Durable immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in both lower and upper airways achieved with a gorilla adenovirus (GRAd) S-2P vaccine in non-human primates.

SARS-CoV-2 continues to pose a global threat, and current vaccines, while effective against severe illness, fall short in preventing transmission. To address this challenge, there's a need for vaccines that induce mucosal immunity and can rapidly control the virus. In this study, we demonstrate that a single immunization with a novel gorilla adenovirus-based vaccine (GRAd) carrying the pre-fusion stabilized Spike protein (S-2P) in non-human primates provided protective immunity for over one year against the BA.

DNAM-1-chimeric receptor-engineered NK cells, combined with Nutlin-3a, more effectively fight neuroblastoma cells : a proof-of-concept study.

Adoptive transfer of engineered NK cells, one of clinical approaches to fight cancer, is gaining great interest in the last decade. However, the development of new strategies is needed to improve clinical efficacy and safety of NK cell-based immunotherapy. NK cell-mediated recognition and lysis of tumor cells are strictly dependent on the expression of ligands for NK cell-activating receptors NKG2D and DNAM-1 on tumor cells.

Strong immunogenicity of heterologous prime-boost immunizations with the experimental vaccine GRAd-COV2 and BNT162b2 or ChAdOx1-nCOV19.

Here we report on the humoral and cellular immune response in eight volunteers who autonomously chose to adhere to the Italian national COVID-19 vaccination campaign more than 3 months after receiving a single-administration GRAd-COV2 vaccine candidate in the context of the phase-1 clinical trial. We observed a clear boost of both binding/neutralizing antibodies as well as T-cell responses upon receipt of the heterologous BNT162b2 or ChAdOx1-nCOV19 vaccines. These results, despite the limitation of the small sample size, support the concept that a single dose of an adenoviral vaccine may represent an ideal tool to effectively prime a balanced immune response, which can be boosted to high levels by a single dose of a different vaccine platform.

Correction: A next generation vaccine against human rabies based on a single dose of a chimpanzee adenovirus vector serotype C.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.

A next generation vaccine against human rabies based on a single dose of a chimpanzee adenovirus vector serotype C.

Rabies, caused by RNA viruses in the Genus Lyssavirus, is the most fatal of all infectious diseases. This neglected zoonosis remains a major public health problem in developing countries, causing the death of an estimated 25,000-159,000 people each year, with more than half of them in children. The high incidence of human rabies in spite of effective vaccines is mainly linked to the lack of compliance with the complicated administration schedule, inadequacies of the community public health system for local administration by the parenteral route and the overall costs of the vaccine.

A Triad of Ketoacidosis, Hypertriglyceridemia, and Acute Pancreatitis Associated With Sugar-Sweetened Soft Drinks Abuse in a Caucasian Patient With Undiagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

A 24-year-old obese Caucasian male, without relevant anamnesis, who was admitted to the ER presented with abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, hyperglycemia, and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis (AP) was supported by increased serum levels of triglycerides and lipase associated with abdominal CT scans. The patient was treated for five days with IV regular insulin, hydration, electrolytes replacement, and statin/fibrate therapy with clinical improvement.

Novel genetically-modified chimpanzee adenovirus and MVA-vectored respiratory syncytial virus vaccine safely boosts humoral and cellular immunity in healthy older adults.

Objectives: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes respiratory infection across the world, with infants and the elderly at particular risk of developing severe disease and death. The replication-defective chimpanzee adenovirus (PanAd3-RSV) and modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA-RSV) vaccines were shown to be safe and immunogenic in young healthy adults. Here we report an extension to this first-in-man vaccine trial to include healthy older adults aged 60-75 years.

Antibodies in lymphocyte supernatants can distinguish between neutralising antibodies induced by RSV vaccination and pre-existing antibodies induced by natural infection.

