scholarly journals Recent Advances in Immunotherapies Against Infectious Diseases

Author(s):  
Dharanidharan Ramamurthy ◽  
Trishana Nundalall ◽  
Sanele Cingo ◽  
Neelakshi Mungra ◽  
Maryam Karaan ◽  
...  

Abstract Immunotherapies are disease management strategies that target or manipulate components of the immune system. Infectious diseases pose a significant threat to human health as evidenced by countries continuing to grapple with several emerging and re-emerging diseases, the most recent global health threat being the SARS-CoV2 pandemic. As such, various immunotherapeutic approaches are increasingly being investigated as alternative therapies for infectious diseases, resulting in significant advances towards the uncovering of pathogen-host immunity interactions. Novel and innovative therapeutic strategies are necessary to overcome the challenges typically faced by existing infectious disease prevention and control methods such as lack of adequate efficacy, drug toxicity and the emergence of drug resistance. As evidenced by recent developments and success of pharmaceuticals such as monoclonal antibodies, immunotherapies already show abundant promise to overcome such limitations while also advancing the frontiers of medicine. In this review we summarize some of the most notable inroads made to combat infectious disease, over mainly the last 5 years, through the use of immunotherapies such as vaccines, monoclonal antibody-based therapies, T-cell-based therapies, manipulation of cytokine levels and checkpoint inhibition. Whilst its most general applications are founded in cancer treatment, advances made towards the curative treatment of HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, zika virus and, most recently COVID-19, reinforce the role of immunotherapeutic strategies in the broader field of disease control. Ultimately, the comprehensive specificity, safety and cost of immunotherapeutics will impact its widespread implementation.

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 372-380
Author(s):  
Nobuhiko Okabe ◽  

Infectious diseases are no longer fatal enabling many people to live without anxiety. However, provision to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (EID/REID) are new global issues and every country has been requested to strengthen core capacity for infectious disease early detection and control. In this issue, background and concept of EID/REID, and Japanese efforts including introduction of Infectious Disease Control Law and surveillance system were described.


2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 309-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan Paradise

Perpetual debate regarding the delicate balance between access and innovation and the protection of the public health and safety dominate discussions of the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). Established chiefly as a command and control federal administrative agency, iterative changes in legislation have shaped the FDA's activity in drug, biologic, and medical device regulation over the course of the last one hundred plus years. The most recent fundamental reframing of the agency's authority and directive presented itself in the 21st Century Cures Act, reflecting an important role for patient perspectives in the regulatory process. This Article explores recent developments in patient-focused product development efforts at the FDA and offers modest insights on the increasing role of patients, and patient advocacy groups, in agency decision-making. The Article terms this era “21st century citizen pharma.”


2021 ◽  
pp. 154-196
Author(s):  
Jacek Jagielski ◽  
Piotr Gołaszewski

The article discusses the legal and administrative regulations regarding the prevention and control of infectious diseases. The author puts forward and justifies the thesis that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus epidemic (COVID-19 disease) has exposed significant imperfections (and partly deficiencies) of the above-mentioned regulations, and at the same time revealed the effects of – sometimes insufficient – theoretical reflection on administrative law and the methods of reception of its assumptions and theoretical structures into the provisions of this law. Against this background, particular attention was paid to the construction of the special state as a (separate and independent) institution of material administrative law, as well as to issues concerning, inter alia, administrative regulations, general administrative acts, administrative enforcement of non-pecuniary obligations, administrative proceedings, criminal-administrative law, and social (digital) exclusion in administrative law. The considerations are summed up by the statement that administrative law – both in practical and theoretical terms – has turned out to be insufficiently prepared for an epidemic of an infectious disease in general, and even more so for an epidemic of a scale such as that caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.


MRS Advances ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (11) ◽  
pp. 581-586
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Housel ◽  
Alyson Abraham ◽  
Genesis D. Renderos ◽  
Kenneth J. Takeuchi ◽  
Esther S. Takeuchi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIn battery systems, a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is formed through electrolyte reaction on an electrode surface. The formation of SEI can have both positive and negative effects on electrochemistry. The initial formation of the layer protects the electrode from further reactivity, which can improve both shelf and cycle life. However, if the layer continues to form, it can impede charge transfer, which increases cell resistance and limits cycle life. The role of SEI is particularly important when studying conversion electrodes, since phase transformations which unveil new electroactive surfaces during reduction/oxidation can facilitate electrolyte decomposition. This manuscript highlights recent developments in the understanding and control of SEI formation for magnetite (Fe3O4) conversion electrodes through electrolyte and electrode modification.


