Subtractive Immunization as a Method to Develop Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)-Specific Monoclonal Antibodies.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a significant cause of lower respiratory tract infections in the young, the elderly, and in immunodeficient patients. As such, the virus represents an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Development of monoclonal antibodies against RSV has resulted in a commercial prophylaxis, palivizumab (Synagis), and different antibodies that have improved our understanding of the structure of the viral proteins.

Differential Induction Pattern Towards Classically Activated Macrophages in Response to an Immunomodulatory Extract from Mycelium.

mushroom preparations have been investigated because of their ability to modulate the immune function. However, there is still no consensus regarding the activation and polarizing effect on macrophages by -derived bioproducts. This study examined the immune-activating effect of a mycelium-derived aqueous extract (HW-Pm) on macrophage functions, by means of the determination of nitric oxide (NO) production, the mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), Arginase-1 and FIZZ and the cytokine levels.

Differences in Susceptibility of Human and Mouse Macrophage Cell Lines to Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection.

Objectives: Differences have been observed in the susceptibility of macrophage cell lines to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. In this study, we evaluated whether the type of macrophage cell line and RSV strain used have an influence on the infectivity and production of progeny virus.

Methods: Both human and murine macrophage-like cell lines were infected with different RSV strains, both lab strains as well as clinical isolates.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) entry is inhibited by serine protease inhibitor AEBSF when present during an early stage of infection.

Background: Host proteases have been shown to play important roles in many viral activities such as entry, uncoating, viral protein production and disease induction. Therefore, these cellular proteases are putative targets for the development of antivirals that inhibit their activity. Host proteases have been described to play essential roles in Ebola, HCV, HIV and influenza, such that specific protease inhibitors are able to reduce infection.

Elastic and Muscular Arteries Differ in Structure, Basal NO Production and Voltage-Gated Ca(2+)-Channels.

In the last decades, the search for mechanisms underlying progressive arterial stiffening and for interventions to avoid or reverse this process has gained much attention. In general, arterial stiffening displays regional variation and is, for example, during aging more prominent in elastic than in muscular arteries. We hypothesize that besides passive also active regulators of arterial compliance [i.

Recombinant antigens expressed in Pichia pastoris for the diagnosis of sleeping sickness caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense.

Background: Screening tests for gambiense sleeping sickness, such as the CATT/T. b. gambiense and a recently developed lateral flow tests, are hitherto based on native variant surface glycoproteins (VSGs), namely LiTat 1.