Publications by authors named "Pilar Blanco Lobo"

SARS-CoV-2 infection has become a global health problem specially exacerbated with the continuous appearance of new variants. Healthcare workers (HCW) have been one of the most affected sectors. Children have also been affected, and although infection generally presents as a mild disease, some have developed the Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome Temporally Associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS).

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  • The study investigates the effects of ruxolitinib, a JAK inhibitor, on patients with dominant-negative STAT3 (DN STAT3) syndromes, known for immune system issues similar to those seen in STAT1 gain-of-function (GOF) disorders.
  • The research used various techniques to analyze the levels of STAT1 and its activated form (pSTAT1) in cells from DN STAT3 patients compared to healthy individuals, finding that DN STAT3 patients exhibit heightened STAT1 activity when stimulated by certain cytokines.
  • Results showed that ruxolitinib successfully reduced cytokine-induced STAT1 signaling, suggesting its potential as a treatment option for patients with autoimmune or autoinflammatory symptoms associated with AD-HIES (Autosomal Dominant
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  • A study explored the effects of JAK inhibitors (JAKinibs) on pediatric patients with STAT1 gain of function (GOF) mutations, which are linked to severe immune issues and infections.
  • The research involved 10 children treated with JAKinibs, showing significant clinical improvement in most, with reduced immune deficiency scores during therapy.
  • Although results are promising, there is a need for standardized guidelines on the use of JAKinibs, including dosing and monitoring, to optimize their benefits for these patients.
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Primary immune regulatory disorders (PIRD) are associated with autoimmunity, autoinflammation and/or dysregulation of lymphocyte homeostasis. Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is a PIRD due to an apoptotic defect in Fas-FasL pathway and characterized by benign and chronic lymphoproliferation, autoimmunity and increased risk of lymphoma. Clinical manifestations and typical laboratory biomarkers of ALPS have also been found in patients with a gene defect out of the Fas-FasL pathway (ALPS-like disorders).

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  • A 10-year-old girl with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (a skin and mouth infection) has some mutations in her genes that affect how her immune system works.
  • Scientists studied her gene variants and found one mutation related to STAT1 (which seems okay) and two mutations in another gene called TRAF3IP2 (which is important for signaling in the immune system).
  • These mutations resulted in problems with her immune response, meaning her body couldn't fight off the infection properly.
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The continual emergence of novel influenza A strains from non-human hosts requires constant vigilance and the need for ongoing research to identify strains that may pose a human public health risk. Since 1999, canine H3 influenza A viruses (CIVs) have caused many thousands or millions of respiratory infections in dogs in the United States. While no human infections with CIVs have been reported to date, these viruses could pose a zoonotic risk.

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Influenza A (IAV) and influenza B (IBV) viruses are highly contagious pathogens that cause fatal respiratory disease every year, with high economic impact. In addition, IAV can cause pandemic infections with great consequences when new viruses are introduced into humans. In this study, we evaluated 10 previously described compounds with antiviral activity against mammarenaviruses for their ability to inhibit IAV infection using our recently described bireporter influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (PR8) H1N1 (BIRFLU).

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Influenza viruses cause annual, seasonal infection across the globe. Vaccination represents the most effective strategy to prevent such infections and/or to reduce viral disease. Two major types of influenza vaccines are approved for human use: inactivated influenza vaccines (IIVs) and live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIVs).

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Vaccination remains the most effective approach for preventing and controlling equine influenza virus (EIV) in horses. However, the ongoing evolution of EIV has increased the genetic and antigenic differences between currently available vaccines and circulating strains, resulting in suboptimal vaccine efficacy. As recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the inclusion of representative strains from clade 1 and clade 2 Florida sublineages of EIV in vaccines may maximize the protection against presently circulating viral strains.

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Influenza virus still represents a considerable threat to global public health, despite the advances in the development and wide use of influenza vaccines. Vaccination with traditional inactivate influenza vaccines (IIV) or live-attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV) remains the main strategy in the control of annual seasonal epidemics, but it does not offer protection against new influenza viruses with pandemic potential, those that have shifted. Moreover, the continual antigenic drift of seasonal circulating influenza viruses, causing an antigenic mismatch that requires yearly reformulation of seasonal influenza vaccines, seriously compromises vaccine efficacy.

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Studies in transplant recipients over the past decade aiming to characterize the immune response to cytomegalovirus (CMV) replication have provided insights that can be used to guide CMV vaccine development. These studies have characterized multiple aspects of the immune response to virus infection in humans, and have identified immunologic variables that correlate with the ability to control virus replication. These findings can be used to guide vaccine development by informing decisions regarding antigen selection and the type of immune response that must be elicited by these antigens to promote protective immunity.

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The role of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific polyfunctional CD8+ T-cells and that of antibodies neutralizing virus epithelial infection (AbNEI) in the control of CMV DNAemia were investigated in 39 CMV-seropositive allogeneic stem-cell transplant (Allo-SCT) recipients with (n = 24) or without (n = 15) CMV DNAemia. AbNEI levels were monitored prospectively by means of a neutralization assay employing retinal epithelial cells (ARPE-19) and the recombinant CMV strain BADrUL131-Y4. Quantification of CMV-specific polyfunctional CD8+ T-cells (expressing two or three of the following markers: IFN-γγ, TNF-α and CD107a) in whole blood was performed by flow cytometry for intracellular cytokine staining.

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Despite advances in prevention, cytomegalovirus (CMV) recurrence is an important challenge in high-risk organ recipients. The present study prospectively evaluates the impact of CMV-specific T-cell immune response and secondary prophylaxis on the risk of recurrence in a cohort of CMV high-risk organ recipients and whether it is possible to determine a safe standardized viral load value below which CMV disease is unlikely. Thirty-nine recipients were included.

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