also efficacious against wild-type RSV challenge in mice and cotton rats. Thus, substitution of unique line19F residues into RSV LAV DB1 enhanced vaccine thermostability, incorporation of prefusion F, and immunogenicity and generated a promising vaccine candidate that merits further investigation. IMPORTANCE We boosted the thermostability and immunogenicity of an RSV live-attenuated vaccine candidate by substituting 4 unique residues from the RSV line19F protein into the F protein of the heterologous vaccine strain DB1. The resultant vaccine candidate, DB1-QUAD, was thermostable, attenuated in vivo , highly immunogenic, and protective against RSV challenge in mice and cotton rats. Copyright © 2018

  14. 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine given with meningococcal C-tetanus toxoid conjugate and other routine pediatric vaccinations: immunogenicity and safety.

    PubMed

    Martinón-Torres, Federico; Gimenez-Sanchez, Francisco; Gurtman, Alejandra; Bernaola, Enrique; Diez-Domingo, Javier; Carmona, Alfonso; Sidhu, Mohinder; Sarkozy, Denise A; Gruber, William C; Emini, Emilio A; Scott, Daniel A

    2012-04-01

    As multiple vaccines are administered concomitantly during routine pediatric immunizations, it is important to ascertain the potential interference of any new vaccine on the immune response to the concomitantly administered vaccines. Immune responses to meningococcal serogroup C-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine (MnCC-TT) and the diphtheria and tetanus antigens in routine pediatric vaccines (diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis-hepatitis B virus-inactivated poliovirus/Haemophilus influenza type b [DTaP-HBV-IPV/Hib] and DTaP-IPV+Hib) when given concomitantly with the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) were compared with responses when given with PCV7. In addition, the immunogenicity and safety of PCV13 were assessed. Healthy infants were randomized to receive PCV13 or PCV7 (ages 2, 4, 6 and 15 months), concomitant with MnCC-TT (2, 4 and 15 months), DTaP-HBV-IPV/Hib (2, 4 and 6 months), and DTaP-IPV+Hib (15 months). Immune responses to MnCC-TT and to the diphtheria and tetanus antigens administered with PCV13 were noninferior to the responses observed when the vaccines were administered with PCV7; ≥96.6 (postinfant) and ≥99.4% (posttoddler) subjects achieved prespecified immune response levels to each antigen in each group. After the infant series, ≥93.0% of subjects receiving PCV13 achieved pneumococcal anticapsular immunoglobulin G concentrations ≥0.35 µg/mL for all serotypes except serotype 3 (86.2%), increasing to 98.1-100% for most serotypes (serotype 3: 93.6%) after the toddler dose. Local and systemic reactions were similar between groups. Immune responses to MnCC-TT, and other childhood vaccines (DTaP-HBV-IPV/Hib, DTaP-IPV+Hib) were noninferior when concomitantly administered with PCV13 compared with PCV7. PCV13 does not interfere with MnCC-TT. PCV13 is highly immunogenic with a favorable safety profile.

  15. Immunogenic and protective properties of the first Kazakhstan vaccine against pandemic influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 in ferrets.

    PubMed

    Tabynov, Kaissar; Kydyrbayev, Zhailaubai; Sansyzbay, Abylai; Khairullin, Berik; Ryskeldinova, Sholpan; Assanzhanova, Nurika; Kozhamkulov, Yerken; Inkarbekov, Dulat

    2012-12-01

    This paper presents the results of a pre-clinical study of the immunogenicity and efficacy of an egg-derived, inactivated, whole-virion adjuvanted vaccine (Refluvac®) on ferret models. For this purpose, groups of eight ferrets (6 to 7 months old) were injected with 0.5 mL of vaccine specimens containing 3.75, 7.5 or 15.0 μg of virus hemagglutinin. Administration was intramuscular and given either as a single dose or as two doses 14 days apart. All vaccine specimens manifested immunogenicity in ferrets for single (HI titer, from 51 ± 7 to 160 ± 23) and double (HI titer, from 697 ± 120 to 829 ± 117) administrations. To assess the protective effects of the vaccine, ferrets from the vaccinated and control groups were infected intranasally with pandemic virus A/California/7/09 (H1N1) pdm09 at a dose of 10(6) EID(50)/0.5 mL. Fourteen days post-infection, the ferrets inoculated with single or double vaccines containing 3.75, 7.5 or 15.0 μg of hemagglutinin per dose showed no signs of influenza infection, weight loss, or body temperature rise, and no premature deaths occurred. The number of vaccinated ferrets shedding the virus via the upper airway, as well as the amount of virus shed after infection, was significantly reduced in comparison with animals from the control group. Based on our results, we suggest that a single vaccination at a dose of 3.75 or 7.5 μg hemagglutinin be used for Phase I clinical trials.

  16. Ribosomal binding site sequences and promoters for expressing glutamate decarboxylase and producing γ-aminobutyrate in Corynebacterium glutamicum.

    PubMed

    Shi, Feng; Luan, Mingyue; Li, Yongfu

    2018-04-18

    Glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) converts L-glutamate (Glu) into γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Corynebacterium glutamicum that expresses exogenous GAD gene, gadB2 or gadB1, can synthesize GABA from its own produced Glu. To enhance GABA production in C. glutamicum, ribosomal binding site (RBS) sequence and promoter were searched and optimized for increasing the expression efficiency of gadB2. R4 exhibited the highest strength among RBS sequences tested, with 6 nt the optimal aligned spacing (AS) between RBS and start codon. This combination of RBS sequence and AS contributed to gadB2 expression, increased GAD activity by 156% and GABA production by 82% compared to normal strong RBS and AS combination. Then, a series of native promoters were selected for transcribing gadB2 under optimal RBS and AS combination. P dnaK , P dtsR , P odhI and P clgR expressed gadB2 and produced GABA as effectively as widely applied P tuf and P cspB promoters and more effectively than P sod promoter. However, each native promoter did not work as well as the synthetic strong promoter P tacM , which produced 20.2 ± 0.3 g/L GABA. Even with prolonged length and bicistronic architecture, the strength of P dnaK did not enhance. Finally, gadB2 and mutant gadB1 were co-expressed under the optimal promoter and RBS combination, thus converted Glu into GABA completely and improved GABA production to more than 25 g/L. This study provides useful promoters and RBS sequences for gene expression in C. glutamicum.

  17. Genetic heterogeneity of L-Zagreb mumps virus vaccine strain.

    PubMed

    Kosutic-Gulija, Tanja; Forcic, Dubravko; Santak, Maja; Ramljak, Ana; Mateljak-Lukacevic, Sanja; Mazuran, Renata

    2008-07-10

    The most often used mumps vaccine strains Jeryl Lynn (JL), RIT4385, Urabe-AM9, L-Zagreb and L-3 differ in immunogenicity and reactogenicity. Previous analyses showed that JL, Urabe-AM9 and L-3 are genetically heterogeneous. We identified the heterogeneity of L-Zagreb throughout the entire genome. Two major variants were defined: variant A being identical to the consensus sequence of viral seeds and vaccine(s) and variant B which differs from variant A in three nucleotide positions. The difference between viral variants in L-Zagreb strain is insufficient for distinct viral strains to be defined. We demonstrated that proportion of variants in L-Zagreb viral population depends on cell substrate used for viral replication in vitro and in vivo. L-Zagreb strain should be considered as a single strain composed of at least two variant viral genomes.

  18. Phonological Substitution Errors in L2 ASL Sentence Processing by Hearing M2L2 Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Joshua; Newman, Sharlene

    2016-01-01

    In the present study we aimed to investigate phonological substitution errors made by hearing second language (M2L2) learners of American Sign Language (ASL) during a sentence translation task. Learners saw sentences in ASL that were signed by either a native signer or a M2L2 learner. Learners were to simply translate the sentence from ASL to…

  19. The Relationship between L1 Fluency and L2 Fluency Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Derwing, Tracey M.; Munro, Murray J.; Thomson, Ronald I.; Rossiter, Marian J.

    2009-01-01

    A fundamental question in the study of second language (L2) fluency is the extent to which temporal characteristics of speakers' first language (L1) productions predict the same characteristics in the L2. A close relationship between a speaker's L1 and L2 temporal characteristics would suggest that fluency is governed by an underlying trait. This…

  20. Native-like aggregates of Factor VIII (FVIII) are immunogenic von Willebrand Factor deficient and hemophilia A mice

    PubMed Central

    Pisal, Dipak S.; Kosloski, Matthew P.; Middaugh, C. Russell; Bankert, Richard B.; Balu-Iyer, Sathy V.

    2013-01-01

    The administration of recombinant Factor VIII (FVIII) is the first line therapy for Hemophilia A (HA), but 25–35% of patients develop an inhibitory antibody response. In general, the presence of aggregates contributes to unwanted immunogenic responses against therapeutic proteins. FVIII has been shown to form both native-like and non-native aggregates. Previously, we showed that non-native aggregates of FVIII are less immunogenic compared to the native protein. Here we investigated the effect of native-like aggregates of FVIII on immunogenicity in HA and von Willebrand Factor knockout (vWF−/−) mice. Mice immunized with native-like aggregates showed significantly higher inhibitory antibody titers compared to animals that received native FVIII. Following re-stimulation in vitro with native FVIII, the activation of CD4+ T cells isolated from mice immunized with native-like aggregates is ~4 fold higher than mice immunized with the native protein. Furthermore, this is associated with increases in the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-17 in the native-like aggregate treatment group. The results indicate that the native-like aggregates of FVIII are more immunogenic than native FVIII for both the B cell and T cell responses. PMID:22388918

  1. Safety and immunogenicity of mammalian cell derived and Modified Vaccinia Ankara vectored African swine fever subunit antigens in swine.

    PubMed

    Lopera-Madrid, Jaime; Osorio, Jorge E; He, Yongqun; Xiang, Zuoshuang; Adams, L Garry; Laughlin, Richard C; Mwangi, Waithaka; Subramanya, Sandesh; Neilan, John; Brake, David; Burrage, Thomas G; Brown, William Clay; Clavijo, Alfonso; Bounpheng, Mangkey A

    2017-03-01

    A reverse vaccinology system, Vaxign, was used to identify and select a subset of five African Swine Fever (ASF) antigens that were successfully purified from human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK) cells and produced in Modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) viral vectors. Three HEK-purified antigens [B646L (p72), E183L (p54), and O61R (p12)], and three MVA-vectored antigens [B646L, EP153R, and EP402R (CD2v)] were evaluated using a prime-boost immunization regimen swine safety and immunogenicity study. Antibody responses were detected in pigs following prime-boost immunization four weeks apart with the HEK-293-purified p72, p54, and p12 antigens. Notably, sera from the vaccinees were positive by immunofluorescence on ASFV (Georgia 2007/1)-infected primary macrophages. Although MVA-vectored p72, CD2v, and EP153R failed to induce antibody responses, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ + ) spot forming cell responses against all three antigens were detected one week post-boost. The highest IFN-γ + spot forming cell responses were detected against p72 in pigs primed with MVA-p72 and boosted with the recombinant p72. Antigen-specific (p12, p72, CD2v, and EP153R) T-cell proliferative responses were also detected post-boost. Collectively, these results are the first demonstration that ASFV subunit antigens purified from mammalian cells or expressed in MVA vectors are safe and can induce ASFV-specific antibody and T-cell responses following a prime-boost immunization regimen in swine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Serine Proteases Enhance Immunogenic Antigen Presentation on Lung Cancer Cells

    PubMed Central

    Peters, Haley L.; Tripathi, Satyendra C.; Kerros, Celine; Katayama, Hiroyuki; Garber, Haven R.; St. John, Lisa S.; Federico, Lorenzo; Meraz, Ismail M.; Roth, Jack A.; Sepesi, Boris; Majidi, Mourad; Ruisaard, Kathryn; Clise-Dwyer, Karen; Roszik, Jason; Gibbons, Don L.; Heymach, John V.; Swisher, Stephen G.; Bernantchez, Chantale; Alatrash, Gheath; Hanash, Samir; Molldrem, Jeffrey J.

    2017-01-01

    Immunotherapies targeting immune checkpoints have proven efficacious in reducing the burden of lung cancer in patients; however, the antigenic targets of these re-invigorated T cells remain poorly defined. Lung cancer tumors contain tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) and neutrophils, which release the serine proteases neutrophil elastase (NE) and proteinase 3 (P3) into the tumor microenvironment. NE and P3 shape the antitumor adaptive immune response in breast cancer and melanoma. In this report, we demonstrate that lung cancer cells cross-presented the tumor-associated antigen PR1, derived from NE and P3. Additionally, NE and P3 enhanced the expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules on lung cancer cells and induced unique, endogenous peptides in the immunopeptidome, as detected with mass spectrometry sequencing. Lung cancer patient tissues with high intratumoral TAM were enriched for MHC class I genes and T-cell markers, and patients with high TAM and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) infiltration had improved overall survival. We confirmed the immunogenicity of unique, endogenous peptides with cytotoxicity assays against lung cancer cell lines, using CTL from healthy donors that had been expanded against select peptides. Finally, CTL specific for serine proteases–induced endogenous peptides were detected in lung cancer patients using peptide/HLA-A2 tetramers and were elevated in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Thus, serine proteases in the tumor microenvironment of lung cancers promote the presentation of HLA class I immunogenic peptides that are expressed by lung cancer cells, thereby increasing the antigen repertoire that can be targeted in lung cancer. PMID:28254787

  3. Generation and Characterization of a Defective HIV-1 Virus as an Immunogen for a Therapeutic Vaccine

    PubMed Central

    García-Pérez, Javier; García, Felipe; Blanco, Julia; Escribà-García, Laura; Gatell, Jose Maria; Alcamí, Jose; Plana, Montserrat; Sánchez-Palomino, Sonsoles

    2012-01-01

    Background The generation of new immunogens able to elicit strong specific immune responses remains a major challenge in the attempts to obtain a prophylactic or therapeutic vaccine against HIV/AIDS. We designed and constructed a defective recombinant virus based on the HIV-1 genome generating infective but non-replicative virions able to elicit broad and strong cellular immune responses in HIV-1 seropositive individuals. Results Viral particles were generated through transient transfection in producer cells (293-T) of a full length HIV-1 DNA carrying a deletion of 892 base pairs (bp) in the pol gene encompassing the sequence that codes for the reverse transcriptase (NL4-3/ΔRT clone). The viral particles generated were able to enter target cells, but due to the absence of reverse transcriptase no replication was detected. The immunogenic capacity of these particles was assessed by ELISPOT to determine γ-interferon production in a cohort of 69 chronic asymptomatic HIV-1 seropositive individuals. Surprisingly, defective particles produced from NL4-3/ΔRT triggered stronger cellular responses than wild-type HIV-1 viruses inactivated with Aldrithiol-2 (AT-2) and in a larger proportion of individuals (55% versus 23% seropositive individuals tested). Electron microscopy showed that NL4-3/ΔRT virions display immature morphology. Interestingly, wild-type viruses treated with Amprenavir (APV) to induce defective core maturation also induced stronger responses than the same viral particles generated in the absence of protease inhibitors. Conclusions We propose that immature HIV-1 virions generated from NL4-3/ΔRT viral clones may represent new prototypes of immunogens with a safer profile and stronger capacity to induce cellular immune responses than wild-type inactivated viral particles. PMID:23144996

  4. Immunogenicity and safety of investigational vaccine formulations against meningococcal serogroups A, B, C, W, and Y in healthy adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Saez-Llorens, Xavier; Aguilera Vaca, Diana Catalina; Abarca, Katia; Maho, Emmanuelle; Graña, Maria Gabriela; Heijnen, Esther; Smolenov, Igor; Dull, Peter M

    2015-01-01

    This phase 2 study assessed the immunogenicity, safety, and reactogenicity of investigational formulations of meningococcal ABCWY vaccines, consisting of recombinant proteins (rMenB) and outer membrane vesicle (OMV) components of a licensed serogroup B vaccine, combined with components of a licensed quadrivalent meningococcal glycoconjugate vaccine (MenACWY-CRM). A total of 495 healthy adolescents were randomized to 6 groups to receive 2 doses (Months 0, 2) of one of 4 formulations of rMenB antigens, with or without OMV, combined with MenACWY-CRM, or 2 doses of rMenB alone or one dose of MenACWY-CRM then a placebo. Immunogenicity was assessed by serum bactericidal assay with human complement (hSBA) against serogroups ACWY and serogroup B test strains; solicited reactions and any adverse events (AEs) were assessed. Two MenABCWY vaccinations elicited robust ACWY immune responses, with higher seroresponse rates than one dose of MenACWY-CRM. Bactericidal antibody responses against the rMenB antigens and OMV components were highest in subjects who received 2 doses of OMV-containing MenABCWY formulations, with ≥68% of subjects achieving hSBA titers ≥5 against each of the serogroup B test strains. After the first dose, solicited local reaction rates were higher in the MenABCWY or rMenB groups than the MenACWY-CRM group, but similar across groups after the second dose, consisting mainly of transient injection site pain. Fever (≥38.0°C) was rare and there were no vaccine-related serious AEs. In conclusion, investigational MenABCWY formulations containing OMV components elicited highly immunogenic responses against meningococcal serogroups ACWY, as well as serogroup B test strains, with an acceptable safety profile. [NCT01210885] PMID:25969894

  5. Immunogenicity, effectiveness and safety of combined hepatitis A and B vaccine: a systematic literature review.

    PubMed

    Bakker, Marina; Bunge, Eveline M; Marano, Cinzia; de Ridder, Marc; De Moerlooze, Laurence

    2016-07-01

    Hepatitis A and B are two of the most common vaccine-preventable diseases and vaccination for Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) is recommended for those at risk of contracting HAV and/or HBV through their occupation, travel or lifestyle. To describe the vaccine efficacy, immunogenicity, effectiveness and safety of the combined vaccine against hepatitis A and hepatitis B. A systematic review of the literature published between 1990 and 2015. Anti-HAV seropositivity rates ranged from 96.2% to 100% and anti-HBs seroprotection rates from 82% to 100%. Antibodies persisted up to 15 years and geometric mean concentration (GMC) remained above the seropositivity cut-off value for both. Anti-HAV and anti-HBs immune responses were lower in less immunocompetent individuals one month after completion of the immunization schedule. The safety profiles of Twinrix(TM) and monovalent hepatitis A and B vaccines were similar. The vaccine offers satisfactory long-term immunogenicity rates, expected duration of protection and safety profile similar to the monovalent hepatitis A or B vaccines.

  6. Enhancing efficiency and quality of statistical estimation of immunogenicity assay cut points through standardization and automation.

    PubMed

    Su, Cheng; Zhou, Lei; Hu, Zheng; Weng, Winnie; Subramani, Jayanthi; Tadkod, Vineet; Hamilton, Kortney; Bautista, Ami; Wu, Yu; Chirmule, Narendra; Zhong, Zhandong Don

    2015-10-01

    Biotherapeutics can elicit immune responses, which can alter the exposure, safety, and efficacy of the therapeutics. A well-designed and robust bioanalytical method is critical for the detection and characterization of relevant anti-drug antibody (ADA) and the success of an immunogenicity study. As a fundamental criterion in immunogenicity testing, assay cut points need to be statistically established with a risk-based approach to reduce subjectivity. This manuscript describes the development of a validated, web-based, multi-tier customized assay statistical tool (CAST) for assessing cut points of ADA assays. The tool provides an intuitive web interface that allows users to import experimental data generated from a standardized experimental design, select the assay factors, run the standardized analysis algorithms, and generate tables, figures, and listings (TFL). It allows bioanalytical scientists to perform complex statistical analysis at a click of the button to produce reliable assay parameters in support of immunogenicity studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. L1 and L2 Word Recognotion in Finnish. Examining L1 Effects on L2 Processing of Morphological Complexity and Morphophonological Transparency

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vainio, Seppo; Anneli, Pajunen; Hyona, Jukka

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated the effect of the first language (L1) on the visual word recognition of inflected nouns in second language (L2) Finnish by native Russian and Chinese speakers. Case inflection is common in Russian and in Finnish but nonexistent in Chinese. Several models have been posited to describe L2 morphological processing. The unified…

  8. The immunogenicity of thin-film freeze-dried, aluminum salt-adjuvanted vaccine when exposed to different temperatures.

    PubMed

    Thakkar, Sachin G; Ruwona, Tinashe B; Williams, Robert O; Cui, Zhengrong

    2017-04-03

    Insoluble aluminum salts such as aluminum oxyhydroxide have been used for decades as adjuvants in human vaccines, and many vaccines contain aluminum salts as adjuvants. Aluminum salt-adjuvanted vaccines must be managed in cold-chain (2-8° C) during transport and storage, as vaccine antigens in general are too fragile to be stable in ambient temperatures, and unintentional slowing freezing causes irreversible aggregation and permanent damage to the vaccines. Previously, we reported that thin-film freeze-drying can be used to convert vaccines adjuvanted with an aluminum salt from liquid suspension into dry powder without causing particle aggregation or decreasing in immunogenicity following reconstitution. In the present study, using ovalbumin (OVA)-adsorbed Alhydrogel® (i.e. aluminum oxyhydroxide, 2% w/v) as a model vaccine, we showed that the immunogenicity of thin-film freeze-dried OVA-adsorbed Alhydrogel® vaccine powder was not significantly changed after it was exposed for an extended period of time in temperatures as high as 40° C or subjected to repeated slow freezing-and-thawing. It is expected that immunization programs can potentially benefit by integrating thin-film freeze-drying into vaccine preparations.

