Virus blocking textile for SARS-CoV-2 using human body triboelectric energy harvesting.

Effective mitigation technology to prevent the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is required before achieving population immunity through vaccines. Here we demonstrate a virus-blocking textile (VBT) that repulses SARS-CoV-2 by applying repulsive Coulomb force to respiratory particles, powered by human body triboelectric energy harvesting. We show that SARS-CoV-2 has negative charges, and a human body generates high output current of which peak-to-peak value reaches 259.

The ScaB Autotransporter Protein Is Required for Adhesion and Invasion of Mammalian Cells.

Autotransporter proteins are widely present in Gram-negative bacteria. They play a pivotal role in processes related to bacterial pathogenesis, including adhesion, invasion, colonization, biofilm formation, and cellular toxicity. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that , the causative agent of scrub typhus, encodes six different autotransporter genes (-).

Sustained Responses of Neutralizing Antibodies Against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Recovered Patients and Their Therapeutic Applicability.

Background: Zoonotic coronaviruses have emerged as a global threat by causing fatal respiratory infections. Given the lack of specific antiviral therapies, application of human convalescent plasma retaining neutralizing activity could be a viable therapeutic option that can bridges this gap.

Methods: We traced antibody responses and memory B cells in peripheral blood collected from 70 recovered Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) patients for 3 years after the 2015 outbreak in South Korea.

Vaccination with single plasmid DNA encoding IL-12 and antigens of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus elicits complete protection in IFNAR knockout mice.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne disease caused by SFTS virus (SFTSV) infection. Despite a gradual increase of SFTS cases and high mortality in endemic regions, no specific viral therapy nor vaccine is available. Here, we developed a single recombinant plasmid DNA encoding SFTSV genes, Gn and Gc together with NP-NS fusion antigen, as a vaccine candidate.

Characterization of novel monoclonal antibodies against MERS-coronavirus spike protein.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes severe pulmonary infection, with ∼35 % mortality. Spike glycoprotein (S) of MERS-CoV is a key target for vaccines and therapeutics because S mediates viral entry and membrane-fusion to host cells. Here, four different S subunit proteins, receptor-binding domain (RBD; 358-606 aa), S1 (1-751 aa), S2 (752-1296 aa), and SΔTM (1-1296 aa), were generated using the baculoviral system and immunized in mice to develop neutralizing antibodies.

Non-invasive in vivo imaging of caspase-1 activation enables rapid and spatiotemporal detection of acute and chronic inflammatory disorders.

Inflammasome plays a critical role in diverse inflammatory disorders, including cancers and Alzheimer's disease. It is induced by various pathogenic insults and activates caspase-1, a hallmark executor of inflammasome. Here, we developed an activatable fluorescence probe for visualization of active caspase-1.

Application of ZnO-Based Nanocomposites for Vaccines and Cancer Immunotherapy.

Engineering and application of nanomaterials have recently helped advance various biomedical fields. Zinc oxide (ZnO)-based nanocomposites have become one of the most promising candidates for biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, unique physicochemical properties, and cost-effective mass production. In addition, recent advances in nano-engineering technologies enable the generation of ZnO nanocomposites with unique three-dimensional structures and surface characteristics that are optimally designed for in vivo applications.

Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus Infection or Mixed Infection with Scrub Typhus in South Korea in 2000-2003.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome is a tick-borne viral disease, with a high mortality rate that was first reported in China in 2009. Scrub typhus is an acute febrile illness caused by , a bacterium transmitted to humans through chigger mite bites. Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome and scrub typhus are endemic to South Korea.

Immunization with a recombinant antigen composed of conserved blocks from TSA56 provides broad genotype protection against scrub typhus.

Scrub typhus is an acute febrile disease caused by infection. Despite the wide range of approaches explored during the last seventy years, an effective prophylactic vaccine is not yet available. Here, we developed a novel recombinant antigen derived from conserved regions of 56 kDa type-specific antigen (TSA56), a major outer membrane protein responsible for genetic heterogeneity and antigenicity, and evaluated it as a protective vaccine antigen.

