Adjuvant activities of immunostimulating natural products: Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. and Coriolus versicolor in BNT162b2 vaccination against COVID-19 infection.

The global pandemic of COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been developing all over the world for more than 3 years. In late 2020, several variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2 virus emerged, with increased viral fitness and transmissibility by mutations of the spike proteins of the viral particle, denting hopes of the use of early-generation vaccines for a widespread protective immunity against viral infection. The use of adjuvants may enhance the immune responses of the conventional application of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Mechanical destabilization induced by controlled annular incision of the intervertebral disc dysregulates metalloproteinase expression and induces disc degeneration.

Study Design: An investigation of mechanical destabilization of the lumbar ovine intervertebral disc (IVD) inducing IVD degeneration (IVDD) as determined by multiparameter outcome measures (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], IVD composition, biomechanical testing, gene profiling, immunohistochemistry, and immunoblotting).

Objective: To assess the effect of IVD mechanical destabilization on matrix protein and metalloproteinase gene expression to investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms of lumbar IVDD.

Summary Of Background Data: Several earlier studies have used annular transection to induce IVDD in sheep, but none have optimized or validated the most appropriate lesion size.