Combination Vaccines

Combination vaccines have been around since 1945 (trivalent influenza vaccine) and they combine either different serotypes of one microorganism (e.g., influenza or pneumococcal vaccines) or different microorganisms (e.g., DTP combinations). Potential chemical and physical interactions, unpredictable immunological interactions, and in one instance: increased AE, increasing likelihood of production failures, and reduced flexibility of a vaccination program are challenges for developing combination vaccines. With an increasing number of new vaccines for protecting the very young, DTaP- and DTwP-based combinations have become the cornerstone of pediatric vaccination programs around the globe since the mid-1990s. Live vaccine combinations include MR, MMR, and MMRV combinations as well as (trivalent) OPV. Combination vaccines for travelers include HAV-HBV combination and HAV-Ty vaccines. Dozens of diverse combination vaccine products are licensed today around the globe, some of them only in single countries to cover specific local needs. Combination vaccines have been shown to result in increased acceptance, completion and compliance with vaccination programs; in addition, they offer simplified logistics, reduce administration errors, reduce the number of medical visits and cost for the individual as well as for society, among other benefits.

Understanding the interaction between cytomegalovirus and tuberculosis in children: The way forward

Over 1 million children develop tuberculosis (TB) each year, with a quarter dying. Multiple factors impact the risk of a child being exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the risk of progressing to TB disease, and the risk of dying. However, an emerging body of evidence suggests that coinfection with cytomegalovirus (CMV), a ubiquitous herpes virus, impacts the host response to Mtb, potentially influencing the probability of disease progression, type of TB disease, performance of TB diagnostics, and disease outcome. It is also likely that infection with Mtb impacts CMV pathogenesis. Our current understanding of the burden of these 2 diseases in children, their immunological interactions, and the clinical consequence of coinfection is incomplete. It is also unclear how potential interventions might affect disease progression and outcome for TB or CMV. This article reviews the epidemiological, clinical, and immunological literature on CMV and TB in children and explores how the 2 pathogens interact, while also considering the impact of HIV on this relationship. It outlines areas of research uncertainty and makes practical suggestions as to potential studies that might address these gaps. Current research is hampered by inconsistent definitions, study designs, and laboratory practices, and more consistency and collaboration between researchers would lead to greater clarity. The ambitious targets outlined in the World Health Organization End TB Strategy will only be met through a better understanding of all aspects of child TB, including the substantial impact of coinfections.

Utilization of specific primers in legume allergens based polymorphism screening

Different types of allergies became a part of life of many people around the world. The research activities connecting to allergens are actually not oriented only for protein and immunological interactions, but to the genomic and transcriptomic background of them, too. Analysis and description of genomic variability of allergens in plant food resources will help to manage the allergen based strategies in the future. Here, the bioinformatic approach was used to develop and validate the specific primers for genomic screening of polymorphism of profilins (Profilin Based Amplicon Polymorphism; PBAP) and vicilins (Vicilin Based Amplicon Polymorphism; VBAP) among the legumes. The alignment of existing public databases data for these allergens in the group of legumes was performed. Subsequently, specific primers were designed and their ability to generate polymorphic amplicons were tested for three legumes – bean, lentil and chickpeas. In all cases, amplicons were generated and polymorphism was detected in all three species for profilin as well as for vicilin.

Virulence Factors and in-Host Selection on Phenotypes in Infectious Probiotic Yeast Isolates (Saccharomyces ‘boulardii’)

Saccharomyces yeast probiotics (S. ’boulardii’) have long been applied in the treatment of several gastrointestinal conditions. Despite their widespread use, they are rare opportunistic pathogens responsible for a high proportion of Saccharomyces mycosis cases. The potential virulence attributes of S. ’boulardii’ as well as its interactions with the human immune system have been studied, however, no information is available on how these yeasts may change due to in-host evolution. To fill this gap, we compared the general phenotypic characteristics, cell morphology, virulence factors, epithelial and immunological interactions, and pathogenicity of four probiotic product samples, two mycosis, and eight non-mycosis samples of S. ’boulardii’. We assessed the characteristics related to major steps of yeast infections. Mycosis and non-mycosis isolates both displayed novel characters when compared to the product isolates, but in the case of most virulence factors and in pathogenicity, differences were negligible or, surprisingly, the yeasts from products showed elevated levels. No isolates inflicted considerable damage to the epithelial model or bore the hallmarks of immune evasion. Our results show that strains in probiotic products possess characteristics that enable them to act as pathogens upon permissive conditions, and their entry into the bloodstream is not due to active mechanisms but depends on the host. Survival in the host is dependent on yeast phenotypic characteristics which may change in many ways once they start evolving in the host. These facts call attention to the shortcomings of virulence phenotyping in yeast research, and the need for a more thorough assessment of probiotic use.