  9. The immunogenicity of thin-film freeze-dried, aluminum salt-adjuvanted vaccine when exposed to different temperatures

    PubMed Central

    Thakkar, Sachin G.; Ruwona, Tinashe B.; Williams, Robert O.; Cui, Zhengrong

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Insoluble aluminum salts such as aluminum oxyhydroxide have been used for decades as adjuvants in human vaccines, and many vaccines contain aluminum salts as adjuvants. Aluminum salt-adjuvanted vaccines must be managed in cold-chain (2–8° C) during transport and storage, as vaccine antigens in general are too fragile to be stable in ambient temperatures, and unintentional slowing freezing causes irreversible aggregation and permanent damage to the vaccines. Previously, we reported that thin-film freeze-drying can be used to convert vaccines adjuvanted with an aluminum salt from liquid suspension into dry powder without causing particle aggregation or decreasing in immunogenicity following reconstitution. In the present study, using ovalbumin (OVA)-adsorbed Alhydrogel® (i.e. aluminum oxyhydroxide, 2% w/v) as a model vaccine, we showed that the immunogenicity of thin-film freeze-dried OVA-adsorbed Alhydrogel® vaccine powder was not significantly changed after it was exposed for an extended period of time in temperatures as high as 40° C or subjected to repeated slow freezing-and-thawing. It is expected that immunization programs can potentially benefit by integrating thin-film freeze-drying into vaccine preparations. PMID:28051903

  10. Hydroxyl Radical Modification of Collagen Type II Increases Its Arthritogenicity and Immunogenicity

    PubMed Central

    Shahab, Uzma; Ahmad, Saheem; Moinuddin; Dixit, Kiran; Habib, Safia; Alam, Khursheed; Ali, Asif

    2012-01-01

    Background The oxidation of proteins by endogenously generated free radicals causes structural modifications in the molecules that lead to generation of neo-antigenic epitopes that have implications in various autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Collagen induced arthritis (CIA) in rodents (rats and mice) is an accepted experimental model for RA. Methodology/Principal Findings Hydroxyl radicals were generated by the Fenton reaction. Collagen type II (CII) was modified by •OH radical (CII-OH) and analysed by ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS), fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The immunogenicity of native and modified CII was checked in female Lewis rats and specificity of the induced antibodies was ascertained by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The extent of CIA was evaluated by visual inspection. We also estimated the oxidative and inflammatory markers in the sera of immunized rats. A slight change in the triple helical structure of CII as well as fragmentation was observed after hydroxyl radical modification. The modified CII was found to be highly arthritogenic and immunogenic as compared to the native form. The CII-OH immunized rats exhibited increased oxidative stress and inflammation as compared to the CII immunized rats in the control group. Conclusions/Significance Neo-antigenic epitopes were generated on •OH modified CII which rendered it highly immunogenic and arthritogenic as compared to the unmodified form. Since the rodent CIA model shares many features with human RA, these results illuminate the role of free radicals in human RA. PMID:22319617

  11. Immunogenicity and immunomodulatory properties of umbilical cord lining mesenchymal stem cells.

    PubMed

    Deuse, Tobias; Stubbendorff, Mandy; Tang-Quan, Karis; Phillips, Neil; Kay, Mark A; Eiermann, Thomas; Phan, Thang T; Volk, Hans-Dieter; Reichenspurner, Hermann; Robbins, Robert C; Schrepfer, Sonja

    2011-01-01

    We here present an immunologic head-to-head comparison between human umbilical cord lining mesenchymal stem cells (clMSCs) and adult bone marrow MSCs (bmMSCs) from patients >65 years of age. clMSCs had significantly lower HLA class I expression, higher production of tolerogenic TGF-β and IL-10, and showed significantly faster proliferation. In vitro activation of allogeneic lymphocytes and xenogeneic in vivo immune activation was significantly stronger with bmMSCs, whereas immune recognition of clMSCs was significantly weaker. Thus, bmMSCs were more quickly rejected in immunocompetent mice. IFN-γ at 25 ng/ml increased both immunogenicity by upregulation of HLA class I/ HLA-DR expression and tolerogenicity by increasing intracellular HLA-G and surface HLA-E expression, augmenting TGF-β and IL-10 release, and inducing indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) expression. Higher concentrations of IFN-γ (>50 ng/ml) further enhanced the immunosuppressive phenotype of clMSCs, more strongly downregulating HLA-DR expression and further increasing IDO production (at 500 ng/ml). The net functional immunosuppressive efficacy of MSCs was tested in mixed lymphocyte cultures. Although both clMSCs and bmMSCs significantly reduced in vitro immune activation, clMSCs were significantly more effective than bmMSCs. The veto function of both MSC lines was enhanced in escalating IFN-γ environments. In conclusion, clMSCs show a more beneficial immunogeneic profile and stronger overall immunosuppressive potential than aged bmMSCs.

  12. An update on safety and immunogenicity of vaccines containing emulsion-based adjuvants.

    PubMed

    Fox, Christopher B; Haensler, Jean

    2013-07-01

    With the exception of alum, emulsion-based vaccine adjuvants have been administered to far more people than any other adjuvant, especially since the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. The number of clinical safety and immunogenicity evaluations of vaccines containing emulsion adjuvants has correspondingly mushroomed. In this review, the authors introduce emulsion adjuvant composition and history before detailing the most recent findings from clinical and postmarketing data regarding the effects of emulsion adjuvants on vaccine immunogenicity and safety, with emphasis on the most widely distributed emulsion adjuvants, MF59® and AS03. The authors also present a summary of other emulsion adjuvants in clinical development and indicate promising avenues for future emulsion-based adjuvant development. Overall, emulsion adjuvants have demonstrated potent adjuvant activity across a number of disease indications along with acceptable safety profiles.

  13. A randomized, phase 1/2 trial of the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of bivalent rLP2086 meningococcal B vaccine in healthy infants.

    PubMed

    Martinon-Torres, Federico; Gimenez-Sanchez, Francisco; Bernaola-Iturbe, Enrique; Diez-Domingo, Javier; Jiang, Qin; Perez, John L

    2014-09-08

    Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MnB) is a major cause of invasive meningococcal disease in infants. A conserved, surface-exposed lipoprotein, LP2086 (a factor H-binding protein [fHBP]), is a promising MnB vaccine target. A bivalent, recombinant vaccine targeting the fHBP (rLP2086) of MnB was developed. This phase 1/2 clinical study was designed to assess the immunogenicity, safety, and tolerability of a 4-dose series of the rLP2086 vaccine at 20-, 60-, 120-, or 200-μg dose levels in vaccine-naive infants when given with routine childhood vaccines. The study was to consist of two phases: a single-blind sentinel phase and an open-label full enrollment phase. During the sentinel phase, randomization of subjects to the next higher dose was delayed pending a 14-day safety review of dose 1 of the preceding dose cohort. The full enrollment phase was to occur after completion of the sentinel phase. Local reactions were generally mild and adverse events infrequent; however, after only 46 infants were randomized into the study, fever rates were 64% and 90% in subjects receiving one 20- or 60-μg rLP2086 dose, respectively. Most fevers were <39.0°C. Only 2 subjects in the 20-μg group and 1 subject in the 60-μg group experienced fevers >39.0°C; no fevers were >40.0°C. Due to these high fever rates, the study was terminated early. No immunogenicity data were collected. This report discusses the safety and acceptability of rLP2086 in infants after one 20- or 60-μg dose. Due to the high fever rate experienced in the 20- and 60-μg groups, rLP2086 in the current formulation may not be acceptable for infants. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  14. A Bacteriophage-Encoded J-Domain Protein Interacts with the DnaK/Hsp70 Chaperone and Stabilizes the Heat-Shock Factor σ32 of Escherichia coli

    PubMed Central

    Perrody, Elsa; Cirinesi, Anne-Marie; Desplats, Carine; Keppel, France; Schwager, Françoise; Tranier, Samuel; Georgopoulos, Costa; Genevaux, Pierre

    2012-01-01

    The universally conserved J-domain proteins (JDPs) are obligate cochaperone partners of the Hsp70 (DnaK) chaperone. They stimulate Hsp70's ATPase activity, facilitate substrate delivery, and confer specific cellular localization to Hsp70. In this work, we have identified and characterized the first functional JDP protein encoded by a bacteriophage. Specifically, we show that the ORFan gene 057w of the T4-related enterobacteriophage RB43 encodes a bona fide JDP protein, named Rki, which specifically interacts with the Escherichia coli host multifunctional DnaK chaperone. However, in sharp contrast with the three known host JDP cochaperones of DnaK encoded by E. coli, Rki does not act as a generic cochaperone in vivo or in vitro. Expression of Rki alone is highly toxic for wild-type E. coli, but toxicity is abolished in the absence of endogenous DnaK or when the conserved J-domain of Rki is mutated. Further in vivo analyses revealed that Rki is expressed early after infection by RB43 and that deletion of the rki gene significantly impairs RB43 proliferation. Furthermore, we show that mutations in the host dnaK gene efficiently suppress the growth phenotype of the RB43 rki deletion mutant, thus indicating that Rki specifically interferes with DnaK cellular function. Finally, we show that the interaction of Rki with the host DnaK chaperone rapidly results in the stabilization of the heat-shock factor σ32, which is normally targeted for degradation by DnaK. The mechanism by which the Rki-dependent stabilization of σ32 facilitates RB43 bacteriophage proliferation is discussed. PMID:23133404

  15. The Relations among L1 (Spanish) Literacy Skills, L2 (English) Language, L2 Text Reading Fluency, and L2 Reading Comprehension for Spanish-Speaking ELL First Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Young-Suk

    2012-01-01

    We investigated the relations of L2 (i.e., English) oral reading fluency, silent reading fluency, word reading automaticity, oral language skills, and L1 literacy skills (i.e., Spanish) to L2 reading comprehension for Spanish-speaking English language learners in the first grade (N = 150). An analysis was conducted for the entire sample as well as…

  16. First-in-human trial of the safety, pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity of a PEGylated anti-CD40L antibody fragment (CDP7657) in healthy individuals and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

    PubMed

    Tocoian, A; Buchan, P; Kirby, H; Soranson, J; Zamacona, M; Walley, R; Mitchell, N; Esfandiari, E; Wagner, F; Oliver, R

    2015-09-01

    The objective of this paper is to investigate the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK) and immunogenicity of CDP7657, a PEGylated anti-CD40L antibody fragment, in healthy individuals and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This randomized, double-blind, single-dose, dose-escalation phase I study consisted of two parts. In part 1, 28 healthy individuals received CDP7657 IV (0.004-5 mg/kg) or placebo. In part 2, 17 patients with SLE received CDP7657 IV (5-60 mg/kg) or placebo. The CDP7657:placebo ratio was 3:1. Adverse events (AEs) were reported by 76% of healthy individuals and 100% of patients with SLE treated with CDP7657; most were mild or moderate in intensity. Two healthy individuals reported serious AEs (SAEs), one of which was considered treatment related (infusion-related reaction; 5 mg/kg cohort). One patient with SLE (60 mg/kg cohort) experienced three SAEs, one of which was considered treatment related (herpes zoster infection). No thromboembolic events were reported. CPD7657 exposure increased in a dose-proportional manner. Low anti-CDP7657 antibody titres were detected in the majority of CDP7657-treated participants with no apparent impact on the PK of CDP7657. Single doses of CDP7657 showed predictable PK in healthy individuals and patients with SLE and were well tolerated, with no safety signals of concern. These findings support further investigation of CDP7657 as a therapy for SLE. © The Author(s) 2015.

  17. Safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of a recombinant tetravalent dengue vaccine: a meta-analysis of randomized trials.

    PubMed

    da Costa, Vivaldo G; Marques-Silva, Ariany C; Floriano, Vitor G; Moreli, Marcos L

    2014-09-03

    The World Health Organization has stipulated a target: reduce the mortality rate caused by dengue disease by 50% until 2020. Most likely, this goal can be achieved by means of a dengue vaccine. Accordingly, the recombinant and tetravalent dengue vaccine (CYD-TDV), developed by the Sanofi Pasteur Group, is in an advanced stage of human testing. Although there are multiple randomized, placebo-controlled trials evaluating the CYD-TDV, individual results may have little power to identify differences between the populations studied. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine a more precise estimate of the overall parameters of safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of CYD-TDV. A data search was conducted in the PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and SciELO databases with defined selection criteria. We included for meta-analysis seven randomized and placebo-controlled studies that included 6678 patients randomized to receive the CYD-TDV (4586) or placebo (2092). Regarding vaccine safety, it was found that there was no significant difference between treated and placebo groups, as only approximately 5.5% of patients were withdrawn from the study. Regarding immunogenicity, the levels of neutralizing antibodies were measured by weighted mean differences (WMD), which were always higher in the vaccinated group (WMD/DENV1=59.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 57-61; WMD/DENV2=99, 95% CI 95-102; WMD/DENV3=138, 95% CI 133-142; WMD/DENV4=123, 95% CI 119-126). The clinical efficacy of the vaccine was 59% (95% CI 15-80; RR=0.41, 95% CI 0.2-0.85, I(2)=30.9%). In conclusion, safety and a balanced immune response to the CYD-TDV were found. However, to fully establish the clinical effectiveness and robustness of immunogenicity, it is necessary to perform further studies to assess the long-term effects of the vaccine. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Safety and immunogenicity of an intramuscular quadrivalent influenza vaccine in children 3 to 8 y of age: A phase III randomized controlled study.

    PubMed

    Pepin, Stephanie; Szymanski, Henryk; Rochín Kobashi, Ilya Angélica; Villagomez Martinez, Sandra; González Zamora, José Francisco; Brzostek, Jerzy; Huang, Li-Min; Chiu, Cheng-Hsun; Chen, Po-Yen; Ahonen, Anitta; Forstén, Aino; Seppä, Ilkka; Quiroz, René Farfán; Korhonen, Tiina; Rivas, Enrique; Monfredo, Celine; Hutagalung, Yanee; Menezes, Josemund; Vesikari, Timo

    2016-12-01

    A quadrivalent, inactivated, split-virion influenza vaccine containing a strain from both B lineages (IIV4) has been developed, but its safety and immunogenicity in young children has not been described. This was a phase III, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, multi-center study to examine the immunogenicity and safety of IIV4 in children 3-8 y of age (EudraCT no. 2011-005374-33). Participants were randomized 5:1:1 to receive the 2013/2014 Northern Hemisphere formulation of IIV4, an investigational trivalent comparator (IIV3) containing the B/Victoria lineage strain, or the licensed Northern Hemisphere IIV3 containing the B/Yamagata lineage strain. Participants who had not previously received a full influenza vaccination schedule received 2 doses of vaccine 28 d apart; all others received a single dose. 1242 children were included. For all 4 strains, IIV4 induced geometric mean haemagglutination inhibition titres non-inferior to those induced by the IIV3 comparators. For both B strains, geometric mean antibody titres induced by IIV4 were superior to those induced by the IIV3 with the alternative lineage strain. Similar proportions of participants vaccinated with IIV4 and IIV3 reported solicited injection-site reactions, solicited systemic reactions, and vaccine-related adverse events. A single vaccine-related serious adverse event, thrombocytopenia, was reported 9 d after vaccination with IIV4 and resolved without sequelae. In conclusion, in children aged 3-8 y who received one dose or 2 doses 28 d apart, IIV4 had an acceptable safety profile, was as immunogenic as IIV3 for the shared strains, and had superior immunogenicity for the additional B strain.

  19. Improved osteogenesis and upregulated immunogenicity in human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells primed with osteogenic induction medium.

    PubMed

    Fu, Xuejie; Yang, Huilin; Zhang, Hui; Wang, Guichao; Liu, Ke; Gu, Qiaoli; Tao, Yunxia; Chen, Guangcun; Jiang, Xiaohua; Li, Gang; Gu, Yanzheng; Shi, Qin

    2016-09-20

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely used in cell-based therapy owing to their multilineage potential and low immunogenicity. However, low differentiation efficiency and unpredictable immunogenicity of allogeneic MSCs in vivo limit their success in therapeutic treatment. Herein, we evaluated the differentiation potential and immunogenicity of human placenta-derived MSCs manipulated with osteogenic priming and dedifferentiation process. MSCs from human placentas were subjected to osteogenic induction and then cultivated in osteogenic factor-free media; the obtained cell population was termed dedifferentiated mesenchymal stem cells (De-MSCs). De-MSCs were induced into osteo-, chondro- and adipo-differentiation in vitro. Cell proliferation was quantified by a Cell-Counting Kit-8 or tritiated thymidine ([(3)H]-TdR) incorporation. Meanwhile, the osteogenesis of De-MSCs in vivo was assayed by real-time PCR and histological staining. The expressions of stem cell markers and co-stimulatory molecules on De-MSCs and lymphocytes from primed BALB/c mouse with De-MSCs were determined by flow cytometry. De-MSCs exhibited some properties similar to MSCs including multiple differentiation potential and hypoimmunogenicity. Upon re-osteogenic induction, De-MSCs exhibited higher differentiation capability than MSCs both in vitro and in vivo. Of note, De-MSCs had upregulated immunogenicity in association with their osteogenesis, reflected by the alternated expressions of co-stimulatory molecules on the surface and decreased suppression on T cell activation. Functionally, De-MSC-derived osteoblasts could prime lymphocytes of peripheral blood and spleen in BALB/c mice in vivo. These data are of great significance for the potential application of De-MSCs as an alternative resource for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. In order to avoid being rejected by the host during allogeneic De-MSC therapy, we suggest that immune intervention should be considered to boost the immune

  20. Quantifying the Quality Difference between L1 and L2 Essays: A Rating Procedure with Bilingual Raters and L1 and L2 Benchmark Essays

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tillema, Marion; van den Bergh, Huub; Rijlaarsdam, Gert; Sanders, Ted

    2013-01-01

    It is the consensus that, as a result of the extra constraints placed on working memory, texts written in a second language (L2) are usually of lower quality than texts written in the first language (L1) by the same writer. However, no method is currently available for quantifying the quality difference between L1 and L2 texts. In the present…

  1. Immunogenicity and immune tolerance coagulation Factors VIII and IX.

    PubMed

    Rup, B

    2003-01-01

    Some of the major issues related to the development and control of antibodies that occur during treatment of haemophilia with replacement factors (Factor VIII and Factor IX) are reviewed. Information on analytical issues, immunogenicity, and immune tolerance may be applicable to the study of other therapeutic proteins. Conversely, new information obtained from evaluation of other therapeutic protein products may address issues that remain unresolved for Factor VIII and FIX replacement therapy.

  2. Identification of whole pathogenic cells by monoclonal antibodies generated against a specific peptide from an immunogenic cell wall protein.

    PubMed

    Kaba, Hani E J; Maier, Natalia; Schliebe-Ohler, Nicole; Mayer, Yvonne; Müller, Peter P; van den Heuvel, Joop; Schuchhardt, Johannes; Hanack, Katja; Bilitewski, Ursula

    2015-01-01

    We selected the immunogenic cell wall ß-(1,3)-glucosyltransferase Bgl2p from Candida albicans as a target protein for the production of antibodies. We identified a unique peptide sequence in the protein and generated monoclonal anti- C. albicans Bgl2p antibodies, which bound in particular to whole C. albicans cells. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Toxicity and immunogenicity of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli heat-labile and heat-stable toxoid fusion 3xSTa(A14Q)-LT(S63K/R192G/L211A) in a murine model.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Chengxian; Knudsen, David E; Liu, Mei; Robertson, Donald C; Zhang, Weiping

    2013-01-01

    Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death to young children. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are the most common bacteria causing diarrhea. Adhesins and enterotoxins are the virulence determinants in ETEC diarrhea. Adhesins mediate bacterial attachment and colonization, and enterotoxins including heat-labile (LT) and heat-stable type Ib toxin (STa) disrupt fluid homeostasis in host cells that leads to fluid hyper-secretion and diarrhea. Thus, adhesins and enterotoxins have been primarily targeted in ETEC vaccine development. A recent study reported toxoid fusions with STa toxoid (STa(P13F)) fused at the N- or C-terminus, or inside the A subunit of LT(R192G) elicited neutralizing antitoxin antibodies, and suggested application of toxoid fusions in ETEC vaccine development (Liu et al., Infect. Immun. 79:4002-4009, 2011). In this study, we generated a different STa toxoid (STa(A14Q)) and a triple-mutant LT toxoid (LT(S63K/R192G/L211A), tmLT), constructed a toxoid fusion (3xSTa(A14Q)-tmLT) that carried 3 copies of STa(A14Q) for further facilitation of anti-STa immunogenicity, and assessed antigen safety and immunogenicity in a murine model to explore its potential for ETEC vaccine development. Mice immunized with this fusion antigen showed no adverse effects, and developed antitoxin antibodies particularly through the IP route. Anti-LT antibodies were detected and were shown neutralizing against CT in vitro. Anti-STa antibodies were also detected in the immunized mice, and serum from the IP immunized mice neutralized STa toxin in vitro. Data from this study indicated that toxoid fusion 3xSTa(A14Q)-tmLT is safe and can induce neutralizing antitoxin antibodies, and provided helpful information for vaccine development against ETEC diarrhea.

  4. A Phase 4, multicentre, randomized, single-blind clinical trial to evaluate the immunogenicity of the live, attenuated, oral rotavirus vaccine (116E), ROTAVAC®, administered simultaneously with or without the buffering agent in healthy infants in India.

    PubMed

    Ella, Raches; Bobba, Radhika; Muralidhar, Sanjay; Babji, Sudhir; Vadrevu, Krishna Mohan; Bhan, Maharaj Kishan

    2018-03-15

    The World Health Organization recommends that rotavirus vaccines should be included in all national immunization programs. Some currently licensed oral rotavirus vaccines contain a buffering agent (either as part of a ready-to-use liquid formulation or added during reconstitution) to reduce possible degradation of the vaccine virus in the infant gut, which poses several programmatic challenges (the large dose volume or the reconstitution requirement) during vaccine administration. Because ROTAVAC®, a WHO prequalified vaccine, was derived from the 116E neonatal strain, we evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of ROTAVAC® without buffer and ROTAVAC® with buffer in a phase 4, multicentre, single-blind, randomized clinical trial in healthy infants in India. 900 infants, approximately 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age, were assigned to 3 groups to receive ROTAVAC® (0.5 mL dose) orally: (i) 2.5 mL of citrate-bicarbonate buffer 5 minutes prior to administration of ROTAVAC® (Group I), (ii) ROTAVAC®, alone, without any buffer (Group II), or (iii) ROTAVAC®, mixed with buffer immediately before administration (Group III). Non-inferiority was compared among the groups for differences in serological responses (detected by serum anti-rotavirus IgA) and safety. Geometric mean titers post vaccination at day 84 (28 days after dose 3) were 19.6 (95%CI: 17.0, 22.7), 20.7 (95%CI: 17.9, 24) and 19.2 (95%CI: 16.8, 22.1) for groups I, II and III respectively. Further, seroconversion rates and distribution of adverse events were similar among groups. Administration of ROTAVAC® at a 0.5 mL dose volume without buffering agent was shown to be well tolerated and immunogenic. Given the homologous nature of the strain, it is plausible that ROTAVAC® replicates well and confers immunity even without buffer administration.

