Immunopeptidomic MHC-I profiling and immunogenicity testing identifies Tcj2 as a new Chagas disease mRNA vaccine candidate.

Trypanosoma cruzi is a protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease. Globally 6 to 7 million people are infected by this parasite of which 20-30% will progress to develop Chronic Chagasic Cardiomyopathy (CCC). Despite its high disease burden, no clinically approved vaccine exists for the prevention or treatment of CCC.

Agaricus subrufescens fermented rye affects the development of intestinal microbiota, local intestinal and innate immunity in suckling-to-nursery pigs.

Background: Agaricus subrufescens is considered as one of the most important culinary-medicinal mushrooms around the world. It has been widely suggested to be used for the development of functional food ingredients to promote human health ascribed to the various properties (e.g.

Optimization of Capture ELISAs for Chicken Cytokines Using Commercially Available Antibodies.

Cytokines like interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-12p40 are important biomarkers for characterizing the nature and strength of immune responses. It is important to be able to quantify the cytokines at the protein level in biological samples. Quantification of chicken cytokines is generally performed on the level of messenger RNA (mRNA) by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) because very few capture ELISAs for the quantification of chicken cytokine proteins are commercially available.

Highly Specific Protein Identification by Immunoprecipitation-Mass Spectrometry Using Antifouling Microbeads.

A common method to study protein complexes is immunoprecipitation (IP), followed by mass spectrometry (thus labeled: IP-MS). IP-MS has been shown to be a powerful tool to identify protein-protein interactions. It is, however, often challenging to discriminate true protein interactors from contaminating ones.

Effects of Nissle 1917 on the Porcine Gut Microbiota, Intestinal Epithelium and Immune System in Early Life.

Early in life and particularly around weaning, piglets are susceptible to infections because of abrupt social, environmental, and dietary changes. Dietary interventions with probiotic bacteria have gained popularity because of the increased awareness of the direct link between diet and health. In this study, piglets received the probiotic strain Nissle 1917 (EcN) or a control treatment perorally from day 2 after birth until 2 weeks post-weaning.

Location and expression kinetics of Tc24 in different life stages of Trypanosoma cruzi.

Tc24-C4, a modified recombinant flagellar calcium-binding protein of Trypanosoma cruzi, is under development as a therapeutic subunit vaccine candidate to prevent or delay progression of chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy. When combined with Toll-like receptor agonists, Tc24-C4 immunization reduces parasitemia, parasites in cardiac tissue, and cardiac fibrosis and inflammation in animal models. To support further research on the vaccine candidate and its mechanism of action, murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against Tc24-C4 were generated.

Impact of Yeast-Derived β-Glucans on the Porcine Gut Microbiota and Immune System in Early Life.

Piglets are susceptible to infections in early life and around weaning due to rapid environmental and dietary changes. A compelling target to improve pig health in early life is diet, as it constitutes a pivotal determinant of gut microbial colonization and maturation of the host's immune system. In the present study, we investigated how supplementation of yeast-derived β-glucans affects the gut microbiota and immune function pre- and post-weaning, and how these complex systems develop over time.

Component-resolved microarray analysis of IgE sensitization profiles to Culicoides recombinant allergens in horses with insect bite hypersensitivity.

Background: Allergy to bites of blood-sucking insects, including biting midges, can affect both human and veterinary patients. Horses are often suffering from an IgE-mediated allergic dermatitis caused by bites of midges (Culicoides spp). With the aim to improve allergen immunotherapy (AIT), numerous Culicoides allergens have been produced as recombinant (r-) proteins.

Differential immunomodulation of porcine bone marrow derived dendritic cells by E. coli Nissle 1917 and β-glucans.

In early life and around weaning, pigs are at risk of developing infectious diseases which compromise animal welfare and have major economic consequences for the pig industry. A promising strategy to enhance resistance against infectious diseases is immunomodulation by feed additives. To assess the immune stimulating potential of feed additives in vitro, bone marrow-derived dendritic cells were used.

Genomic Regions Associated with IgE Levels against spp. Antigens in Three Horse Breeds.

Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), which is a cutaneous allergic reaction to antigens from spp., is the most prevalent skin disorder in horses. Misdiagnosis is possible, as IBH is usually diagnosed based on clinical signs.

Leveraging the Medicines for Malaria Venture malaria and pathogen boxes to discover chemical inhibitors of East Coast fever.

Chemotherapy of East Coast fever, a lymphoproliferative cancer-like disease of cattle causing significant economic losses in Africa, is largely dependent on the use of buparvaquone, a drug that was developed in the late 1980's. The disease is caused by the tick-borne protozoan pathogen Theileria parva. Buparvaquone can be used prophylactically and it is also active against tropical theileriosis, caused by the related parasite Theileria annulata.

Systematic Comparison of Zwitterionic and Non-Zwitterionic Antifouling Polymer Brushes on a Bead-Based Platform.

Nonspecific adsorption of biomolecules to solid surfaces, a process called biofouling, is a major concern in many biomedical applications. Great effort has been made in the development of antifouling polymer coatings that are capable of repelling the nonspecific adsorption of proteins, cells, and micro-organisms. In this respect, we herein contribute to understanding the factors that determine which polymer brush results in the best antifouling coating.

Antibodies to in silico selected GPI-anchored Theileria parva proteins neutralize sporozoite infection in vitro.

