Global trends in antibiotic consumption during 2016-2023 and future projections through 2030.

Antibiotic resistance is a global public health threat. Many factors contribute to this issue, with human antibiotic consumption being significant among them. Analyzing trends and patterns in consumption can aid in developing policies to mitigate the burden of antimicrobial resistance and global disparities in access to antibiotics.

Germline-targeting HIV vaccination induces neutralizing antibodies to the CD4 binding site.

Eliciting potent and broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is a major goal in HIV-1 vaccine development. Here, we describe how germline-targeting immunogen BG505 SOSIP germline trimer 1.1 (GT1.

Affinity gaps among B cells in germinal centers drive the selection of MPER precursors.

Current prophylactic human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) vaccine research aims to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). Membrane-proximal external region (MPER)-targeting bnAbs, such as 10E8, provide exceptionally broad neutralization, but some are autoreactive. Here, we generated humanized B cell antigen receptor knock-in mouse models to test whether a series of germline-targeting immunogens could drive MPER-specific precursors toward bnAbs.

Vaccination induces broadly neutralizing antibody precursors to HIV gp41.

A key barrier to the development of vaccines that induce broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other viruses of high antigenic diversity is the design of priming immunogens that induce rare bnAb-precursor B cells. The high neutralization breadth of the HIV bnAb 10E8 makes elicitation of 10E8-class bnAbs desirable; however, the recessed epitope within gp41 makes envelope trimers poor priming immunogens and requires that 10E8-class bnAbs possess a long heavy chain complementarity determining region 3 (HCDR3) with a specific binding motif. We developed germline-targeting epitope scaffolds with affinity for 10E8-class precursors and engineered nanoparticles for multivalent display.

The immune evasion roles of protein A and impact on vaccine development.

While () bacteria are part of the human commensal flora, opportunistic invasion following breach of the epithelial layers can lead to a wide array of infection syndromes at both local and distant sites. Despite ubiquitous exposure from early infancy, the life-long risk of opportunistic infection is facilitated by a broad repertoire of virulence proteins. These proteins play a key role in inhibiting development of a long-term protective immune response by mechanisms ranging from dysregulation of the complement cascade to the disruption of leukocyte migration.

Save the microbes to save the planet. A call to action of the International Union of the Microbiological Societies (IUMS).

Our planet is populated by at least a trillion species of microorganisms. Every life form is sustained by them and they make the planet habitable. Only a minority of them, about 1400 species, cause infectious diseases that are responsible for human morbidity, mortality, pandemics and the resulting huge economic losses.

Vaccines for a sustainable planet.

The health of the planet is one objective of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Vaccines can affect not only human health but also planet health by reducing poverty, preserving microbial diversity, reducing antimicrobial resistance, and preventing an increase in pandemics that is fueled partly by climate change.

Global antibiotic use during the COVID-19 pandemic: analysis of pharmaceutical sales data from 71 countries, 2020-2022.

Background: Despite bacterial coinfection rates of less than 10%, antibiotics are prescribed to an estimated 75% of patients with COVID-19, potentially exacerbating antimicrobial resistance. We estimated the associations of COVID-19 cases and vaccinations with global antibiotic sales during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We obtained monthly data on broad-spectrum antibiotic sales volumes (cephalosporins, penicillins, macrolides, and tetracyclines) in 71 countries during March 2020-May 2022 from the IQVIA MIDAS® database.

Membrane-bound mRNA immunogens lower the threshold to activate HIV Env V2 apex-directed broadly neutralizing B cell precursors in humanized mice.

Eliciting broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is the core of HIV vaccine design. bnAbs specific to the V2-apex region of the HIV envelope acquire breadth and potency with modest somatic hypermutation, making them attractive vaccination targets. To evaluate Apex germline-targeting (ApexGT) vaccine candidates, we engineered knockin (KI) mouse models expressing the germline B cell receptor (BCR) of the bnAb PCT64.

The trillion dollar vaccine gap.

