Optimization of the monocyte activation test for evaluating pyrogenicity of tick-borne encephalitis virus vaccine.

Pyrogen content is a key quality feature that must be checked in all injectable products, including vaccines. Four tests are currently available in the European Pharmacopoeia to monitor pyrogen/endotoxin presence: the rabbit pyrogen test (RPT), the bacterial endotoxin test, the recombinant factor C test, and the monocyte activation test (MAT). Here, we explored the possibility to replace the RPT with the MAT in the quality control of a vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV).

Novel adjuvant Alum-TLR7 significantly potentiates immune response to glycoconjugate vaccines.

Although glycoconjugate vaccines are generally very efficacious, there is still a need to improve their efficacy, especially in eliciting a strong primary antibody response. We have recently described a new type of vaccine adjuvant based on a TLR7 agonist adsorbed to alum (Alum-TLR7), which is highly efficacious at enhancing immunogenicity of protein based vaccines. Since no adjuvant has been shown to potentiate the immune response to glycoconjugate vaccines in humans, we investigated if Alum-TLR7 is able to improve immunogenicity of this class of vaccines.

Small molecule Toll-like receptor 7 agonists localize to the MHC class II loading compartment of human plasmacytoid dendritic cells.

TLR7 and TLR8 are intracellular sensors activated by single-stranded RNA species generated during viral infections. Various synthetic small molecules can also activate TLR7 or TLR8 or both through an unknown mechanism. Notably, direct interaction between small molecules and TLR7 or TLR8 has never been shown.

Association of hepatitis C virus envelope proteins with exosomes.

As the human tetraspanin CD81 binds hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoprotein E2, we addressed the role CD81 may play in cellular trafficking of HCV envelope proteins. Studies on HCV life cycle are complicated by the lack of a robust cell culture system; we therefore transfected mammalian cells with HCV E1-E2 cDNA, with or without human CD81 (huCD81) cDNA. In the absence of huCD81, HCV envelope proteins are almost completely retained in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Innate immune responses support adaptive immunity: NKT cells induce B cell activation.

Invariant NKT cells are a peculiar subset of T lymphocytes whose features, highly conserved both in the mouse and the human system, strongly recall those of other "innate lymphocytes". Following recognition of CD1d-presented glycosphingolipid antigens invariant NKT promptly release high amount of diverse cytokines concurring to the activation of the actors of both innate and acquired immune responses. For this reason, in recent years NKT cells have been the object of intensive study, aimed to understand their role in diverse patho-physiological conditions and to exploit the possibility to take advantage of their "adjuvant-like" activity in the formulation of new vaccines.

CD1d-restricted help to B cells by human invariant natural killer T lymphocytes.

Invariant natural killer T (NKT) cells are a highly conserved subset of T lymphocytes expressing a semi-invariant T cell receptor (TCR), which is restricted to CD1d and specific for the glycosphingolipid antigen alpha-galactosylceramide. Their ability to secrete a variety of cytokines, which in turn modulate the activation of cells of both innate and acquired immune responses, suggests that invariant NKT cells exert a regulatory role mainly via indirect mechanisms. A relevant question is whether invariant NKT cells can directly help B cells.

Different profile of CD8+ effector T cells induced in Der p 1-allergic and naïve mice by DNA vaccination.

DNA vaccination holds great promise in both prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines. Recent evidence suggests that DNA vaccines could be powerful therapies countering Th2-mediated disorders such as allergies. Here, we studied the allergen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell populations induced following immunization of allergic and non-allergic mice with DNA vaccine vectors encoding discrete epitopes of the house dust mite (HDM) Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus group I (Der p 1) allergen.

Expression of human CD81 in transgenic mice does not confer susceptibility to hepatitis C virus infection.

We previously demonstrated that hepatitis C virus (HCV) binds to human CD81 through the E2 glycoprotein. Therefore, expression of the human CD81 molecule in transgenic mice was expected to provide a new tool to study HCV infection in vivo, as the chimpanzee is the only species currently available as a laboratory animal model that can be infected with HCV. We produced transgenic mice expressing the human CD81 protein in a wide variety of tissues.