Use of radiolabeled monoclonal antibody to enhance vaccine-mediated antitumor effects

Radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have demonstrated measurable antitumor effects in hematologic malignancies. This outcome has been more difficult to achieve for solid tumors due, for the most part, to difficulties in delivering sufficient quantities of mAb to the tumor mass. Previous studies have shown that nonlytic levels of external beam radiation can render tumor cells more susceptible to T cell-mediated killing. The goal of these studies was to determine if the selective delivery of a radiolabeled mAb to tumors would modulate tumor cell phenotype so as to enhance vaccine-mediated T-cell killing. Here, mice transgenic for human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were transplanted with a CEA expressing murine carcinoma cell line. Radioimmunotherapy consisted of yttrium-90 (Y-90)-labeled anti-CEA mAb, used either alone or in combination with vaccine therapy. A single dose of Y-90-labeled anti-CEA mAb, in combination with vaccine therapy, resulted in a statistically significant increase in survival in tumor-bearing mice over vaccine or mAb alone; this was shown to be mediated by engagement of the Fas/Fas ligand pathway. Mice receiving the combination therapy also showed a significant increase in the percentage of viable tumor-infiltrating CEA-specific CD8(+) T cells compared to vaccine alone. Mice cured of tumors demonstrated an antigen cascade resulting in CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell responses not only for CEA, but for p53 and gp70. These results show that systemic radiotherapy in the form of radiolabeled mAb, in combination with vaccine, promotes effective antitumor response, which may have implications in the design of future clinical trials.     

Molecular mimetics of polysaccharide epitopes as vaccine candidates for prevention of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B disease

Neisseria meningitidis is a major cause of meningitis and sepsis. Despite nearly 25 years of work, there is no promising vaccine candidate for prevention of disease caused by meningococcal B strains. This review summarizes newer approaches for eliciting protective meningococcal B immune responses, including the use of molecular mimetics of group B polysaccharide and conserved membrane proteins as immunogens. The capsular polysaccharide of this organism is conserved and serum antibody to this capsule confers protection against disease. However, the immunogenicity of meningococcal B polysaccharide-based vaccines is poor. Further, a portion of the antibody elicited has autoantibody activity. Recently, our laboratory produced a panel of murine monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) that react specifically with capsular polysaccharide epitopes on meningococcal B that are distinct from host polysialic acid. These Mabs elicit complement-mediated bactericidal activity and confer passive protection in animal models. The anti-capsular Mabs were used to identify molecular mimetics from phage display peptide libraries. The resulting peptides were antigenic mimetics as defined by binding to the Mabs used to select them but, to date, are poor immunogenic mimetics in failing to elicit anti-capsular antibodies.     

检测CHO基因工程乙肝疫苗残余DNA方法的建立和应用

对样品的处理方法进行了探索,最后选用一个疫苗剂量的蛋白酶Ｋ同时消化样品和标准ＤＮＡ,并将消化处理后的样品和标准ＤＮＡ用地高辛标记的探针进行检测,灵敏度达１０ｐｇ。共检测２１批检品,除一批ＤＮＡ残余量超过１００ｐｇ／ｄｏｓｅ以外,其它２０批样品的ＤＮＡ残余量均低于１００ｐｇ／ｄｏｓｅ。     

铜绿假单胞菌6型O-特异性多糖与破伤风类毒素结合物免疫原性研究

目的研制有效防治铜绿假单胞菌感染的疫苗。方法用热酚水法提取铜绿假单胞菌6型(IATS 6)菌株的脂多糖(LPS),去除类脂A并纯化O-特异性多糖(O-SP),用CDAP活化O-SP,己二酸二肼作连接臂,在EDAC作用下,与破伤风类毒素结合制备出O-SP-TT结合物并对该结合物进行小鼠免疫原性试验和免疫保护性试验。结果制备的结合物在小鼠免疫原性试验中,产生了高效价的IgG抗体,与O-SP试验组相比,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05);免疫保护性试验表明,结合物免疫小鼠能很好的保护5～10 LD50活菌的腹腔攻击。结论该结合物有望成为防治IATS 6型铜绿假单胞菌感染的有效疫苗。     

Consumer value‐based edible insect market segmentation [edible insect market segmentation]

Edible insect food products have been launched and in the market since 2011. Since then the number of companies that produce edible insect food product has increased greatly. However, the guidance of how these firms should effectively target which consumer market is unclear. The goal of this study is to provide information about the US consumer market that could potentially increase edible insect food product sales. This study uses consumer value as a segmenting axle and provides the cluster analysis results. From this analysis, academics and industry practitioners can have better insights about edible insect food product consumer profiles.     

Role of fusogenic non-PC liposomes in elicitation of protective immune response against experimental murine salmonellosis

Earlier we have demonstrated that novel fusogenic liposomes made up of lipid from Escherichia coli (escheriosomes) have strong tendency to fuse with the plasma membrane of target cells and thereby delivering the entrapped contents into their cytosol. The delivery of entrapped antigen in cytosol of the target cells ensues its processing and presentation along with MHC class I pathway that eventually elicit antigen specific cytotoxic T cells. The result of the present study revealed that immunization of BALB/c mice with escheriosome-encapsulated Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) cytosolic antigens resulted in the augmentation of antigen specific cytotoxic T cell lymphocyte as well as IgG responses. In contrast, free or conventional liposome (PC liposome) encapsulated antigen failed to induce CD8+ CTLs in the immunized animals. Further, immunization with escheriosome-encapsulated antigen resulted in significant enhancement in the release of IFN-gamma and IgG2a in the experimental animals. Interestingly, the immunization with escheriosome-encapsulated antigen resulted in upregulation of CD80 and CD86 on the surface of antigen presenting cells (APCs) as well. Finally, the results of the present study reveal that immunization of animals with escheriosomes encapsulated antigen protected them against virulent S. typhimurium infection. This was evident by increased survival, and reduced bacterial burden in vital organs of the immunized animals. The data of the present study suggest that escheriosomes can emerge as an effective vehicle for intracellular delivery of antigen and thus hold promise in development of liposome based vaccine against Salmonella and other intracellular pathogens.     