Introduction: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the single most important cause of severe respiratory illness in infants. There is no effective vaccine and the only effective treatment available is the monoclonal antibody palivizumab which reduces the risk of severe RSV disease in prematurely born infants. However, palivizumab is too costly to allow for wide implementation and thus treatment is restricted to supportive care.

Chimpanzee adenoviral vectors as vaccines - challenges to move the technology into the fast lane.

In recent years, replication-defective chimpanzee-derived adenoviruses have been extensively evaluated as genetic vaccines. These vectors share desirable properties with human adenoviruses like the broad tissue tropism and the ease of large-scale manufacturing. Additionally, chimpanzee adenoviruses have the advantage to overcome the negative impact of pre-existing anti-human adenovirus immunity.

Antibody response to respiratory syncytial virus infection in children <18 months old.

The development of a safe and effective respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine might be facilitated by knowledge of the natural immune response to this virus. The aims of this study were to evaluate the neutralizing antibody response of a cohort of healthy children <18 months old to RSV infection. During the RSV season, 89 healthy children <18 months old were enrolled and followed up weekly for 12 weeks.

Efficacy of a virus-vectored vaccine against human and bovine respiratory syncytial virus infections.

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is a major cause of lower respiratory tract disease in children and the elderly for which there is still no effective vaccine. We have previously shown that PanAd3-RSV, which is a chimpanzee adenovirus-vectored vaccine candidate that expresses a secreted form of the HRSV F protein together with the N and M2-1 proteins of HRSV, is immunogenic in rodents and nonhuman primates, and protects mice and cotton rats from HRSV challenge. Because the extent to which protection demonstrated in rodent models will translate to humans is unclear, we have exploited the calf model of bovine RSV (BRSV) infection, which mimics HRSV disease in children more closely than do experimental models of unnatural laboratory hosts, to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the PanAd3-RSV vaccine.

Chimpanzee adenovirus- and MVA-vectored respiratory syncytial virus vaccine is safe and immunogenic in adults.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes respiratory infection in annual epidemics, with infants and the elderly at particular risk of developing severe disease and death. However, despite its importance, no vaccine exists. The chimpanzee adenovirus, PanAd3-RSV, and modified vaccinia virus Ankara, MVA-RSV, are replication-defective viral vectors encoding the RSV fusion (F), nucleocapsid (N), and matrix (M2-1) proteins for the induction of humoral and cellular responses.

Exercise training improves heart rate recovery in women with breast cancer.

Purpose: To determine whether exercise training improves autonomic function in women with breast cancer (BC).

Methods: Fifty-one patients (aged between 39 and 72 years) with a history of primary invasive BC within the previous 5 years and enrolled in the Mediterranean diet-based DIANA (Diet and Androgens)-5 Trial were subdivided in two groups: a ET group (n = 25) followed a formal ET program of moderate intensity (3 session/week on a bicycle at 60-70% VO2peak for 3 months, followed by one session/week until 1-year follow-up), while a control group (n = 26) did not perform any formal ET. At baseline and after 1-year, all patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise stress test (CPET).

Does comprehensive geriatric assessment improve the estimate of surgical risk in elderly patients? An Italian multicenter observational study.

Background: The evaluation of surgical risk is crucial in elderly patients. At present, there is little evidence of the usefulness of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) as a part of the overall assessment of surgical elderly patients.

Methods: We verified whether CGA associated with established surgical risk assessment tools is able to improve the prediction of postoperative morbidity and mortality in 377 elderly patients undergoing elective surgery.

Exercise training improves cardiopulmonary and endothelial function in women with breast cancer: findings from the Diana-5 dietary intervention study.

To investigate whether exercise training (ET) improves cardiopulmonary and endothelial function in women with breast cancer (BC). Fifty-one female patients (aged between 39 and 72 years) with a history of primary invasive BC within the previous 5 years and enrolled in the Mediterranean diet-based DIANA (diet and androgens)-5 Trial were subdivided into 2 groups: an ET group (n = 25) followed a formal ET program of moderate intensity (3 session/week on a bicycle at 60-70 % VO2peak for 3 months, followed by one session/week until 1-year follow-up), while a control group (n = 26) did not perform any formal ET. At baseline and at 1-year follow-up, all patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise stress test (CPET) and measurements of vascular endothelial function by peripheral artery tonometry (Reactive Hyperemia Index, RHI).