  5. A Therapeutic Uricase with Reduced Immunogenicity Risk and Improved Development Properties

    PubMed Central

    Nyborg, Andrew C.; Ward, Chris; Zacco, Anna; Grinberg, Luba; Geoghegan, James C.; Bean, Ryan; Wendeler, Michaela; Bartnik, Frank; O’Connor, Ellen; Gruia, Flaviu; Iyer, Vidyashankara; Feng, Hui; Roy, Varnika; Berge, Mark; Miner, Jeffrey N.; Wilson, David M.; Zhou, Dongmei; Nicholson, Simone; Wilker, Clynn; Wu, Chi Y.; Wilson, Susan; Jermutus, Lutz; Wu, Herren; Owen, David A.; Osbourn, Jane; Coats, Steven; Baca, Manuel

    2016-01-01

    Humans and higher primates are unique in that they lack uricase, the enzyme capable of oxidizing uric acid. As a consequence of this enzyme deficiency, humans have high serum uric acid levels. In some people, uric acid levels rise above the solubility limit resulting in crystallization in joints, acute inflammation in response to those crystals causes severe pain; a condition known as gout. Treatment for severe gout includes injection of non-human uricase to reduce serum uric acid levels. Krystexxa® is a hyper-PEGylated pig-baboon chimeric uricase indicated for chronic refractory gout that induces an immunogenic response in 91% of treated patients, including infusion reactions (26%) and anaphylaxis (6.5%). These properties limit its use and effectiveness. An innovative approach has been used to develop a therapeutic uricase with improved properties such as: soluble expression, neutral pH solubility, high E. coli expression level, thermal stability, and excellent activity. More than 200 diverse uricase sequences were aligned to guide protein engineering and reduce putative sequence liabilities. A single uricase lead candidate was identified, which showed low potential for immunogenicity in >200 human donor samples selected to represent diverse HLA haplotypes. Cysteines were engineered into the lead sequence for site specific PEGylation and studies demonstrated >95% PEGylation efficiency. PEGylated uricase retains enzymatic activity in vitro at neutral pH, in human serum and in vivo (rats and canines) and has an extended half-life. In canines, an 85% reduction in serum uric acid levels was observed with a single subcutaneous injection. This PEGylated, non-immunogenic uricase has the potential to provide meaningful benefits to patients with gout. PMID:28002433

  6. A Therapeutic Uricase with Reduced Immunogenicity Risk and Improved Development Properties.

    PubMed

    Nyborg, Andrew C; Ward, Chris; Zacco, Anna; Chacko, Benoy; Grinberg, Luba; Geoghegan, James C; Bean, Ryan; Wendeler, Michaela; Bartnik, Frank; O'Connor, Ellen; Gruia, Flaviu; Iyer, Vidyashankara; Feng, Hui; Roy, Varnika; Berge, Mark; Miner, Jeffrey N; Wilson, David M; Zhou, Dongmei; Nicholson, Simone; Wilker, Clynn; Wu, Chi Y; Wilson, Susan; Jermutus, Lutz; Wu, Herren; Owen, David A; Osbourn, Jane; Coats, Steven; Baca, Manuel

    2016-01-01

    Humans and higher primates are unique in that they lack uricase, the enzyme capable of oxidizing uric acid. As a consequence of this enzyme deficiency, humans have high serum uric acid levels. In some people, uric acid levels rise above the solubility limit resulting in crystallization in joints, acute inflammation in response to those crystals causes severe pain; a condition known as gout. Treatment for severe gout includes injection of non-human uricase to reduce serum uric acid levels. Krystexxa® is a hyper-PEGylated pig-baboon chimeric uricase indicated for chronic refractory gout that induces an immunogenic response in 91% of treated patients, including infusion reactions (26%) and anaphylaxis (6.5%). These properties limit its use and effectiveness. An innovative approach has been used to develop a therapeutic uricase with improved properties such as: soluble expression, neutral pH solubility, high E. coli expression level, thermal stability, and excellent activity. More than 200 diverse uricase sequences were aligned to guide protein engineering and reduce putative sequence liabilities. A single uricase lead candidate was identified, which showed low potential for immunogenicity in >200 human donor samples selected to represent diverse HLA haplotypes. Cysteines were engineered into the lead sequence for site specific PEGylation and studies demonstrated >95% PEGylation efficiency. PEGylated uricase retains enzymatic activity in vitro at neutral pH, in human serum and in vivo (rats and canines) and has an extended half-life. In canines, an 85% reduction in serum uric acid levels was observed with a single subcutaneous injection. This PEGylated, non-immunogenic uricase has the potential to provide meaningful benefits to patients with gout.

  7. Immunogenicity and safety of an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine administered concomitantly with diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis and haemophilus influenzae type B vaccines to children less than 2 years of age.

    PubMed

    Nolan, Terry; Bernstein, Henry; Blatter, Mark M; Bromberg, Kenneth; Guerra, Fernando; Kennedy, William; Pichichero, Michael; Senders, Shelly D; Trofa, Andrew; Collard, Alix; Sullivan, Diane C; Descamps, Dominique

    2006-09-01

    The availability of a hepatitis A virus vaccine for infant and early childhood immunization could reduce the transmission of hepatitis A virus in the United States. This study evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of a hepatitis A virus vaccine (Havrix, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Rixensart, Belgium) administered concomitantly with diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccines to children < 2 years. In this open, comparative, multicenter study, 1084 healthy children aged 11 to 25 months were allocated (4:4:3:3:4 ratio) to 5 treatment groups based on age and previous vaccination history. Subjects 11 to 13 months of age received 2 doses of hepatitis A virus vaccine 6 months apart (N = 243). Subjects aged 15 to 18 months received 2 doses of hepatitis A virus vaccine 6 months apart (N = 241); or hepatitis A virus vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis, and H influenzae type b at month 0 and the second dose of hepatitis A virus vaccine 6 months later (N = 183); or diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis and H influenzae type b at month 0 and hepatitis A virus vaccine at months 1 and 7 (N = 175). Subjects 23 to 25 months of age received hepatitis A virus vaccine at months 0 and 6 (N = 242). Immune responses were measured at baseline and 30 days after vaccine doses, and solicited and unsolicited adverse events were collected. After 2 doses of hepatitis A virus vaccine, all of the subjects in all of the groups were seropositive. Coadministration of hepatitis A virus vaccine with diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis and H influenzae type b vaccines did not impact the immunogenicity of the 3 vaccines, except for the antipertussis toxoid vaccine response, which was slightly decreased. Hepatitis A virus vaccine was well tolerated in children 11 to 25 months of age. The administration of 2 doses of hepatitis A virus vaccine on a 0- and 6-month schedule starting at 11 to 13 months of age or at 15 to 18 months of age was as

  8. Genetic heterogeneity of L-Zagreb mumps virus vaccine strain

    PubMed Central

    Kosutic-Gulija, Tanja; Forcic, Dubravko; Šantak, Maja; Ramljak, Ana; Mateljak-Lukacevic, Sanja; Mazuran, Renata

    2008-01-01

    Background The most often used mumps vaccine strains Jeryl Lynn (JL), RIT4385, Urabe-AM9, L-Zagreb and L-3 differ in immunogenicity and reactogenicity. Previous analyses showed that JL, Urabe-AM9 and L-3 are genetically heterogeneous. Results We identified the heterogeneity of L-Zagreb throughout the entire genome. Two major variants were defined: variant A being identical to the consensus sequence of viral seeds and vaccine(s) and variant B which differs from variant A in three nucleotide positions. The difference between viral variants in L-Zagreb strain is insufficient for distinct viral strains to be defined. We demonstrated that proportion of variants in L-Zagreb viral population depends on cell substrate used for viral replication in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion L-Zagreb strain should be considered as a single strain composed of at least two variant viral genomes. PMID:18616793

  9. Immunogenicity of MenACWY-CRM in Korean Military Recruits: Influence of Tetanus-Diphtheria Toxoid Vaccination on the Vaccine Response to MenACWY-CRM.

    PubMed

    Kim, Han Wool; Park, In Ho; You, Sooseong; Yu, Hee Tae; Oh, In Soo; Sung, Pil Soo; Shin, Eui Cheol; Kim, Kyung Hyo

    2016-11-01

    The quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY-CRM) has been introduced for military recruits in Korea since 2012. This study was performed to evaluate the immunogenicity of MenACWY-CRM in Korean military recruits. In addition, the influence of tetanus-diphtheria toxoids (Td) vaccination on the vaccine response to MenACWY-CRM was analyzed. A total of 75 military recruits were enrolled. Among them, 18 received a dose of MenACWY-CRM only (group 1), and 57 received Td three days before MenACWY-CRM immunization (group 2). The immunogenicity of MenACWY-CRM was compared between the two groups. The serum bactericidal activity with baby rabbit complement was measured before and three weeks after immunization against serogroups A, C, W-135, and Y. The geometric mean titers (GMTs) against four serogroups were significantly increased in both groups after immunization. Compared to group 2, group 1 exhibited significantly higher vaccine responses in several aspects: post-immune GMTs against serogroup A and C, seroresponse rates against serogroup A, and a fold increases of titers against serogroup A, C, and Y. MenACWY-CRM was immunogenic against all vaccine-serogroups in Korean military recruits. Vaccine response to MenACWY-CRM was influenced by Td administered three days earlier.

  10. A comparative study on the immunogenicity, safety and tolerance of purified duck embryo vaccine (PDEV) manufactured in India (Vaxirab) and Switzerland (Lyssavac-N): a randomized simulated post-exposure study in healthy volunteers.

    PubMed

    Mahendra, Bangalore Jayakrishnappa; Madhusudana, Shampur Narayan; Ashwathnarayana, Doddabele Hanumanthaiah; Sampath, Gadey; datta, Soma Subhra; Sudarshan, Mysore Kalappa; Venkatesh, Gonibeedu Manjunatah; Muhamuda, Kader; Bilagumba, Gangaboraiah; Shamanna, Manjula

    2007-12-05

    Purified duck embryo vaccine (PDEV, Vaxirab) for rabies prophylaxis is now indigenously manufactured in India under technology transfer from Berna Biotech who made the original PDEV (Lyssavac). In the present study we have compared the two vaccines in terms of safety, immunogenicity and tolerance. The study was conducted in 220 adult healthy volunteers. It was observed that both vaccines produced neutralizing antibody titers (as determined by rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test, RFFIT) more than 0.5 IU/mL (minimum level for seroconversion) on all days tested but the titers on days 90 and 180 were significantly higher with Lyssavac. The adverse reactions produced were slightly more with Lysssavac but both vaccines were well tolerated. In conclusion, the indigenously produced PDEV (Vaxirab) was found to be equally safe and immunogenic as the original PDEV (Lyssavac) manufactured at Switzerland.

  11. 2016 White Paper on recent issues in bioanalysis: focus on biomarker assay validation (BAV): (Part 3 - LBA, biomarkers and immunogenicity).

    PubMed

    Richards, Susan; Amaravadi, Lakshmi; Pillutla, Renuka; Birnboeck, Herbert; Torri, Albert; Cowan, Kyra J; Papadimitriou, Apollon; Garofolo, Fabio; Satterwhite, Christina; Piccoli, Steven; Wu, Bonnie; Krinos-Fiorotti, Corinna; Allinson, John; Berisha, Flora; Cocea, Laurent; Croft, Stephanie; Fraser, Stephanie; Galliccia, Fabrizio; Gorovits, Boris; Gupta, Swati; Gupta, Vinita; Haidar, Sam; Hottenstein, Charles; Ishii-Watabe, Akiko; Jani, Darshana; Kadavil, John; Kamerud, John; Kramer, Daniel; Litwin, Virginia; Lima Santos, Gustavo Mendes; Nelson, Robert; Ni, Yan; Pedras-Vasconcelos, João; Qiu, Yongchang; Rhyne, Paul; Safavi, Afshin; Saito, Yoshiro; Savoie, Natasha; Scheibner, Kara; Schick, Eginhard; Siguenza, Patricia Y; Smeraglia, John; Staack, Roland F; Subramanyam, Meena; Sumner, Giane; Thway, Theingi; Uhlinger, David; Ullmann, Martin; Vitaliti, Alessandra; Welink, Jan; Whiting, Chan C; Xue, Li; Zeng, Rong

    2016-12-01

    The 2016 10th Workshop on Recent Issues in Bioanalysis (10th WRIB) took place in Orlando, Florida with participation of close to 700 professionals from pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, contract research organizations, and regulatory agencies worldwide. WRIB was once again a weeklong event - A Full Immersion Week of Bioanalysis for PK, Biomarkers and Immunogenicity. As usual, it is specifically designed to facilitate sharing, reviewing, discussing and agreeing on approaches to address the most current issues of interest including both small and large molecules involving LCMS, hybrid LBA/LCMS, and LBA approaches, with the focus on PK, biomarkers and immunogenicity. This 2016 White Paper encompasses recommendations emerging from the extensive discussions held during the workshop, and is aimed to provide the bioanalytical community with key information and practical solutions on topics and issues addressed, in an effort to enable advances in scientific excellence, improved quality and better regulatory compliance. This White Paper is published in 3 parts due to length. This part (Part 3) discusses the recommendations for large molecule bioanalysis using LBA, biomarkers and immunogenicity. Parts 1 (small molecule bioanalysis using LCMS) and Part 2 (Hybrid LBA/LCMS and regulatory inputs from major global health authorities) have been published in the Bioanalysis journal, issues 22 and 23, respectively.

  12. Glycolytic enzymes associated with the cell surface of Streptococcus pneumoniae are antigenic in humans and elicit protective immune responses in the mouse

    PubMed Central

    LING, E; FELDMAN, G; PORTNOI, M; DAGAN, R; OVERWEG, K; MULHOLLAND, F; CHALIFA-CASPI, V; WELLS, J; MIZRACHI-NEBENZAHL, Y

    2004-01-01

    Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of otitis media, sinusitis, pneumonia, bacteraemia and meningitis worldwide. The drawbacks associated with the limited number of various capsular polysaccharides that can be included in the polysaccharide-based vaccines focuses much attention on pneumococcal proteins as vaccine candidates. We extracted an enriched cell wall fraction from S. pneumoniae WU2. Approximately 150 soluble proteins could be identified by 2D gel electrophoresis. The proteins were screened by 2D-Western blotting using sera that were obtained longitudinally from children attending day-care centres at 18, 30 and 42 months of age and sera from healthy adult volunteers. The proteins were further identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Seventeen proteins were antigenic in children and adults, of which 13 showed an increasing antibody response with age in all eight children analysed. Two immunogenic proteins, fructose–bisphosphate aldolase (FBA) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), and a control protein with known low immunogenicity, heat shock protein 70 (DnaK), were expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and used to immunize mice. Mouse antibodies elicited to the recombinant (r) FBA and rGAPDH were cross-reactive with several genetically unrelated strains of different serotypes and conferred protection to respiratory challenge with virulent pneumococci. In addition, the FBA used in this study (NP_345117) does not have a human ortholog and warrants further investigation as a candidate for a pneumococcal vaccine. In conclusion, the immunoproteomics based approach utilized in the present study appears to be a suitable tool for identification of novel S. pneumoniae vaccine candidates. PMID:15498039

  13. Similarity in L2 Phonology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barrios, Shannon L.

    2013-01-01

    Adult second language (L2) learners often experience difficulty producing and perceiving non-native phonological contrasts. Even highly proficient bilinguals, who have been exposed to an L2 for long periods of time, struggle with difficult contrasts, such as /r/-/l/ for Japanese learners of English. To account for the relative ease or difficulty…

  14. L1 literacy affects L2 pronunciation intake and text vocalization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walton, Martin

    2005-04-01

    For both deaf and hearing learners, L1 acquisition calls on auditive, gestural and visual modes in progressive processes over longer stages imposed in strictly anatomical and social order from the earliest pre-lexical phase [Jusczyk (1993), Kuhl & Meltzoff (1996)] to ultimate literacy. By contrast, L2 learning will call on accelerating procedures but with restricted input, arbitrated by L1 literacy as can be traced in the English of French-speaking learners, whether observed in spontaneous speech or in text vocalization modes. An inventory of their predictable omissions, intrusions and substitutions at suprasegmental and syllabic levels, many of which they can actually hear while unable to vocalize in real-time, suggests that a photogenic segmentation of continuous speech into alphabetical units has eclipsed the indispensable earlier phonogenic module, filtering L2 intake and output. This competing mode analysis hypothesizes a critical effect on L2 pronunciation of L1 graphemic procedures acquired usually before puberty, informing data for any Critical Period Hypothesis or amounts of L1 activation influencing L2 accent [Flege (1997, 1998)] or any psychoacoustic French deafness with regard to English stress-timing [Dupoux (1997)]. A metaphonic model [Howell & Dean (1991)] adapted for French learners may remedially distance L1 from L2 vocalization procedures.

  15. Formulation and Immunogenicity studies of Type III Secretion System needle antigens as Vaccine Candidates

    PubMed Central

    Barrett, Brooke S.; Markham, Aaron P.; Esfandiary, Reza; Picking, Wendy L.; Picking, William D.; Joshi, Sangeeta B.; Middaugh, C. Russell

    2013-01-01

    Bacterial infections caused by Shigella flexneri, Salmonella typhimurium and Burkholderia pseudomallei are currently difficult to prevent due to the lack of a licensed vaccine. Here we present formulation and immunogenicity studies for the three type III secretion system (TTSS) needle proteins MxiHΔ5, PrgIΔ5 and BsaLΔ5 (each truncated by five residues at its C terminus) as potential candidates for vaccine development. These antigens are found to be thermally stabilized by the presence of carbohydrates and polyols. Additionally, all adsorb readily to aluminum hydroxide apparently through a combination of hydrogen bonds and/or Van der Waals forces. The interaction of these proteins with the aluminum-based adjuvant changes with time to resulting in varying degrees of irreversible binding. Peptide maps of desorbed protein, however, suggest that chemical changes are not responsible for this irreversible association. The ability of MxiHΔ5 and PrgIΔ5 to elicit strong humoral immune responses was tested in a murine model. When administered intramuscularly as monomers, the needle components exhibited dose dependent immunogenic behavior. The polymerized version of MxiH was exceptionally immunogenic even at low doses. The responses of both monomeric and polymerized forms were boosted by adsorption to an aluminum salt adjuvant. PMID:20845448

  16. Reporting, Visualization, and Modeling of Immunogenicity Data to Assess Its Impact on Pharmacokinetics, Efficacy, and Safety of Monoclonal Antibodies.

    PubMed

    Passey, Chaitali; Suryawanshi, Satyendra; Sanghavi, Kinjal; Gupta, Manish

    2018-02-26

    The rapidly increasing number of therapeutic biologics in development has led to a growing recognition of the need for improvements in immunogenicity assessment. Published data are often inadequate to assess the impact of an antidrug antibody (ADA) on pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy, and enable a fully informed decision about patient management in the event of ADA development. The recent introduction of detailed regulatory guidance for industry should help address many past inadequacies in immunogenicity assessment. Nonetheless, careful analysis of gathered data and clear reporting of results are critical to a full understanding of the clinical relevance of ADAs, but have not been widely considered in published literature to date. Here, we review visualization and modeling of immunogenicity data. We present several relatively simple visualization techniques that can provide preliminary information about the kinetics and magnitude of ADA responses, and their impact on pharmacokinetics and clinical endpoints for a given therapeutic protein. We focus on individual sample- and patient-level data, which can be used to build a picture of any trends, thereby guiding analysis of the overall study population. We also discuss methods for modeling ADA data to investigate the impact of immunogenicity on pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety.

  17. Safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of zoster vaccine in subjects on chronic/maintenance corticosteroids.

    PubMed

    Russell, Amy F; Parrino, Janie; Fisher, Chester L; Spieler, Wolfgang; Stek, Jon E; Coll, Kathleen E; Su, Shu-Chih; Xu, Jin; Li, Xiaoming; Schlienger, Katia; Silber, Jeffrey L

    2015-06-17

    This randomized, placebo-controlled study assessed the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of live virus zoster vaccine (ZV) in individuals receiving chronic/maintenance systemic corticosteroid therapy (daily dose equivalent of 5-20mg prednisone) for ≥2 weeks prior to vaccination and ≥6 weeks postvaccination. Subjects were followed for adverse experiences (AEs), exposure to varicella or herpes zoster (HZ), or development of varicella/varicella-like or HZ/HZ-like rashes for 42 days postvaccination (primary safety follow-up period) and for serious AEs (SAEs) through Day 182 postvaccination (secondary follow-up period). Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) antibody titers by glycoprotein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (gpELISA) were measured at baseline and at Week 6 postvaccination. The proportions of subjects reporting systemic AEs and SAEs were similar in both groups. A higher percentage of subjects reported injection-site AEs in the ZV group (21.5%) than in the placebo group (12.1%). One SAE of ophthalmic HZ (onset Day 16 postvaccination) was reported in the ZV group and deemed vaccine-related by the study investigator; however, PCR testing confirmed the presence of wild-type (not vaccine strain) VZV. Geometric mean titer (GMT) at 6 weeks postvaccination was higher for ZV recipients than placebo recipients, with estimated geometric mean fold rises (GMFR) of 2.3 (CI: 2.0, 2.7) and 1.1 (CI: 1.0, 1.2) respectfully. In adults ≥60 years old on chronic/maintenance corticosteroids, ZV was generally well tolerated and immunogenic. The VZV-specific gpELISA antibody GMT at 6 weeks postvaccination and the GMFR from baseline to 6 weeks postvaccination were higher in the ZV group than in the placebo group. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Combined hepatitis A and B vaccines: a review of their immunogenicity and tolerability.

    PubMed

    Murdoch, David L; Goa, Karen; Figgitt, David P

    2003-01-01

    Three combined hepatitis A and B vaccine preparations are commercially available in various countries: a two-dose paediatric formulation (Ambirix) [administered at months 0 and 6-12]; and a three-dose adult (Twinrix Adult) or paediatric (Twinrix Paediatric) formulation (administered at months 0, 1 and 6). The adult vaccine provides consistent, marked immunogenicity which is at least similar to that of its constituent vaccines used together and with a tolerability profile that is possibly improved. An accelerated, day-0, -7 and -21 regimen has also shown immunogenicity similar to that of the monovalent vaccines given concurrently, and now has an emerging role in adults likely to travel to hepatitis A virus (HAV) and/or hepatitis B virus (HBV) endemic regions within 1 month. The adult vaccine appears effective and generally well tolerated when given concurrently with monovalent typhoid vaccine (Typherix). Immunogenicity of the two-dose paediatric vaccine is high and appears to be similar whether administered as a month-0, -6 or month-0, -12 schedule and when compared to that of the three-dose paediatric vaccine (months 0, 1, 6), both of which provide a similar degree of protection to the adult vaccine. Although both preparations also provide high end-of-schedule seroprotection against hepatitis B surface antigen, protection between the first and second doses of the two-dose regimen appears lower than with the three-dose schedule. Therefore, the three-dose paediatric vaccine is a practical option in individuals at risk of immediate exposure to HBV, while the two-dose regimen may have an important function in immunisation programmes in regions where such risk is low. Combined hepatitis A and B vaccines are generally well tolerated. The most frequently reported adverse events in clinical trials were injection-site pain and redness, and general fatigue and headache; most events were mild and transient. Pharmacoeconomic models suggest the combined vaccine is cost

  19. Immunogenicity and safety of 3-dose primary vaccination with combined DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib vaccine in Canadian Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal infants.

