Synthetic generation of influenza vaccine viruses for rapid response to pandemics.

During the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, vaccines for the virus became available in large quantities only after human infections peaked. To accelerate vaccine availability for future pandemics, we developed a synthetic approach that very rapidly generated vaccine viruses from sequence data. Beginning with hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) gene sequences, we combined an enzymatic, cell-free gene assembly technique with enzymatic error correction to allow rapid, accurate gene synthesis.

Somatosensory test responses in children with growing pains.

Purpose: To further the understanding of growing pains (GP), in particular, the nature of this pain disorder.

Methods: This study included 33 children aged 5-12 years who met criteria for GP (cases) and 29 children without GP of similar age and sex (controls). Nineteen controls were siblings of cases.

Severe combined immunodeficiency: a national surveillance study.

National immunodeficiency registers in several countries have reported prevalence but not incidence rates for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). The objective of this study was to document the incidence and type of SCID in Australia, the age and clinical features at presentation and short-term management. The Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit conducts active, monthly, national surveillance of rare disorders with reporting by child-health specialists.

Combining skin prick, immediate skin application and specific-IgE testing in the diagnosis of peanut allergy in children.

Previous studies have suggested various diagnostic cut-offs of allergy tests for the diagnosis of clinical peanut allergy in children. There are few data relating to the use of combinations of these tests in children. We aimed to determine the validity of previously reported diagnostic cut-off levels of peanut allergen skin tests and peanut specific-immunoglobulin (Ig) E, as well as the usefulness of combinations of these, for predicting clinical peanut allergy in our Allergy Clinic.

Temperature differentially affects encounter and docking thermodynamics of antibody--antigen association.

Using BIACORE SPR, we have examined the mechanism of temperature effects on the binding kinetics of two closely related antibody Fabs (H10 and H26) which recognize coincident epitopes on hen egg-white lysozyme (HEL), and whose association and dissociation kinetics are best described by the two-step conformational change model which we interpret as molecular encounter and docking. Time-course series data obtained at a series of six temperatures (6, 10, 15, 25, 30 and 37 degrees C) showed that temperature differentially affects the rate constants of the encounter and docking steps. Docking is more temperature-sensitive than the encounter step, and energetically less favorable at higher temperatures.