Immunogenic properties of serum antigens from chickens acutely infected withPlasmodium gallinaceum

Background:: The combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) could increase the number of circulating naive CD4 T lymphocytes, but was not able to eradicate human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection. Objective:: Thus, induction of strong immune responses is important for control of HIV-1 infection. Furthermore, a simple and perfect serological method is required to detect virus in untreated-, treated- and drug resistant- HIV-1 infected individuals. Methods:: This study was conducted to assess and compare immunogenic properties of Nef, Vif, Vpr and Vpu accessory proteins as an antigen candidate in mice and their diagnostic importance in human as a biomarker. Results:: Our data showed that in mice, all heterologous prime/ boost regimens were more potent than homologous prime/ boost regimens in eliciting Th1 response and Granzyme B secretion as CTL activity. Moreover, the Nef, Vpu and Vif proteins could significantly increase Th1 immune response. In contrast, the Vpr protein could considerably induce Th2 immune response. On the other hand, among four accessory proteins, HIV-1 Vpu could significantly detect treated group from untreated group as a possible biomarker in human. Conclusion:: Generally, among accessory proteins, Nef, Vpu and Vif antigens were potentially more suitable vaccine antigen candidates than Vpr antigen. Human antibodies against all these proteins were higher in HIV-1 different groups than healthy group. Among them, Vpu was known as a potent antigen in diagnosis of treated from untreated individuals. The potency of accessory proteins as an antigen candidate in an animal model and a human cohort study are underway.

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Mesenchymal stem cells and oncolytic viruses: joining forces against cancer

Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer ◽

10.1136/jitc-2020-001684 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. e001684

Author(s):

Rafael Moreno

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽

Immune System ◽

Oncolytic Viruses ◽

Immunogenic Cell Death ◽

The Past ◽

Physical Barriers ◽

Immunogenic Properties ◽

New Strategies

The development of oncolytic viruses (OVs) has increased significantly in the past 20 years, with many candidates entering clinical trials and three of them receiving approval for some indications. Recently, OVs have also gathered interest as candidates to use in combination with immunotherapies for cancer due to their immunogenic properties, which include immunogenic cell death and the possibility to carry therapeutic transgenes in their genomes. OVs transform non-immunogenic ‘cold’ tumors into inflamed immunogenic ‘hot’ tumors, where immunotherapies show the highest efficacy. However, in monotherapy or in combination with immunotherapy, OVs face numerous challenges that limit their successful application, in particular upon systemic administration, such as liver sequestration, neutralizing interactions in blood, physical barriers to infection, and fast clearance by the immune system. In this regard, the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as cells carrier for OV delivery addresses many of these obstacles acting as virus carriers and factories, expressing additional transgenes, and modulating the immune system. Here, I review the current progress of OVs-loaded MSCs in cancer, focusing on their interaction with the immune system, and discuss new strategies to improve their therapeutic efficacy.

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The Leishmania infantum Acidic Ribosomal Protein P0 Administered as a DNA Vaccine Confers Protective Immunity to Leishmania major Infection in BALB/c Mice

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.71.11.6562-6572.2003 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 71 (11) ◽

pp. 6562-6572 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Salvador Iborra ◽

Manuel Soto ◽

Javier Carrión ◽

Ana Nieto ◽

Edgar Fernández ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ribosomal Protein ◽

