Advances in Vaccines: Current Development and Future Prospects.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasites of the genus . As approved human vaccines are not available, treatment and prevention rely heavily on toxic chemotherapeutic agents, which face increasing resistance problems. The development of effective vaccines against human leishmaniasis is of utmost importance for the control of the disease.

Lethality associated with snake venom exposure can be predicted by temperature drop in Swiss mice.

Establishing humane endpoints to minimize animal suffering in studies on snake venom toxicity and antivenom potency tests is crucial. Our findings reveal that Swiss mice exhibit early temperature drop following exposure to different snake venoms and combinations of venoms and antivenoms, predicting later mortality. Evaluating temperature we can identify within 3 h post-inoculation, the animals that will not survive in a period of 48 h.

Selection of initiatives to improve the management of patients with hereditary angioedema by the hospital pharmacy using the nominal group technique.

Objective: To identify and promote hospital pharmacy initiatives to improve the management of patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) within the Spanish healthcare system.

Method: A panel of experts comprising hospital pharmacists, an allergist and a nurse/member of the Spanish Hereditary Angioedema Association (Asociación Española de Angioedema Familiar) highlighted initiatives to improve care for patients with HAE after identifying, evaluating and prioritising them. Prioritisation was assessed based on the impact on patient care and the feasibility of their implementation on a scale of 1-5.

A Core Outcome Set for Efficacy of Acute Treatment of Hereditary Angioedema.

Background: Clinical trials investigating drugs for the acute treatment of hereditary angioedema attacks have assessed many different outcomes. This heterogeneity limits the comparability of trial results and may lead to selective outcome reporting bias and a high burden on trial participants.

Objective: To achieve consensus on a core outcome set composed of key outcomes that ideally should be used in all clinical efficacy trials involving the acute treatment of hereditary angioedema attacks.

Correction: De Jesus et al. Body Temperature Drop as a Humane Endpoint in Snake Venom-Lethality Neutralization Tests. 2023, , 525.

In the original publication [...

Body Temperature Drop as a Humane Endpoint in Snake Venom-Lethality Neutralization Tests.

Snake venom neutralization potency tests are required for quality control assessment by manufacturers and regulatory authorities. These assays require the use of large numbers of mice that manifest severe signs associated with pain and distress and long periods of suffering. Despite this, many animals make a full recovery; therefore, the observation of clinical signs as a predictor of animal death is highly subjective and could affect the accuracy of the results.

Comparison of Cost and Potency of Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Conditioned Medium Derived from 2- and 3-Dimensional Cultures.

Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-derived products, such as trophic factors (MTFs), have anti-inflammatory properties that make them attractive for cell-free treatment. Three-dimensional (3D) culture can enhance these properties, and large-scale expansion using a bioreactor can reduce manufacturing costs. Three lots of MTFs were obtained from umbilical cord MSCs produced by either monolayer culture (Monol MTF) or using a 3D microcarrier in a spinner flask dynamic system (Bioreactor MTF).

Development of Leishmania Species Strains with Constitutive Expression of eGFP.

Protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania cause leishmaniasis, a disease with variable clinical manifestations that affects millions of people worldwide. Infection with L. donovani can result in fatal visceral disease.

Effectiveness and safety of a microcrystalline tyrosine-adjuvanted Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergoid immunotherapy in adult patients with allergic asthma and rhinitis: A real-life prospective observational study.

Introduction: Although clinical trials have shown the efficacy and safety of allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) in the treatment of allergic asthma, there is a need for real-life studies. We aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of a microcrystalline tyrosine-adjuvanted Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergoid (Acarovac Plus®) in patients with house dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic asthma in a real-life study.

Methods: A subanalysis of a multicenter, prospective, observational, real-life study.

A multicenter, open-label, randomized, proof-of-concept phase II clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of icatibant in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and admitted to hospital units without invasive mechanical ventilation: study protocol (ICAT-COVID).

Background: COVID-19 has quickly become a global pandemic with a substantial number of deaths and is a considerable burden for healthcare systems worldwide. Although most cases are paucisymptomatic and limited to the viral infection-related symptoms, some patients evolve to a second phase, with an impaired inflammatory response (cytokine storm) that may lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome and death. This is thought to be caused by increased bradykinin synthesis.

Hereditary angioedema due to C1 inhibitor deficiency: real-world experience from the Icatibant Outcome Survey in Spain.

