Use of protective antigen of Bacillus anthracis as a model recombinant antigen to evaluate toll-like receptors 2, 3, 4, 7 and 9 agonists in mice using established functional antibody assays, antigen-specific antibody assays and cellular assays.

Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists can act as immune stimulants alone or as part of alum or oil formulations. Humoral and cellular immune responses were utilized to assess quantitative and qualitative immune response enhancement by TLR agonists using recombinant protective antigen (rPA) of B. anthracis as a model antigen.

Influenza Antigens NP and M2 Confer Cross Protection to BALB/c Mice against Lethal Challenge with H1N1, Pandemic H1N1 or H5N1 Influenza A Viruses.

Influenza hemagglutinin (HA) is considered a major protective antigen of seasonal influenza vaccine but antigenic drift of HA necessitates annual immunizations using new circulating HA versions. Low variation found within conserved non-HA influenza virus (INFV) antigens may maintain protection with less frequent immunizations. Conserved antigens of influenza A virus (INFV A) that can generate cross protection against multiple INFV strains were evaluated in BALB/c mice using modified Vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA)-vectored vaccines that expressed INFV A antigens hemagglutinin (HA), matrix protein 1 (M1), nucleoprotein (NP), matrix protein 2 (M2), repeats of the external portion of M2 (M2e) or as tandem repeats (METR), and M2e with transmembrane region and cytoplasmic loop (M2eTML).

Correction: Transduction of SIV-Specific TCR Genes into Rhesus Macaque CD8+ T Cells Conveys the Ability to Suppress SIV Replication.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Enhanced early innate and T cell-mediated responses in subjects immunized with Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed Plus CPG 7909 (AV7909).

NuThrax™ (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed with CPG 7909 Adjuvant) (AV7909) is in development. Samples obtained in a phase Ib clinical trial were tested to confirm biomarkers of innate immunity and evaluate effects of CPG 7909 (PF-03512676) on adaptive immunity. Subjects received two intramuscular doses of commercial BioThrax(®) (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed, AVA), or two intramuscular doses of one of four formulations of AV7909.

Characterization of the native form of anthrax lethal factor for use in the toxin neutralization assay.

The cell-based anthrax toxin neutralization assay (TNA) is used to determine functional antibody titers of sera from animals and humans immunized with anthrax vaccines. The anthrax lethal toxin is a critical reagent of the TNA composed of protective antigen (PA) and lethal factor (LF), which are neutralization targets of serum antibodies. Cytotoxic potency of recombinant LF (rLF) lots can vary substantially, causing a challenge in producing a renewable supply of this reagent for validated TNAs.