A Type I Interferon and IL-10 Induced by Infection Suppresses Antigen-Specific T Cells and Their Memory Responses.

Despite the various roles of type I interferon (type I IFN) responses during bacterial infection, its specific effects have been poorly characterized in scrub typhus caused by infection. Here, we show that type I IFNs are primarily induced via intracellular nucleic acids sensors, including RIG-I/MAVS and cGAS/STING pathways, during invasion. However, type I IFN signaling did not significantly affect pathogenesis, mortality, or bacterial burden during primary infection , when assessed in a mice model lacking a receptor for type I IFNs (IFNAR KO).

Comparative Study of Two Droplet-Based Dissolving Microneedle Fabrication Methods for Skin Vaccination.

Dissolving microneedles (DMNs) have been widely studied in medical applications due to their pain-free administration, superior efficiency, and safe drug delivery. In skin vaccination, preserving the activity of the encapsulated antigen is an important consideration, as antigen activity is lost during DMN fabrication because of various stress factors. These stress factors vary between fabrication methods and each method affects the antigen's activity to different degrees.

Reduction of soluble dipeptidyl peptidase 4 levels in plasma of patients infected with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus.

Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) is a receptor for MERS-CoV. The soluble form of DPP4 (sDPP4) circulates systematically and can competitively inhibit MERS-CoV entry into host cells. Here, we measured the concentration of sDPP4 in the plasma and sputa of 14 MERS-CoV-infected patients of various degrees of disease severity.

Longevity of antibody and T-cell responses against outer membrane antigens of Orientia tsutsugamushi in scrub typhus patients.

Scrub typhus, caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi infection, has been a serious public health issue in the Asia-Pacific region, with rising incidence and sporadic outbreaks. However, human protective immunity against specific antigens has been poorly characterized for this bacterium. In addition, immunity produced in early vaccine trials or even after natural infections, did not last long and had poor cross-reactivity among various genotypes.

Immunological dynamics associated with rapid virological response during the early phase of type I interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Type I interferons (IFNs) play an important role in antiviral immunity as well as immunopathogenesis of diverse chronic viral infections. However, the precise mechanisms regulating the multifaceted effects of type I IFNs on the immune system and pathological inflammation still remain unclear. In order to assess the immunological dynamics associated with rapid viral clearance in chronic hepatitis C patients during the acute phase of type I IFN therapy, we analyzed multiple parameters of virological and immunological responses in a cohort of 59 Korean hepatitis C patients who received pegylated IFN-α and ribavirin (IFN/RBV).

Diversification of Orientia tsutsugamushi genotypes by intragenic recombination and their potential expansion in endemic areas.

Background: Scrub typhus is a mite-borne febrile disease caused by O. tsutsugamushi infection. Recently, emergence of scrub typhus has attracted considerable attention in several endemic countries in Asia and the western Pacific.

Generation of protective immunity against Orientia tsutsugamushi infection by immunization with a zinc oxide nanoparticle combined with ScaA antigen.

Background: Zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZNP) has been applied in various biomedical fields. Here, we investigated the usage of ZNP as an antigen carrier for vaccine development by combining a high affinity peptide to ZNP.

Results: A novel zinc oxide-binding peptide (ZBP), FPYPGGDA, with high affinity to ZNP (K  = 2.

Constitutive activation of T cells by γ2-herpesviral GPCR through the interaction with cellular CXCR4.

Members of the herpesviral family use multiple strategies to hijack infected host cells and exploit cellular signaling for their pathogenesis and latent infection. Among the most intriguing weapons in the arsenal of pathogenic herpesviruses are the constitutively active virally-encoded G protein-coupled receptors (vGPCRs). Even though vGPCRs contribute to viral pathogenesis such as immune evasion and proliferative disorders, the molecular details of how vGPCRs continuously activate cellular signaling are largely unknown.

Comparative and kinetic analysis of viral shedding and immunological responses in MERS patients representing a broad spectrum of disease severity.

