Mass Spectrometry Multiplexed Detection of SARS-CoV-2.

Testing of large populations for virus infection is now a reality worldwide due to the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. The demand for SARS-CoV-2 testing using alternatives other than PCR led to the development of mass spectrometry (MS)-based assays. However, MS for SARS-CoV-2 large-scale testing have some downsides, including complex sample preparation and slow data analysis.

Establishing a mass spectrometry-based system for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 in large clinical sample cohorts.

The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is pressing public health systems around the world, and large population testing is a key step to control this pandemic disease. Here, we develop a high-throughput targeted proteomics assay to detect SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein peptides directly from nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs. A modified magnetic particle-based proteomics approach implemented on a robotic liquid handler enables fully automated preparation of 96 samples within 4 hours.

LemA and Erp Y-like recombinant proteins from Leptospira interrogans protect hamsters from challenge using AddaVax™ as adjuvant.

Background: Recombinant subunit vaccines have been extensively evaluated as promising alternatives against leptospirosis. Here, we evaluated two proteins in formulations containing the adjuvant AddaVax™ as vaccine candidates for prevention and control of leptospirosis.

Methods: Recombinant proteins rErp Y-like and rLemA were characterized by ELISA to assess their ability to bind extracellular matrix (ECM) components and fibrinogen.

Human and animal leptospirosis in Southern Brazil: A five-year retrospective study.

Background: Leptospirosis is an emerging zoonosis attributed to multiple reservoirs. Climatic conditions influence the transmission of pathogenic leptospires, which require warm and humid conditions for survival. The influence of seasonality in human and animal leptospirosis in the subtropical region of Brazil remains poorly understood.

The Use of Xanthan Gum as Vaccine Adjuvant: An Evaluation of Immunostimulatory Potential in BALB/c Mice and Cytotoxicity In Vitro.

The successful production of new, safe, and effective vaccines that generate immunological memory is directly related to adjuvant feature, which is responsible for increasing and/or modulating the immune response. Several compounds display adjuvant activity, including carbohydrates. These compounds play important roles in the immune response, as well as having biocompatible properties in vaccine formulations.

Evaluation of the Leptospira interrogans Outer Membrane Protein OmpL37 as a Vaccine Candidate.

The identification of potential vaccine candidates against leptospirosis remains a challenge. However, one such candidate is OmpL37, a potentially surface-exposed antigen that has the highest elastin-binding ability described to date, suggesting that it plays an important role in host colonization. In order to evaluate OmpL37's ability to induce a protective immune response, prime-boost, DNA and subunit vaccine strategies were tested in the hamster model of lethal leptospirosis.