East Coast fever (ECF) caused by Theileria parva kills cattle in East, Central and Southern Africa leading to significant economic losses. Vaccination is used as a control strategy against ECF and is presently dependent on deliberate infection with live sporozoites and simultaneous treatment with a long-acting oxytetracycline. Although effective, this method has serious limitations; the immunity is parasite strain specific and immunized cattle can become life-long asymptomatic carriers of the parasite, posing risk for the spread of the disease.

Characterization of the Theileria parva sporozoite proteome.

East Coast fever is a lymphoproliferative disease caused by the tick-borne protozoan parasite Theileria parva. The sporozoite stage of this parasite, harboured and released from the salivary glands of the tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus during feeding, invades and establishes infection in bovine lymphocytes. Blocking this initial stage of invasion presents a promising vaccine strategy for control of East Coast fever and can in part be achieved by targeting the major sporozoite surface protein p67.

Highly Specific Binding on Antifouling Zwitterionic Polymer-Coated Microbeads as Measured by Flow Cytometry.

Micron- and nano-sized particles are extensively used in various biomedical applications. However, their performance is often drastically hampered by the nonspecific adsorption of biomolecules, a process called biofouling, which can cause false-positive and false-negative outcomes in diagnostic tests. Although antifouling coatings have been extensively studied on flat surfaces, their use on micro- and nanoparticles remains largely unexplored, despite the widespread experimental (specifically, clinical) uncertainties that arise because of biofouling.

A proteomics-based identification of putative biomarkers for disease in bovine milk.

The objective of this study was to identify and characterize potential biomarkers for disease resistance in bovine milk that can be used to indicate dairy cows at risk to develop future health problems. We selected high- and low-resistant cows i.e.

Bovine natural antibodies in antibody-dependent bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium and risk of mastitis.

Natural antibodies (NAbs) are mostly IgM antibodies produced without antigenic stimulation and serve as a first line of defence of the immune system. As both natural and specific antibodies are present in animals, NAbs are studied by determining the IgM response to naïve antigens like keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). In this study, we selected cows based on high and low anti-KLH IgM titers, reflecting high and low NAb titers, and determined if the anti-KLH IgM titers were indicative for the recognition of common microbial structures (lipopolysaccharide, lipoteichoic acid and peptidoglycan) and intact bacteria (Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium).

Cyprinid Herpesvirus 3 Il10 Inhibits Inflammatory Activities of Carp Macrophages and Promotes Proliferation of Igm+ B Cells and Memory T Cells in a Manner Similar to Carp Il10.

Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) is the causative agent of a lethal disease of carp and encodes for an Il10 homolog (ORF134). Our previous studies with a recombinant ORF134-deleted strain and the derived revertant strain suggested that cyprinid herpesvirus 3 Il10 (CyHV-3 Il10 [cyhv3Il10]) is not essential for viral replication in vitro, or virulence in vivo. In apparent contrast, cyhv3Il10 is one of the most abundant proteins of the CyHV-3 secretome and is structurally very similar to carp Il10 and also human IL10.

Recombinant Culicoides obsoletus complex allergens stimulate antigen-specific T cells of insect bite hypersensitive Shetland ponies in vitro.

Background: Ponies may suffer from Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), an allergic IgE-mediated pruritic skin disorder, induced by allergens from biting midges of the Culicoides spp.

Hypothesis/objectives: To determine whether recombinant Culicoides obsoletus allergens are able to activate T cells of ponies exposed to C. obsoletus and whether these allergen-specific responses differ between IBH-affected and healthy ponies.

Factors associated with Culicoides Obsoletus complex spp.-specific IgE reactivity in Icelandic horses and Shetland ponies.

Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a common allergic skin disease in horses, caused by biting insects of the Culicoides spp. In The Netherlands, Culicoides spp. of the Obsoletus complex are the most important midges involved in IBH.

Expression of the iron hormone hepcidin distinguishes different types of anemia in African children.

Childhood anemia is a major global health problem resulting from multiple causes. Iron supplementation addresses iron deficiency anemia but is undesirable for other types of anemia and may exacerbate infections. The peptide hormone hepcidin governs iron absorption; hepcidin transcription is mediated by iron, inflammation, and erythropoietic signals.

Evaluation of a diagnostic ELISA for insect bite hypersensitivity in horses using recombinant Obsoletus complex allergens.

Culicoides spp. of the Obsoletus complex belong to the most important species of midge, involved in causing insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) in horses in The Netherlands. The aim of the current study was to evaluate seven different Obsoletus complex-derived recombinant allergens (Cul o 1-Cul o 7) and to compare these with Obsoletus complex whole body extract (WBE) in an IgE ELISA, using sera of 194 clinically-confirmed cases of IBH and 175 unaffected horses.

Towards establishing a rhinoceros-specific interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) assay for diagnosis of tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium bovis is the causal agent of bovine tuberculosis (BTB), with a diverse host range, extending from livestock to domestic and captive wild animals as well as free-ranging wildlife species. In South Africa, BTB is endemic in the Kruger National Park (KNP) and the Hluluwe iMfolozi National Park (HiP), where the high prevalence of M. bovis infections in buffalo herds has led to infection of a number of wildlife species.

The elephant interferon gamma assay: a contribution to diagnosis of tuberculosis in elephants.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) has been shown to be the main causative agent of tuberculosis in elephants worldwide. M.

Cloning and expression of candidate allergens from Culicoides obsoletus for diagnosis of insect bite hypersensitivity in horses.

Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an IgE-mediated (Type I) hypersensitivity reaction induced by allergens from biting midges of the Culicoides spp. The aim of the present study was to identify, clone and express recombinant allergens from C. obsoletus, the main species found feeding on horses in the Netherlands, by sequence homology searches on the C.