Strategies for introducing and implementing vaccines for adults into national immunization programs in Europe: Good practices and key insights of the adult immunization board meeting.

In April 2024, the Adult Immunization Board convened a technical meeting to explore the latest strategies and identify exemplary approaches regarding the implementation of vaccines for adults into Europe's National Immunization Programs (NIPs). The meeting was built around three pillars: decision making for introducing a new vaccine, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. The increasing number of new vaccines available in a context of competing health priorities warrants transparent and evidence-based decision-making processes for vaccine introduction.

Detection of Francisellaceae and the differentiation of main European F. tularensis ssp. holarctica strains (Clades) by new designed qPCR assays.

Background: The zoonotic and highly infectious pathogen Francisella tularensis is the etiological agent of tularemia. Tularemia in humans is mainly caused by F. tularensis subspecies tularensis and holarctica, but Francisella species like F.

Participation interest and completion of home blood pressure measurements with mailed devices in adults with and without hypertension.

Objectives: Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is valuable for the detection and monitoring of hypertension. Despite logistical advantages, HBPM has not yet been used in national blood pressure (BP) surveys. We investigated randomly selected adults' willingness to participate in an HBPM study (attitude survey) and piloted this approach (feasibility study).

Architects of immunity: How dendritic cells shape CD8 T cell fate in cancer.

Immune responses against cancer are dominated by T cell exhaustion and dysfunction. Recent advances have underscored the critical role of early priming interactions in establishing T cell fates. In this review, we explore the importance of dendritic cell (DC) signals in specifying CD8 T cell fates in cancer, drawing on insights from acute and chronic viral infection models.

German evidence- and consensus-based guideline on the management of penile urethritis.

Urethritis is a common condition predominantly caused by sexually transmitted pathogens such as Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Mycoplasma genitalium. It is not possible to differentiate with certainty between pathogens on the basis of clinical characteristics alone. However, empirical antibiotic therapy is often initiated in clinical practice.

Digital solutions for migrant and refugee health: a framework for analysis and action.

Digital technologies can help support the health of migrants and refugees and facilitate research on their health issues. However, ethical concerns include security and confidentiality of information; informed consent; how to engage migrants in designing, implementing and researching digital tools; inequitable access to mobile devices and the internet; and access to health services for early intervention and follow-up. Digital technical solutions do not necessarily overcome problems that are political, social, or economic.

An implantable system for opioid safety.

Naloxone can effectively rescue victims from opioid overdose, but less than 5% survive due to delayed or absent first responder intervention. Current overdose reversal systems face key limitations, including low user adherence, false positive detection, and slow antidote delivery. Here, we describe a subcutaneously implanted robotic first responder to overcome these challenges.

Leveraging mobility data to analyze persistent SARS-CoV-2 mutations and inform targeted genomic surveillance.

Given the rapid cross-country spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the resulting difficulty in tracking lineage spread, we investigated the potential of combining mobile service data and fine-granular metadata (such as postal codes and genomic data) to advance integrated genomic surveillance of the pandemic in the federal state of Thuringia, Germany. We sequenced over 6500 SARS-CoV-2 Alpha genomes (B.1.

The importance of organisational culture for health system resilience: A qualitative analysis of factors that supported health care workers in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health system resilience is defined as the ability of a system to prepare, manage, and learn from shocks. This study investigates the resilience of the German health system by analysing the system-related factors that supported health care workers, a key building block of the system, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We thematically analysed data from 18 semi-structured interviews with key informants from management, policy and academia, 17 in-depth interviews with health care workers, and 10 focus group discussions with health care workers.

The PANDEM-2 Simulation Exercise: Training the Coordinated Response to a Large-Scale Pandemic in 2 European Public Health Emergency Operations Centers.

Objective: In the course of the EU funded Pandemic Preparedness and Response (PANDEM-2) project, a functional exercise (FX) was conducted to train the coordinated response to a large-scale pandemic event in Europe by using new IT solutions developed by the project. This report provides an overview of the steps involved in planning, conducting, and evaluating the FX.

Methods: The FX design was based on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) simulation exercise cycle for public health settings and was carried out over 2 days in the German and Dutch national public health institutes (PHI), with support from other consortium PHIs.

Proteomic identification of a sporozoite-specific antigen using HDAC3 inhibitor-treated tachyzoites as surrogate.

The apicomplexan parasite has a complex life cycle. Access to sexual stages and sporozoite-containing oocysts, essential for studying the parasite's environmental transmission, is limited and requires animal experiments with cats. Thus, alternatives and resource-efficient methods are needed.

Differential substrate specificity of ERK, JNK, and p38 MAP kinases toward Connexin 43.

Phosphorylation of connexin 43 (Cx43) is an important regulatory mechanism of gap junction (GJ) function. Cx43 is modified by several kinases on over 15 sites within its ∼140 amino acid-long C-terminus (CT). Phosphorylation of Cx43CT on S255, S262, S279, and S282 by ERK has been widely documented in several cell lines, by many investigators.

Visualizing lipid nanoparticle trafficking for mRNA vaccine delivery in non-human primates.

mRNA delivered using lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) has become an important subunit vaccine modality, but mechanisms of action for mRNA vaccines remain incompletely understood. Here, we synthesized a metal chelator-lipid conjugate enabling positron emission tomography (PET) tracer labeling of LNP/mRNA vaccines for quantitative visualization of vaccine trafficking in live mice and non-human primates (NHPs). Following i.