Leishmania Infantum ◽

Leishmania Major ◽

Parasite Burden ◽

Immunological Response ◽

Humoral Response ◽

Ifn Γ ◽

Immunogenic Properties ◽

Ribosomal Protein P0 ◽

Acidic Ribosomal Protein

ABSTRACT In this study, we examined the immunogenic properties of the Leishmania infantum acidic ribosomal protein P0 (LiP0) in the BALB/c mouse model. The humoral and cellular responses induced by the administration of the LiP0 antigen, either as soluble recombinant LiP0 (rLiP0) or as a plasmid DNA formulation (pcDNA3-LiP0), were determined. Also, the immunological response associated with a prime-boost strategy, consisting of immunization with pcDNA3-LiP0 followed by a boost with rLiP0, was assayed. Immunization with rLiP0 induced a predominant Th2-like humoral response, but no anti-LiP0 antibodies were induced after immunization with pcDNA3-LiP0, whereas a strong humoral response consisting of a mixed immunoglobulin G2a (IgG2a)-IgG1 isotype profile was induced in mice immunized with the prime-boost regime. For all three immunization protocols, rLiP0-stimulated production of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) in both splenocytes and lymph node cells from immunized mice was observed. However, it was only when mice were immunized with pcDNA3-LiP0 that noticeable protection against L. major infection was achieved, as determined by both lesion development and parasite burden. Immunization of mice with LiP0-DNA primes both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, which, with the L. major challenge, were boosted to produce significant levels of IL-12-dependent, antigen-specific IFN-γ. Taken together, these data indicate that genetic vaccination with LiP0 induces protective immunological effector mechanisms, yet the immunological response elicited by LiP0 is not sufficient to keep the infection from progressing.

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A Unique Protein Self-Assembling Nanoparticle with Significant Advantages in Vaccine Development and Production

Journal of Nanomaterials ◽

10.1155/2020/4297937 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Daniel C. Carter ◽

Brenda Wright ◽

W. Gray Jerome ◽

John P. Rose ◽

Ellen Wilson

Keyword(s):

Preliminary Analysis ◽

Vaccine Development ◽

Regulatory Protein ◽

Particle Surface ◽

Therapeutic Vaccine ◽

Nonstructural Proteins ◽

Cell Infection ◽

Self Assembling ◽

Unique Protein ◽

Immunogenic Properties

Nanoparticles are playing an increasingly powerful role in vaccine development. Here, we report the repurposing of nonstructural proteins 10 and 11 (hereafter NSP10) from the replicase polyprotein 1a (pp1a) of the human SARS coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome) as a novel self-assembling platform for bioengineered nanoparticles for a variety of applications including vaccines. NSP10 represents a 152 amino acid, 17 kD zinc finger transcription/regulatory protein which self-assembles to form a spherical 84 Å diameter nanoparticle with dodecahedral trigonal 32 point symmetry. As a self-assembling nanoparticle, NSP10 possesses numerous advantages in vaccine development and antigen display, including the unusual particle surface disposition of both the N- and C-termini. Each set of N- or C-termini is spatially disposed in a tetrahedral arrangement and positioned at optimal distances from the 3-fold axes (8-10 Å) to nucleate and stabilize the correct folding of complex helical or fibrous trimeric receptors, such as those responsible for viral tropism and cell infection. An application example in the exploratory development of a therapeutic vaccine for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), including preliminary analysis and immunogenic properties, is presented. The use of this system could accelerate the discovery and development of vaccines for a number of human, livestock, and veterinary applications.

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Combining the Anticancer and Immunomodulatory Effects of Astragalus and Shiitake as an Integrated Therapeutic Approach

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13082564 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 2564

Author(s):

Biju Balakrishnan ◽

Qi Liang ◽

Kevin Fenix ◽

Bunu Tamang ◽

Ehud Hauben ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Experimental Data ◽

Manufacturing Process ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Lentinus Edodes ◽

Immunomodulatory Effects ◽

Shiitake Mushrooms ◽

Medicinal Foods ◽

Medicinal Food ◽

Immunogenic Properties ◽

Prevention Approach

Astragalus root (Huang Qi) and Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes) are both considered medicinal foods and are frequently used in traditional Chinese medicine due to their anticancer and immunomodulating properties. Here, the scientific literatures describing evidence for the anticancer and immunogenic properties of Shiitake and Astragalus were reviewed. Based on our experimental data, the potential to develop medicinal food with combined bioactivities was assessed using Shiitake mushrooms grown over Astragalus beds in a proprietary manufacturing process, as a novel cancer prevention approach. Notably, our data suggest that this new manufacturing process can result in transfer and increased bioavailability of Astragalus polysaccharides with therapeutic potential into edible Shiitake. Further research efforts are required to validate the therapeutic potential of this new Hengshan Astragalus Shiitake medicinal food.

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