    PubMed

    Scheifele, David W; Ferguson, Murdo; Predy, Gerald; Dawar, Meena; Assudani, Deepak; Kuriyakose, Sherine; Van Der Meeren, Olivier; Han, Htay-Htay

    2015-04-15

    This study compared immune responses of healthy Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal infants to Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) components of a DTaP-HBV-IPV/Hib combination vaccine, 1 month after completing dosing at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. Of 112 infants enrolled in each group, 94 Aboriginal and 107 non-Aboriginal infants qualified for the immunogenicity analysis. Anti-PRP concentrations exceeded the protective minimum (≥0.15 μg/ml) in ≥97% of infants in both groups but geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) were higher in Aboriginal infants (6.12 μg/ml versus 3.51 μg/ml). All subjects were seroprotected (anti-HBs ≥10 mIU/mL) against HBV, with groups having similar GMCs (1797.9 versus 1544.4 mIU/mL, Aboriginal versus non-Aboriginal, respectively). No safety concerns were identified. We conclude that 3-dose primary vaccination with DTaP-HBV-IPV/Hib combination vaccine elicited immune responses to Hib and HBV components that were at least as high in Aboriginal as in non-Aboriginal Canadian infants. Clinical Trial Registration NCT00753649. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  20. Efficacy, Immunogenicity, and Safety of a 9-Valent Human Papillomavirus Vaccine: Subgroup Analysis of Participants From Asian Countries

    PubMed Central

    Garland, S M; Pitisuttithum, P; Ngan, H Y S; Cho, C -H; Lee, C -Y; Chen, C -A; Yang, Y C; Chu, T -Y; Twu, N -F; Samakoses, R; Takeuchi, Y; Cheung, T H; Kim, S C; Huang, L -M; Kim, B -G; Kim, Y -T; Kim, K -H; Song, Y -S; Lalwani, S; Kang, J -H; Sakamoto, M; Ryu, H -S; Bhatla, N; Yoshikawa, H; Ellison, M C; Han, S R; Moeller, E; Murata, S; Ritter, M; Sawata, M; Shields, C; Walia, A; Perez, G; Luxembourg, A

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Background A 9-valent human papillomavirus-6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58 (9vHPV) vaccine extends coverage to 5 next most common oncogenic types (31/33/45/52/58) in cervical cancer versus quadrivalent HPV (qHPV) vaccine. We describe efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety in Asian participants (India, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand) from 2 international studies: a randomized, double-blinded, qHPV vaccine-controlled efficacy study (young women aged 16–26 years; NCT00543543; Study 001); and an immunogenicity study (girls and boys aged 9–15 years; NCT00943722; Study 002). Methods Participants (N = 2519) were vaccinated at day 1 and months 2 and 6. Gynecological samples (Study 001 only) and serum were collected for HPV DNA and antibody assessments, respectively. Injection-site and systemic adverse events (AEs) were monitored. Data were analyzed by country and vaccination group. Results 9vHPV vaccine prevented HPV-31/33/45/52/58–related persistent infection with 90.4%–100% efficacy across included countries. At month 7, ≥97.9% of participants seroconverted for each HPV type. Injection-site AEs occurred in 77.7%–83.1% and 81.9%–87.5% of qHPV and 9vHPV vaccine recipients in Study 001, respectively, and 62.4%–85.7% of girls/boys in Study 002; most were mild to moderate. Conclusions The 9vHPV vaccine is efficacious, immunogenic, and well tolerated in Asian participants. Data support 9vHPV vaccination programs in Asia. Clinical Trials Registration NCT00543543; NCT00943722. PMID:29767739

  1. Immunoproteomic and bioinformatic approaches to identify secreted Leishmania amazonensis, L. braziliensis, and L. infantum proteins with specific reactivity using canine serum.

    PubMed

    Lima, B S S; Fialho, L C; Pires, S F; Tafuri, W L; Andrade, H M

    2016-06-15

    Leishmania spp have a wide range of hosts, and each host can harbor several Leishmania species. Dogs, for example, are frequently infected by Leishmania infantum, where they constitute its main reservoir, but they also serve as hosts for L. braziliensis and L. amazonensis. Serological tests for antibody detection are valuable tools for diagnosis of L. infantum infection due to the high levels of antibodies induced, unlike what is observed in L. amazonensis and L. braziliensis infections. Likewise, serology-based antigen-detection can be useful as an approach to diagnose any Leishmania species infection using different corporal fluid samples. Immunogenic and secreted proteins constitute powerful targets for diagnostic methods in antigen detection. As such, we performed immunoproteomic (2-DE, western blot and mass spectrometry) and bioinformatic screening to search for reactive and secreted proteins from L. amazonensis, L. braziliensis, and L. infantum. Twenty-eight non-redundant proteins were identified, among which, six were reactive only in L. amazonensis extracts, 10 in L. braziliensis extracts, and seven in L. infantum extracts. After bioinformatic analysis, seven proteins were predicted to be secreted, two of which were reactive only in L. amazonensis extracts (52kDa PDI and the glucose-regulated protein 78), one in L. braziliensis extracts (pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 beta subunit) and three in L. infantum extracts (two conserved hypothetical proteins and elongation factor 1-beta). We propose that proteins can be suitable targets for diagnostic methods based on antigen detection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Serine Proteases Enhance Immunogenic Antigen Presentation on Lung Cancer Cells.

    PubMed

    Peters, Haley L; Tripathi, Satyendra C; Kerros, Celine; Katayama, Hiroyuki; Garber, Haven R; St John, Lisa S; Federico, Lorenzo; Meraz, Ismail M; Roth, Jack A; Sepesi, Boris; Majidi, Mourad; Ruisaard, Kathryn; Clise-Dwyer, Karen; Roszik, Jason; Gibbons, Don L; Heymach, John V; Swisher, Stephen G; Bernatchez, Chantale; Alatrash, Gheath; Hanash, Samir; Molldrem, Jeffrey J

    2017-04-01

    Immunotherapies targeting immune checkpoints have proven efficacious in reducing the burden of lung cancer in patients; however, the antigenic targets of these reinvigorated T cells remain poorly defined. Lung cancer tumors contain tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) and neutrophils, which release the serine proteases neutrophil elastase (NE) and proteinase 3 (P3) into the tumor microenvironment. NE and P3 shape the antitumor adaptive immune response in breast cancer and melanoma. In this report, we demonstrate that lung cancer cells cross-presented the tumor-associated antigen PR1, derived from NE and P3. Additionally, NE and P3 enhanced the expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules on lung cancer cells and induced unique, endogenous peptides in the immunopeptidome, as detected with mass spectrometry sequencing. Lung cancer patient tissues with high intratumoral TAMs were enriched for MHC class I genes and T-cell markers, and patients with high TAM and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) infiltration had improved overall survival. We confirmed the immunogenicity of unique, endogenous peptides with cytotoxicity assays against lung cancer cell lines, using CTLs from healthy donors that had been expanded against select peptides. Finally, CTLs specific for serine proteases-induced endogenous peptides were detected in lung cancer patients using peptide/HLA-A2 tetramers and were elevated in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Thus, serine proteases in the tumor microenvironment of lung cancers promote the presentation of HLA class I immunogenic peptides that are expressed by lung cancer cells, thereby increasing the antigen repertoire that can be targeted in lung cancer. Cancer Immunol Res; 5(4); 319-29. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  3. Stress-Induced Acoustic Variation in L2 and L1 Spanish Vowels.

    PubMed

    Romanelli, Sofía; Menegotto, Andrea; Smyth, Ron

    2018-05-28

    We assessed the effect of lexical stress on the duration and quality of Spanish word-final vowels /a, e, o/ produced by American English late intermediate learners of L2 Spanish, as compared to those of native L1 Argentine Spanish speakers. Participants read 54 real words ending in /a, e, o/, with either final or penultimate lexical stress, embedded in a text and a word list. We measured vowel duration and both F1 and F2 frequencies at 3 temporal points. stressed vowels were longer than unstressed vowels, in Spanish L1 and L2. L1 and L2 Spanish stressed /a/ and /e/ had higher F1 values than their unstressed counterparts. Only the L2 speakers showed evidence of rising offglides for /e/ and /o/. The L2 and L1 Spanish vowel space was compressed in the absence of stress. Lexical stress affected the vowel quality of L1 and L2 Spanish vowels. We provide an up-to-date account of the formant trajectories of Argentine River Plate Spanish word-final /a, e, o/ and offer experimental support to the claim that stress affects the quality of Spanish vowels in word-final contexts. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  4. Enhanced immunogenicity of an oral inactivated cholera vaccine in infants in Bangladesh obtained by zinc supplementation and by temporary withholding breast-feeding.

    PubMed

    Ahmed, Tanvir; Svennerholm, Ann-Mari; Al Tarique, Abdullah; Sultana, Gazi N N; Qadri, Firdausi

    2009-02-25

    The killed oral cholera vaccine Dukoral is recommended for adults and only children over 2 years of age, although cholera is seen frequently in younger children and there is an urgent need for a vaccine for them. Since decreased immunogenicity of oral vaccines in children in developing countries is a critical problem, we tested interventions to enhance responses to Dukoral. We evaluated the effect on the immune responses by temporarily withholding breast-feeding or by giving zinc supplementation. Two doses of Dukoral consisting of killed cholera vibrios and cholera B subunit were given to 6-18 months old Bangladeshi children (n=340) and safety and immunogenicity studied. Our results showed that two doses of the vaccine were safe and induced antibacterial (vibriocidal) antibody responses in 57% and antitoxin responses in 85% of the children. Immune responses were comparable after intake of one and two doses. Temporary withholding breast-feeding for 3 h before immunization or supplementation with 20 mg of zinc per day for 42 days resulted in increased magnitude of vibriocidal antibodies (77% and 79% responders, respectively). Administration of vaccines without buffer or in water did not result in reduction of vibriocidal responses. This study demonstrates that the vaccine is safe and immunogenic in children under 2 years of age and that simple interventions can enhance immune responses in young children.

  5. Immunogenicity and thermal stability of a combined vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae type b and Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C diseases.

    PubMed

    Saydam, Manolya; Burkin, Karena; Care, Rory; Rigsby, Peter; Bolgiano, Barbara; Mawas, Fatme

    2010-08-31

    The immunogenicity, structure and stability of a combined conjugate vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae type b and meningococcal serogroup C (Hib/MenC) were investigated. A rat model for immunogenicity showed that antibody responses to Hib and MenC in the combined vaccine were similar to or higher than those of individual conjugates given alone, or concomitantly at separate sites. At elevated temperatures, the combination vaccine was slightly more stable than a monovalent Hib-TT vaccine, with respect to molecular size, which could be attributed to differences in the formulations. Following 5 weeks incubation at 56 degrees C, there was some dissociation of high molecular weight conjugate without significant loss of saccharide integrity; however, this did not significantly affect the vaccine immunogenicity, demonstrating the stability of this lyophilized vaccine. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Immunogenicity and Safety of the New Inactivated Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine Vaxigrip Tetra: Preliminary Results in Children ≥6 Months and Older Adults

    PubMed Central

    Montomoli, Emanuele; Torelli, Alessandro; Gianchecchi, Elena

    2018-01-01

    Since the mid-1980s, two lineages of influenza B viruses have been distinguished. These can co-circulate, limiting the protection provided by inactivated trivalent influenza vaccines (TIVs). This has prompted efforts to formulate quadrivalent influenza vaccines (QIVs), to enhance protection against circulating influenza B viruses. This review describes the results obtained from seven phase III clinical trials evaluating the immunogenicity, safety, and lot-to-lot consistency of a new quadrivalent split-virion influenza vaccine (Vaxigrip Tetra®) formulated by adding a second B strain to the already licensed TIV. Since Vaxigrip Tetra was developed by means of a manufacturing process strictly related to that used for TIV, the data on the safety profile of TIV are considered supportive of that of Vaxigrip Tetra. The safety and immunogenicity of Vaxigrip Tetra were similar to those of the corresponding licensed TIV. Moreover, the new vaccine elicits a superior immune response towards the additional strain, without affecting immunogenicity towards the other three strains. Vaxigrip Tetra is well tolerated, has aroused no safety concerns, and is recommended for the active immunization of individuals aged ≥6 months. In addition, preliminary data confirm its immunogenicity and safety even in children aged 6–35 months and its immunogenicity in older subjects (aged 66–80 years). PMID:29518013

  7. Sub-clonal analysis of the murine C1498 acute myeloid leukaemia cell line reveals genomic and immunogenic diversity.

    PubMed

    Driss, Virginie; Leprêtre, Frédéric; Briche, Isabelle; Mopin, Alexia; Villenet, Céline; Figeac, Martin; Quesnel, Bruno; Brinster, Carine

    2017-12-01

    In acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)-affected patients, the presence of heterogeneous sub-clones at diagnosis has been shown to be responsible for minimal residual disease and relapses. The role played by the immune system in this leukaemic sub-clonal hierarchy and maintenance remains unknown. As leukaemic sub-clone immunogenicity could not be evaluated in human AML xenograft models, we assessed the sub-clonal diversity of the murine C1498 AML cell line and the immunogenicity of its sub-clones in immune-competent syngeneic mice. The murine C1498 cell line was cultured in vitro and sub-clonal cells were generated after limiting dilution. The genomic profiles of 6 different sub-clones were analysed by comparative genomic hybridization arrays (CGH). The sub-clones were then injected into immune-deficient and - competent syngeneic mice. The immunogenicities of the sub-clones was evaluated through 1) assessment of mouse survival, 2) determination of leukaemic cell infiltration into organs by flow cytometry and the expression of a fluorescent reporter gene, 3) assessment of the CTL response ex vivo and 4) detection of residual leukaemic cells in the organs via amplification of the genomic reporter gene by real-time PCR (qPCR). Genomic analyses revealed heterogeneity among the parental cell line and its derived sub-clones. When injected individually into immune-deficient mice, all sub-clones induced cases of AML with different kinetics. However, when administered into immune-competent animals, some sub-clones triggered AML in which no mice survived, whereas others elicited reduced lethality rates. The AML-surviving mice presented efficient anti-leukaemia CTL activity ex vivo and eliminated the leukaemic cells in vivo. We showed that C1498 cell sub-clones presented genomic heterogeneity and differential immunogenicity resulting either in immune escape or elimination. Such findings could have potent implications for new immunotherapeutic strategies in patients with AML

  8. L1 English/L2 Spanish: Orthography-Phonology Activation without Contrasts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shea, Christine

    2017-01-01

    We consider how orthography activates sounds that are in a noncontrastive relationship in the second language (L2) and for which only one variant exists in the first language (L1). Participants were L1 English / L2 Spanish and native Spanish listeners. Intervocalically, Spanish graphemes "b d g" correspond phonetically to stops and…

  9. Safety and immunogenicity of modified vaccinia Ankara in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients: a randomized, controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Walsh, Stephen R; Wilck, Marissa B; Dominguez, David J; Zablowsky, Elise; Bajimaya, Shringkhala; Gagne, Lisa S; Verrill, Kelly A; Kleinjan, Jane A; Patel, Alka; Zhang, Ying; Hill, Heather; Acharyya, Aruna; Fisher, David C; Antin, Joseph H; Seaman, Michael S; Dolin, Raphael; Baden, Lindsey R

    2013-06-15

    Modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA-BN, IMVAMUNE) is emerging as a primary immunogen and as a delivery system to treat or prevent a wide range of diseases. Defining the safety and immunogenicity of MVA-BN in key populations is therefore important. We performed a dose-escalation study of MVA-BN administered subcutaneously in 2 doses, one on day 0 and another on day 28. Twenty-four hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients were enrolled sequentially into the study, and vaccine or placebo was administered under a randomized, double-blind allocation. Ten subjects received vaccine containing 10(7) median tissue culture infective doses (TCID50) of MVA-BN, 10 subjects received vaccine containing 10(8) TCID50 of MVA-BN, and 4 subjects received placebo. MVA-BN was generally well tolerated at both doses. No vaccine-related serious adverse events were identified. Transient local reactogenicity was more frequently seen at the higher dose. Neutralizing antibodies (NAb) to Vaccinia virus (VACV) were elicited by both doses of MVA-BN and were greater for the higher dose. Median peak anti-VACV NAb titers were 1:49 in the lower-dose group and 1:118 in the higher-dose group. T-cell immune responses to VACV were detected by an interferon γ enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay and were higher in the higher-dose group. MVA-BN is safe, well tolerated, and immunogenic in HSCT recipients. These data support the use of 10(8) TCID50 of MVA-BN in this population. NCT00565929.

  10. The L2 Motivational Self System and L2 Achievement: A Study of Saudi EFL Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moskovsky, Christo; Assulaimani, Turki; Racheva, Silvia; Harkins, Jean

    2016-01-01

    The research reported in this article explores the relationship between Dörnyei's (2005, 2009) Second Language Motivational Self System (L2MSS) and the L2 proficiency level of Saudi learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). Male and female participants (N = 360) responded to a questionnaire relating to the main components of L2MSS, the…

  11. Safety and immunogenicity of a recombinant parvovirus B19 vaccine formulated with MF59C.1.

    PubMed

    Ballou, W Ripley; Reed, Jennifer L; Noble, William; Young, Neal S; Koenig, Scott

    2003-02-15

    A recombinant human parvovirus B19 vaccine (MEDI-491; MedImmune) composed of the VP1 and VP2 capsid proteins and formulated with MF59C.1 adjuvant was evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, phase 1 trial. Parvovirus B19-seronegative adults (n=24) received either 2.5 or 25 microg MEDI-491 at 0, 1, and 6 months. MEDI-491 was safe and immunogenic. All volunteers developed neutralizing antibody titers that peaked after the third immunization and were sustained through study day 364.

  12. L1 Use in L2 Vocabulary Learning: Facilitator or Barrier

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Jing

    2008-01-01

    Based on empirical research and qualitative analysis, this paper aims to explore the effects of L1 use on L2 vocabulary teaching. The results show that, during L2 vocabulary teaching process, the proper application of L1 can effectively facilitate the memorization of new words, and the bilingual method (both English explanation and Chinese…

  13. [Eukaryotic Expression and Immunogenic Research of Recombination Ebola Virus Membrane Protein Gp-Fc].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiaoguang; Yang, Ren; Wang, Jiao; Wang, Xuan; Hou, Mieling; An, Lina; Zhu, Ying; Cao, Yuxi; Zeng, Yi

    2016-01-01

    We used 293 cells to express the recombinant membrane protein of the Ebola virus. Then, the immunogenicity of the recombinant protein was studied by immunized BALB/c mice. According to the codon use frequency of humans, the gene encoding the extracellular domain of the Ebola virus membrane protein was optimized, synthesized, and inserted into the eukaryotic expression plasmid pXG-Fc to construct the human IgG Fc and Ebola GP fusion protein expression plasmid pXG-modGP-Fc. To achieve expression, the fusion protein expression vector was transfected into high-density 293 cells using transient transfection technology. The recombinant protein was purified by protein A affinity chromatography. BALB/c mice were immunized with the purified fusion protein, and serum antibody titers evaluated by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Purification and analyses of the protein revealed that the eukaryotic expression vector could express the recombinant protein GP-Fc effectively, and that the recombinant protein in the supernatant of the cell culture was present as a dimer. After immunization with the purified recombinant protein, a high titer of antigen-specific IgG could be detected in the serum of immunized mice by indirect ELISA, showing that the recombinant protein had good immunogenicity. These data suggest that we obtained a recombinant protein with good immunogenicity. Our study is the basis for development of a vaccine against the Ebola virus and for screening of monoclonal antibodies.

  14. Transfer and Semantic Universals in the L2 Acquisition of the English Article System by Child L2 Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morales-Reyes, Alexandra; Soler, Inmaculada Gómez

    2016-01-01

    L2 learners' problems with English articles have been linked to learners' L1 and their access to universal semantic features (e.g., definiteness and specificity). Studies suggest that L2 adults rely on their L1 knowledge, while child L2 learners rely more on their access to semantic universals. The present study investigates whether child L2

  15. Seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus in Mumbai, and immunogenicity and safety of hepatitis A vaccine.

    PubMed

    Dhawan, P S; Shah, S S; Alvares, J F; Kher, A; Shankaran; Kandoth, P W; Sheth, P N; Kamath, H; Kamath, A; Koppikar, G V; Kalro, R H

    1998-01-01

    Since epidemiologic trends of hepatitis A are changing worldwide, we studied its seroprevalence in Mumbai, which is thought to be a high-endemicity area. The immunogenicity and safety of a hepatitis A vaccine were also studied. Six hundred and seventy subjects (456 men; age range 6 mo-60 y) answered a questionnaire on social and medical history. Qualitative analysis of total anti-HAV was performed in all subjects by ELISA. One hundred and seven of 147 anti-HAV negative subjects received hepatitis A vaccine at months 0, 1 and 6. Subjects were followed up (months 1, 2, 6, 7) to look for side-effects and seroconversion. The seroprevalence of HAV was 523/670 (78%); 38% of children < 5 years were anti-HAV negative. Seroprevalence rates of 80% were reached by 15 years. Prevalence was lower in the higher socio-economic group (151/234; 64.5%) compared with the lower socio-economic group (372/436; 85%) (p < 0.001). One month after doses 1, 2 and 3 of the hepatitis A vaccine, seropositivity was 92%, 99% and 100%, respectively. Minor self-limited side-effects occurred in 19.5% of subjects; there were no major side-effects. The seroprevalence of anti-HAV is high in Mumbai. Seroprevalence is lower in the higher socio-economic groups. The hepatitis A vaccine is safe and immunogenic.