Mechanical and Immunological Regulation in Wound Healing and Skin Reconstruction

In the past decade, a new frontier in scarless wound healing has arisen because of significant advances in the field of wound healing realised by incorporating emerging concepts from mechanobiology and immunology. The complete integumentary organ system (IOS) regeneration and scarless wound healing mechanism, which occurs in specific species, body sites and developmental stages, clearly shows that mechanical stress signals and immune responses play important roles in determining the wound healing mode. Advances in tissue engineering technology have led to the production of novel human skin equivalents and organoids that reproduce cell–cell interactions with tissue-scale tensional homeostasis, and enable us to evaluate skin tissue morphology, functionality, drug response and wound healing. This breakthrough in tissue engineering has the potential to accelerate the understanding of wound healing control mechanisms through complex mechanobiological and immunological interactions. In this review, we present an overview of recent studies of biomechanical and immunological wound healing and tissue remodelling mechanisms through comparisons of species- and developmental stage-dependent wound healing mechanisms. We also discuss the possibility of elucidating the control mechanism of wound healing involving mechanobiological and immunological interaction by using next-generation human skin equivalents.

MicroRNA Interference in Hepatic Host-Pathogen Interactions

The liver is well recognized as a non-immunological visceral organ that is involved in various metabolic activities, nutrient storage, and detoxification. Recently, many studies have demonstrated that resident immune cells in the liver drive various immunological reactions by means of several molecular modulators. Understanding the mechanistic details of interactions between hepatic host immune cells, including Kupffer cells and lymphocytes, and various hepatic pathogens, especially viruses, bacteria, and parasites, is necessary. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), over 2600 of which have been discovered, are small, endogenous, interfering, noncoding RNAs that are predicted to regulate more than 15,000 genes by degrading specific messenger RNAs. Several recent studies have demonstrated that some miRNAs are associated with the immune response to pathogens in the liver. However, the details of the underlying mechanisms of miRNA interference in hepatic host–pathogen interactions still remain elusive. In this review, we summarize the relationship between the immunological interactions of various pathogens and hepatic resident immune cells, as well as the role of miRNAs in the maintenance of liver immunity against pathogens.

The Potential Relevance of the Microbiome to Hair Physiology and Regeneration: The Emerging Role of Metagenomics

Human skin and hair follicles are recognized sites of microbial colonization. These microbiota help regulate host immune mechanisms via an interplay between microbes and immune cells, influencing homeostasis and inflammation. Bacteria affect immune responses by controlling the local inflammatory milieu, the breakdown of which can result in chronic inflammatory disorders. Follicular microbiome shifts described in some inflammatory cutaneous diseases suggest a link between their development or perpetuation and dysbiosis. Though the hair follicle infundibulum is an area of intense immunological interactions, bulb and bulge regions represent immune-privileged niches. Immune privilege maintenance seems essential for hair growth and regeneration, as collapse and inflammation characterize inflammatory hair disorders like alopecia areata and primary cicatricial alopecia. Current research largely focuses on immunological aberrations. However, studies suggest that external stimuli and interactions across the follicular epithelium can have profound effects on the local immune system, homeostasis, and cycling. Herein, we review hair follicle bacterial colonization, its possible effects on the underlying tissue, and links to the pathogenesis of alopecia, beyond the pure investigation of specific species abundance. As skin microbiology enters the metagenomics era, multi-dimensional approaches will enable a new level of investigations on the effects of microorganisms and metabolism on host tissue.