Mucosal delivery of a vectored RSV vaccine is safe and elicits protective immunity in rodents and nonhuman primates.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a leading cause of severe respiratory disease in infants and the elderly. No vaccine is presently available to address this major unmet medical need. We generated a new genetic vaccine based on chimpanzee Adenovirus (PanAd3-RSV) and Modified Vaccinia Ankara RSV (MVA-RSV) encoding the F, N, and M2-1 proteins of RSV, for the induction of neutralizing antibodies and broad cellular immunity.

Exercise training reduces high mobility group box-1 protein levels in women with breast cancer: findings from the DIANA-5 study.

Purpose: To determine whether exercise training might exert anti-inflammatory effect by reducing HMGB1 levels in women with breast cancer (BC).

Methods: We analyzed monocentric data from the DIANA (DIET AND ANDROGENS)-5 PROJECT. Study population consisted of 94 patients randomized into two groups: 61 patients (53 +/- 8 yrs, training group) were assigned to a structured exercise training intervention (3 times/week for the first 3 months, and once /week for the following 9 months); whereas 33 patients (52 +/- 7 yrs, control group) followed only the general indications to adhere to the life-style intervention suggestions of the DIANA protocol.

Effect of duration of data averaging interval on reported peak VO2 in patients with heart failure.

Aim: To describe the effect of the duration of the data averaging interval on the calculated peak oxygen uptake (VO2) reported from a symptom-limited maximal exercise test in patients with heart failure.

Methods: Maximal exercise test results from 275 patients diagnosed with stable heart failure due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction<45%; age: 45-75 years; peak VO2: 8.0-20.

Exercise training improves erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients with metabolic syndrome on phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors.

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects about 50% of males aged 40-70 years old. ED shares with atherosclerotic disease several common risk factors; therefore, it may be considered a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis. Since phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors are well known pharmacologic agents capable of significant improvement in ED, we designed this study to evaluate whether exercise training is of added value in patients with ED who are already on PDE-5 inhibitors.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, emotional processing and inappropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks: clinical consideration by a single case report.

Introduction: Even though an overwhelming amount of evidence supports the clinical efficacy and safety of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), inappropriate shocks for atrial arrhythmias with rapid ventricular conduction or for abnormal sensing results in multiple adverse effects

Presentation: In this study we present the case of a 59-year-old woman who was admitted to hospital for ICD implantation with a past medical history that was positive for non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure (NYHA class III), atrial fibrillation, essential hypertension and a recent episode of syncope. Since in the 18 months follow-up the patient suffered many inappropriate shocks, we investigated the association of the presence of a PTSD (PostTraumatic-Stress-Disorder) prior to implantation and a specific profile of cognitive processing emotions, with the effec-tiveness of the ICD. Emotional distress states and cognitive thoughts preceding ICD shock inappropriate episode were recorded by structured mobile diary (eMotional-ICDiary).

Vaccination to conserved influenza antigens in mice using a novel Simian adenovirus vector, PanAd3, derived from the bonobo Pan paniscus.

Among approximately 1000 adenoviruses from chimpanzees and bonobos studied recently, the Pan Adenovirus type 3 (PanAd3, isolated from a bonobo, Pan paniscus) has one of the best profiles for a vaccine vector, combining potent transgene immunogenicity with minimal pre-existing immunity in the human population. In this study, we inserted into a replication defective PanAd3 a transgene expressing a fusion protein of conserved influenza antigens nucleoprotein (NP) and matrix 1 (M1). We then studied antibody and T cell responses as well as protection from challenge infection in a mouse model.