  16. Assessing the potency and immunogenicity of inactivated poliovirus vaccine after exposure to freezing temperatures.

    PubMed

    White, Jessica A; Estrada, Marcus; Weldon, William C; Chumakov, Konstantin; Kouiavskaia, Diana; Fournier-Caruana, Jacqueline; Stevens, Eric; Gary, Howard E; Maes, Edmond F; Oberste, M Steven; Snider, Cynthia J; Anand, Abhijeet; Chen, Dexiang

    2018-05-01

    According to manufacturers, inactivated poliovirus vaccines (IPVs) are freeze sensitive and require storage between 2°C and 8°C, whereas oral poliovirus vaccine requires storage at -20 °C. Introducing IPV into ongoing immunization services might result in accidental exposure to freezing temperatures and potential loss of vaccine potency. To better understand the effect of freezing IPVs, samples of single-dose vaccine vials from Statens Serum Institut (VeroPol) and multi-dose vaccine vials from Sanofi Pasteur (IPOL) were exposed to freezing temperatures mimicking what a vaccine vial might encounter in the field. D-antigen content was measured to determine the in vitro potency by ELISA. Immunogenicity testing was conducted for a subset of exposed IPVs using the rat model. Freezing VeroPol had no detectable effect on in vitro potency (D-antigen content) in all exposures tested. Freezing of the IPOL vaccine for 7 days at -20 °C showed statistically significant decreases in D-antigen content by ELISA in poliovirus type 1 (p < 0.0001) and type 3 (p = 0.048). Reduction of poliovirus type 2 potency also approached significance (p = 0.062). The observed loss in D-antigen content did not affect immunogenicity in the rat model. Further work is required to determine the significance of the loss observed and the implications for vaccine handling policies and practices. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  17. Structure-Based Design of a Soluble Prefusion-Closed HIV-1 Env Trimer with Reduced CD4 Affinity and Improved Immunogenicity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chuang, Gwo-Yu; Geng, Hui; Pancera, Marie

    ABSTRACT The HIV-1 envelope (Env) trimer is a target for vaccine design as well as a conformational machine that facilitates virus entry by transitioning between prefusion-closed, CD4-bound, and coreceptor-bound conformations by transitioning into a postfusion state. Vaccine designers have sought to restrict the conformation of the HIV-1 Env trimer to its prefusion-closed state as this state is recognized by most broadly neutralizing, but not nonneutralizing, antibodies. We previously identified a disulfide bond, I201C-A433C (DS), which stabilizes Env in the vaccine-desired prefusion-closed state. When placed into the context of BG505 SOSIP.664, a soluble Env trimer mimic developed by Sanders, Moore, andmore » colleagues, the engineered DS-SOSIP trimer showed reduced conformational triggering by CD4. Here, we further stabilize DS-SOSIP through a combination of structure-based design and 96-well-based expression and antigenic assessment. From 103 designs, we identified one, named DS-SOSIP.4mut, with four additional mutations at the interface of potentially mobile domains of the prefusion-closed structure. We also determined the crystal structures of DS-SOSIP.4mut at 4.1-Å resolution and of an additional DS-SOSIP.6mut variant at 4.3-Å resolution, and these confirmed the formation of engineered disulfide bonds. Notably, DS-SOSIP.4mut elicited a higher ratio of tier 2 autologous titers versus tier 1 V3-sensitive titers than BG505 SOSIP.664. DS-SOSIP.4mut also showed reduced recognition of CD4 and increased thermostability. The improved antigenicity, thermostability, and immunogenicity of DS-SOSIP.4mut suggest utility as an immunogen or a serologic probe; moreover, the specific four alterations identified here, M154, M300, M302, and L320 (4mut), can also be transferred to other HIV-1 Env trimers of interest to improve their properties. IMPORTANCEOne approach to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV-1 is to stabilize the structurally flexible HIV-1

  18. L1000CDS2: LINCS L1000 characteristic direction signatures search engine.

    PubMed

    Duan, Qiaonan; Reid, St Patrick; Clark, Neil R; Wang, Zichen; Fernandez, Nicolas F; Rouillard, Andrew D; Readhead, Ben; Tritsch, Sarah R; Hodos, Rachel; Hafner, Marc; Niepel, Mario; Sorger, Peter K; Dudley, Joel T; Bavari, Sina; Panchal, Rekha G; Ma'ayan, Avi

    2016-01-01

    The library of integrated network-based cellular signatures (LINCS) L1000 data set currently comprises of over a million gene expression profiles of chemically perturbed human cell lines. Through unique several intrinsic and extrinsic benchmarking schemes, we demonstrate that processing the L1000 data with the characteristic direction (CD) method significantly improves signal to noise compared with the MODZ method currently used to compute L1000 signatures. The CD processed L1000 signatures are served through a state-of-the-art web-based search engine application called L1000CDS 2 . The L1000CDS 2 search engine provides prioritization of thousands of small-molecule signatures, and their pairwise combinations, predicted to either mimic or reverse an input gene expression signature using two methods. The L1000CDS 2 search engine also predicts drug targets for all the small molecules profiled by the L1000 assay that we processed. Targets are predicted by computing the cosine similarity between the L1000 small-molecule signatures and a large collection of signatures extracted from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) for single-gene perturbations in mammalian cells. We applied L1000CDS 2 to prioritize small molecules that are predicted to reverse expression in 670 disease signatures also extracted from GEO, and prioritized small molecules that can mimic expression of 22 endogenous ligand signatures profiled by the L1000 assay. As a case study, to further demonstrate the utility of L1000CDS 2 , we collected expression signatures from human cells infected with Ebola virus at 30, 60 and 120 min. Querying these signatures with L1000CDS 2 we identified kenpaullone, a GSK3B/CDK2 inhibitor that we show, in subsequent experiments, has a dose-dependent efficacy in inhibiting Ebola infection in vitro without causing cellular toxicity in human cell lines. In summary, the L1000CDS 2 tool can be applied in many biological and biomedical settings, while improving the extraction of

  19. L1000CDS2: LINCS L1000 characteristic direction signatures search engine

    PubMed Central

    Duan, Qiaonan; Reid, St Patrick; Clark, Neil R; Wang, Zichen; Fernandez, Nicolas F; Rouillard, Andrew D; Readhead, Ben; Tritsch, Sarah R; Hodos, Rachel; Hafner, Marc; Niepel, Mario; Sorger, Peter K; Dudley, Joel T; Bavari, Sina; Panchal, Rekha G; Ma’ayan, Avi

    2016-01-01

    The library of integrated network-based cellular signatures (LINCS) L1000 data set currently comprises of over a million gene expression profiles of chemically perturbed human cell lines. Through unique several intrinsic and extrinsic benchmarking schemes, we demonstrate that processing the L1000 data with the characteristic direction (CD) method significantly improves signal to noise compared with the MODZ method currently used to compute L1000 signatures. The CD processed L1000 signatures are served through a state-of-the-art web-based search engine application called L1000CDS2. The L1000CDS2 search engine provides prioritization of thousands of small-molecule signatures, and their pairwise combinations, predicted to either mimic or reverse an input gene expression signature using two methods. The L1000CDS2 search engine also predicts drug targets for all the small molecules profiled by the L1000 assay that we processed. Targets are predicted by computing the cosine similarity between the L1000 small-molecule signatures and a large collection of signatures extracted from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) for single-gene perturbations in mammalian cells. We applied L1000CDS2 to prioritize small molecules that are predicted to reverse expression in 670 disease signatures also extracted from GEO, and prioritized small molecules that can mimic expression of 22 endogenous ligand signatures profiled by the L1000 assay. As a case study, to further demonstrate the utility of L1000CDS2, we collected expression signatures from human cells infected with Ebola virus at 30, 60 and 120 min. Querying these signatures with L1000CDS2 we identified kenpaullone, a GSK3B/CDK2 inhibitor that we show, in subsequent experiments, has a dose-dependent efficacy in inhibiting Ebola infection in vitro without causing cellular toxicity in human cell lines. In summary, the L1000CDS2 tool can be applied in many biological and biomedical settings, while improving the extraction of knowledge

  20. Immunogenicity and safety of a tetravalent E. coli O-antigen bioconjugate vaccine in animal models.

    PubMed

    van den Dobbelsteen, Germie P J M; Faé, Kellen C; Serroyen, Jan; van den Nieuwenhof, Ingrid M; Braun, Martin; Haeuptle, Micha A; Sirena, Dominique; Schneider, Joerg; Alaimo, Cristina; Lipowsky, Gerd; Gambillara-Fonck, Veronica; Wacker, Michael; Poolman, Jan T

    2016-07-29

    Extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) are major human pathogens; however, no protective vaccine is currently available. We assessed in animal models the immunogenicity and safety of a 4-valent E. coli conjugate vaccine (ExPEC-4V, serotypes O1, O2, O6 and O25 conjugated to Exotoxin A from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (EPA)) produced using a novel in vivo bioconjugation method. Three doses of ExPEC-4V (with or without aluminum hydroxide) were administered to rabbits (2μg or 20μg per O-antigen, subcutaneously), mice (0.2μg or 2μg per O-antigen, subcutaneously) and rats (0.4μg or 4μg per O-antigen, intramuscularly). Antibody persistence and boostability were evaluated in rats using O6-EPA monovalent conjugate (0.4μg O-antigen/dose, intramuscularly). Toxicity was assessed in rats (16μg total polysaccharide, intramuscularly). Serum IgG and IgM antibodies were measured by ELISA. Robust antigen-specific IgG responses were observed in all animal models, with increased responses in rabbits when administered with adjuvant. O antigen-specific antibody responses persisted up to 168days post-priming. Booster immunization induced a rapid recall response. Toxicity of ExPEC-4V when administered to rats was considered to be at the no observed adverse effect level. ExPEC-4V conjugate vaccine showed good immunogenicity and tolerability in animal models supporting progression to clinical evaluation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Immunogenicity of a live-attenuated human rotavirus RIX4414 vaccine with or without buffering agent.

    PubMed

    Kerdpanich, Angkool; Chokephaibulkit, Kulkanya; Watanaveeradej, Veerachai; Vanprapar, Nirun; Simasathien, Sriluck; Phavichitr, Nopaorn; Bock, Hans L; Damaso, Silvia; Hutagalung, Yanee; Han, Htay-Htay

    2010-03-26

    The lyophilized form of the human rotavirus RIX4414 vaccine (Rotarix()) is usually reconstituted with a liquid calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) buffer and administered orally. However, errors in the reconstitution could occur (e.g. reconstituted with water instead of CaCO(3) buffer) or the buffer might be temporarily unavailable in few instances. This study was conducted to evaluate the immunogenicity of the RIX4414 vaccine if the vaccine was reconstituted with other agents (e.g., water) instead of CaCO(3) buffer. There was no statistical difference detected between RIX4414 vaccine reconstituted with buffer or water in vaccine take or in seroconversion rate. The anti-rotavirus Immunoglobulin A (IgA) seroconversion rate 2 months post-Dose 2 was 84.7% (95% CI: 78.1-90.0) for the group with buffer and 78.6% (95% CI: 71.2-84.8) for the group with water. Solicited and unsolicited symptoms reported were similar across groups. No vaccine related serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported. Healthy infants aged 6-12 weeks, received two oral doses of the RIX4414 vaccine/placebo, reconstituted either with injectable water or CaCO(3) buffer according to a 0, 2 month schedule. Seroconversion rates in terms of anti-RV IgA antibody levels (cut off: >/=20 U/ml by ELISA) and vaccine take were calculated 2 months post-Dose 2. Solicited and unsolicited symptoms reported during the 15- and 31-day follow-up period after each dose and SAE s reported during the entire study period were recorded. Administration of RIX4414 vaccine in the absence of CaCO(3) buffer was shown to be well tolerated and immunogenic in Thai infants.

  2. Transposon mutagenesis of probiotic Lactobacillus casei identifies asnH, an asparagine synthetase gene involved in its immune-activating capacity.

    PubMed

    Ito, Masahiro; Kim, Yun-Gi; Tsuji, Hirokazu; Takahashi, Takuya; Kiwaki, Mayumi; Nomoto, Koji; Danbara, Hirofumi; Okada, Nobuhiko

    2014-01-01

    Lactobacillus casei ATCC 27139 enhances host innate immunity, and the J1 phage-resistant mutants of this strain lose the activity. A transposon insertion mutant library of L. casei ATCC 27139 was constructed, and nine J1 phage-resistant mutants out of them were obtained. Cloning and sequencing analyses identified three independent genes that were disrupted by insertion of the transposon element: asnH, encoding asparagine synthetase, and dnaJ and dnaK, encoding the molecular chaperones DnaJ and DnaK, respectively. Using an in vivo mouse model of Listeria infection, only asnH mutant showed deficiency in their ability to enhance host innate immunity, and complementation of the mutation by introduction of the wild-type asnH in the mutant strain recovered the immuno-augmenting activity. AsnH protein exhibited asparagine synthetase activity when the lysozyme-treated cell wall extracts of L. casei ATCC 27139 was added as substrate. The asnH mutants lost the thick and rigid peptidoglycan features that are characteristic to the wild-type cells, indicating that AsnH of L. casei is involved in peptidoglycan biosynthesis. These results indicate that asnH is required for the construction of the peptidoglycan composition involved in the immune-activating capacity of L. casei ATCC 27139.

  3. Priming effect of dengue and yellow fever vaccination on the immunogenicity, infectivity, and safety of a tetravalent dengue vaccine in humans.

    PubMed

    Qiao, Ming; Shaw, David; Forrat, Remi; Wartel-Tram, Anh; Lang, Jean

    2011-10-01

    A dengue vaccine effective against all four serotypes is urgently needed. However, safety and immunogenicity could be affected by prior exposure to flaviviruses. This open, controlled, phase IIa study was conducted in 35 healthy adults who had received monovalent, live attenuated Vero cell-derived dengue vaccine against dengue virus 1 (VDV1) or 2 (VDV2) or yellow fever (YF) vaccine 1 year before or who were flavivirus-naïve. All participants received one subcutaneous injection of tetravalent dengue vaccine (TDV) and were followed for 180 days. Previous vaccination did not increase reactogenicity, laboratory abnormalities, or incidence of vaccine viremia, but it did increase the neutralizing antibody response to dengue virus that persisted at day 180. There was no increase in YF antibodies in participants previously immunized with YF vaccine. Prior exposure to YF or monovalent dengue vaccines had no adverse effects on the safety or incidence of viremia associated with this TDV, but it increased immunogenicity.

  4. Immunogenicity and safety of a new meningococcal A conjugate vaccine in Indian children aged 2-10 years: a phase II/III double-blind randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Hirve, Siddhivinayak; Bavdekar, Ashish; Pandit, Anand; Juvekar, Sanjay; Patil, Malini; Preziosi, Marie-Pierre; Tang, Yuxiao; Marchetti, Elisa; Martellet, Lionel; Findlow, Helen; Elie, Cheryl; Parulekar, Varsha; Plikaytis, Brian; Borrow, Ray; Carlone, George; Kulkarni, Prasad S; Goel, Akshay; Suresh, Karupothula; Beri, Suresh; Kapre, Subhash; Jadhav, Suresh; Preaud, Jean-Marie; Viviani, Simonetta; LaForce, F Marc

    2012-10-05

    This study compares the immunogenicity and safety of a single dose of a new meningococcal A conjugate vaccine (PsA-TT, MenAfriVac™, Serum Institute of India Ltd., Pune) against the meningococcal group A component of a licensed quadrivalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PsACWY, Mencevax ACWY(®), GSK, Belgium) 28 days after vaccination in Indian children. This double-blind, randomized, controlled study included 340 Indian children aged 2-10 years enrolled from August to October 2007; 169 children received a dose of PsA-TT while 171 children received a dose of PsACWY. Intention-to-treat analysis showed that 95.2% of children in PsA-TT group had a ≥4-fold response in serum bactericidal titers (rSBA) 28 days post vaccination as compared to 78.2% in the PsACWY group. A significantly higher rSBA GMT (11,209, 95%CI 9708-12,942) was noted in the PsA-TT group when compared to PsACWY group (2838, 95%CI 2368-3401). Almost all children in both vaccine groups had a ≥4-fold response in group A-specific IgG concentration but the IgG GMC was significantly greater in the PsA-TT group (89.1 μg/ml, 95%CI 75.5-105.0) when compared to the PsACWY group (15.3 μg/ml, 95%CI 12.3-19.2). Local and systemic reactions during the 4 days after immunization were similar for both vaccine groups except for tenderness (30.2% in PsA-TT group vs 12.3% in PsACWY group). None of the adverse events or serious adverse events was related to the study vaccines. We conclude that MenAfriVac™ is well tolerated and significantly more immunogenic when compared to a licensed polysaccharide vaccine, in 2-to-10-year-old Indian children. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. A Microneedle Patch for Measles and Rubella Vaccination Is Immunogenic and Protective in Infant Rhesus Macaques.

    PubMed

    Joyce, Jessica C; Carroll, Timothy D; Collins, Marcus L; Chen, Min-Hsin; Fritts, Linda; Dutra, Joseph C; Rourke, Tracy L; Goodson, James L; McChesney, Michael B; Prausnitz, Mark R; Rota, Paul A

    2018-04-26

    New methods to increase measles and rubella (MR) vaccination coverage are needed to achieve global and regional MR elimination goals. Here, we developed microneedle (MN) patches designed to administer MR vaccine by minimally trained personnel, leave no biohazardous sharps waste, remove the need for vaccine reconstitution, and provide thermostability outside the cold chain. This study evaluated the immunogenicity of MN patches delivering MR vaccine to infant rhesus macaques. Protective titers of measles neutralizing antibodies (>120 mIU/mL) were detected in 100% of macaques in the MN group and 75% of macaques in the subcutaneous (SC) injection group. Rubella neutralizing antibody titers were >10 IU/mL for all groups. All macaques in the MN group were protected from challenge with wild-type measles virus, whereas 75% were protected in the SC group. However, vaccination by the MN or SC route was unable to generate protective immune responses to measles in infant macaques pretreated with measles immunoglobulin to simulate maternal antibody. These results show, for the first time, that MR vaccine delivered by MN patch generated protective titers of neutralizing antibodies to both measles and rubella in infant rhesus macaques and afforded complete protection from measles virus challenge.

  6. Gaming as Extramural English L2 Learning and L2 Proficiency among Young Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sylven, Liss Kerstin; Sundqvist, Pia

    2012-01-01

    Today, playing digital games is an important part of many young people's everyday lives. Claims have been made that certain games, in particular massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) provide L2 English learners with a linguistically rich and cognitively challenging virtual environment that may be conducive to L2 learning, as…

  7. A phase 1, open-label, randomized study to compare the immunogenicity and safety of different administration routes and doses of virosomal influenza vaccine in elderly.

    PubMed

    Levin, Yotam; Kochba, Efrat; Shukarev, Georgi; Rusch, Sarah; Herrera-Taracena, Guillermo; van Damme, Pierre

    2016-10-17

    Influenza remains a significant problem in elderly despite widespread vaccination coverage. This randomized, phase-I study in elderly compared different strategies of improving vaccine immunogenicity. A total of 370 healthy participants (⩾65years) were randomized equally 1:1:1:1:1:1 to six influenza vaccine treatments (approximately 60-63 participants per treatment arm) at day 1 that consisted of three investigational virosomal vaccine formulations at doses of 7.5, 15, and 45μg HA antigen/strain administered intradermally (ID) by MicronJet600™ microneedle device (NanoPass Technologies) or intramuscularly (IM), and three comparator registered seasonal vaccines; Inflexal V™ (Janssen) and MF59 adjuvanted Fluad™ (Novartis) administered IM and Intanza™ (Sanofi Pasteur) administered ID via Soluvia™ prefilled microinjection system (BD). Serological evaluations were performed at days 22 and 90 and safety followed-up for 6months. Intradermal delivery of virosomal vaccine using MicronJet600™ resulted in significantly higher immunogenicity than the equivalent dose of virosomal Inflexal V™ administered intramuscularly across most of the parameters and strains, as well as in some of the readouts and strains as compared with the 45μg dose of virosomal vaccine formulation. Of 370 participants, 300 (81.1%) reported ⩾1 adverse event (AE); more participants reported solicited local AEs (72.2%) than solicited systemic AEs (12.2%). Intradermal delivery significantly improved influenza vaccine immunogenicity compared with intramuscular delivery. Triple dose (45μg) virosomal vaccine did not demonstrate any benefit on vaccine's immunogenicity over 15μg commercial presentation. All treatments were generally safe and well-tolerated. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  8. Size, Shape, and Sequence-Dependent Immunogenicity of RNA Nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Guo, Sijin; Li, Hui; Ma, Mengshi; Fu, Jian; Dong, Yizhou; Guo, Peixuan

    2017-12-15

    RNA molecules have emerged as promising therapeutics. Like all other drugs, the safety profile and immune response are important criteria for drug evaluation. However, the literature on RNA immunogenicity has been controversial. Here, we used the approach of RNA nanotechnology to demonstrate that the immune response of RNA nanoparticles is size, shape, and sequence dependent. RNA triangle, square, pentagon, and tetrahedron with same shape but different sizes, or same size but different shapes were used as models to investigate the immune response. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by these RNA nanoarchitectures were assessed in macrophage-like cells and animals. It was found that RNA polygons without extension at the vertexes were immune inert. However, when single-stranded RNA with a specific sequence was extended from the vertexes of RNA polygons, strong immune responses were detected. These immunostimulations are sequence specific, because some other extended sequences induced little or no immune response. Additionally, larger-size RNA square induced stronger cytokine secretion. 3D RNA tetrahedron showed stronger immunostimulation than planar RNA triangle. These results suggest that the immunogenicity of RNA nanoparticles is tunable to produce either a minimal immune response that can serve as safe therapeutic vectors, or a strong immune response for cancer immunotherapy or vaccine adjuvants. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. On the Effects of L2 on Iranian Bilinguals' L1 Writing Ability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Agheshteh, Hessam

    2015-01-01

    While the effects of L1 on L2 have been extensively investigated, the effects of L2 on L1 have been largely ignored. The present study attempted to address this issue by investigating the effects of L2 English on Iranian Bilinguals' L1 writing ability. For this end, 61 participants, 30 bilinguals and 31 monolinguals, were assessed on an…

  10. Elaborations on L2 Interactional Competence: The Development of L2 Grammar-for-Interaction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pekarek Doehler, Simona

    2018-01-01

    This paper argues for a broadening of the analytic scope of research on L2 interactional competence so as to embrace systematic investigation of the linguistic resources that L2 speakers put to use for the specific purpose of coordinating social interaction. The paper first offers a conceptualisation of interactional competence in terms of…

  11. Representation and Embodiment of Meaning in L2 Communication: Motion Events in the Speech and Gesture of Advanced L2 Korean and L2 English Speakers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Choi, Soojung; Lantolf, James P.

    2008-01-01

    This study investigates the interface between speech and gesture in second language (L2) narration within Slobin's (2003) thinking-for-speaking (TFS) framework as well as with respect to McNeill's (1992, 2005) growth point (GP) hypothesis. Specifically, our interest is in whether speakers shift from a first language (L1) to a L2 TFS pattern as…

  12. Immunogenicity and safety of a fully liquid aluminum phosphate adjuvanted Haemophilus influenzae type b PRP-CRM197-conjugate vaccine in healthy Japanese children: A phase III, randomized, observer-blind, multicenter, parallel-group study.

