Preclinical Immunogenicity and Efficacy of a Multiple Antigen-Presenting System (MAPS) SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine.

Despite the remarkable success of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, the rise of variants, some of which are more resistant to the effects of vaccination, highlights the potential need for additional COVID-19 vaccines. We used the Multiple Antigen-Presenting System (MAPS) technology, in which proteins are presented on a polysaccharide polymer to induce antibody, Th1, Th17 and CD8+ T cell responses, to engineer a novel vaccine targeting SARS-CoV-2. This vaccine contains a fragment of the spike (S) protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) sequence of the original D614G strain and was used to immunize nonhuman primates (NHP) for assessment of immunological responses and protection against SARS-CoV-2 challenge.

Early Changes in Immune Cell Count, Metabolism, and Function Following Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Prospective Human Study.

Objective: To characterize longitudinal changes in blood biomarkers, leukocyte composition, and gene expression following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).

Background: LSG is an effective treatment for obesity, leading to sustainable weight loss and improvements in obesity-related comorbidities and inflammatory profiles. However, the effects of LSG on immune function and metabolism remain uncertain.