Publications by authors named "R W Compans"

Objectives: To evaluate class suspension and mass vaccination implemented among Taipei schoolchildren during the 2009 influenza pandemic and investigate factors affecting antibody responses.

Methods: We conducted 2 cohort studies on: (1) 972 schoolchildren from November 2009-March 2010 to evaluate pandemic policies and (2) 935 schoolchildren from November 2011-March 2012 to verify factors in antibody waning. Anti-influenza H1N1pdm09 hemagglutination inhibition antibodies (HI-Ab) were measured from serum samples collected before vaccination, and at 1 and 4 months after vaccination.

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Article Synopsis
  • Neuraminidase (NA) is a key protein on influenza A viruses, and specific NA1-based virus-like particles (VLPs) have shown protective effects against certain strains.
  • Researchers produced NA2 VLPs from the A/Perth/16/2009 strain, which induced a strong immune response in mice, providing protection against lethal H3N2 virus but not H1N1.
  • Combination vaccination with both NA1 and NA2 VLPs resulted in effective protection against both H1N1 and H3N2 viruses, highlighting the potential for focusing on anti-NA responses in future flu vaccine development.
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Intranasal (i.n.) immunization is a promising vaccination route for infectious respiratory diseases such as influenza.

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Current strategies for improving protective response to influenza vaccines during immunosenescence do not adequately protect individuals over 65 years of age. Here, we used an aged mouse model to investigate the potential of co-delivery of influenza vaccine with the recently identified combination of a saponin adjuvant Quil-A and an activator of the STING pathway, 2'3 cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP) dissolving microneedle patches (MNPs) applied to skin. We demonstrate that synergy between the two adjuvant components is observed after their incorporation with H1N1 vaccine into MNPs as revealed by analysis of the immune responses in adult mice.

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