    PubMed

    Togashi, Takehiro; Mitsuya, Nodoka; Kogawara, Osamu; Sumino, Shuji; Takanami, Yohei; Sugizaki, Kayoko

    2016-08-31

    Broad use of monovalent Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate vaccines based on the capsular polysaccharide polyribosyl-ribitol phosphate (PRP), has significantly reduced invasive Hib disease burden in children worldwide, particularly in children aged <1year. In Japan, PRP conjugated to tetanus toxoid (PRP-T) vaccine has been widely used since the initiation of public funding programs followed by a routine vaccination designation in 2013. We compared the immunogenicity and safety of PRP conjugated to a non-toxic diphtheria toxin mutant (PRP-CRM197) vaccine with the PRP-T vaccine when administered subcutaneously to healthy Japanese children in a phase III study. Additionally, we evaluated the immunogenicity and safety profiles of a diphtheria-tetanus acellular pertussis (DTaP) combination vaccine when concomitantly administered with either PRP-CRM197 or PRP-T vaccines. The primary endpoint was the "long-term seroprotection rate", defined as the group proportion with anti-PRP antibody titers ⩾1.0μg/mL, after the primary series. Long-term seroprotection rates were 99.3% in the PRP-CRM197 group and 95.6% in the PRP-T group. The intergroup difference (PRP-CRM197 group - PRP-T group) was 3.7% (95% confidence interval: 0.099-7.336), demonstrating that PRP-CRM197 vaccine was non-inferior to PRP-T vaccine (p<0.0001). Furthermore, the "short-term seroprotection rate" (anti-PRP antibody titer ⩾0.15μg/mL) before booster vaccination was higher in the PRP-CRM197 group than in PRP-T. Concomitant administration of PRP-CRM197 vaccine with DTaP vaccine showed no differences in terms of immunogenicity compared with concomitant vaccination with PRP-T vaccine and DTaP vaccine. Although CRM197 vaccine had higher local reactogenicity, overall, both Hib vaccines had acceptable safety and tolerability profiles. The immunogenicity of PRP-CRM197 vaccine administered subcutaneously as a three-dose primary series in children followed by a booster vaccination 1year after the

  13. A replication defective recombinant Ad5 vaccine expressing Ebola virus GP is safe and immunogenic in healthy adults.

    PubMed

    Ledgerwood, J E; Costner, P; Desai, N; Holman, L; Enama, M E; Yamshchikov, G; Mulangu, S; Hu, Z; Andrews, C A; Sheets, R A; Koup, R A; Roederer, M; Bailer, R; Mascola, J R; Pau, M G; Sullivan, N J; Goudsmit, J; Nabel, G J; Graham, B S

    2010-12-16

    Ebola virus causes irregular outbreaks of severe hemorrhagic fever in equatorial Africa. Case mortality remains high; there is no effective treatment and outbreaks are sporadic and unpredictable. Studies of Ebola virus vaccine platforms in non-human primates have established that the induction of protective immunity is possible and safety and human immunogenicity has been demonstrated in a previous Phase I clinical trial of a 1st generation Ebola DNA vaccine. We now report the safety and immunogenicity of a recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 (rAd5) vaccine encoding the envelope glycoprotein (GP) from the Zaire and Sudan Ebola virus species, in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, dose escalation, Phase I human study. Thirty-one healthy adults received vaccine at 2×10(9) (n=12), or 2×10(10) (n=11) viral particles or placebo (n=8) as an intramuscular injection. Antibody responses were assessed by ELISA and neutralizing assays; and T cell responses were assessed by ELISpot and intracellular cytokine staining assays. This recombinant Ebola virus vaccine was safe and subjects developed antigen specific humoral and cellular immune responses. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  14. Preserved immunogenicity of an inactivated vaccine based on foot-and-mouth disease virus particles with improved stability.

    PubMed

    Caridi, Flavia; Vázquez-Calvo, Ángela; Borrego, Belén; McCullough, Kenneth; Summerfield, Artur; Sobrino, Francisco; Martín-Acebes, Miguel A

    2017-05-01

    Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is the etiological agent of a highly contagious disease that affects important livestock species. Vaccines based on inactivated FMDV virions provide a useful tool for the control of this pathogen. However, long term storage at 4°C (the temperature for vaccine storage) or ruptures of the cold chain, provoke the dissociation of virions, reducing the immunogenicity of the vaccine. An FMDV mutant carrying amino acid replacements VP1 N17D and VP2 H145Y isolated previously rendered virions with increased resistance to dissociation at 4°C. We have evaluated the immunogenicity in swine (a natural FMDV host) of a chemically inactivated vaccine based on this mutant. The presence of these amino acid substitutions did not compromise the immunological potential, including its ability to elicit neutralizing antibodies. These results support the feasibility of this kind of mutants with increased capsid stability as suitable viruses for producing improved FMDV vaccines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Safety and immunogenicity of a killed Leishmania (L.) amazonensis vaccine against cutaneous leishmaniasis in Colombia: a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Vélez, I D; del Pilar Agudelo, S; Arbelaez, M P; Gilchrist, K; Robledo, S M; Puerta, J A; Zicker, F; Berman, J; Modabber, F

    2000-01-01

    The safety and immunogenicity of an intramuscular (i.m.) and intradermal (ID) formulation of autoclaved Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis vaccine was evaluated in 296 volunteers in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial in Colombia. There were 4 vaccination groups: i.m. vaccine, i.m. placebo, ID vaccine, and ID placebo. The ID formulations were mixed with BCG as adjuvant at the time of injection. For each group, 3 vaccinations were given with a 20-day interval between injections, and adverse events were monitored at 20 min, and at 2, 7 and 21 days after each injection. BCG-induced adverse reactions resulted in cancellation of the third vaccine administration in the ID groups. Antibody titres did not differ significantly between the groups. Montenegro skin-test conversion was achieved by 86.4% and 90% of the i.m. vaccine group and by 25% and 5% of the i.m. placebo group 80 days and 1 year after vaccination, respectively. A significant increase in mean Leishmania-antigen lymphocyte proliferation indexes was observed after i.m. vaccine immunization, but not after i.m. placebo immunization, 80 days and 1 year after vaccination. Significant levels of IFN gamma but not IL-10 were observed 1 year after vaccination in the i.m. vaccine group compared to the i.m. placebo group. The good safety profile and evidence of Th1 immune reactions due to i.m. vaccination in this phase-I/II study suggest that a population-based phase-III efficacy trial of the i.m. vaccine should be initiated.

  16. Immunogenicity of Anti-HLA Antibodies in Pancreas and Islet Transplantation.

    PubMed

    Chaigne, Benjamin; Geneugelijk, Kirsten; Bédat, Benoît; Ahmed, Mohamed Alibashe; Hönger, Gideon; De Seigneux, Sophie; Demuylder-Mischler, Sandrine; Berney, Thierry; Spierings, Eric; Ferrari-Lacraz, Sylvie; Villard, Jean

    2016-11-01

    The aim of the current study was to characterize the anti-HLA antibodies before and after pancreatic islet or pancreas transplantation. We assessed the risk of anti-donor-specific antibody (DSA) sensitization in a single-center, retrospective clinical study at Geneva University Hospital. Data regarding clinical characteristics, graft outcome, HLA mismatch, donor HLA immunogenicity, and anti-HLA antibody characteristics were collected. Between January 2008 and July 2014, 18 patients received islet transplants, and 26 patients received a pancreas transplant. Eleven out of 18 patients (61.1%) in the islet group and 12 out of 26 patients (46.2%) in the pancreas group had anti-HLA antibodies. Six patients (33.3%) developed DSAs against HLA of the islets, and 10 patients (38.4%) developed DSAs against HLA of the pancreas. Most of the DSAs were at a low level. Several parameters such as gender, number of times cells were transplanted, HLA mismatch, eplet mismatch and PIRCHE-II numbers, rejection, and infection were analyzed. Only the number of PIRCHE-II was associated with the development of anti-HLA class II de novo DSAs. Overall, the development of de novo DSAs did not influence graft survival as estimated by insulin independence. Our results indicated that pretransplant DSAs at low levels do not restrict islet or pancreas transplantation [especially islet transplantation (27.8% vs. 15.4.%)]. De novo DSAs do occur at a similar rate in both pancreas and islet transplant recipients (mainly of class II), and the immunogenicity of donor HLA is a parameter that should be taken into consideration. When combined with an immunosuppressive regimen and close follow-up, development of low levels of DSAs was not found to result in reduced graft survival or graft function in the current study.

  17. Human monoclonal antibodies: the residual challenge of antibody immunogenicity.

    PubMed

    Waldmann, Herman

    2014-01-01

    One of the major reasons for seeking human monoclonal antibodies has been to eliminate immunogenicity seen with rodent antibodies. Thus far, there has yet been no approach which absolutely abolishes that risk for cell-binding antibodies. In this short article, I draw attention to classical work which shows that monomeric immunoglobulins are intrinsically tolerogenic if they can be prevented from creating aggregates or immune complexes. Based on these classical studies two approaches for active tolerization to therapeutic antibodies are described.

  18. Safety and immunogenicity of a fully liquid vaccine containing five-component pertussis-diphtheria-tetanus-inactivated poliomyelitis-Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccines administered at two, four, six and 18 months of age

    PubMed Central

    Gold, Ronald; Barreto, Luis; Ferro, Santiago; Thippawong, John; Guasparini, Roland; Meekison, William; Russell, Margaret; Mills, Elaine; Harrison, Dana; Lavigne, Pierre

    2007-01-01

    OBJECTIVE The safety, immunogenicity and lot consistency of a fully liquid, five-component acellular pertussis combination vaccine, comprised of diphteria, tetanus and acellular pertussis, inactivated polio vaccine, Haemophilus influenzae type b (DTaP-IPV-Hib [Pediacel, sanofi pasteur, Canada]) were assessed and compared with that of Hib vaccine reconstituted with the five-component acellular pertussis combination vaccine (DTaP-IPV//Hib, Pentacel [sanofi pasteur, Canada]). METHODS Infants were recruited at vaccine study centres in Montreal, Quebec; Simon Fraser Health Region, British Columbia, and southern Alberta after the protocol had been approved by the relevant institutional ethics committees. Written informed consent was obtained from the parents or guardians of all subjects. At two months of age, the infants were randomly assigned to receive one of three consecutive production lots of DTaP-IPV-Hib by intramuscular injection. Reactions to vaccinations were assessed by parental observation and through telephone interviews conducted by study nurses. Blood samples were obtained at two, six, seven, 18 and 19 months of age for measurement of antibodies to vaccine antigens. RESULTS: Most injection site and systemic reactions were mild or moderate, and of brief duration. All infants were protected against tetanus, diphtheria and all three polio serotypes after both primary and booster vaccinations. Antibody responses to pertussis antigens were similar to those observed in Swedish infants, in whom the five-component vaccine was shown to be 85% effective. Proportions of infants with antipolyribosylribitol phosphate antibody of 0.15 μg/mL or greater and 1.0 μg/mL or greater, were 97.9% and 88.9%, respectively, following primary immunization, and 100% and 99% following booster vaccination. Safety and immunogenicity results with both reconstituted and fully liquid combination vaccines were comparable. CONCLUSIONS The fully liquid combination vaccine was comparable in

  19. Immunogenic activity of the fish tapeworm Pterobothrium heteracanthum (Trypanorhyncha: Pterobothriidae) in BALB/c mice.

    PubMed

    Mattos, D P B G; Verícimo, M A; Lopes, L M S; São Clemente, S C

    2015-03-01

    The aim of this study was to verify the immunogenicity of Pterobothrium heteracanthum (Cestoda: Trypanorhyncha) crude protein extract (PH-CPE) in BALB/c mice. The parasites were obtained from Micropogonias furnieri (Osteichthyes: Sciaenidae). Groups of six mice were each immunized with 10, 50 or 100 μg of PH-CPE, on days 0 and 35. Both specific IgG and IgE responses were developed after immunization. The immunoblot assay revealed that specific IgG recognizes PH-CPE proteins with two molecular weight ranges, 60-75 and 30-40 kDa, and that IgE recognizes larger proteins over 120 kDa. This appears to be the first report on the immunogenicity of metacestodes within the Pterobothriidae and that PH-CPE is a potential inducer of a specific IgE response.

  20. [Immunogenicity and safety of the influenza vaccine, in a population older than 55-years in Mexico].

    PubMed

    Ayala-Montiel, Octavio; Mascareñas, César; García-Hernández, Delfino; Rendón-Muñiz, Jorge; López, Irma; Felipe Montaño, Luis; Zenteno, I; Franco-Paredes, C

    2005-01-01

    To confirm the immunogenicity and tolerance of the inactivated, fractionated, and purified influenza vaccine, in a Mexican adult population aged 55 and older, medically served at a Petróleos Mexicanos Hospital (Pemex, Mexican Oil Company). The study was conducted between November and December, 2000, among ninety adult subjects aged 55 years and older who were seen at the Hospital Central Sur Pemex. The primary endpoints regarding immunogenicity were the percentage of individuals with protective antibodies targeting hemagglutinins higher than or equal to 1:40, and the percentage of subjects who seroconverted as measured by a four-fold increase in protective antibody production. Secondary endpoints included the frequency of local and systemic reactions to the vaccine. An additional criterion that was evaluated included antigen-antibody affinity assays to measure the polyclonal antibody response to the vaccine and the specific generation of high-affinity antibodies to viral proteins, before and after vaccination. The antibody protection rate was 95.6% against the HINI strain, 98.9% against the H3N2 strain, and a 100% against the B/Yamanashi strain. Seroconversion to the HINI strain was elicited in 74.4% of subjects, to the H3N2 strain in 88.9%, and to the B/Yamanashi strain in 82.2%. Eighteen (20%) subjects developed local reactions; 17 (18.8%) developed a systemic reaction post vaccination at day 5 and nine subjects (10%) at day 28. Local reactions consisted of pain in 10 (11.1%) subjects, redness in 8 (8.8%), and induration in 6 (6.6%). General malaise, headache, and fever were identified in 10, 8.8, and 0% of subjects, respectively, at day 5, and in 4.4, 6.6, and 0%, respectively, at day 28. Influenza vaccine was highly immunogenic in a healthy Mexican adult population aged 55 years and older. The generation of high-affinity antibodies to the virus after vaccination was also demonstrated. Local and systemic adverse reactions to the vaccine identified in our study

  1. Proteomic profile of culture filtrate from the Brazilian vaccine strain Mycobacterium bovis BCG Moreau compared to M. bovis BCG Pasteur.

    PubMed

    Berrêdo-Pinho, Marcia; Kalume, Dario E; Correa, Paloma R; Gomes, Leonardo H F; Pereira, Melissa P; da Silva, Renata F; Castello-Branco, Luiz R R; Degrave, Wim M; Mendonça-Lima, Leila

    2011-04-20

    Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is currently the only available vaccine against tuberculosis (TB) and comprises a heterogeneous family of sub-strains with genotypic and phenotypic differences. The World Health Organization (WHO) affirms that the characterization of BCG sub-strains, both on genomic and proteomic levels, is crucial for a better comprehension of the vaccine. In addition, these studies can contribute in the development of a more efficient vaccine against TB. Here, we combine two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) and mass spectrometry to analyse the proteomic profile of culture filtrate proteins (CFPs) from M. bovis BCG Moreau, the Brazilian vaccine strain, comparing it to that of BCG Pasteur. CFPs are considered of great importance given their dominant immunogenicity and role in pathogenesis, being available for interaction with host cells since early infection. The 2DE proteomic map of M. bovis BCG Moreau CFPs in the pH range 3-8 allowed the identification of 158 spots corresponding to 101 different proteins, identified by MS/MS. Comparison to BCG Pasteur highlights the great similarity between these BCG strains. However, quantitative analysis shows a higher expression of immunogenic proteins such as Rv1860 (BCG1896, Apa), Rv1926c (BCG1965c, Mpb63) and Rv1886c (BCG1923c, Ag85B) in BCG Moreau when compared to BCG Pasteur, while some heat shock proteins, such as Rv0440 (BCG0479, GroEL2) and Rv0350 (BCG0389, DnaK), show the opposite pattern. Here we report the detailed 2DE profile of CFPs from M. bovis BCG Moreau and its comparison to BCG Pasteur, identifying differences that may provide relevant information on vaccine efficacy. These findings contribute to the detailed characterization of the Brazilian vaccine strain against TB, revealing aspects that may lead to a better understanding of the factors leading to BCG's variable protective efficacy against TB.

  2. Interactions in L-phenylalanine/L-leucine/L-glutamic Acid/L-proline + 2 M aqueous NaCl/2 M NaNO3 systems at different temperatures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riyazuddeen, Imran Khan; Afrin, Sadaf

    2012-12-01

    Density (ρ) and speed of sound ( u) in 2 M aqueous NaCl and 2 M NaNO3 solutions of amino acids: L-phenylalanine, L-leucine, L-glutamic acid, and L-proline have been measured for several molal concentrations of amino acids at different temperatures. The ρ and u data have been used to calculate the values of isothermal compressibility and internal pressure at different temperatures. The trends of variations of κ T and P i with an increase in molal concentration of amino acid and temperature have been discussed in terms of solute-solvent and solute-solute interactions in the systems.

  3. [Immunogenicity of L5178Y cells modified by different reagents].

    PubMed

    Gómez-Estrada, H; López-de la Rosa, L M; Becerril-Meza, G; Arellano-Blanco, J; Fernández-Quintero, P

    1977-01-01

    Lymphoma L5178Y cells were treated with neuraminidase of Vibrio cholerae, potassium iodine, dithiotreitol (DTT), mercaptoethanol, glutaraldehyde, iodoacetamide, merthiolate, sodium periodate, urea, papaine, trypsine and EDTA, to increase immunoreaction in tumor cells. Mice were immunized with modified tumor cells every week for one month. Thereafter non modified tumor cells were transplanted to previously immunized mice. Only the immunization with neuraminidase-treated cells rejected the tumor. Although the immunization with cells treated with potassium iodine, DTT and mercaptoethanol did not reject tumor, prolonged significantly span of life. The other reactives had neither effect on tumor rejection nor on span of life.

  4. An efficient plant viral expression system generating orally immunogenic Norwalk virus-like particles.

    PubMed

    Santi, Luca; Batchelor, Lance; Huang, Zhong; Hjelm, Brooke; Kilbourne, Jacquelyn; Arntzen, Charles J; Chen, Qiang; Mason, Hugh S

    2008-03-28

    Virus-like particles (VLPs) derived from enteric pathogens like Norwalk virus (NV) are well suited to study oral immunization. We previously described stable transgenic plants that accumulate recombinant NV-like particles (rNVs) that were orally immunogenic in mice and humans. The transgenic approach suffers from long generation time and modest level of antigen accumulation. We now overcome these constraints with an efficient tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-derived transient expression system using leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana. We produced properly assembled rNV at 0.8 mg/g leaf 12 days post-infection (dpi). Oral immunization of CD1 mice with 100 or 250 microg/dose of partially purified rNV elicited systemic and mucosal immune responses. We conclude that the plant viral transient expression system provides a robust research tool to generate abundant quantities of rNV as enriched, concentrated VLP preparations that are orally immunogenic.

  5. An efficient plant viral expression system generating orally immunogenic Norwalk virus-like particles

    PubMed Central

    Santi, Luca; Batchelor, Lance; Huang, Zhong; Hjelm, Brooke; Kilbourne, Jacquelyn; Arntzen, Charles J.; Chen, Qiang; Mason, Hugh S.

    2009-01-01

    Virus like particles (VLPs) derived from enteric pathogens like Norwalk virus (NV) are well suited to study oral immunization. We previously described stable transgenic plants that accumulate recombinant NV-like particles (rNV) that were orally immunogenic in mice and humans. The transgenic approach suffers from long generation time and modest level of antigen accumulation. We now overcome these constraints with an efficient tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-derived transient expression system using leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana. We produced properly assembled rNV at 0.8 mg/g leaf 12 days post infection. Oral immunization of CD1 mice with 100 or 250 μg/dose of partially purified rNV elicited systemic and mucosal immune responses. We conclude that the plant viral transient expression system provides a robust research tool to generate abundant quantities of rNV as enriched, concentrated VLP preparations that are orally immunogenic. PMID:18325641

  6. Immunogenicity, reactogenicity and safety of 2 doses of an adjuvanted herpes zoster subunit vaccine administered 2, 6 or 12 months apart in older adults: Results of a phase III, randomized, open-label, multicenter study.

    PubMed

    Lal, Himal; Poder, Airi; Campora, Laura; Geeraerts, Brecht; Oostvogels, Lidia; Vanden Abeele, Carline; Heineman, Thomas C

    2018-01-02

    In phase III trials, 2 doses of a herpes zoster (HZ) subunit vaccine (HZ/su; 50 µg varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein E [gE] and AS01 B Adjuvant System) administered 2-months apart in older adults (≥50 and ≥70 years) demonstrated >90% efficacy in preventing HZ and had a clinically acceptable safety profile. Here we report immunogenicity, reactogenicity and safety following administration of 2 HZ/su doses at intervals longer than 2 months. In this Phase III, open-label trial conducted in the US and Estonia, 354 adults ≥50 years were randomized 1:1:1 to receive 2 HZ/su doses 2, 6, or 12 months apart. gE-specific humoral immune responses were evaluated at pre-vaccination, 1 and 12 months post-dose 2. Co-primary objectives were to compare immune responses to HZ/su 1 month post-dose 2 when given 6-months or 12-months apart to those administered 2-months apart. For each participant, safety information was collected from dose 1 to 12 months post-dose 2. 346 participants completed the study and 343 were included in the according-to-protocol cohort for immunogenicity. One month post-dose 2, vaccine response rates were 96.5% (97.5% confidence interval [CI]: 90.4; 99.2) and 94.5% (97.5% CI: 87.6; 98.3) for the 0, 6- and 0, 12-month schedules, respectively, both schedules meeting the pre-defined criterion. Non-inferiority of anti-gE geometric mean concentrations was demonstrated for HZ/su administered on 0, 6-month compared to a 0, 2-month schedule; however, HZ/su administered on a 0, 12-month schedule did not meet the non-inferiority criterion. Injection site pain was the most commonly reported solicited adverse event (AE). 26 participants each reported at least 1 serious AE; none were assessed as related to vaccination. Immune responses to HZ/su administered at 0, 6-month were non-inferior to those elicited by a 0, 2-month schedule. HZ/su exhibited a clinically acceptable safety profile for all dosing intervals. Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01751165

  7. Immunogenicity of Membrane-bound HIV-1 gp41 Membrane-proximal External Region (MPER) Segments Is Dominated by Residue Accessibility and Modulated by Stereochemistry*

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Mikyung; Song, Likai; Moon, James; Sun, Zhen-Yu J.; Bershteyn, Anna; Hanson, Melissa; Cain, Derek; Goka, Selasie; Kelsoe, Garnett; Wagner, Gerhard; Irvine, Darrell; Reinherz, Ellis L.

    2013-01-01

    Structural characterization of epitope-paratope pairs has contributed to the understanding of antigenicity. By contrast, few structural studies relate to immunogenicity, the process of antigen-induced immune responses in vivo. Using a lipid-arrayed membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of HIV-1 glycoprotein 41 as a model antigen, we investigated the influence of physicochemical properties on immunogenicity in relation to structural modifications of MPER/liposome vaccines. Anchoring the MPER to the membrane via an alkyl tail or transmembrane domain retained the MPER on liposomes in vivo, while preserving MPER secondary structure. However, structural modifications that affected MPER membrane orientation and antigenic residue accessibility strongly impacted induced antibody responses. The solvent-exposed MPER tryptophan residue (Trp-680) was immunodominant, focusing immune responses, despite sequence variability elsewhere. Nonetheless, immunogenicity could be readily manipulated using site-directed mutagenesis or structural constraints to modulate amino acid surface display. These studies provide fundamental insights for immunogen design aimed at targeting B cell antibody responses. PMID:24047898

  8. The impact of dnaKJ overexpression on recombinant protein solubility results from antagonistic effects on the control of protein quality.

