A Decade in Review: A Systematic Review of Universal Influenza Vaccines in Clinical Trials during the 2010 Decade.

On average, there are 3-5 million severe cases of influenza virus infections globally each year. Seasonal influenza vaccines provide limited protection against divergent influenza strains. Therefore, the development of a universal influenza vaccine is a top priority for the NIH.

Diversity of tRNA Clusters in the Chloroviruses.

Viruses rely on their host's translation machinery for the synthesis of their own proteins. Problems belie viral translation when the host has a codon usage bias (CUB) that is different from an infecting virus due to differences in the GC content between the host and virus genomes. Here, we examine the hypothesis that chloroviruses adapted to host CUB by acquisition and selection of tRNAs that at least partially favor their own CUB.

Amyloid precursor protein is a restriction factor that protects against Zika virus infection in mammalian brains.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a neurotropic flavivirus that causes several diseases including birth defects such as microcephaly. Intrinsic immunity is known to be a frontline defense against viruses through host anti-viral restriction factors. Limited knowledge is available on intrinsic immunity against ZIKV in brains.

IFN Regulatory Factor 3 in Health and Disease.

Immunity to viruses requires an array of critical cellular proteins that include IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). Consequently, most viruses that infect vertebrates encode proteins that interfere with IRF3 activation. This review describes the cellular pathways linked to IRF3 activation and where those pathways are targeted by human viral pathogens.

A Functional K Channel from Tetraselmis Virus 1, a Member of the .

Potassium ion (K) channels have been observed in diverse viruses that infect eukaryotic marine and freshwater algae. However, experimental evidence for functional K channels among these alga-infecting viruses has thus far been restricted to members of the family which are large, double-stranded DNA viruses within the phylum . Recent sequencing projects revealed that alga-infecting members of , another family within this phylum, may also contain genes encoding K channels.

The Presence of Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity-Mediating Antibodies in Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus-Seropositive Individuals Does Not Correlate with Disease Pathogenesis or Progression.

Although the immune response is likely to play a pivotal role in controlling Kaposi sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and preventing disease development, the exact factors responsible for that control remain ill defined. T cell responses are weak and variable, and neutralizing Abs are more frequently detected in individuals with KS. This suggests a potential role for nonneutralizing Abs, which to date have been largely uninvestigated.

Cervico-Vaginal Inflammatory Cytokine and Chemokine Responses to Two Different SIV Immunogens.

Studies have shown that vaccine vectors and route of immunization can differentially activate different arms of the immune system. However, the effects of different HIV vaccine immunogens on mucosal inflammation have not yet been studied. Because mucosal sites are the primary route of HIV infection, we evaluated the cervico-vaginal inflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels of Mauritian cynomolgus macaques following immunization and boost using two different SIV vaccine immunogens.

Evaluation of Antibody Response Directed against Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Structural Proteins.

Luciferase-immunoprecipitation system (LIPS), a liquid phase immunoassay, was used to evaluate antibody responses directed against the structural proteins of PRRSV in pigs that were experimentally infected with virulent PRRSV strains. First, the viral N protein was used as a model antigen to validate the assay. The LIPS results were highly comparable to that of the commercial IDEXX PRRS X3 ELISA.

High nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor resistance levels in HIV-1-infected Zambian mother-infant pairs.

Objective(s): To elucidate relationships in antiretroviral resistance between HIV-1-infected mother-infant pairs by defining the resistance profiles in the mothers and infants and quantifying drug resistance prevalence in the pairs post-Option B+ implementation.

Design: Collection of dried blood spots from mother-infant pairs during routine HIV-1 screens in Lusaka, Zambia from 2015 to 2018.

Methods: DNA was extracted from the dried blood spots, the HIV-1 pol region was amplified, and the purified proviral DNA was sequenced using Sanger sequencing.

Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Signaling Activation Antagonizes Autophagy To Facilitate Zika Virus Replication.

Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus, is linked to microcephaly and other neurological defects in neonates and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. The molecular mechanisms regulating ZIKV infection and pathogenic outcomes are incompletely understood. Signaling by the mechanistic (mammalian) target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase is important for cell survival and proliferation, and viruses are known to hijack this pathway for their replication.

Vaccine targeting SIVmac251 protease cleavage sites protects macaques against vaginal infection.

After over 3 decades of research, an effective anti-HIV vaccine remains elusive. The recently halted HVTN702 clinical trial not only further stresses the challenge to develop an effective HIV vaccine but also emphasizes that unconventional and novel vaccine strategies are urgently needed. Here, we report that a vaccine focusing the immune response on the sequences surrounding the 12 viral protease cleavage sites (PCSs) provided greater than 80% protection to Mauritian cynomolgus macaques against repeated intravaginal SIVmac251 challenges.

Host Transcriptional Response to Persistent Infection with a Live-Attenuated Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Strain.

