Influenza Virus-Derived CD8 T Cell Epitopes: Implications for the Development of Universal Influenza Vaccines.

The influenza virus poses a global health burden. Currently, an annual vaccine is used to reduce influenza virus-associated morbidity and mortality. Most influenza vaccines have been developed to elicit neutralizing Abs against influenza virus.

Surveillance of avian influenza viruses from 2014 to 2018 in South Korea.

Surveillance of influenza A viruses (IAVs) among migratory waterfowl is a first step in understanding the ecology, biology, and pathogenicity of IAVs. As part of the nationwide surveillance effort for IAVs in fowl in South Korea, we collected environmental fecal samples in different migratory bird stopover sites in South Korea during the winter seasons within November 2014 through January 2018. We collected a total of 6758 fecal samples, 75 of which were positive for IAV (1.

COVID-19 Therapeutics: An Update on Effective Treatments Against Infection With SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is one of the most consequential global health crises in over a century. Since its discovery in 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to mutate into different variants and sublineages, rendering previously potent treatments and vaccines ineffective. With significant strides in clinical and pharmaceutical research, different therapeutic strategies continue to be developed.

Effects of Statin Combinations on Zika Virus Infection in Vero Cells.

The Zika virus (ZIKV) remains a global health concern. Thus far, no antiviral or vaccine has been approved to prevent or treat ZIKV infection. In a previous study, we found that lipophilic statins can inhibit ZIKV production in Vero cells.

Efficient Anti-Tumor Immunotherapy Using Tumor Epitope-Coated Biodegradable Nanoparticles Combined With Polyinosinic-Polycytidylic Acid and an Anti-PD1 Monoclonal Antibody.

Vaccination with tumor peptide epitopes associated with MHC class I molecules is an attractive approach directed at inducing tumor-specific CTLs. However, challenges remain in improving the therapeutic efficacy of peptide epitope vaccines, including the low immunogenicity of peptide epitopes and insufficient stimulation of innate immune components . To overcome this, we aimed to develop and test an innovative strategy that elicits potent CTL responses against tumor epitopes.

Immunogenicity after outbreak response immunization activities among young healthcare workers with secondary vaccine failure during the measles epidemic in Korea, 2019.

Background: Despite high vaccination coverage, measles outbreaks have been reported in measles elimination countries, especially among healthcare workers in their 20 and 30 s. This study was designed to identify measles-susceptible individuals and to evaluate whether primary or secondary vaccine failure occurred during measles outbreak response immunization (ORI) activities.

Methods: The study population was divided into three groups as follows: natural immunity group (Group 1), vaccine-induced immunity group (Group 2), and vaccine failure group (Group 3).

Utilization of Compounds in Combatting Viral Diseases.

Plants contain underutilized resources of compounds that can be employed to combat viral diseases. (L.) Burm.

Induction of Peptide-specific CTL Activity and Inhibition of Tumor Growth Following Immunization with Nanoparticles Coated with Tumor Peptide-MHC-I Complexes.

Tumor peptides associated with MHC class I molecules or their synthetic variants have attracted great attention for their potential use as vaccines to induce tumor-specific CTLs. However, the outcome of clinical trials of peptide-based tumor vaccines has been disappointing. There are various reasons for this lack of success, such as difficulties in delivering the peptides specifically to professional Ag-presenting cells, short peptide half-life , and limited peptide immunogenicity.

Surveillance of avian influenza viruses from 2009 to 2013 in South Korea.

Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are carried by wild migratory waterfowl across migratory flyways. To determine the strains of circulating AIVs that may pose a risk to poultry and humans, regular surveillance studies must be performed. Here, we report the surveillance of circulating AIVs in South Korea during the winter seasons of 2009-2013.

Phytochemicals for the treatment of COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has underscored the lack of approved drugs against acute viral diseases. Plants are considered inexhaustible sources of drugs for several diseases and clinical conditions, but plant-derived compounds have seen little success in the field of antivirals. Here, we present the case for the use of compounds from vascular plants, including alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, and tannins, as antivirals, particularly for the treatment of COVID-19.

Effect of processed aloe vera gel on immunogenicity in inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine and upper respiratory tract infection in healthy adults: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Aloe vera is a functional food with various pharmacological functions, including an immune-modulating effect. Until now, A. vera has never been studied as an adjuvant in influenza vaccine, and its effects on upper respiratory tract infection (URI) are unknown.

Adjuvanticity of Processed gel for Influenza Vaccination in Mice.

The effectiveness of current influenza vaccines is considered suboptimal, and 1 way to improve the vaccines is using adjuvants. However, the current pool of adjuvants used in influenza vaccination is limited due to safety concerns. , or aloe, has been shown to have immunomodulatory functions and to be safe for oral intake.

Incidence and risk factors of spinal epidural hemorrhage after spine surgery: a cross-sectional retrospective analysis of a national database.