Despite the ongoing spread of MERS, there is limited knowledge of the factors affecting its severity and outcomes. We analyzed clinical data and specimens from fourteen MERS patients treated in a hospital who collectively represent a wide spectrum of disease severity, ranging from mild febrile illness to fatal pneumonia, and classified the patients into four groups based on severity and mortality. Comparative and kinetic analyses revealed that high viral loads, weak antibody responses, and lymphopenia accompanying thrombocytopenia were associated with disease mortality, whereas persistent and gradual increases in lymphocyte responses might be required for effective immunity against MERS-CoV infection.

Spread of Mutant Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus with Reduced Affinity to Human CD26 during the South Korean Outbreak.

Unlabelled: The newly emerging Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes a severe respiratory infection with a high mortality rate (~35%). MERS-CoV has been a global threat due to continuous outbreaks in the Arabian peninsula and international spread by infected travelers since 2012. From May to July 2015, a large outbreak initiated by an infected traveler from the Arabian peninsula swept South Korea and resulted in 186 confirmed cases with 38 deaths (case fatality rate, 20.

Inhibition of eukaryotic translation by tetratricopeptide-repeat proteins of Orientia tsutsugamushi.

Orientia tsutsugamushi, an obligate intracellular bacterium, is the causative agent of scrub typhus. The genome of Orientia tsutsugamushi has revealed multiple ORFs encoding tetratricopeptide-repeat (TPR) proteins. The TPR protein family has been shown to be involved in a diverse spectrum of cellular functions such as cell cycle control, transcription, protein transport, and protein folding, especially in eukaryotic cells.

Immunization with an autotransporter protein of Orientia tsutsugamushi provides protective immunity against scrub typhus.

Background: Scrub typhus is an acute febrile disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi infection. Recently, the rapid increase of scrub typhus incidence in several countries within the endemic region has become a serious public health issue. Despite the wide range of preventative approaches that have been attempted in the past 70 years, all have failed to develop an effective prophylactic vaccine.

Multiple Orientia tsutsugamushi ankyrin repeat proteins interact with SCF1 ubiquitin ligase complex and eukaryotic elongation factor 1 α.

Background: Orientia tsutsugamushi, the causative agent of scrub typhus, is an obligate intracellular bacterium. Previously, a large number of genes that encode proteins containing eukaryotic protein-protein interaction motifs such as ankyrin-repeat (Ank) domains were identified in the O. tsutsugamushi genome.

Activation of the STAT6 transcription factor in Jurkat T-cells by the herpesvirus saimiri Tip protein.

Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS), a T-lymphotropic monkey herpesvirus, induces fulminant T-cell lymphoma in non-natural primate hosts. In addition, it can immortalize human T-cells in vitro. HVS tyrosine kinase-interacting protein (Tip) is an essential viral gene required for T-cell transformation both in vitro and in vivo.

Role of amphipathic helix of a herpesviral protein in membrane deformation and T cell receptor downregulation.

Lipid rafts are membrane microdomains that function as platforms for signal transduction and membrane trafficking. Tyrosine kinase interacting protein (Tip) of T lymphotropic Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS) is targeted to lipid rafts in T cells and downregulates TCR and CD4 surface expression. Here, we report that the membrane-proximal amphipathic helix preceding Tip's transmembrane (TM) domain mediates lipid raft localization and membrane deformation.

Multi-transmembrane protein K15 of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus targets Lyn kinase in the membrane raft and induces NFAT/AP1 activities.

Viral proteins of gamma-2 herpesviruses, such as LMP2A of Epstein Barr virus (EBV) and Tip of herpesvirus saimiri (HVS) dysregulate lymphocyte signaling by interacting with Src family kinases. K15 open reading frame of Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV), located at the right end of the viral genome, encodes several splicing variants differing in numbers of transmembrane domains. Previously, we demonstrated that the cytoplasmic tail of the K15 protein interfered with B cell receptor signal transduction to cellular tyrosine phosphorylation and calcium mobilization.