New technologies and unprecedented public investment have transformed vaccine development and allowed fast delivery of safe and efficacious COVID-19 vaccines, mitigating the impact of the pandemic on health and the economy. A quantum change in public investment for vaccine development and widespread vaccine distribution are necessary to achieve global pandemic preparedness.

Recent advances and future perspectives on carbohydrate-based cancer vaccines and therapeutics.

Carbohydrates are abundantly expressed on the surface of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, often as post translational modifications of proteins. Glycoproteins are recognized by the immune system and can trigger both innate and humoral responses. This feature has been harnessed to generate vaccines against polysaccharide-encapsulated bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Hemophilus influenzae type b and Neisseria meningitidis.

Immunology and Technology of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Vaccines.

We have experienced an enormous cohesive effort of the scientific community to understand how the immune system reacts to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and how to elicit protective immunity via vaccination. This effort resulted in the development of vaccines in record time with high levels of safety, efficacy, and real-life effectiveness. However, the rapid diffusion of viral variants that escape protective antibodies prompted new studies to understand SARS-CoV-2 vulnerabilities and strategies to guide follow-up actions to increase, and maintain, the protection offered by vaccines.

Vaccines 2020: The era of the digital vaccine is here.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has generated a renaissance in vaccinology, with COVID-19 mRNA vaccines delivering a “digital code” of the viral antigen with no need to purify proteins or inactivate pathogens.

Bacteriophages, a multi-tool to fight infectious disease.

The selectivity of bacteriophages and the flexibility of phage-based preventative or curative treatments hold the promise to counteract the emerging antimicrobial resistant bacteria and other pathogens. An increasing understanding of the phage biology and recent scientific advancements in the field suggest that this might be possible.

Mer tyrosine kinase as a possible link between resolution of inflammation and tissue fibrosis in IgG4-related disease.

Objectives: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a systemic fibro-inflammatory disorder characterized by a dysregulated resolution of inflammation and wound healing response that might develop after an apoptotic insult induced by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Mer receptor tyrosine kinase (MerTK) and its ligand, protein S (ProS1), have a pivotal role in the resolution of inflammation, being implicated in the clearance of apoptotic cells, quenching of the immune response and development of tissue fibrosis. In the present work we aimed to investigate a possible involvement of the MerTK signalling pathway in the pathogenesis of IgG4-RD and development of tissue fibrosis.

Vaccinology in the post-COVID-19 era.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a shocking reminder of how our world would look in the absence of vaccination. Fortunately, new technologies, the pace of understanding new and existing pathogens, and the increased knowledge of the immune system allow us today to develop vaccines at an unprecedented speed. Some of the vaccine technologies that are fast-tracked by the urgency of COVID-19 may also be the answer for other health priorities, such as antimicrobial resistance, chronic infections, and cancer, that the post-COVID-19 world will urgently need to face.

Quantum leap of monoclonal antibody (mAb) discovery and development in the COVID-19 era.

In recent years the global market for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) became a multi-billion-dollar business. This success is mainly driven by treatments in the oncology and autoimmune space. Instead, development of effective mAbs against infectious diseases has been lagging behind.

Transforming vaccine development.

The urgency to develop vaccines against Covid-19 is putting pressure on the long and expensive development timelines that are normally required for development of lifesaving vaccines. There is a unique opportunity to take advantage of new technologies, the smart and flexible design of clinical trials, and evolving regulatory science to speed up vaccine development against Covid-19 and transform vaccine development altogether.

A generalized HIV vaccine design strategy for priming of broadly neutralizing antibody responses.

Vaccine induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) to HIV remains a major challenge. Germline-targeting immunogens hold promise for initiating the induction of certain bnAb classes; yet for most bnAbs, a strong dependence on antibody heavy chain complementarity-determining region 3 (HCDR3) is a major barrier. Exploiting ultradeep human antibody sequencing data, we identified a diverse set of potential antibody precursors for a bnAb with dominant HCDR3 contacts.