Peptide vaccines constitute an interesting alternative to classical vaccines due to the possibility of selecting specific epitopes, easy of production and safety. However, an inadequate design may render these peptides poorly immunogenic or lead to undesirable outcomes (e.g., formation of B neoepitopes). As an approach to vaccine development, we evaluated the antibody response to chimeras composed of two or three known B epitopes from Trichinella and Fasciola, and several linkers (GSGSG, GPGPG and KK) in species as different as mice, sheep and turbot. All these species could mount an effective immune response to the short chimeric peptides. Nevertheless, this response depended on several factors including a favorable orientation of B-cell epitopes, adequateness of linkers and/or probability of formation of T neoepitopes. We also observed that, at least in mice, the inclusion of a decoy epitope may have favorable consequences on the antibody response to other epitopes in the chimera.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.molimm.2018.11.019 | DOI Listing |
Genomics Proteomics Bioinformatics
January 2025
Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Tumor-specific antigens, also known as neoantigens, have potential utility in anti-cancer immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), neoantigen-specific T cell receptor-engineered T (TCR-T), chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T), and therapeutic cancer vaccines (TCVs). After recognizing presented neoantigens, the immune system becomes activated and triggers the death of tumor cells. Neoantigens may be derived from multiple origins, including somatic mutations (single nucleotide variants, insertion/deletions, and gene fusions), circular RNAs, alternative splicing, RNA editing, and polymorphic microbiome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe recently reported that a chimeric peptide (GEP44) targeting the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and neuropeptide Y1- and Y2-receptors decreased body weight (BW), energy intake and core temperature in diet-induced obese (DIO) male and female mice. Given that GEP44 was found to reduce core temperature (surrogate measure of energy expenditure (EE)) in DIO mice, we hypothesized that GEP44 would reduce EE in male and female high fat diet (HFD)-fed rats. To test this, rats were maintained on a HFD for at least 4 months to elicit DIO prior to undergoing a sequential 2-day vehicle period, 2-day GEP44 (50 nmol/kg) period and a minimum 2-day washout period and detailed measures of energy homeostasis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmunology
January 2025
Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) biases Langerhans cell (LC) Ag presentation to CD4 T cells towards Th17-type immunity through actions on endothelial cells (ECs). We now report further evidence that IL-6 signalling at responding T cells mediates this effect. This CGRP effect was absent with ECs from IL-6 KO mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLeuk Res
January 2025
Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka 8-35-1, Kagoshima, Japan. Electronic address:
The standard treatment for aggressive adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is multi-agent chemotherapy, but the use of more intense cytotoxic anticancer agents is becoming more difficult with the aging of patients at the time of diagnosis. As a means of overcoming this hurdle, antibody drugs, which are supposed to be less toxic, have been developed for ATL. The advent of the anti-CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) antibody mogamulizumab has significantly advanced ATL treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProbiotics Antimicrob Proteins
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, No. 20 Dongda Street, Beijing, 100071, Fengtai District, China.
Human β-defensin (HBD) has been recognized as a promising antimicrobial agent due to its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against various pathogens. In our previous work, we engineered a chimeric human β-defensin, designated H4, by fusing human β-defensin 3 and human β-defensin 4, resulting in enhanced antimicrobial activity and salt stability. However, the high cost of chemical synthesis due to the relatively large number of amino acids in H4 has limited its applications.
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