is the bacterial causative agent of whooping cough, a serious respiratory illness. An extensive knowledge on its virulence regulation and metabolism is a key factor to ensure pertussis vaccine manufacturing process robustness. The aim of this study was to refine our comprehension of .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHemorrhagic fever outbreaks are difficult to diagnose and control in part because of a lack of low-cost and easily accessible diagnostic structures in countries where etiologic agents are present. Furthermore, initial clinical symptoms are common and shared with other endemic diseases such as malaria or typhoid fever. Current molecular diagnostic methods such as polymerase chain reaction require trained personnel and laboratory infrastructure, hindering diagnostics at the point of need, particularly in outbreak settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCTX-M15 is one of the most widespread, extended spectrum β-lactamases, a major determinant of antibiotic resistance representing urgent public health threats, among enterobacterial strains infecting humans and animals. Here we describe the selection of binders to CTX-M15 from a combinatorial affibody library displayed on ribosomes. Upon three increasingly selective ribosome display iterations, selected variants were identified by next generation sequencing (NGS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the past decades protein nanoparticles have successfully been used for vaccine applications. Their particulate nature and dense repetitive subunit organization makes them perfect carriers for antigen surface display and confers high immunogenicity. Nanoparticles have emerged as excellent candidates for vectorization of biological and immunostimulating molecules.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCodon usage distribution has been soundly used by nature to fine tune protein biogenesis. Alteration of the mRNA structure or sequential scheduling of codons can profoundly affect translation, thus altering protein yield, functionality, solubility, and proper folding. Building on these observations, here, we present an evaluation of different recently designed algorithms of sequence adaptation based on Codon Adaptation Index (CAI) profiling.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe increasing demand for recombinant vaccine antigens or immunotherapeutic molecules calls into question the universality of current protein expression systems. Vaccine production can require relatively low amounts of expressed materials, but represents an extremely diverse category consisting of different target antigens with marked structural differences. In contrast, monoclonal antibodies, by definition share key molecular characteristics and require a production system capable of very large outputs, which drives the quest for highly efficient and cost-effective systems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVirus-like particles (VLPs) are promising molecular structures for the design and construction of novel vaccines, diagnostic tools, and gene therapy vectors. Size, oligomer assembly and repetitiveness of epitopes are optimal features to induce strong immune responses. Several VLP-based vaccines are currently licensed and commercialized, and many vaccine candidates are now under preclinical and clinical studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe continuously improving sophistication of molecular engineering techniques gives access to novel classes of bio-therapeutics and new challenges for their production in full respect of the strengthening regulations. Among these biologic agents are DNA based vaccines or gene therapy products and to a lesser extent genetically engineered live vaccines or delivery vehicles. The use of antibiotic-based selection, frequently associated with genetic manipulation of microorganism is currently undergoing a profound metamorphosis with the implementation and diversification of alternative selection means.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The increasing regulatory requirements to which biological agents are subjected will have a great impact in the field of industrial protein expression and production. There is an expectation that in a near future, there may be "zero tolerance" towards antibiotic-based selection and production systems. Besides the antibiotic itself, the antibiotic resistance gene is an important consideration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF