H1N1 nanobody development and therapeutic efficacy verification in H1N1-challenged mice.

Influenza A virus causes numerous deaths and infections worldwide annually. Therefore, we have considered nanobodies as a potential treatment for patients with severe cases of influenza. We developed a nanobody that was expected to have protective efficacy against the A/California/04/2009 (CA/04; pandemic 2009 flu strain) and evaluated its therapeutic efficacy against CA/04 in mice experiments.

Clinical characteristics and hearing loss etiology of cochlear implantees undergoing surgery in their teens, 20s, and 30s.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the etiology of hearing loss, including genetic variants, in individuals who underwent cochlear implantation (CI) in their teens to thirties. It also sought to analyze post-CI speech performance and identify prognostic factors affecting CI outcomes in this age group.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 421 cochlear implant patients at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, focusing on 63 subjects aged 10-39 years who underwent their first CI by a single surgeon between July 2018 and June 2022.

Comparing pronunciation challenges in South Korean preschoolers with unilateral single-sided deafness due to cochlear nerve deficiency to a norm-referenced standard.

This study aimed to compare the development of pronunciation in South Korean preschoolers with unilateral cochlear nerve deficiency (CND) to that of age-matched preschoolers with normal hearing, a topic that has not been explored previously. In a retrospective analysis, 25 preschoolers with unilateral CND who had undergone a speech evaluation battery, including a pronunciation and vocabulary test, were enrolled. Utilizing the Urimal Test of Articulation and Phonation and customized language ability tests, pronunciation and vocabulary were assessed.

Self-Assembled Nanostructures Presenting Repetitive Arrays of Subunit Antigens for Enhanced Immune Response.

Infectious diseases pose persistent threats to public health, demanding advanced vaccine technologies. Nanomaterial-based delivery systems offer promising solutions to enhance immunogenicity while minimizing reactogenicity. We introduce a self-assembled vaccine (SAV) platform employing antigen-polymer conjugates designed to facilitate robust immune responses.

Amplified fluorogenic immunoassay for early diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer's disease from tear fluid.

Accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in its earliest stage can prevent the disease and delay the symptoms. Therefore, more sensitive, non-invasive, and simple screening tools are required for the early diagnosis and monitoring of AD. Here, we design a self-assembled nanoparticle-mediated amplified fluorogenic immunoassay (SNAFIA) consisting of magnetic and fluorophore-loaded polymeric nanoparticles.

Advanced Strategies for Developing Vaccines and Diagnostic Tools for African Swine Fever.

African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most lethal infectious diseases affecting domestic pigs and wild boars of all ages. Over a span of 100 years, ASF has continued to spread over continents and adversely affects the global pig industry. To date, no vaccine or treatment has been approved.

A Whole-Genome Analysis of the African Swine Fever Virus That Circulated during the First Outbreak in Vietnam in 2019 and Subsequently in 2022.

Since its initial report in Vietnam in early 2019, the African swine fever (ASF), a highly lethal and severe viral swine disease worldwide, continues to cause outbreaks in other Southeast Asian countries. This study analyzed and compared the genomic sequences of ASF viruses (ASFVs) during the first outbreak in Hung Yen (VN/HY/2019-ASFV1) and Quynh Phu provinces (VN/QP/2019-ASFV1) in Vietnam in 2019, and the subsequent outbreak in Hung Yen (VN/HY/2022-ASFV2) in 2022, to those of other ASFV strains. VN/HY/2019-ASFV1, VN/QP/2019-ASFV1, and VN/HY/2022-ASFV2 genomes were 189,113, 189,081, and 189,607 bp in length, encoding 196, 196, and 203 open reading frames (ORFs), respectively.

Mucosal and cellular immune responses elicited by nasal and intramuscular inoculation with ASFV candidate immunogens.