    PubMed

    Petersson, Lisa; Carrió, M Mar; Vera, Andrea; Villaverde, Antonio

    2004-04-01

    We have produced increasing levels of DnaK and its co-chaperone DnaJ along with the model VP1LAC misfolding-prone protein, to explore the role of DnaK on the management of Escherichia coli inclusion bodies. While relative solubility of VP1LAC is progressively enhanced, the heat-shock response is down-regulated as revealed by decreasing levels of GroEL. This is accompanied by an increasing yield of VP1LAC and a non-regular evolution of its insoluble fraction, at moderate levels of DnaK resulting in more abundant inclusion bodies. Also, the impact of chaperone co-expression is much more pronounced in wild type cells than in a DnaK- mutant, probably due to the different background of heat shock proteins in these cells. The involvement of DnaK in the supervision of misfolding proteins is then pictured as a dynamic balance between its immediate holding and folding activities, and the side-effect downregulation of the heat shock response though the limitation of other chaperone and proteases activities.

  9. Action of the Hsp70 chaperone system observed with single proteins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nunes, João M.; Mayer-Hartl, Manajit; Hartl, F. Ulrich; Müller, Daniel J.

    2015-02-01

    In Escherichia coli, the binding of non-native protein substrates to the Hsp70 chaperone DnaK is mediated by the co-chaperone DnaJ. DnaJ accelerates ATP hydrolysis on DnaK, by closing the peptide-binding cleft of DnaK. GrpE catalysed nucleotide exchange and ATP re-binding then lead to substrate release from DnaK, allowing folding. Here we refold immunoglobulin 27 (I27) to better understand how DnaJ-DnaK-GrpE chaperones cooperate. When DnaJ is present, I27 is less likely to misfold and more likely to fold, whereas the unfolded state remains unaffected. Thus, the ‘holdase’ DnaJ shows foldase behaviour. Misfolding of I27 is fully abrogated when DnaJ cooperates with DnaK, which stabilizes the unfolded state and increases the probability of folding. Addition of GrpE shifts the unfolded fraction of I27 to pre-chaperone levels. These insights reveal synergistic mechanisms within the evolutionary highly conserved Hsp70 system that prevent substrates from misfolding and promote their productive transition to the native state.

  10. Variable epitope libraries: new vaccine immunogens capable of inducing broad human immunodeficiency virus type 1-neutralizing antibody response.

    PubMed

    Charles-Niño, Claudia; Pedroza-Roldan, Cesar; Viveros, Monica; Gevorkian, Goar; Manoutcharian, Karen

    2011-07-18

    The extreme antigenic variability of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) leads to immune escape of the virus, representing a major challenge in the design of effective vaccine. We have developed a novel concept for immunogen construction based on introduction of massive mutations within the epitopes targeting antigenically variable pathogens and diseases. Previously, we showed that these immunogens carrying large combinatorial libraries of mutated epitope variants, termed as variable epitope libraries (VELs), induce potent, broad and long lasting CD8+IFN-γ+ T-cell response. Moreover, we demonstrated that these T cells recognize more than 50% of heavily mutated variants (5 out of 10 amino acid positions were mutated in each epitope variant) of HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop-derived cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitope (RGPGRAFVTI) in mice. The constructed VELs had complexities of 10000 and 12500 individual members, generated as plasmid DNA or as M13 phage display combinatorial libraries, respectively, and with structural composition RGPGXAXXXX or XGXGXAXVXI, where X is any of 20 natural amino acids. Here, we demonstrated that sera from mice immunized with these VELs are capable of neutralizing 5 out of 10 viral isolates from Tier 2 reference panel of subtype B envelope clones, including HIV-1 isolates which are known to be resistant to neutralization by several potent monoclonal antibodies, described previously. These data indicate the feasibility of the application of immunogens based on VEL concept as an alternative approach for the development of molecular vaccines against antigenically variable pathogens. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Two potential recombinant rabies vaccines expressing canine parvovirus virion protein 2 induce immunogenicity to canine parvovirus and rabies virus.

    PubMed

    Luo, Jun; Shi, Hehe; Tan, Yeping; Niu, Xuefeng; Long, Teng; Zhao, Jing; Tian, Qin; Wang, Yifei; Chen, Hao; Guo, Xiaofeng

    2016-08-17

    Both rabies virus (RABV) and canine parvovirus (CPV) cause lethal diseases in dogs. In this study, both high egg passage Flury (HEP-Flury) strains of RABV and recombinant RABV carrying double RABV glycoprotein (G) gene were used to express the CPV virion protein 2 (VP2) gene, and were designated rHEP-VP2 and, rHEP-dG-VP2 respectively. The two recombinant RABVs maintained optimal virus titration according to their viral growth kinetics assay compared with the parental strain HEP-Flury. Western blotting indicated that G protein and VP2 were expressed in vitro. The expression of VP2 in Crandell feline kidney cells post-infection by rHEP-VP2 and rHEP-dG-VP2 was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence assay with antibody against VP2. Immunogenicity of recombinant rabies viruses was tested in Kunming mice. Both rHEP-VP2 and rHEP-dG-VP2 induced high levels of rabies antibody compared with HEP-Flury. Mice immunized with rHEP-VP2 and rHEP-dG-VP2 both had a high level of antibodies against VP2, which can protect against CPV infection. A challenge experiment indicated that more than 80% mice immunized with recombinant RABVs survived after infection of challenge virus standard 24 (CVS-24). Together, this study showed that recombinant RABVs expressing VP2 induced protective immune responses to RABV and CPV. Therefore, rHEP-VP2 and rHEP-dG-VP2 might be potential combined vaccines for RABV and CPV. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Immunogenicity of 60 novel latency-related antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

    PubMed Central

    Serra-Vidal, Mᵃdel Mar; Latorre, Irene; Franken, Kees L. C. M.; Díaz, Jéssica; de Souza-Galvão, Maria Luiza; Casas, Irma; Maldonado, José; Milà, Cèlia; Solsona, Jordi; Jimenez-Fuentes, M. Ángeles; Altet, Neus; Lacoma, Alícia; Ruiz-Manzano, Juan; Ausina, Vicente; Prat, Cristina; Ottenhoff, Tom H. M.; Domínguez, José

    2014-01-01

    The aim of our work here was to evaluate the immunogenicity of 60 mycobacterial antigens, some of which have not been previously assessed, notably a novel series of in vivo-expressed Mycobacterium tuberculosis (IVE-TB) antigens. We enrolled 505 subjects and separated them in individuals with and without latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) vs. patients with active tuberculosis (TB). Following an overnight and 7 days stimulation of whole blood with purified recombinant M. tuberculosis antigens, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels were determined by ELISA. Several antigens could statistically significantly differentiate the groups of individuals. We obtained promising antigens from all studied antigen groups [dormancy survival regulon (DosR regulon) encoded antigens; resuscitation-promoting factors (Rpf) antigens; IVE-TB antigens; reactivation associated antigens]. Rv1733, which is a probable conserved transmembrane protein encoded in DosR regulon, turned out to be very immunogenic and able to discriminate between the three defined TB status, thus considered a candidate biomarker. Rv2389 and Rv2435n, belonging to Rpf family and IVE-TB group of antigens, respectively, also stood out as LTBI biomarkers. Although more studies are needed to support our findings, the combined use of these antigens would be an interesting approach to TB immunodiagnosis candidates. PMID:25339944

  13. Immunogenicity of 60 novel latency-related antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

    PubMed

    Serra-Vidal, Mᵃdel Mar; Latorre, Irene; Franken, Kees L C M; Díaz, Jéssica; de Souza-Galvão, Maria Luiza; Casas, Irma; Maldonado, José; Milà, Cèlia; Solsona, Jordi; Jimenez-Fuentes, M Ángeles; Altet, Neus; Lacoma, Alícia; Ruiz-Manzano, Juan; Ausina, Vicente; Prat, Cristina; Ottenhoff, Tom H M; Domínguez, José

    2014-01-01

    The aim of our work here was to evaluate the immunogenicity of 60 mycobacterial antigens, some of which have not been previously assessed, notably a novel series of in vivo-expressed Mycobacterium tuberculosis (IVE-TB) antigens. We enrolled 505 subjects and separated them in individuals with and without latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) vs. patients with active tuberculosis (TB). Following an overnight and 7 days stimulation of whole blood with purified recombinant M. tuberculosis antigens, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels were determined by ELISA. Several antigens could statistically significantly differentiate the groups of individuals. We obtained promising antigens from all studied antigen groups [dormancy survival regulon (DosR regulon) encoded antigens; resuscitation-promoting factors (Rpf) antigens; IVE-TB antigens; reactivation associated antigens]. Rv1733, which is a probable conserved transmembrane protein encoded in DosR regulon, turned out to be very immunogenic and able to discriminate between the three defined TB status, thus considered a candidate biomarker. Rv2389 and Rv2435n, belonging to Rpf family and IVE-TB group of antigens, respectively, also stood out as LTBI biomarkers. Although more studies are needed to support our findings, the combined use of these antigens would be an interesting approach to TB immunodiagnosis candidates.

  14. Evaluation of Live Recombinant Nonpathogenic Leishmania tarentolae Expressing Cysteine Proteinase and A2 Genes as a Candidate Vaccine against Experimental Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis.

    PubMed

    Shahbazi, Mehdi; Zahedifard, Farnaz; Taheri, Tahereh; Taslimi, Yasaman; Jamshidi, Shahram; Shirian, Sadegh; Mahdavi, Niousha; Hassankhani, Mehdi; Daneshbod, Yahya; Zarkesh-Esfahani, Sayyed Hamid; Papadopoulou, Barbara; Rafati, Sima

    2015-01-01

    Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis (CVL) is a major veterinary and public health problem caused by Leishmania infantum (L. infantum) in many endemic countries. It is a severe chronic disease with generalized parasite spread to the reticuloendothelial system, such as spleen, liver and bone marrow and is often fatal when left untreated. Control of VL in dogs would dramatically decrease infection pressure of L. infantum for humans, since dogs are the main domestic reservoir. In the past decade, various subunits and DNA antigens have been identified as potential vaccine candidates in experimental animal models, but none has been approved for human use so far. In this study, we vaccinated outbreed dogs with a prime-boost regimen based on recombinant L. tarentolae expressing the L. donovani A2 antigen along with cysteine proteinase genes (CPA and CPB without its unusual C-terminal extension (CPB-CTE) and evaluated its immunogenicity and protective immunity against L. infantum infectious challenge. We showed that vaccinated animals produced significantly higher levels of IgG2, but not IgG1, and also IFN-γ and TNF-α, but low IL-10 levels, before and after challenge as compared to control animals. Protection in dogs was also correlated with a strong DTH response and low parasite burden in the vaccinated group. Altogether, immunization with recombinant L. tarentolae A2-CPA-CPB-CTE was proven to be immunogenic and induced partial protection in dogs, hence representing a promising live vaccine candidate against CVL.

  15. Evaluation of Live Recombinant Nonpathogenic Leishmania tarentolae Expressing Cysteine Proteinase and A2 Genes as a Candidate Vaccine against Experimental Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis

    PubMed Central

    Shahbazi, Mehdi; Zahedifard, Farnaz; Taheri, Tahereh; Taslimi, Yasaman; Jamshidi, Shahram; Shirian, Sadegh; Mahdavi, Niousha; Hassankhani, Mehdi; Daneshbod, Yahya; Zarkesh-Esfahani, Sayyed Hamid; Papadopoulou, Barbara; Rafati, Sima

    2015-01-01

    Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis (CVL) is a major veterinary and public health problem caused by Leishmania infantum (L. infantum) in many endemic countries. It is a severe chronic disease with generalized parasite spread to the reticuloendothelial system, such as spleen, liver and bone marrow and is often fatal when left untreated. Control of VL in dogs would dramatically decrease infection pressure of L. infantum for humans, since dogs are the main domestic reservoir. In the past decade, various subunits and DNA antigens have been identified as potential vaccine candidates in experimental animal models, but none has been approved for human use so far. In this study, we vaccinated outbreed dogs with a prime-boost regimen based on recombinant L. tarentolae expressing the L. donovani A2 antigen along with cysteine proteinase genes (CPA and CPB without its unusual C-terminal extension (CPB-CTE) and evaluated its immunogenicity and protective immunity against L. infantum infectious challenge. We showed that vaccinated animals produced significantly higher levels of IgG2, but not IgG1, and also IFN-γ and TNF-α, but low IL-10 levels, before and after challenge as compared to control animals. Protection in dogs was also correlated with a strong DTH response and low parasite burden in the vaccinated group. Altogether, immunization with recombinant L. tarentolae A2-CPA-CPB-CTE was proven to be immunogenic and induced partial protection in dogs, hence representing a promising live vaccine candidate against CVL. PMID:26197085

  16. L2, the minor capsid protein of papillomavirus

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, Joshua W.; Roden, Richard B.S., E-mail: roden@jhmi.edu; Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287

    2013-10-15

    The capsid protein L2 plays major roles in both papillomavirus assembly and the infectious process. While L1 forms the majority of the capsid and can self-assemble into empty virus-like particles (VLPs), L2 is a minor capsid component and lacks the capacity to form VLPs. However, L2 co-assembles with L1 into VLPs, enhancing their assembly. L2 also facilitates encapsidation of the ∼8 kbp circular and nucleosome-bound viral genome during assembly of the non-enveloped T=7d virions in the nucleus of terminally differentiated epithelial cells, although, like L1, L2 is not detectably expressed in infected basal cells. With respect to infection, L2 ismore » not required for particles to bind to and enter cells. However L2 must be cleaved by furin for endosome escape. L2 then travels with the viral genome to the nucleus, wherein it accumulates at ND-10 domains. Here, we provide an overview of the biology of L2. - Highlights: • L2 is the minor antigen of the non-enveloped T=7d icosahedral Papillomavirus capsid. • L2 is a nuclear protein that can traffic to ND-10 and facilitate genome encapsidation. • L2 is critical for infection and must be cleaved by furin. • L2 is a broadly protective vaccine antigen recognized by neutralizing antibodies.« less

  17. Recombinant Brucella abortus gene expressing immunogenic protein

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mayfield, J.E.; Tabatabai, L.B.

    This patent describes a synthetic recombinant DNA molecule containing a DNA sequence. It comprises a gene of Brucella abortus encoding an immunogenic protein having a molecular weight of approximately 31,000 daltons as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions, the protein having an isoelectric point around 4.9, and containing a twenty-five amino acid sequence from its amino terminal end consisting of Gln-Ala-Pro-Thr-Phe-Phe-Arg-Ile-Gly-Thr-Gly-Gly-Thr-Ala-Gly-Thr-Tyr-Tyr-Pro-Ile-Gly-Gly-Leu-Ile-Ala, wherein Gln, Ala, Pro, Thr, Phe, Arg, Ile, Gly, Tyr, and Leu, respectively, represent glutamine, alanine, proline, threonine, phenylalanine, arginine, isolecuine, glycine, tyrosine, and leucine.

  18. A novel role for autologous tumour cell vaccination in the immunotherapy of the poorly immunogenic B16-BL6 melanoma.

    PubMed

    Geiger, J D; Wagner, P D; Shu, S; Chang, A E

    1992-06-01

    The growth of immunogenic tumours stimulates the generation of tumour-sensitized, but not functional, pre-effector T cells in the draining lymph nodes. These pre-effector cells can mature into effector cells upon in-vitro stimulation with anti-CD3 and IL-2. In the current study, using a defined, poorly immunogenic tumour, B16-BL6 melanoma, the pre-effector cell response was not evident during progressive tumour growth but was elicited by vaccination with irradiated tumour cells admixed with Corynebacterium parvum. After anti-CD3/IL-2 activation, these cells were capable of mediating the regression of established pulmonary metastases. The efficacy of the vaccine depended on the doses of both tumour cells and the adjuvant. While higher numbers of tumour cells were more effective, an optimal dose (12.5 micrograms) of C. parvum was required. The dose of irradiation was not a critical factor. After vaccination, kinetic studies revealed that the pre-effector cell response was evident 4 days later and declined after 14 days. These observations illustrate the potential role of active immunization in the cellular therapy of cancer.

  19. L1 French Learning of L2 Spanish Past Tenses: L1 Transfer versus Aspect and Interface Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amenós-Pons, José; Ahern, Aoife; Gujarro-Fuentes, Pedro

    2017-01-01

    This paper examines the process of acquiring L2s that are closely related to the L1 through data on how adult French speakers learning L2 Spanish in a formal setting develop knowledge and use of past tenses in this L2. We consider the role of transfer and simplification in acquiring mental representations of the L2 grammar, specifically in the…

  20. Evaluation of immunogenicity and safety of VARIVAX™ New Seed Process (NSP) in children.

    PubMed

    Senders, Shelly D; Bundick, Nickoya D; Li, Jianing; Zecca, Carol; Helmond, Frans A

    2018-02-01

    Prior to availability of an effective vaccine, an estimated 4 million cases of varicella occurred annually in the United States, resulting in 10,000 hospitalizations and over 100 deaths. With the increased usage of a two-dose varicella vaccine (as recommended by the ACIP), approval of other VZV-containing products and the adoption of varicella vaccination in additional countries, the demand for VZV-containing vaccines has increased. This study (NCT02062502) evaluated the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of VARIVAX™ (VAR, varicella vaccine live) manufactured using a new seed manufacturing process (VAR NSP ) compared to the currently licensed VAR. Healthy children 12-23 months were randomized (1:1) into Group 1 (2 doses of VAR NSP given concomitantly with M-M-R™ II, ∼3 months apart) versus  Group 2 (2 doses of VAR given concomitantly with M-M-R™ II, ∼3 months apart).  Serum samples collected prior to vaccination on Day 1 and 6 weeks Postdose 1 were tested for antibody to VZV using a glycoprotein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (gpELISA).  Safety was assessed Days 1 to 42 following each vaccination. Six weeks Postdose 1, the response rate (percent of subjects with VZV antibody titer ≥5 gpELISA units/mL) of VAR NSP was non-inferior compared to VAR.  Vaccine-related adverse events (AEs) were comparable with the exception of measles-like rash, where a greater number of rashes were observed with VAR than VAR NSP .  The 2 vaccination groups were comparable with incidence rates of AEs, injection-site AEs, vaccine-related AEs, systemic AEs, and serious AEs. This new process is an important innovation for the extreme demand of sustaining sufficient supplies of varicella vaccine to protect our communities against diseases caused by VZV.

  1. Infectious bursal disease: outbreak investigation, molecular characterization, and vaccine immunogenicity trial in Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Mekuriaw, Aregitu; Bitew, Molalegne; Gelaye, Esyas; Mamo, Bedaso; Ayelet, Gelagay

    2017-08-01

    The study was conducted with the objective of isolation and molecular characterization of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) circulating in Ethiopia and to assess the immunogenicity of different commercially available live attenuated IBD vaccines and finally to select the appropriate vaccine strain for the existing IBDV. Outbreak samples collected from different poultry farms with IBD infection between 2013 and 2015 were used for the virus isolation and molecular characterization. IBD vaccine immunogenicity test was conducted using four different commercially available live attenuated IBD vaccine strains: namely D78, B2K, LC75, and EXTREM. Day-old Bowman brown chickens purchased from commercial farm in Debre Zeit were used for the experiment. Serum samples were collected at days 14 and 21 and screened for the presence of maternal IBDv antibodies. The screening test result revealed that most of the chickens from vaccinated progeny were positive at the age of day 14 with mean antibody titer of .42, but declined at day 21 to 0.049 below cut-off point (S/P < 0.3). Chickens were divided into five different groups (four vaccinal and one control) and vaccinated at the age of day 21 and boosted after 14 days. Serum samples were collected and all of them were challenged at their 42 days of age with locally isolated very virulent infectious bursal disease virus (vvIBDV). From four of the vaccine strains used for immunogenicity study, the intermediate plus strains (LC75 and EXTREM) found to be superior and efficiently cross protect against the challenge with locally isolated vvIBDV. The development of clinical signs was studied and post-mortem examinations were conducted both on dead and sacrificed birds. From a total of 25 tissue samples processed for virus isolation on chicken fibroblast cell culture, 95% (18/20) of bursa and 80% (4/5) of the spleen samples showed visible cytopathic effect (CPE). The positive samples were tested by PCR and 19 of them had the

  2. Phase I/II, open-label trial of safety and immunogenicity of meningococcal (groups A, C, Y, and W-135) polysaccharide diphtheria toxoid conjugate vaccine in human immunodeficiency virus-infected adolescents.

    PubMed

    Siberry, George K; Williams, Paige L; Lujan-Zilbermann, Jorge; Warshaw, Meredith G; Spector, Stephen A; Decker, Michael D; Heckman, Barbara E; Demske, Emily F; Read, Jennifer S; Jean-Philippe, Patrick; Kabat, William; Nachman, Sharon

    2010-05-01

    Quadrivalent meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (MCV4) is routinely recommended for healthy youth in the United States, but there are no data about its use in HIV-infected people. P1065 is a Phase I/II trial of MCV4 safety and immunogenicity in HIV-infected children and youth performed at 27 US sites of the IMPAACT network. All youth (11-24 years old) received 1 dose of open-label MCV4 at entry. Standardized questionnaires were used to evaluate safety. Baseline protective immunity was defined as rabbit serum bactericidal antibody (rSBA) titer > or = 1:128. Immunogenic response was defined as a > or = 4-fold rise in rSBA against each meningococcal serogroup. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of demographic and clinical characteristics on immunogenic response to serogroup C. Among 319 subjects who received MCV4, 10 (3.1%) reported immediate adverse events which were local and mild, and 7 (2.2%) experienced Grade > or = 3 adverse events, unrelated to vaccine. The 305 subjects with serologic data had a median age of 17 years and were 59% male, 50% Black, and 38% Latino. Subjects were stratified by entry CD4%: 12%, CD4 <15%; 40%, 15% to 24%; and 48%, > or = 25%. Baseline protective immunity varied by serogroup: A, 41%; C, 11%; W-135, 15%; Y, 35% The immunogenic response rates to serogroups A, C, W-135, and Y were 68%, 52%, 73%, and 63%, respectively. In multivariable logistic regression models, lower entry CD4%, higher entry viral load, and CDC Class B/C diagnosis were associated with significantly lower odds of response to serogroup C. Many HIV-infected youth naturally acquire meningococcal immunity. MCV4 is safe and immunogenic in HIV-infected youth, but response rates are lower than in healthy youth, particularly for those with more advanced HIV clinical, immunologic, and virologic status.