Both virulent and live-attenuated porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) strains can establish persistent infection in lymphoid tissues of pigs. To investigate the mechanisms of PRRSV persistence, we performed a transcriptional analysis of inguinal lymphoid tissue collected from pigs experimentally infected with an attenuated PRRSV strain at 46 days post infection. A total of 6404 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected of which 3960 DEGs were upregulated and 2444 DEGs were downregulated.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of endemic and epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) lesions and the secondary role of HIV-1 in KS pathogenesis.

In sub-Saharan Africa, endemic Kaposi's sarcoma (EnKS) is still prevalent despite high incidence of epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma (EpKS) resulting from the on-going HIV-1 epidemic. While KSHV is clearly the etiologic agent of KS, the mechanisms underlying KS development are not fully understood. For example, HIV-1 co-infection and concomitant immune dysfunction have been associated with EpKS development.

Outcome markers of ART-treated HIV+ patients with early stage Kaposi's sarcoma.

HIV-associated/epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma (EpKS) is an AIDS-defining angio-proliferative malignancy. It can be treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) alone or with ART plus cytotoxic chemotherapy. ART-treated EpKS can either respond or worsen upon treatment.

Combined TLR4 and TLR9 agonists induce distinct phenotypic changes in innate immunity in vitro and in vivo.

Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 and TLR9 agonists, MPL and CpG, are used as adjuvants in vaccines and have been investigated for their combined potential. However, how these two combined agonists regulate transcriptional changes in innate immune cells and cells at the site of vaccination has not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we utilized transcriptomics to investigate how CpG, MPL, and CpG + MPL impact gene expression in dendritic cells (DC) in vitro.

Variation Profile of the Orthotospovirus Genome.

Orthotospoviruses are plant-infecting members of the family (order ), have a broad host range and are vectored by polyphagous thrips in a circulative-propagative manner. Because diverse hosts and vectors impose heterogeneous selection constraints on viral genomes, the evolutionary arms races between hosts and their pathogens might be manifested as selection for rapid changes in key genes. These observations suggest that orthotospoviruses contain key genetic components that rapidly mutate to mediate host adaptation and vector transmission.

Genetic Diversity of Potassium Ion Channel Proteins Encoded by Chloroviruses That Infect .

Chloroviruses are large, plaque-forming, dsDNA viruses that infect chlorella-like green algae that live in a symbiotic relationship with protists. Chloroviruses have genomes from 290 to 370 kb, and they encode as many as 400 proteins. One interesting feature of chloroviruses is that they encode a potassium ion (K) channel protein named Kcv.

Viral and Immunological Analytes are Poor Predictors of the Clinical Treatment Response in Kaposi's Sarcoma Patients.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) is the etiologic agent for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). The prognostic utility of KSHV and HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus) viremia as well as immunological parameters in clinical management of participants with KS is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate viral and immunological parameters as predictors of KS treatment responses in participants with KS from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Epstein-Barr virus-immortalized B lymphocytes exacerbate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in xenograft mice.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous system. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a causative agent for infectious mononucleosis (IM) that is associated with MS pathogenesis. However, the exact mechanism by which EBV, specifically in IM, increases the risk for MS remains unknown.

Mutations in virus-derived small RNAs.

RNA viruses exist as populations of genome variants. Virus-infected plants accumulate 21-24 nucleotide small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) derived from viral RNA (virus-derived siRNAs) through gene silencing. This paper describes the profile of mutations in virus-derived siRNAs for three members of the family Potyviridae: Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) and Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV).

SMRT Sequencing of Paramecium Bursaria Chlorella Virus-1 Reveals Diverse Methylation Stability in Adenines Targeted by Restriction Modification Systems.

Chloroviruses (family ) infect eukaryotic, freshwater, unicellular green algae. A unique feature of these viruses is an abundance of DNA methyltransferases, with isolates dedicating up to 4.5% of their protein coding potential to these genes.

Current Status of Zika Virus Vaccines: Successes and Challenges.

The recently emerged Zika virus (ZIKV) spread to the Americas, causing a spectrum of congenital diseases including microcephaly in newborn and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in adults. The unprecedented nature of the epidemic and serious diseases associated with the viral infections prompted the global research community to understand the immunopathogenic mechanisms of the virus and rapidly develop safe and efficacious vaccines. This has led to a number of ZIKV vaccine candidates that have shown significant promise in human clinical trials.

Relationships Between Maternal Antibody Responses and Early Childhood Infection With Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus.

While mother-to-child transmission is believed to play in important role in early childhood infection with Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), the maternal immune response remains largely uncharacterized. This study aimed to characterize the longitudinal humoral response to KSHV in a cohort of HIV-infected Zambian mothers without KS and identify potential factors that may influence transmission. In total, 86/124 (69.