Phase 1b randomized trial and follow-up study in Uganda of the blood-stage malaria vaccine candidate BK-SE36.

Background: Up to now a malaria vaccine remains elusive. The Plasmodium falciparum serine repeat antigen-5 formulated with aluminum hydroxyl gel (BK-SE36) is a blood-stage malaria vaccine candidate that has undergone phase 1a trial in malaria-naive Japanese adults. We have now assessed the safety and immunogenicity of BK-SE36 in a malaria endemic area in Northern Uganda.

Safety and immunogenicity of a freeze-dried, cell culture-derived Japanese encephalitis vaccine (Inactivated) (JEBIK(®)V) in children.

Freeze dried, cell culture-derived Japanese encephalitis vaccine (Inactivated) (JEBIK(®)V) is approved for a three-dose primary immunization followed by a one-dose booster immunization in Japan. We conducted a multicenter, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial of the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine in 370 healthy children who received three doses of 5, 2.5 or 1.

Superior immunogenicity of a freeze-dried, cell culture-derived Japanese encephalitis vaccine (inactivated).

Japanese encephalitis is an infectious disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus, which is widespread throughout Asia. The worldwide incidence is 50,000 cases per year. There is no specific treatment available, but inactivated mouse brain-derived vaccine was used from the 1950s to prevent infection.

Evidences of protection against blood-stage infection of Plasmodium falciparum by the novel protein vaccine SE36.

An effective malaria vaccine is a public health priority. Proteins expressed during the blood-stage of the parasite life cycle have been proposed as good vaccine candidates. No such blood-stage vaccine, however, is available against Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest Plasmodium species.

Development of measles vaccines in Japan.

Studies on measles vaccine development started in 1950s in Japan. After 3-year studies on development of further attenuated live measles vaccines by Japan Measles Vaccine Research Commission, two kinds of vaccines of different strains were licensed for optional use in 1971. In 1978, periodical immunization against measles was started using BIKEN CAM-70 vaccine, Takeda Schwarz-FF8 vaccine and Kitasato AIK-C vaccine.

Aortoesophageal fistula due to esophageal ulcer.

Aortoesophageal fistula is a rare but fatal disease. Many such fistulas are caused by an aortic aneurysm, a previous operation, or esophageal disease. We report a case of aortoesophageal fistula due to an esophageal ulcer.

Preparation of monoclonal antibodies cross-reactive with orthopoxviruses and their application for direct immunofluorescence test.

Variola virus (smallpox virus), vaccinia virus (VV), cowpox virus (CPV) and ectromelia virus (EV) belong to the genus Orthopoxvirus of the family Poxviridae. To establish the possible diagnosis for smallpox infection, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against VV and CPV were produced. The cross-reactivity of seven MAbs with cells infected with various strains of the orthopoxviruses (CPV, VV and EV) was confirmed by an immunofluorescence (IF) test and other immunological analyses.

Possible role of dimerization in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 genome RNA packaging.

The dimer initiation site/dimer linkage sequence (DIS/DLS) region in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA genome is suggested to play important roles in various steps of the virus life cycle. However, due to the presence of a putative DIS/DLS region located within the encapsidation signal region (E/psi), it is difficult to perform a mutational analysis of DIS/DLS without affecting the packaging of RNA into virions. Recently, we demonstrated that duplication of the DIS/DLS region in viral RNA caused the production of partially monomeric RNAs in virions, indicating that the region indeed mediated RNA-RNA interaction.

Elevated levels of anti-CD9 antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a slowly progressive and highly lethal disease of the central nervous system. Although the primary cause of SSPE is believed to be persistent infection of neuron and glial cells by a measles virus, the precise mechanism of the progression of this disease has not yet been elucidated. CD9, a member of the tetraspanin family, is expressed in myelin and other nervous tissues.