Background: The Icatibant Outcome Survey (IOS) is an international registry monitoring the use of icatibant, a bradykinin B receptor antagonist indicated for the acute treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks. Our goal was to assess disease characteristics and icatibant treatment outcomes in patients with HAE due to C1 inhibitor deficiency (HAE type 1 or 2 (HAE-1/2)) from Spain relative to other countries participating in IOS.

Methods: Descriptive retrospective analyses of data are reported from 10 centers in Spain vs 51 centers in 12 other participating countries (July 2009 to January 2019).

Angioedema Due to Acquired Deficiency of C1-Inhibitor: A Cohort Study in Spain and a Comparison With Other Series.

Background: Data on acquired angioedema due to C1-inhibitor deficiency (C1-INH-AAE) from 4 European countries (France, Italy, Germany, and Hungary) were recently published.

Objective: To report data from a group of 50 patients with acquired C1-INH deficiency from Spain, of whom 46 had angioedema, and compare them with other European series.

Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study of 46 patients with C1-INH-AAE and 4 asymptomatic patients.

Development of in-house, indirect ELISAs for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-associated serology in COVID-19 patients in Panama.

COVID-19 is the name of the acute respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, a close relative of those that caused the severe outbreaks of SARS and MERS several years ago. Since first appearance on December of 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has cause extremely high levels of mortality, morbidity, global economic breakdown, and the consequent human suffering. The main diagnostic test for the confirmation of symptomatic individuals is the detection of viral RNA by reverse transcriptase-quantitative real time PCR (RT-PCR).

Performance of a Point of Care Test for Detecting IgM and IgG Antibodies Against SARS-CoV-2 and Seroprevalence in Blood Donors and Health Care Workers in Panama.

Novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiologic agent of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has reached 28 million cases worldwide in 1 year. The serological detection of antibodies against the virus will play a pivotal role in complementing molecular tests to improve diagnostic accuracy, contact tracing, vaccine efficacy testing, and seroprevalence surveillance. Here, we aimed first to evaluate a lateral flow assay's ability to identify specific IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and second, to report the seroprevalence estimates of these antibodies among health care workers and healthy volunteer blood donors in Panama.

Gene expression patterns associated with Leishmania panamensis infection in macrophages from BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice.

Leishmania parasites can trigger different host immune responses that result in varying levels of disease severity. The C57BL/6 and BALB/c mouse strains are among the host models commonly used for characterizing the immunopathogenesis of Leishmania species and the possible antileishmanial effect of novel drug candidates. C57BL/6 mice tend to be resistant to Leishmania infections, whereas BALB/c mice display a susceptible phenotype.

HLA allele and haplotype frequencies in the Panamanian population.

In this study, we report for the first time HLA allele and haplotype frequencies in the modern Panamanian population at a two-field (four digits) resolution level. Reported frequencies were calculated from genotype data for the HLA-A, -B, -C, -DPB1, -DQB1 and -DRB1 loci of 462 healthy unrelated Panamanian adults of Hispanic ethnicity. In addition to providing new insights on the allelic structure of the Panamanian population and its origin, these data are critical for better planning of healthcare strategies in the country and for future research exploring the association with certain chronic and infectious diseases.

Morphological and molecular characterization supporting Amblyomma mixtum presence in Cuba.

Amblyomma cajennense Fabricius, 1787 (Acari: Ixodidae) is a widely distributed tick taxon. Recent studies have reassessed this taxon as a complex of six species. Amblyomma mixtum Koch, 1844 has been suggested by some authors as the only species of this complex that is present in Cuba.

Antileishmanial activity of a new chloroquine analog in an animal model of Leishmania panamensis infection.

Leishmania panamensis is a relevant causative agent of tegumentary leishmaniasis in several Latin American countries. Available antileishmanial drugs have several limitations including relatively high toxicity, difficult administration, high production costs and the emergence of resistance in circulating strains. Therefore, the identification of new molecules as potential therapeutics for leishmaniasis is of great relevance.

Genomes: How Genomic Information has been Used to Deal with Past Outbreaks and the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In the 21st century, three highly pathogenic betacoronaviruses have emerged, with an alarming rate of human morbidity and case fatality. Genomic information has been widely used to understand the pathogenesis, animal origin and mode of transmission of coronaviruses in the aftermath of the 2002-2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and 2012 Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreaks. Furthermore, genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis have had an unprecedented relevance in the battle against the 2019-2020 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the newest and most devastating outbreak caused by a coronavirus in the history of mankind.