African swine fever (ASF) is an infectious disease caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV) that is highly contagious and has an extremely high mortality rate (infected by virulent strains) among domestic and wild pigs, causing huge economic losses to the pig industry globally. In this study, SDS-PAGE gel bands hybridized with ASFV whole virus protein combined with ASFV-convalescent and ASFV-positive pig serum were identified by mass spectrometry. Six antigens were detected by positive serum reaction bands, and eight antigens were detected in ASFV-convalescent serum.

Rapid Visible Detection of African Swine Fever Virus Using Hybridization Chain Reaction-Sensitized Magnetic Nanoclusters and Affinity Chromatography.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a severe and persistent threat to the global swine industry. As there are no vaccines against ASFV, there is an immense need to develop easy-to-use, cost-effective, and rapid point-of-care (POC) diagnostic platforms to detect and prevent ASFV outbreaks. Here, a novel POC diagnostic system based on affinity column chromatography for the optical detection of ASFV is presented.

A flap endonuclease 1-assisted universal viral nucleic acid sensing system using surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

The continued uncertainty of emerging infectious viral diseases has led to an extraordinary urgency to develop advanced molecular diagnostic tests that are faster, more reliable, simpler to use, and readily available than traditional methods. This study presents a system that can accurately and rapidly trace viral nucleic acids by employing flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1)-assisted specific DNA cleavage reactions and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based analysis. The designed Raman tag-labeled 5'- and 3'-flap provider DNA yielded structurally defined DNA substrates on magnetic nanoparticle surfaces when a target was present.

Cationic poly(amino acid) surface functionalized manganese nanoparticles for nitric oxide-based immunotherapy and magnetic resonance imaging.

The low therapeutic efficacy of conventional cancer chemotherapy has been associated with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which display an M2-like phenotype, are abundant in many tumors and facilitate tumor growth and resistance to therapy. Here, we show that poly(L-arginine) (PLR), a cationic poly(amino acid) can induce the polarization of macrophages into the tumor-suppressive M1 phenotype, .

Cell-mimetic biosensors to detect avian influenza virus via viral fusion.

Avian influenza virus (AIV) causes acute infectious diseases in poultry, critically impacting food supply. Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs), in particular, cause morbidity and mortality, resulting in significant economic losses in the poultry industry. To prevent the spread of HPAIVs, detection at early stages is critical to implement effective countermeasures such as quarantine and isolation.

Application of Nanomaterials as an Advanced Strategy for the Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of Viral Diseases.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic poses serious global health concerns with the continued emergence of new variants. The periodic outbreak of novel emerging and re-emerging infectious pathogens has elevated concerns and challenges for the future. To develop mitigation strategies against infectious diseases, nano-based approaches are being increasingly applied in diagnostic systems, prophylactic vaccines, and therapeutics.

Kinetic stability modulation of polymeric nanoparticles for enhanced detection of influenza virus penetration of viral fusion peptides.

Specific interactions between viruses and host cells provide essential insights into material science-based strategies to combat emerging viral diseases. pH-triggered viral fusion is ubiquitous to multiple viral families and is important for understanding the viral infection cycle. Inspired by this process, virus detection has been achieved using nanomaterials with host-mimetic membranes, enabling interactions with amphiphilic hemagglutinin fusion peptides of viruses.

Rapid detection of influenza A (H1N1) virus by conductive polymer-based nanoparticle via optical response to virus-specific binding.

Unlabelled: A recurrent pandemic with unpredictable viral nature has implied the need for a rapid diagnostic technology to facilitate timely and appropriate countermeasures against viral infections. In this study, conductive polymer-based nanoparticles have been developed as a tool for rapid diagnosis of influenza A (H1N1) virus. The distinctive property of a conductive polymer that transduces stimulus to respond, enabled immediate optical signal processing for the specific recognition of H1N1 virus.

Advanced Nanomaterials for Preparedness Against (Re-)Emerging Viral Diseases.