Leishmania major: immune response in BALB/c mice immunized with stress-inducible protein 1 encapsulated in liposomes

Protection against leishmaniasis is depending upon generation of a Th1 type of immune response. Field trials of first generation Leishmania vaccine showed a limited efficacy even with multiple doses mainly due to lack of an appropriate adjuvant. In this study, susceptible BALB/c mice were immunized with rLmSTI1 encapsulated in liposomes to explore the extent of protection induced by Leishmania antigen encapsulated in the liposomes against challenge with Leishmania major. The results showed that s.c. immunization of BALB/c mice with liposomal rLmSTI1 induced a significant protection against challenge and a significant lower parasite burden in spleen up to 14 weeks after challenge. The protected animals showed a significantly smaller footpad thickness after challenge, and a higher level of anti-SLA IgG antibodies before and after challenge with a predominant IgG2a titer. The data supports the possibility of using liposomal Leishmania antigens as a vaccine.     

Antitumor activity of a self-adjuvanting glyco-lipopeptide vaccine bearing B cell,CD4<Superscript>+</Superscript> and CD8<Superscript>+</Superscript> T cell epitopes

Molecularly defined synthetic vaccines capable of inducing both antibodies and cellular anti-tumor immune responses, in a manner compatible with human delivery, are limited. Few molecules achieve this target without utilizing external immuno-adjuvants. In this study, we explored a self-adjuvanting glyco-lipopeptide (GLP) as a platform for cancer vaccines using as a model MO5, an OVA-expressing mouse B16 melanoma. A prototype B and T cell epitope-based GLP molecule was constructed by synthesizing a chimeric peptide made of a CD8⁺ T cell epitope, from ovalbumin (OVA_257–264) and an universal CD4⁺ T helper (Th) epitope (PADRE). The resulting CTL–Th peptide backbones was coupled to a carbohydrate B cell epitope based on a regioselectively addressable functionalized templates (RAFT), made of four α-GalNAc molecules at C-terminal. The N terminus of the resulting glycopeptides (GP) was then linked to a palmitic acid moiety (PAM), obviating the need for potentially toxic external immuno-adjuvants. The final prototype OVA-GLP molecule, delivered in adjuvant-free PBS, in mice induced: (1) robust RAFT-specific IgG/IgM that recognized tumor cell lines; (2) local and systemic OVA_257–264-specific IFN-γ producing CD8⁺ T cells; (3) PADRE-specific CD4⁺ T cells; (4) OVA-GLP vaccination elicited a reduction of tumor size in mice inoculated with syngeneic murine MO5 carcinoma cells and a protection from lethal carcinoma cell challenge; (5) finally, OVA-GLP immunization significantly inhibited the growth of pre-established MO5 tumors. Our results suggest self-adjuvanting glyco-lipopeptide molecules as a platform for B Cell, CD4⁺, and CD8⁺ T cell epitopes-based immunotherapeutic cancer vaccines. Both I. Bettahi and G. Dasgupta have contributed equally to this work.     

鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒gB基因重组DNA疫苗的构建与免疫试验

本研究构建了编码ILTV主要抗原gB基因的重组DNA疫苗pcDNA-gB,质粒转染293-T细胞的间接免疫表明其表达的蛋白具有免疫反应性.为测定该DNA疫苗的免疫效果,将其与本室保存的重组鸡痘病毒rFPV-gB-gD-IgY分别以单独和混合的方式给4周龄非免疫鸡进行免疫,然后测定ILTV特异性抗体和T淋巴细胞增殖反应.结果表明这2种基因工程疫苗均能诱导鸡产生特异性的体液免疫及细胞免疫应答.其中以pcDNA-gB/rFPV-gB-gD-IgY联合免疫组的效果最好,其诱导的抗体水平已接近于常规弱毒疫苗,而细胞免疫水平则比后者高得多.上述研究结果为ILTV 新型疫苗的研究奠定了基础.     

Identifying and characterising the Plasmodium falciparum RhopH3 Plasmodium vivax homologue

Four Plasmodium species cause malaria in humans, Plasmodium falciparum being the most widely studied to date. All Plasmodium species have paired club-shaped organelles towards their apical extreme named rhoptries that contain many lipids and proteins which are released during target cell invasion. P. falciparum RhopH3 is a rhoptry protein triggering important immune responses in patients from endemic regions. It has also been shown that anti-RhopH3 antibodies inhibit in vitro invasion of erythrocytes. Recent immunisation studies in mice with the Plasmodium yoelii and Plasmodium berghei RhopH3 P. falciparum homologue proteins found that they are able to induce protection in murine models. This study described identifying and characterising RhopH3 protein in Plasmodium vivax; it is encoded by a seven exon gene and expressed during the parasite's asexual stage. PvRhopH3 has similar processing to its homologue in P. falciparum and presents a cellular immunolocalisation pattern characteristic of rhoptry proteins.