Alginate Microsponges as a Scaffold for Delivery of a Therapeutic Peptide against Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The quest for biocompatible drug-delivery devices that could be able to open new administration routes is at the frontier of biomedical research. In this contribution, porous polysaccharide-based microsponges based on crosslinked alginate polymers were developed and characterized by optical spectroscopy and nanoscopic microscopy techniques. We show that macropores with a size distribution ranging from 50 to 120 nm enabled efficient loading and delivery of a therapeutic peptide (CIGB814), presently under a phase 3 clinical trial for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Clinical Evaluation of Terap C Vaccine in Combined Treatment with Interferon and Ribavirin in Patients with Hepatitis C.

Background: An estimated 170 million individuals worldwide are infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Although treatment options using a combination of pegylated interferon and ribavirin (P-IFN/RBV) are available, sustained clearance of the virus is only achieved in approximately 40% of individuals infected with HCV genotype 1. Recent advances in the treatment of HCV using directly acting antiviral agents have been achieved; however, treatment can be very expensive and is associated with substantial side effects.

Immunization with a DNA vaccine candidate in chronic hepatitis C patients is safe, well tolerated and does not impair immune response induction after anti-hepatitis B vaccination.

Background: In the present study, we evaluated the safety of CIGB-230, a novel vaccine candidate based on the mixture of a plasmid for DNA immunization, expressing hepatitis C virus (HCV) structural antigens, with a recombinant HCV Core protein.

Methods: Fifteen HCV chronically-infected volunteers with detectable levels of HCV RNA genotype 1b, who were nonresponders to previous treatment with interferon plus ribavirin, were intramuscularly injected with CIGB-230 on weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20. Individuals were also immunized at weeks 28, 32 and 36 with a recombinant vaccine against hepatitis B.

Immunization with a recombinant fowlpox virus expressing a hepatitis C virus core-E1 polyprotein variant, protects mice and African green monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) against challenge with a surrogate vaccinia virus.

HCV (hepatitis C virus) is a worldwide health problem nowadays. No preventive vaccine is available against this pathogen, and therapeutic treatments currently in use have important drawbacks, including limited efficacy. In the present work a recombinant fowlpox virus, FPCoE1, expressing a truncated HCV core-E1 polyprotein, was generated.

In vitro assembly into virus-like particles is an intrinsic quality of Pichia pastoris derived HCV core protein.

Different variants of hepatitis C virus core protein (HCcAg) have proved to self-assemble in vitro into virus-like particles (VLPs). However, difficulties in obtaining purified mature HCcAg have limited these studies. In this study, a high degree of monomeric HCcAg purification was accomplished using chromatographic procedures under denaturing conditions.

Immunization with a DNA vaccine encoding the hepatitis-C-virus structural antigens elicits a specific immune response against the capsid and envelope proteins in rabbits and Macaca irus (crab-eating macaque monkeys).

In the present study, we evaluated the capability of the plasmid pIDKE2, encoding the HCV (hepatitis C virus) structural proteins Core, E1 and E2, to induce immune response against HCV antigens after injection into rabbits and Macaca irus (crab-eating macaque). Animals were immunized intramuscularly with different amounts of plasmid on weeks 0, 3 and 8. Monkeys received a booster dose on week 46.

Enhancement of the immune response generated against hepatitis C virus envelope proteins after DNA vaccination with polyprotein-encoding plasmids.

Plasmids expressing variants of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) core, E1 and E2 proteins individually or as polyproteins were administered to BALB/c mice. All plasmids induced a detectable and specific antibody response. Antibody titres against core, E1 and E2 proteins, 19 weeks after primary immunization, ranged from 1:50 to 1:4500 depending on the inoculated plasmid and the HCV antigen evaluated.