Induction of systemic, mucosal, and cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in mice vaccinated by trans-airway with a S1 protein combined with a pulmonary surfactant-derived adjuvant SF-10.

Background: There is a need for vaccines that can induce effective systemic, respiratory mucosal, and cellular immunity to control the COVID-19 pandemic. We reported previously that a synthetic mucosal adjuvant SF-10 derived from human pulmonary surfactant works as an efficient antigen delivery vehicle to antigen presenting cells in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts and promotes induction of influenza virus antigen-specific serum IgG, mucosal IgA, and cellular immunity.

Methods: The aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of a new administration route of trans-airway (TA) vaccine comprising recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein 1 (S1) combined with SF-10 (S1-SF-10 vaccine) on systemic, local, and cellular immunity in mice, compared with intramuscular injection (IM) of S1 with a potent adjuvant AddaS03™ (S1-AddaS03™ vaccine).

Endogenous genetic risk factor for serious heatstroke: the thermolabile phenotype of carnitine palmitoyltransferase II variant.

Aim: In serious heatstroke, elevated body temperature (>40°C) is considered the main cause of illness. Mitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferase II (CPT II) plays an important role in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) generation from long-chain fatty acids, and its thermolabile phenotype of polymorphisms leads to ATP production loss under high fever. Whether by heatstroke or influenza, high fever suppresses mitochondrial ATP production in patients with the thermolabile phenotype of polymorphisms.