Voices of Nanomedicine: Blueprint Guidelines for Collaboration in Addressing Global Unmet Medical Needs.

The "" under this Perspective underline the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and partnerships across several disciplines, such as medical science and technology, medicine, bioengineering, and computational approaches, in bridging the gap between research, manufacturing, and clinical applications. Effective communication is key to bridging team gaps, enhancing trust, and resolving conflicts, thereby fostering teamwork and individual growth toward shared goals. Drawing from the success of the COVID-19 vaccine development, we advocate the application of similar collaborative models in other complex health areas such as nanomedicine and biomedical engineering.

Nationwide population-based infection- and vaccine-induced SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence in Germany in autumn/winter 2021/2022.

BackgroundThe first Corona Monitoring Nationwide (RKI-SOEP) study (October 2020-February 2021) found a low pre-vaccine SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence (2.1%) in the German adult population (≥ 18 years).AimThe objective of this second RKI-SOEP (RKI-SOEP-2) study in November 2021-March 2022 was to estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2-specific anti-spike and/or anti-nucleocapsid (anti-N) IgG antibodies (combined seroprevalence), past infection based on infection-induced seroprevalence (anti-N), and basic immunisation (at least two antigen contacts through vaccination or infection) in individuals aged ≥ 14 years.

Insights into Within-Host Evolution and Dynamics of Oral and Intestinal Streptococci Unveil Niche Adaptation.

The oral-gut axis is a complex system linking the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract, impacting host health and microbial composition. This study investigates genetic changes and adaptive mechanisms employed by streptococci-one of the few genera capable of colonizing oral and intestinal niches-within the same individual. We conducted whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on 218 streptococcal isolates from saliva and fecal samples of 14 inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and 12 healthy controls.

Phenotypic and Genomic Characterization of ESBL- and AmpC-β-Lactamase-Producing Isolates from Imported Healthy Reptiles.

Background/objectives: Reptiles are known reservoirs for members of the . We investigated antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns, the diversity of extended-spectrum-/AmpC-β-lactamases (ESBL/AmpC) genes and the genomic organization of the ESBL/AmpC producers.

Methods: A total of 92 shipments with 184 feces, skin, and urinate samples of live healthy reptiles were obtained during border inspections at Europe's most important airport for animal trade and screened for AMR bacteria by culture, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and whole genome sequencing (WGS) of selected isolates.

Prognostic significance of serum complement activation, neutrophil extracellular traps and extracellular DNA in newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer.

Purpose: We observed that the tumor microenvironment (TME) in metastatic epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and in other solid tumors can reprogram normal neutrophils to acquire a complement-dependent suppressor phenotype characterized by inhibition of stimulated T cell activation. This study aims to evaluate whether serum markers of neutrophil activation and complement at diagnosis of EOC would be associated with clinical outcomes.

Experimental Design: We conducted a two-center prospective study of patients with newly diagnosed EOC (N = 188).

BRAF and ErbB inhibitors directly activate GCN2 in an off-target manner to limit cancer cell proliferation.

Targeted kinase inhibitors are well known for their promiscuity and off-target effects. Herein, we define an off-target effect in which several clinical BRAF inhibitors, including the widely used dabrafenib and encorafenib, interact directly with GCN2 to activate the Integrated Stress Response and ATF4. Blocking this off-target effect by co-drugging with a GCN2 inhibitor in A375 melanoma cells causes enhancement rather than suppression of cancer cell outgrowth, suggesting that the off-target activation of GCN2 is detrimental to these cells.

The PRMT5-splicing axis is a critical oncogenic vulnerability that regulates detained intron splicing.

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) is a promising cancer target, yet it's unclear which PRMT5 roles underlie this vulnerability. Here, we establish that PRMT5 inhibition induces a special class of unspliced introns, called detained introns (DIs). To interrogate the impact of DIs, we depleted CLNS1A, a PRMT5 cofactor that specifically enables Sm protein methylation.

Designing for medication adherence in inflammatory bowel disease: multi-disciplinary approaches for self-administrable biotherapeutics.

Biotherapeutics are among the therapeutics that have revolutionized standard inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment, which was previously limited to mesalamine, 5-aminosalicylic acid, corticosteroids, and classical immunosuppressants. Self-administrable biotherapeutics for IBD would enable home-based treatment and reduce the burden on medical infrastructure. Self-administration is made possible through subcutaneous injectable, oral, and rectal dosage forms.

Isolated loss of vaccine immunity in the protein losings syndrome in a patient with a reverse one and a half ventricle palliation ("failing Fontan-like physiology").

Background: A subgroup of CHDs can only be treated palliatively through a Fontan circulation. In case of a failing Fontan situation, serum proteins are lost unspecifically and can also lead to a loss of vaccine antibodies. In a failing Fontan situation, heart transplantation may be the only feasible option.

Association of mental health in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood with cardiovascular risk factors and carotid remodeling below age 30 - results from the KiGGS cohort study.

An association of mental health and in particular depression with cardiovascular disease has been shown in adults and to a lesser extent in the young. Recently improved measurement methods of carotid-intima media thickness (CIMT) and carotid stiffness (CS) allow more differentiated analyses of this link. We examined 4,361 participants of the nationwide KiGGS cohort aged 3-17 years at baseline and 14-28 years at follow-up.