DNA Vaccines: History, Molecular Mechanisms and Future Perspectives.

The history of DNA vaccine began as early as the 1960s with the discovery that naked DNA can transfect mammalian cells in vivo. In 1992, the evidence that such transfection could lead to the generation of antigen-specific antibody responses was obtained and supported the development of this technology as a novel vaccine platform. The technology then attracted immense interest and high hopes in vaccinology, as evidence of high immunogenicity and protection against virulent challenges accumulated from several animal models for several diseases.

Chikungunya Virus: Priority Pathogen or Passing Trend?

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is considered a priority pathogen and a major threat to global health. While CHIKV infections may be asymptomatic, symptomatic patients can develop chikungunya fever (CHIKF) characterized by severe arthralgia which often transitions into incapacitating arthritis that could last for years and lead to significant loss in health-related quality of life. Yet, Chikungunya fever (CHIKF) remains a neglected tropical disease due to its complex epidemiology and the misrepresentation of its incidence and disease burden worldwide.

Re-thinking yellow fever vaccines: fighting old foes with new generation vaccines.

Despite the existence of a highly efficient yellow fever vaccine, yellow fever reemergence throughout Africa and the Americas has put 900 million people in 47 countries at risk of contracting the disease. Although the vaccine has been key to controlling yellow fever epidemics, its live-attenuated nature comes with a range of contraindications that prompts advising against its administration to pregnant and lactating women, immunocompromised individuals, and those with hypersensitivity to chicken egg proteins. Additionally, large outbreaks have highlighted problems with insufficient vaccine supply, whereby manufacturers rely on slow traditional manufacturing processes that prevent them from ramping up production.

Influenza seasonality goes south in the Yucatan Peninsula: The case for a different influenza vaccine calendar in this Mexican region.

Introduction: While vaccination may be relatively straightforward for regions with a well-defined winter season, the situation is quite different for tropical regions. Influenza activity in tropical regions might be out of phase with the dynamics predicted for their hemispheric group thereby impacting the effectiveness of the immunization campaign.

Objective: To investigate how the climatic diversity of Mexico hinders its existing influenza immunization strategy and to suggest that the hemispheric vaccine recommendations be tailored to the regional level in order to optimize vaccine effectiveness.