  3. Differences in components at delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction sites in mice immunized with either a protective or a nonprotective immunogen of Cryptococcus neoformans.

    PubMed

    Nichols, Kasie L; Bauman, Sean K; Schafer, Fredda B; Murphy, Juneann W

    2002-02-01

    Cell-mediated immunity is the major protective mechanism against Cryptococcus neoformans. Delayed swelling reactions, i.e., delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), in response to an intradermal injection of specific antigen are used as a means of detecting a cell-mediated immune (CMI) response to the antigen. We have found previously that the presence of an anticryptococcal DTH response in mice is not always indicative of protection against a cryptococcal infection. Using one immunogen that induces a protective anticryptococcal CMI response and one that induces a nonprotective response, we have shown that mice immunized with the protective immunogen undergo a classical DTH response characterized by mononuclear cell and neutrophil infiltrates and the presence of gamma interferon and NO. In contrast, immunization with the nonprotective immunogen results in an influx of primarily neutrophils and production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) at the DTH reaction site. Even when the anticryptococcal DTH response was augmented by blocking the down-regulator, CTLA-4 (CD152), on T cells in the mice given the nonprotective immunogen, the main leukocyte population infiltrating the DTH reaction site is the neutrophil. Although TNF-alpha is increased at the DTH reaction site in mice immunized with the nonprotective immunogen, it is unlikely that TNF-alpha activates the neutrophils, because the density of TNF receptors on the neutrophils is reduced below control levels. Uncoupling of DTH reactivity and protection has been demonstrated in other infectious-disease models; however, the mechanisms differ from our model. These findings stress the importance of defining the cascade of events occurring in response to various immunogens and establishing the relationships between protection and DTH reactions.

  4. Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Immunogenicity of Obiltoxaximab After Intramuscular Administration to Healthy Humans.

    PubMed

    Nagy, Christa F; Leach, Timothy S; King, Alex; Guttendorf, Robert

    2017-11-10

    Inhalational anthrax is a highly lethal infection caused by Bacillus anthracis and a serious bioterrorism threat. Protective antigen (PA) is a critical component required for the virulence of Bacillus anthracis. Obiltoxaximab, a high-affinity monoclonal antibody that neutralizes PA, is approved in the United States for intravenous use for the treatment of inhalational anthrax in combination with appropriate antibacterial drugs and for prophylaxis of inhalational anthrax when alternative therapies are not available or appropriate. Here, we explored the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and immunogenicity of obiltoxaximab administered by intramuscular injection at doses of 4, 8, 16, 20, and 24 mg/kg in healthy humans. Systemic exposures were approximately dose proportional, maximum serum concentrations were observed after 6-9 days, and terminal half-life ranged from 16 to 23 days. Average absolute intramuscular bioavailability was 64%. Obiltoxaximab was well tolerated, and local tolerability was acceptable up to 24 mg/kg intramuscularly, up to 6 injections per dose, and up to 5 mL per injection. No injection-site abscesses or hypersensitivity reactions occurred; no subjects developed treatment-emergent antitherapeutic antibodies over the study period of 71 days. © 2017, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.

  5. Structure-guided Design and Immunological Characterization of Immunogens Presenting the HIV-1 gp120 V3 Loop on a CTB Scaffold

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    M Totrov; X Jiang; X Kong

    2011-12-31

    V3 loop is a major neutralizing determinant of the HIV-1 gp120. Using 3D structures of cholera toxin B subunit (CTB), complete V3 in the gp120 context, and V3 bound to a monoclonal antibody (mAb), we designed two V3-scaffold immunogen constructs (V3-CTB). The full-length V3-CTB presenting the complete V3 in a structural context mimicking gp120 was recognized by the large majority of our panel of 24 mAbs. The short V3-CTB presenting a V3 fragment in the conformation observed in the complex with the 447-52D Fab, exhibited high-affinity binding to this mAb. The immunogens were evaluated in rabbits using DNA-prime/protein-boost protocol. Boostingmore » with the full-length V3-CTB induced high anti-V3 titers in sera that potently neutralize multiple HIV virus strains. The short V3-CTB was ineffective. The results suggest that very narrow antigenic profile of an immunogen is associated with poor Ab response. An immunogen with broader antigenic activity elicits robust Ab response.« less

  6. L1 and L2 Spoken Word Processing: Evidence from Divided Attention Paradigm.

    PubMed

    Shafiee Nahrkhalaji, Saeedeh; Lotfi, Ahmad Reza; Koosha, Mansour

    2016-10-01

    The present study aims to reveal some facts concerning first language (L 1 ) and second language (L 2 ) spoken-word processing in unbalanced proficient bilinguals using behavioral measures. The intention here is to examine the effects of auditory repetition word priming and semantic priming in first and second languages of these bilinguals. The other goal is to explore the effects of attention manipulation on implicit retrieval of perceptual and conceptual properties of spoken L 1 and L 2 words. In so doing, the participants performed auditory word priming and semantic priming as memory tests in their L 1 and L 2 . In a half of the trials of each experiment, they carried out the memory test while simultaneously performing a secondary task in visual modality. The results revealed that effects of auditory word priming and semantic priming were present when participants processed L 1 and L 2 words in full attention condition. Attention manipulation could reduce priming magnitude in both experiments in L 2 . Moreover, L 2 word retrieval increases the reaction times and reduces accuracy on the simultaneous secondary task to protect its own accuracy and speed.

  7. Gene within gene configuration and expression of the Drosophila melanogaster genes lethal(2) neighbour of tid [l(2)not] and lethal(2) relative of tid[l(2)rot].

    PubMed

    Kurzik-Dumke, U; Kaymer, M; Gundacker, D; Debes, A; Labitzke, K

    1997-10-24

    In this paper, we describe the structure and temporal expression pattern of the Drosophila melanogaster genes l(2)not and l(2)rot located at locus 59F5 vis à vis the tumor suppressor gene l(2)tid described previously and exhibiting a gene within gene configuration. The l(2)not protein coding region, 1530 nt, is divided into two exons by an intron, 2645 nt, harboring the genes l(2)rot, co-transcribed from the same DNA strand, and l(2)tid, co-transcribed from the opposite DNA strand, located vis à vis. To determine proteins encoded by the genes described in this study polyclonal rabbit antibodies (Ab), anti-Not and anti-Rot, were generated. Immunostaining of developmental Western blots with the anti-Not Ab resulted in the identification of a 45-kDa protein, Not45, which is smaller than the Not56 protein predicted from the sequence. Its localization in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was established by immunoelectron microscopy of Drosophila melanogaster Schneider 2 cells. Not45 shows significant homology to yeast ALG3 protein acting as a dolichol mannosyltransferase in the asparagine-linked glycosylation. It is synthesized ubiquitously throughout embryonic life. The protein predicted from the l(2)rot sequence, Rot57, shows a homology to the NS2B protein of the yellow fever virus1 (yefv1). The results of l(2)rot RNA analysis by developmental Northern blot and by in situ RNA localization, as well as the results of the protein analysis via Western blot and immunohistochemistry suggest that l(2)rot is transcribed but not translated. Since RNAs encoded by the genes l(2)tid and l(2)rot are complementary and l(2)rot is presumably not translated we performed preliminary experiments on the function of the l(2)rot RNA as a natural antisense RNA (asRNA) regulator of l(2)tid expression, expressed in the same temporal and spatial manner as the l(2)tid- and l(2)not RNA. l(2)tid knock-out by antisense RNA yielded late embryonic lethality resulting from multiple morphogenetic defects.

  8. L2 Willingness to Communicate, Openness to Experience, Extraversion, and L2 Unwillingness to Communicate: The Iranian EFL Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khany, Reza; Nejad, Ali Mansouri

    2017-01-01

    This study examines the relationship between L2 willingness to communicate (L2WTC), L2 unwillingness to communicate (L2UWTC) and the personality traits of openness to experience and extraversion in an Iranian context. The Pearson correlation and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the results from a study with 217 English major students. A…

  9. Bilingual Lexical Access during L1 Sentence Reading: The Effects of L2 Knowledge, Semantic Constraint, and L1-L2 Intermixing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Titone, Debra; Libben, Maya; Mercier, Julie; Whitford, Veronica; Pivneva, Irina

    2011-01-01

    Libben and Titone (2009) recently observed that cognate facilitation and interlingual homograph interference were attenuated by increased semantic constraint during bilingual second language (L2) reading, using eye movement measures. We now investigate whether cross-language activation also occurs during first language (L1) reading as a function…

  10. Experimental immunization with anti-rheumatic bacterial extract OM-89 induces T cell responses to heat shock protein (hsp)60 and hsp70; modulation of peripheral immunological tolerance as its possible mode of action in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

    PubMed Central

    BLOEMENDAL, A; VAN DER ZEE, R; RUTTEN, V P M G; VAN KOOTEN, P J S; FARINE, J C; VAN EDEN, W

    1997-01-01

    OM-89 is a bacterial (Escherichia coli) extract used for oral administration in the treatment of RA. Given the evidence that immunity to bacterial heat shock antigens plays a critical role in the immunomodulation of arthritis and possibly inflammation in general, the purpose of the present studies was to evaluate the presence and immunogenicity of hsp in OM-89. Furthermore, we studied the effects of OM-89 in an experimental arthritis, where hsp are known to have a critical significance in disease development. In rats immunization with OM-89 was found to lead to proliferative T cell responses to hsp60 and hsp70 of both E. coli and mycobacterial origin. Conversely, immunization with hsp antigens was also found to induce T cell reactivity specific for OM-89. Based on this and the antigen specificity analysis of specific T cell lines, hsp70 (DnaK) turned out to be one of the major immunogenic constituents of OM-89. Parenteral immunization with OM-89 was found to reduce resistance to adjuvant arthritis (AA), whereas oral administration was found to protect against AA. Given the arthritis-inhibitory effect of oral OM-89 in AA, it is possible that peripheral tolerance is induced at the level of regulatory T cells with specificity for hsp. This may also constitute a mode of action for OM-89 as an arthritis-suppressive oral drug. PMID:9353151

  11. Pools of programmed death-ligand within the oral cavity tumor microenvironment: Variable alteration by targeted therapies.

    PubMed

    Shah, Sujay; Caruso, Andria; Cash, Harrison; Waes, Carter Van; Allen, Clint T

    2016-08-01

    Enhanced understanding of programmed death-ligand (PD-L) expression in oral cancer is important for establishing rational combinations of emerging immune checkpoint and molecular targeted therapies. We assessed PD-L and interferon (IFN) expression in immunogenic murine oral cancer-1 (MOC1) and poorly immunogenic MOC2 cell models after treatment with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and MEK1/2 small molecule inhibitors in vitro and in vivo. PD-L1 but not PD-L2 is expressed on MOC1 and 2 cells and is type I and II IFN-dependent. PD-L1 is differentially expressed on cancer and endothelial cells and infiltrating myeloid-derived suppressor cells, macrophages, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in highly and poorly immunogenic tumors. PD-L1 expression is variably altered after treatment with inhibitors in vivo, with an imperfect relationship to alterations in IFN levels in the tumor microenvironment. PD-L1 expressed on cancer and infiltrating immune cells is variably altered by targeted therapies and may, in part, reflect changes in tumor IFN. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38:1176-1186, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Mutations in subunit interface and B-cell epitopes improve antileukemic activities of Escherichia coli asparaginase-II: evaluation of immunogenicity in mice.

    PubMed

    Mehta, Ranjit Kumar; Verma, Shikha; Pati, Rashmirekha; Sengupta, Mitali; Khatua, Biswajit; Jena, Rabindra Kumar; Sethy, Sudha; Kar, Santosh K; Mandal, Chitra; Roehm, Klaus H; Sonawane, Avinash

    2014-02-07

    L-Asparaginase-II from Escherichia coli (EcA) is a central component in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, the therapeutic efficacy of EcA is limited due to immunogenicity and a short half-life in the patient. Here, we performed rational mutagenesis to obtain EcA variants with a potential to improve ALL treatment. Several variants, especially W66Y and Y176F, killed the ALL cells more efficiently than did wild-type EcA (WT-EcA), although nonleukemic peripheral blood monocytes were not affected. Several assays, including Western blotting, annexin-V/propidium iodide binding, comet, and micronuclei assays, showed that the reduction in viability of leukemic cells is due to the increase in caspase-3, cytochrome c release, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activation, down-regulation of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-XL, an arrest of the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase, and eventually apoptosis. Both W66Y and Y176F induced significantly more apoptosis in lymphocytes derived from ALL patients. In addition, Y176F and Y176S exhibited greatly decreased glutaminase activity, whereas K288S/Y176F, a variant mutated in one of the immunodominant epitopes, showed reduced antigenicity. Further in vivo immunogenicity studies in mice showed that K288S/Y176F was 10-fold less immunogenic as compared with WT-EcA. Moreover, sera obtained from WT-EcA immunized mice and ALL patients who were given asparaginase therapy for several weeks recognized the K288S/Y176F mutant significantly less than the WT-EcA. Further mechanistic studies revealed that W66Y, Y176F, and K288S/Y176F rapidly depleted asparagine and also down-regulated the transcription of asparagine synthetase as compared with WT-EcA. These highly desirable attributes of these variants could significantly advance asparaginase therapy of leukemia in the future.

  13. L2, the minor capsid protein of papillomavirus

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Joshua W.; Roden, Richard B.S.

    2013-01-01

    The capsid protein L2 plays major roles in both papillomavirus assembly and the infectious process. While L1 forms the majority of the capsid and can self-assemble into empty virus-like particles (VLPs), L2 is a minor capsid component and lacks the capacity to form VLPs. However, L2 co-assembles with L1 into VLPs, enhancing their assembly. L2 also facilitates encapsidation of the ~8kbp circular and nucleosome-bound viral genome during assembly of the non-enveloped T=7d virions in the nucleus of terminally differentiated epithelial cells, although, like L1, L2 is not detectably expressed in infected basal cells. With respect to infection, L2 is not required for particles to bind to and enter cells. However L2 must be cleaved by furin for endosome escape. L2 then travels with the viral genome to the nucleus, wherein it accumulates at ND-10 domains. Here, we provide an overview of the biology of L2. PMID:23689062

  14. Immunogenicity of peptides of measles virus origin and influence of adjuvants.

    PubMed

    Halassy, Beata; Mateljak, Sanja; Bouche, Fabienne B; Pütz, Mike M; Muller, Claude P; Frkanec, Ruza; Habjanec, Lidija; Tomasić, Jelka

    2006-01-12

    Epitope-based peptide antigens have been under development for protection against measles virus. The immunogenicity of five peptides composed of the same B cell epitope (BCE) (H236-250 of the measles virus hemagglutinin), and different T cell epitopes of measles virus fusion protein (F421-435, F256-270, F288-302) and nucleoprotein (NP335-345) was studied in mice (subcutaneous immunisation). The adjuvant effects of peptidoglycan monomer (PGM), Montanide ISA 720 and 206 were also investigated. Results showed basic differences in peptide immunogenicity that were consistent with already described structural differences. PGM elevated peptide-specific IgG when applied together with four of five tested peptides. A strong synergistic effect was observed after co-immunisation of mice with a mixture containing all five chimeric peptides in small and equal amounts. Results revealed for the first time that immunisation with several peptides having the common BCE generated significantly higher levels of both anti-peptide and anti-BCE IgG in comparison to those obtained after immunisation with a single peptide in much higher quantity. Further improvement of immune response was obtained after incorporation of such a peptide mixture into oil-based adjuvants.

  15. How L2 Words Are Stored: The Episodic L2 Hypothesis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Witzel, Naoko Ouchi; Forster, Kenneth I.

    2012-01-01

    This article reports findings from 3 experiments examining whether 2nd language (L2) words are represented in episodic memory, as originally proposed by Jiang and Forster (2001). Experiment 1 was a direct replication of Jiang and Forster, testing highly proficient Chinese-English bilinguals. Masked translation priming was obtained in an episodic…

  16. Embodied L2 Construction Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eskildsen, Søren W.; Wagner, Johannes

    2015-01-01

    This study uses conversation analysis (CA) to investigate the coupling of specific linguistic items with specific gestures in second language (L2) learning over time. In particular, we are interested in how gestures accompany learning of new vocabulary. CA-informed studies of gesture have previously shown the importance of embodiment in L2 use and…

  17. Safety and immunogenicity of HIV-1 Tat toxoid in immunocompromised HIV-1-infected patients.

    PubMed

    Gringeri, A; Santagostino, E; Muça-Perja, M; Mannucci, P M; Zagury, J F; Bizzini, B; Lachgar, A; Carcagno, M; Rappaport, J; Criscuolo, M; Blattner, W; Burny, A; Gallo, R C; Zagury, D

    1998-01-01

    To antagonize the deleterious effects of the HIV-1 toxin extracellular Tat on uninfected immune cells, we developed a new strategy of anti-HIV-1 vaccine using an inactivated but immunogenic Tat (Tat toxoid). Tat toxoid has been assayed for safety and immunogenicity in seropositive patients. The phase I vaccine clinical trial testing Tat toxoid preparation in Seppic Isa 51 oil adjuvant was performed on 14 HIV-1-infected asymptomatic although biologically immunocompromised individuals (500-200 CD4+ cells/mm3). Following as many as 8 injections, no clinical defects were observed. All patients exhibited an antibody (Ab) response to Tat, and some had cell-mediated immunity (CMI) as evaluated by skin test in vivo and T-cell proliferation in vitro. These results provide initial evidence of safety and potency of Tat toxoid vaccination in HIV-1-infected individuals.

  18. Safety and immunogenicity of a tetravalent dengue vaccine in healthy children aged 2-11 years in Malaysia: a randomized, placebo-controlled, Phase III study.

    PubMed

    Hss, Amar-Singh; Koh, Mia-Tuang; Tan, Kah Kee; Chan, Lee Gaik; Zhou, Lynn; Bouckenooghe, Alain; Crevat, Denis; Hutagalung, Yanee

    2013-12-02

    Dengue disease is a major public health problem across the Asia-Pacific region for which there is no licensed vaccine or treatment. We evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of Phase III lots of a candidate vaccine (CYD-TDV) in children in Malaysia. In this observer-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase III study, children aged 2-11 years were randomized (4:1) to receive CYD-TDV or placebo at 0, 6 and 12 months. Primary endpoints included assessment of reactogenicity following each dose, adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs (SAEs) reported throughout the study, and immunogenicity expressed as geometric mean titres (GMTs) and distribution of dengue virus (DENV) neutralizing antibody titres. 250 participants enrolled in the study (CYD-TDV: n=199; placebo: n=51). There was a trend for reactogenicity to be higher with CYD-TDV than with placebo post-dose 1 (75.4% versus 68.6%) and post-dose 2 (71.6% versus 62.0%) and slightly lower post-dose 3 (57.9% versus 64.0%). Unsolicited AEs declined in frequency with each subsequent dose and were similar overall between groups (CYD-TDV: 53.8%; placebo: 49.0%). Most AEs were of Grade 1 intensity and were transient. SAEs were reported by 5.5% and 11.8% of participants in the CYD-TDV and placebo groups, respectively. No deaths were reported. Baseline seropositivity against each of the four DENV serotypes was similar between groups, ranging from 24.0% (DENV-4) to 36.7% (DENV-3). In the CYD-TDV group, GMTs increased post-dose 2 for all serotypes compared with baseline, ranging from 4.8 (DENV-1) to 8.1-fold (DENV-3). GMTs further increased post-dose 3 for DENV-1 and DENV-2. Compared with baseline, individual titre increases ranged from 6.1-fold (DENV-1) to 7.96-fold (DENV-3). This study demonstrated a satisfactory safety profile and a balanced humoral immune response against all four DENV serotypes for CYD-TDV administered via a three-dose regimen to children in Malaysia. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All

  19. Expression and immunogenicity of an Escherichia coli K99 fimbriae subunit antigen in soybean.

    PubMed

    Piller, Kenneth J; Clemente, Thomas E; Jun, Sang Mu; Petty, Cynthia C; Sato, Shirley; Pascual, David W; Bost, Kenneth L

    2005-09-01

    Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) cause acute diarrhea in humans and farm animals, and can be fatal if the host is left untreated. As a potential alternative to traditional needle vaccination of cattle, we investigated the feasibility of expressing the major K99 fimbrial subunit, FanC, in soybean (Glycine max) for use as an edible subunit vaccine. As a first step in this developmental process, a synthetic version of fanC was optimized for expression in the cytosol and transferred to soybean via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Western analysis of T(0) events revealed the presence of a peptide with the expected mobility for FanC in transgenic protein extracts, and immunofluorescense confirmed localization to the cytosol. Two T(0) lines, which accumulated FanC to levels near 0.5% of total soluble protein, were chosen for further molecular characterization in the T(1) and T(2) generations. Mice immunized intraperitoneally with protein extract derived from transgenic leaves expressing synthetic FanC developed significant antibody titers against bacterially derived FanC and produced antigen-specific CD4(+) T lymphocytes, demonstrating the ability of transgenic FanC to function as an immunogen. These experiments are the first to demonstrate the expression and immunogenicity of a model subunit antigen in the soybean system, and mark the first steps toward the development of a K99 edible vaccine to protect against ETEC.

  20. Cytokines in immunogenic cell death: Applications for cancer immunotherapy.

    PubMed

    Showalter, Anne; Limaye, Arati; Oyer, Jeremiah L; Igarashi, Robert; Kittipatarin, Christina; Copik, Alicja J; Khaled, Annette R

    2017-09-01

    Despite advances in treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy, metastatic cancer remains a leading cause of death for cancer patients. While many chemotherapeutic agents can efficiently eliminate cancer cells, long-term protection against cancer is not achieved and many patients experience cancer recurrence. Mobilizing and stimulating the immune system against tumor cells is one of the most effective ways to protect against cancers that recur and/or metastasize. Activated tumor specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) can seek out and destroy metastatic tumor cells and reduce tumor lesions. Natural Killer (NK) cells are a front-line defense against drug-resistant tumors and can provide tumoricidal activity to enhance tumor immune surveillance. Cytokines like IFN-γ or TNF play a crucial role in creating an immunogenic microenvironment and therefore are key players in the fight against metastatic cancer. To this end, a group of anthracyclines or treatments like photodynamic therapy (PDT) exert their effects on cancer cells in a manner that activates the immune system. This process, known as immunogenic cell death (ICD), is characterized by the release of membrane-bound and soluble factors that boost the function of immune cells. This review will explore different types of ICD inducers, some in clinical trials, to demonstrate that optimizing the cytokine response brought about by treatments with ICD-inducing agents is central to promoting anti-cancer immunity that provides long-lasting protection against disease recurrence and metastasis. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.