2014 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-19
Author(s):  
Keegan Guidolin ◽  
Gaby Meglei

Perhaps the greatest medical advancement in history was the development of the vaccine. While previously helpless to stop the spread of deadly infectious diseases, humanity has since harnessed the power of vaccination and decreased the incidence of infectious disease across the globe. Smallpox was the first disease to be eradicated—the greatest of our triumphs. This success was due to the global coordinated effort of the Intensified Smallpox Eradication Program. Presently, measles is the top cause of vaccine-preventable death in the world, and despite enormous vaccination efforts, eradication is still distant. This is due in part to the antivaccination movement, which was fueled by an article by Wakefield, published in the Lancet in 1998. The future of vaccination is an ambitious and unclear one—with tremendous financial support and involvement, the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) aims to eliminate vaccine preventable illness within what they call the “Decade of Vaccines”.


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chacha D. Mangu ◽  
Christina K. Manyama ◽  
Henry Msila ◽  
Lwitiho Sudi ◽  
Godlove Chaula ◽  
...  

Emerging diseases are global threat towards human existence. Every country is exposed to potentially emergence of infectious diseases. Several factor such as changes in ecology, climate and human demographics play different roles in a complex mechanism contributing to the occurrence of infectious diseases. Important aspects towards control in case of outbreaks are surveillance, preparedness and early response. Tanzania should therefore take opportunity of the calm situation currently present, to prepare. Except for HIV/AIDS, Tanzania has not experienced a major public health threat. However, the question is, is the country safe from emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases? In this article we try to explore the danger of emerging infectious disease (EID) epidemics in Tanzania and the risks attached if an outbreak is to occur. The aim is to formulate recommendations to the government, responsible authorities and general population of what can be done to improve the level of EID preparedness in the country. In conclusion, it is important to strengthen the capacity of community and healthcare staffs on how to respond to potential infectious disease outbreaks. Community-based surveillance systems should be incorporated into the national systems for early detection of public health events. It is also critical to enhance one health approach to increase cross-sectoral information sharing, surveillance and interventional strategies as regards to preparedness and response to disease outbreaks.


2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1932) ◽  
pp. 20201039 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea K. Townsend ◽  
Dana M. Hawley ◽  
Jessica F. Stephenson ◽  
Keelah E. G. Williams

The ‘social distancing’ that occurred in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in humans provides a powerful illustration of the intimate relationship between infectious disease and social behaviour in animals. Indeed, directly transmitted pathogens have long been considered a major cost of group living in humans and other social animals, as well as a driver of the evolution of group size and social behaviour. As the risk and frequency of emerging infectious diseases rise, the ability of social taxa to respond appropriately to changing infectious disease pressures could mean the difference between persistence and extinction. Here, we examine changes in the social behaviour of humans and wildlife in response to infectious diseases and compare these responses to theoretical expectations. We consider constraints on altering social behaviour in the face of emerging diseases, including the lack of behavioural plasticity, environmental limitations and conflicting pressures from the many benefits of group living. We also explore the ways that social animals can minimize the costs of disease-induced changes to sociality and the unique advantages that humans may have in maintaining the benefits of sociality despite social distancing.


Author(s):  
Maria Ines Zanoli Sato

This chapter provides a review of infectious disease to date and the challenges they may present in the future. The main pandemics that have driven the history of humanity are described, from the first to be recorded in 3180 BC to more recent ones such as AIDIS, SARS and others associated with emerging pathogens. The essential role of emerging scientific specialisms (particularly microbiology, public health and sanitary engineering) to our understanding of the causes of these diseases (and how they may be better monitored, controlled and prevented) is presented. Globalization and climate change, determining factors for the ecology of infectious diseases and their emergence and re-emergence, are discussed and point to the urgent need for research to deal with these threats that continue to have a significant impact on human development and wellbeing.


2022 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-74
Author(s):  
Tian Wang ◽  
Shanshan Zhang ◽  
Yue Wu ◽  
Hongzhe Zhang

Objective: Entrusted by the Harbin Municipal Government, evaluation medical building system for prevention and control of sudden infectious diseases in the city has been established. Background: China, as a country that found the COVID-19 earlier, has taken strict control measures. However, as the medical building system is not perfect enough to prevent and control sudden infectious diseases. Method: First, expert group methodology was used and evaluation index of ability of prevention and control of sudden infectious diseases in medical building system was selected; then fuzzy comprehensive evaluation was adopted to establish index set and to set weight and medical building system evaluation model for prevention and control of sudden infectious diseases was constructed; finally, it’s to modify the indicators and weights in the evaluation set and to make an evaluation of the ability of Harbin medical building system to prevent and control sudden infectious diseases in accordance with the current management mode of system. Results: The medical building system in Harbin is significantly unbalanced in its ability to prevent sudden infections where there are low indicators for response monitoring and forecasting terminals, there are high indicators for the construction of emergency center. Conclusions: The evaluation model of the ability of medical building system to prevent and control sudden infectious diseases was constructed. The model is adopted to make practical evaluation of infectious disease prevention and control ability in Harbin and to form the evaluation method of the direct connection between the theoretical research of medical architecture and medical building design.


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