Background: With increasing number of patients undergoing spine surgery, the spinal epidural hemorrhage (SEH) has become a growing concern. However, current studies on SEH rely on case reports or observations from a single center. Our study attempted to demonstrate the incidence rate and risk factors of SEH using a national dataset.

Porous gold nanoparticles for attenuating infectivity of influenza A virus.

Background: Influenza viruses (IVs) have become increasingly resistant to antiviral drugs that target neuraminidase and matrix protein 2 due to gene mutations that alter their drug-binding target protein regions. Consequently, almost all recent IV pandemics have exhibited resistance to commercial antiviral vaccines. To overcome this challenge, an antiviral target is needed that is effective regardless of genetic mutations.

Global metabolomics analysis of serum from humans at risk of thrombotic stroke.

We aimed to determine the serum concentrations of altered compounds to understand the changes in metabolism and pathophysiology that occur prior to thrombotic stroke. In this prospective cohort study, high-resolution metabolomics (HRM) was employed to analyze serum samples obtained from patients at risk of stroke (n = 99) and non-risk controls (n = 301). Partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), along with univariate analysis using a false discovery rate (FDR) of q = 0.

High-resolution metabolomics study revealing l-homocysteine sulfinic acid, cysteic acid, and carnitine as novel biomarkers for high acute myocardial infarction risk.

Background: Identifying changes in serum metabolites before the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is an important approach for finding novel biomarkers of AMI.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, serum samples obtained from patients at risk of AMI (n = 112) and non-risk controls (n = 89) were tested using high-resolution metabolomics (HRM). Partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), along with univariate analysis using a false discovery rate (FDR) of q = 0.

Evaluation of Protective Immunity of Peptide Vaccines Composed of a 15-mer N-terminal Matrix Protein 2 and a Helper T-Cell Epitope Derived from Influenza A Virus.

The matrix protein 2 of influenza A virus (IFAV) has a relatively conserved ectodomain (M2e) composed of 23 amino acids, and M2e-based vaccines have been suggested to induce broad protective immunity in mice. In this study, we investigated whether N-terminal sequence of M2e (nM2e)-based vaccines with more conserved nM2e could induce influenza viral neutralizing activity. We constructed linear peptide vaccines with an nM2e sequence for PR8 virus (nM2Pr) connected to a probable 17-mer IFAV-derived helper T-cell epitope (ThE: T1, T2, or T3) at its N- or C-terminus.

Lipophilic statins inhibit Zika virus production in Vero cells.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne member of the Flaviviridae family. ZIKV infection has been associated with neurological complications such as microcephaly in newborns and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults; thus, therapeutic agents are urgently needed. Statins are clinically approved for lowering cholesterol levels to prevent cardiovascular disease but have shown potential as antiviral drugs.

A Systems Vaccinology Approach Reveals the Mechanisms of Immunogenic Responses to Hantavax Vaccination in Humans.

Hantavax is an inactivated vaccine for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). The immunogenic responses have not been elucidated yet. Here we conducted a cohort study in which 20 healthy subjects were administered four doses of Hantavax during 13-months period.

Cost-effectiveness of influenza vaccine strategies for the elderly in South Korea.

Objectives: Despite a high vaccine uptake rate of over 80% in South Korea, the disease burden of influenza is still high among the elderly, which may be due to low effectiveness of vaccines. Therefore, the cost-effectiveness of use among the elderly was analyzed in order to compare the current trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) with a quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) or MF59-adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine (ATIV).

Methods: A static lifetime Markov model was used.

Noninvasive Serum Metabolomic Profiling Reveals Elevated Kynurenine Pathway's Metabolites in Humans with Prostate Cancer.

This study aimed to apply high-resolution metabolomics to detect compounds that may contribute significantly to prostate cancer (PCa) development. The test population's sera for evaluating the metabolic differences consisted of healthy control ( n = 96) and PCa ( n = 50) groups. PCa patients were further divided into two groups based on whether their PSA level was >4 ( n = 25) or <4 ( n = 25).

Molecular and phylogenetic analyses of influenza B viruses isolated from pediatric inpatients in South Korea during the 2011-2012 winter season.

Influenza B virus remains a major cause of respiratory diseases worldwide. Because of limited epidemiological and genetic data, the local and global transmission patterns of influenza B virus are not fully understood. Here we report the molecular and phylogenetic characterization of 163 influenza B virus isolates from pediatric inpatients with influenza-like illness in the winter of 2011-2012 in South Korea.

Chemical modulators working at pharmacological interface of target proteins.

For last few decades, the active site cleft and substrate-binding site of enzymes as well as ligand-binding site of the receptors have served as the main pharmacological space for drug discovery. However, rapid accumulation of proteome and protein network analysis data has opened a new therapeutic space that is the interface between the interacting proteins. Due to the complexity of the interaction modes and the numbers of the participating components, it is still challenging to identify the chemicals that can accurately control the protein-protein interactions at desire.