While approved vaccines for COVID-19 provide protection against severe disease and death, they have limited efficacy in the prevention of infection and virus transmission. Mucosal immunity is preferred over systemic immunity to provide protection at the point of entry against pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2. VaxForm has developed an oral vaccine delivery platform that elicits mucosal and systemic immune responses by targeting immune cells in the gut through C-type lectin receptors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGroup A streptococcus (GAS) is a global pathogen associated with significant morbidity and mortality for which there is currently no licensed vaccine. Vaccine development has been slow, mostly due to safety concerns regarding streptococcal antigens associated with autoimmunity and related complications. For a GAS vaccine to be safe, it must be ensured that the antigens used in the vaccine do not elicit an antibody response that can cross-react with host tissues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBlood and tissue levels of manganese (Mn) are lower in type 2 diabetic and atherosclerosis patients compared with healthy subjects. Adiponectin has anti-diabetic and anti-atherogenic properties. Impairment in Disulfide bond A-like protein (DsbA-L) is associated with low adiponectin levels and diabetes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA recombinant vaccine composed of a fusion protein formulated with aluminum hydroxide adjuvant is under development for protection against diseases caused by Streptococcus pyogenes. The safety and local reactogenicity of the vaccine was assessed by a comprehensive series of clinical, pathologic and immunologic tests in preclinical experiments. Outbred mice received three intramuscular injections of 1/5th of the human dose (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEndothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of increased vascular inflammation, dyslipidemia, and the development of atherosclerosis in diabetes. Previous studies have reported lower levels of Mn(2+) in the plasma and lymphocytes of diabetic patients and in the heart and aortic tissue of patients with atherosclerosis. This study examines the hypothesis that Mn(2+) supplementation can reduce the markers/risk factors of endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Prestwick and NIH chemical libraries were screened for drugs that protect baker's yeast from sugar-induced cell death (SICD). SICD is triggered when stationary-phase yeast cells are transferred from spent rich medium into water with 2% glucose and no other nutrients. The rapid, apoptotic cell death occurs because reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStationary-phase Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells transferred from spent rich media into water live for weeks, whereas the same cells die within hours if transferred into water with 2% glucose in a process called sugar-induced cell death (SICD). Our hypothesis is that SICD is due to a dysregulated Crabtree effect, which is the phenomenon whereby glucose transiently inhibits respiration and ATP synthesis. We found that stationary-phase cells in glucose/water consume 21 times more O(2) per cell than exponential-phase cells in rich media, and such excessive O(2) consumption causes reactive oxygen species to accumulate.
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