scholarly journals Path to Success and Future Impact of Nucleic Acid Vaccines: DNA and mRNA

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Jeffrey B. Ulmer ◽  
Margaret A. Liu

The rapid development of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 has both astonished the world and raised concerns about their safety, perhaps because many people do not realize the decades’ long efforts for nucleic acid vaccines, both mRNA and DNA vaccines, including the licensure of several veterinary DNA vaccines. This manuscript traces the milestones for nucleic acid vaccine research and development (R&D), with a focus on the immune and safety issues they both raised and answered. The characteristics of the two entities are compared, demonstrating the similarities and differences between them, the advantages and disadvantages, which might lead toward using one or the other technology for different indications. In addition, as the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has once again highlighted the importance of One Health, that is, the interactions between animal and human pathogens, focus will also be given to how DNA vaccine utilization and studies both in large domestic animals and in wildlife pave the way for more integrated approaches for vaccines to respond quickly to, and prevent, the global impacts of emerging diseases.

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 258
Author(s):  
Anders Fomsgaard ◽  
Margaret A. Liu

The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted both the importance of One Health, i.e., the interactions and transmission of pathogens between animals and humans, and the potential power of gene-based vaccines, specifically nucleic acid vaccines. This review will highlight key aspects of the development of plasmid DNA Nucleic Acid (NA) vaccines, which have been licensed for several veterinary uses, and tested for a number of human diseases, and will explain how an understanding of their immunological and real-world attributes are important for their efficacy, and how they helped pave the way for mRNA vaccines. The review highlights how combining efforts for vaccine development for both animals and humans is crucial for advancing new technologies and for combatting emerging diseases.


2020 ◽  
pp. 37-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. E. Shastitko ◽  
O. A. Markova

Digital transformation has led to changes in business models of traditional players in the existing markets. What is more, new entrants and new markets appeared, in particular platforms and multisided markets. The emergence and rapid development of platforms are caused primarily by the existence of so called indirect network externalities. Regarding to this, a question arises of whether the existing instruments of competition law enforcement and market analysis are still relevant when analyzing markets with digital platforms? This paper aims at discussing advantages and disadvantages of using various tools to define markets with platforms. In particular, we define the features of the SSNIP test when being applyed to markets with platforms. Furthermore, we analyze adjustment in tests for platform market definition in terms of possible type I and type II errors. All in all, it turns out that to reduce the likelihood of type I and type II errors while applying market definition technique to markets with platforms one should consider the type of platform analyzed: transaction platforms without pass-through and non-transaction matching platforms should be tackled as players in a multisided market, whereas non-transaction platforms should be analyzed as players in several interrelated markets. However, if the platform is allowed to adjust prices, there emerges additional challenge that the regulator and companies may manipulate the results of SSNIP test by applying different models of competition.


Author(s):  
Yudong Bao ◽  
Linkai Wu ◽  
Yanling Zhao ◽  
Chengyi Pan

Background:: Angular contact ball bearings are the most popular bearing type used in the high speed spindle for machining centers, The performance of the bearing directly affects the machining efficiency of the machine tool, Obtaining a higher value is the direction of its research and development. Objective:: By analyzing the research achievements and patents of electric spindle angular contact bearings, summarizing the development trend provides a reference for the development of electric spindle bearings. Methods:: Through the analysis of the relevant technology of the electric spindle angular contact ball bearing, the advantages and disadvantages of the angular contact ball bearing are introduced, and the research results are combined with the patent analysis. Results:: With the rapid development of high-speed cutting and numerical control technology and the needs of practical applications, the spindle requires higher and higher speeds for bearings. In order to meet the requirements of use, it is necessary to improve the bearing performance by optimizing the structure size and improving the lubrication conditions. Meanwhile, reasonable processing and assembly methods will also have a beneficial effect on bearing performance. Conclusion:: With the continuous deepening of bearing technology research and the use of new structures and ceramic materials has made the bearing's limit speed repeatedly reach new highs. The future development trend of high-speed bearings for electric spindles is environmental protection, intelligence, high speed, high precision and long life.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 340
Author(s):  
Izabela K Ragan ◽  
Lindsay M Hartson ◽  
Taru S Dutt ◽  
Andres Obregon-Henao ◽  
Rachel M Maison ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated intense interest in the rapid development and evaluation of vaccine candidates for this disease and other emerging diseases. Several novel methods for preparing vaccine candidates are currently undergoing clinical evaluation in response to the urgent need to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In many cases, these methods rely on new approaches for vaccine production and immune stimulation. We report on the use of a novel method (SolaVAX) for production of an inactivated vaccine candidate and the testing of that candidate in a hamster animal model for its ability to prevent infection upon challenge with SARS-CoV-2 virus. The studies employed in this work included an evaluation of the levels of neutralizing antibody produced post-vaccination, levels of specific antibody sub-types to RBD and spike protein that were generated, evaluation of viral shedding post-challenge, flow cytometric and single cell sequencing data on cellular fractions and histopathological evaluation of tissues post-challenge. The results from this preliminary evaluation provide insight into the immunological responses occurring as a result of vaccination with the proposed vaccine candidate and the impact that adjuvant formulations, specifically developed to promote Th1 type immune responses, have on vaccine efficacy and protection against infection following challenge with live SARS-CoV-2. This data may have utility in the development of effective vaccine candidates broadly. Furthermore, the results of this preliminary evaluation suggest that preparation of a whole virion vaccine for COVID-19 using this specific photochemical method may have potential utility in the preparation of one such vaccine candidate.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fallon Fowler ◽  
Tashiana Wilcox ◽  
Stephanie Orr ◽  
Wes Watson

