Recombinant Ov-ASP-1, a Th1-biased protein adjuvant derived from the helminth Onchocerca volvulus, can directly bind and activate antigen-presenting cells.

We previously reported that rOv-ASP-1, a recombinant Onchocerca volvulus activation associated protein-1, was a potent adjuvant for recombinant protein or synthetic peptide-based Ags. In this study, we further evaluated the adjuvanticity of rOv-ASP-1 and explored its mechanism of action. Consistently, recombinant full-length spike protein of SARS-CoV or its receptor-binding domain in the presence of rOv-ASP-1 could effectively induce a mixed but Th1-skewed immune response in immunized mice.

Immunotherapeutic strategies in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia relapsing after stem cell transplantation.

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) responds well to chemotherapy and the majority of children and a significant proportion of adults are cured of their disease after primary therapy. However, a number of patients relapse and allogeneic transplantation following conditioning with chemotherapy and radiotherapy offers the possibility of long-term survival in a proportion of these patients. A significant number of patients with ALL develop disease that is refractory to further therapy.