While the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) accounts for the current global pandemic, the emergence of other unknown pathogens, named "Disease X," remains a serious concern in the future. Emerging or re-emerging pathogens continue to pose significant challenges to global public health. In response, the scientific community has been urged to create advanced platform technologies to meet the ever-increasing needs presented by these devastating diseases with pandemic potential.

Patchless administration of canine influenza vaccine on dog's ear using insertion-responsive microneedles (IRMN) without removal of hair and its in vivo efficacy evaluation.

Microneedles provide the advantages of convenience and compliance by avoiding the pain and fear of needles that animals often experience. Insertion-responsive microneedles (IRMN) were used for administration to a hairy dog without removing the dog's hair. Canine H3N2 vaccine was administered with IRMN attached to the dog's ears ex vivo and the conventional microneedle system (MN) was administered for 15 min to compare puncture performance and delivery efficiency.

Co-delivery of antigens and immunostimulants via a polymersome for improvement of antigen-specific immune response.

Cellular uptake of antigens (Ags) by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) is vital for effective functioning of the immune system. Intramuscular or subcutaneous administration of vaccine Ags alone is not sufficient to elicit optimal immune responses. Thus, adjuvants are required to induce strong immunogenicity.

Porous gold nanoparticles for attenuating infectivity of influenza A virus.

Background: Influenza viruses (IVs) have become increasingly resistant to antiviral drugs that target neuraminidase and matrix protein 2 due to gene mutations that alter their drug-binding target protein regions. Consequently, almost all recent IV pandemics have exhibited resistance to commercial antiviral vaccines. To overcome this challenge, an antiviral target is needed that is effective regardless of genetic mutations.

Cell-mimic polymersome-shielded islets for long-term immune protection of neonatal porcine islet-like cell clusters.

Although islet cell transplantation has emerged as a promising treatment for type 1 diabetes, it remains an unmet clinical application due to the need for immunosuppression to prevent islet elimination and autoimmunity. To solve these problems, we developed novel nanoencapsulation of neonatal porcine islet-like cell clusters (NPCCs) with cell-mimic polymersomes (PSomes) based on PEG-b-PLA (poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(dl-lactic acid)). To accomplish this, we first formulated NHS-, NH2-, COOH-, and m(methoxy)-PSomes.

Morphological features and pathogenicity of mutated canine influenza viruses from China and South Korea.

The canine influenza virus (CIV) has spread globally from East Asia to the United States and mutated and evolved to generate various CIVs. Since 2010, the mutant CIVs found in China and Korea have presented increased virulence in mice, guinea pigs and ferrets, which has raised concerns about public health and outbreak of a severe canine flu. We analysed and compared the morphology, cellular uptake and pathogenicity of CIV variants in host animals, to determine their characteristics.

Dengue Virus-Polymersome Hybrid Nanovesicles for Advanced Drug Screening Using Real-Time Single Nanoparticle-Virus Tracking.

Dengue virus (DENV) is a major infectious viral pathogen that affects millions of individuals worldwide every year, causing a potentially fatal syndrome, while no commercial antiviral drugs are yet available. To develop an antiviral against dengue fever, it is necessary to understand the relationship between DENV and host cells, which could provide a basis for viral dynamics and identification of inhibitory drug targets. In this study, we designed DiD-loaded and BODIPY-ceramide-encapsulated DENV-polymersome hybrid nanovesicles (DENVSomes) prepared by an extrusion method, which trigger red fluorescence in the endosome and green in the Golgi.

Cationic Poly(Amino Acid) Vaccine Adjuvant for Promoting Both Cell-Mediated and Humoral Immunity Against Influenza Virus.

Powerful adjuvants to augment vaccine efficacy with a less immunogenic vaccine system are in great demand. In this study, a novel squalene-based cationic poly(amino acid) adjuvant (CASq) that elicits both cellular (Th1) and humoral (Th2) immune responses is developed. CASq is demonstrated to promote cellular uptake of viral antigen and stimulate macrophages, leading to active production of interleukin-12.