Abstract Understanding collection methodologies and their limitations are essential when targeting specific arthropods for use in habitat restoration, conservation, laboratory colony formation, or when holistically representing local populations using ecological surveys. For dung beetles, the most popular collection methodology is baited traps, followed by light traps and unbaited flight-intercept traps during diversity surveys. A less common collection method, flotation, is assumed to be laborious and messy, and so only a handful of papers exist on its refinement and strengths. Our purpose was threefold: First, we tested the recovery and survival rates of Labarrus (=Aphodius) pseudolividus (Balthasar) and Onthophagus taurus (Schreber) when floating beetle-seeded dung pats to determine potential collection and safety issues. We collected 72.4 and 78% of the seeded L. pseudolividus and O. taurus, respectively, with >95% survival rating. Second, we developed a flotation-sieving technique that enables users to rapidly collect and passively sort dung beetles with less time and effort. Specifically, we often collected 50–100 g of wild dung beetles within a couple of hours of gathering dung and sorted them in a couple more by allowing dung beetles to sort themselves by size within a series of sieves; Third, we reviewed flotation-based advantages and disadvantages in comparison to other methodologies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yifei Li ◽  
Donghui Zhang

During the past several decades, major advances and improvements now promote better treatment options for cardiovascular diseases. However, these diseases still remain the single leading cause of death worldwide. The rapid development of cardiac tissue engineering has provided the opportunity to potentially restore the contractile function and retain the pumping feature of injured hearts. This conception of cardiac tissue engineering can enable researchers to produce autologous and functional biomaterials which represents a promising technique to benefit patients with cardiovascular diseases. Such an approach will ultimately reshape existing heart transplantation protocols. Notable efforts are accelerating the development of cardiac tissue engineering, particularly to create larger tissue with enhanced functionality. Decellularized scaffolds, polymer synthetics fibrous matrix, and natural materials are used to build robust cardiac tissue scaffolds to imitate the morphological and physiological patterns of natural tissue. This ultimately helps cells to implant properly to obtain endogenous biological capacity. However, newer designs such as the hydrogel scaffold-free matrix can increase the applicability of artificial tissue to engineering strategies. In this review, we summarize all the methods to produce artificial cardiac tissue using scaffold and scaffold-free technology, their advantages and disadvantages, and their relevance to clinical practice.


2021 ◽  
pp. 247255522098504
Author(s):  
Jeffrey R. Simard ◽  
Linda Lee ◽  
Ellen Vieux ◽  
Reina Improgo ◽  
Trang Tieu ◽  
...  

The aberrant regulation of protein expression and function can drastically alter cellular physiology and lead to numerous pathophysiological conditions such as cancer, inflammatory diseases, and neurodegeneration. The steady-state expression levels of endogenous proteins are controlled by a balance of de novo synthesis rates and degradation rates. Moreover, the levels of activated proteins in signaling cascades can be further modulated by a variety of posttranslational modifications and protein–protein interactions. The field of targeted protein degradation is an emerging area for drug discovery in which small molecules are used to recruit E3 ubiquitin ligases to catalyze the ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of disease-causing target proteins by the proteasome in both a dose- and time-dependent manner. Traditional approaches for quantifying protein level changes in cells, such as Western blots, are typically low throughput with limited quantification, making it hard to drive the rapid development of therapeutics that induce selective, rapid, and sustained protein degradation. In the last decade, a number of techniques and technologies have emerged that have helped to accelerate targeted protein degradation drug discovery efforts, including the use of fluorescent protein fusions and reporter tags, flow cytometry, time-resolved fluorescence energy transfer (TR-FRET), and split luciferase systems. Here we discuss the advantages and disadvantages associated with these technologies and their application to the development and optimization of degraders as therapeutics.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1003 ◽  
pp. 230-234
Author(s):  
Feng Long Fan ◽  
Xu Li ◽  
Xu Sheng Yu ◽  
Li Wang

With the development of computer technology, especially the rapid development and extensive application of database technology and computer network technology, the data quantity increases sharply, the accumulation of a large number of data in various fields, and rising fast. Enterprise database or data warehouse has stored a large number of customer data, these data include many aspects of the information of customers, but also contains the advantages and disadvantages of the enterprise operation. If we can use these data quickly, efficiently in-depth analysis and research, to find the rules and modes, to obtain the necessary knowledge from it, will help enterprises to better decision making. The system can successfully excavate students and staff of the tendency of consumption and consumption habits, analyze their satisfaction with each restaurant. The results of system analysis to a certain role for school students and teachers to understand and analyze the condition of daily consumption, so the establishment of this system has great practical value.


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