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Pathogens
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10th Anniversary of Pathogens—Advances in Vaccines and Antimicrobial Therapy
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10th Anniversary of Pathogens—Advances in Vaccines and Antimicrobial Therapy

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Vaccines and Therapeutic Developments".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 December 2022) | Viewed by 56638

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Roberto Paganelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medicine and Sciences of Aging, University of G. d’Annunzio Chieti and Pescara, Chieti, Italy
Interests: immunoglobulins; B and T lymphocyte subpopulations; HIV infection; cytokines; autoimmunity; allergic diseases; inflammation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The year 2022 marks the 10th anniversary of Pathogens. We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincerest thanks to our readers, innumerable authors, anonymous peer reviewers, editors, and all the people working in some way for the journal who have made substantial contributions to our development for years. Without your support, we would never have made it this far. We are delighted and proud to celebrate this milestone with a series of Special Issues and events.

A Special Issue entitled “10th Anniversary of Pathogens—Advances in Vaccines and Antimicrobial Therapy” will be launched as part of this celebration. This is intended to be a collection of high-quality research articles and reviews focusing on vaccine development and new therapeutic strategies to fight old, re-emerging, and new infectious diseases. We hope to publish important contributions addressing these acute challenges to human and veterinary health. Topics covered in this Special Issue range from basic and clinical aspects for bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic diseases to studies on determinants of severity, correlates of protection, novel delivery approaches, and immunomodulatory therapy. Inquiry into other aspects is also welcome, since opinions and short reports on cutting-edge and controversial topics are also planned for inclusion, in order to offer updated views to the widest possible audience.

Prof. Dr. Roberto Paganelli
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • vaccine
  • immunotherapy
  • emerging pathogens
  • clinical course
  • delivery systems
  • antiviral
  • antimicrobial
  • protection
  • immunity

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1826 KiB  
Article
LBMPL Vaccine Therapy Induces Progressive Organization of the Spleen Microarchitecture, Improved Th1 Adaptative Immune Response and Control of Parasitism in Leishmania infantum Naturally Infected Dogs
by Bruno Mendes Roatt, Jamille Mirelle de Oliveira Cardoso, Levi Eduardo Soares Reis, Gabriel José Lucas Moreira, Letícia Captein Gonçalves, Flávia de Souza Marques, Nádia das Dores Moreira, Paula Melo de Abreu Vieira, Rodrigo Dian de Oliveira Aguiar-Soares, Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti and Alexandre Barbosa Reis
Pathogens 2022, 11(9), 974; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11090974 - 26 Aug 2022
Viewed by 1460
Abstract
The spleen plays a central role in human and canine visceral leishmaniasis, where the activation of the immune response occurs in one of the tissues where Leishmania infantum reproduces. Therefore, this organ is both a target to understand the mechanisms involved in the [...] Read more.
The spleen plays a central role in human and canine visceral leishmaniasis, where the activation of the immune response occurs in one of the tissues where Leishmania infantum reproduces. Therefore, this organ is both a target to understand the mechanisms involved in the parasite control and a parameter for assessing the therapeutic response. In this sense, this study aimed to evaluate the main histological, immunological and parasitological aspects in the spleen of symptomatic dogs naturally infected by L. infantum treated with the therapeutic vaccine LBMPL. For this, dogs were divided into four groups: dogs uninfected and untreated (NI group); L. infantum-infected dogs that were not treated (INT group); L. infantum-infected dogs that received treatment only with monophosphoryl lipid A adjuvant (MPL group); and L. infantum-infected dogs that received treatment with the vaccine composed by L. braziliensis promastigote proteins associated with MPL adjuvant (LBMPL group). Ninety days after the therapeutics protocol, the dogs were euthanized and the spleen was collected for the proposed evaluations. Our results demonstrated a reduction of hyperplasia of red pulp and follicular area of white pulp, increased mRNA expression of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-12 and iNOS, and decreased IL-10 and TGF-β1, and intense reduction of splenic parasitism in dogs treated with the LBMPL vaccine. These results possibly suggest that the pro-inflammatory environment promoted the progressive organization of the splenic architecture favoring the cellular activation, with consequent parasite control. Along with previously obtained data, our results propose the LBMPL vaccine as a possible treatment strategy for canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Anniversary of Pathogens—Advances in Vaccines and Antimicrobial Therapy)
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9 pages, 765 KiB  
Article
Highly Similar Sequences of Mature IgA1 Proteases from Neisseria meningitidis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Haemophilus influenzae
by David Karlinsky, Yuri Prokopenko, Alexei Zinchenko, Larisa Zhigis, Olga Kotelnikova, Lev Rumsh and Ivan Smirnov
Pathogens 2022, 11(7), 734; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11070734 - 28 Jun 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1332
Abstract
The mature serine-type IgA1 protease from Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B strain H44/76 (IgA1pr1_28–1004) is considered here as the basis for creating a candidate vaccine against meningococcal meningitis. In this work, we examine the primary structure similarity of IgA1 proteases from various strains of [...] Read more.
The mature serine-type IgA1 protease from Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B strain H44/76 (IgA1pr1_28–1004) is considered here as the basis for creating a candidate vaccine against meningococcal meningitis. In this work, we examine the primary structure similarity of IgA1 proteases from various strains of a number of Gram-negative bacteria (N. meningitidis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Haemophilus influenzae) in order to find a structural groundwork for creating a broad-spectrum vaccine based on fragments of this enzyme. BLAST has shown high similarity between the primary structure of IgA1pr1_28–1004 and hypothetical sequences of mature IgA1 proteases from N. meningitidis (in 1060 out of 1061 examined strains), N. gonorrhoeae (in all 602 examined strains) and H. influenzae (in no less than 137 out of 521 examined strains). For these enzymes, common regions of sequence correspond to IgA1pr1_28–1004 fragments 28–84, 146–193, 253–539, 567–628, 639–795 and 811–1004, with identity of at least 85%. We believe that these fragments can be used in the development of a vaccine to prevent diseases caused by pathogenic strains of N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae as well as a significant number of strains of H. influenzae. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Anniversary of Pathogens—Advances in Vaccines and Antimicrobial Therapy)
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17 pages, 2041 KiB  
Article
Treatment with Ad5-Porcine Interferon-α Attenuates Ebolavirus Disease in Pigs
by Chandrika Senthilkumaran, Andrea L. Kroeker, Gregory Smith, Carissa Embury-Hyatt, Brad Collignon, Elizabeth Ramirez-Medina, Paul A. Azzinaro, Bradley S. Pickering, Fayna Diaz-San Segundo, Hana M. Weingartl and Teresa de los Santos
Pathogens 2022, 11(4), 449; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11040449 - 08 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1714
Abstract
Under experimental conditions, pigs infected with Ebola Virus (EBOV) develop disease and can readily transmit the virus to non-human primates or pigs. In the event of accidental or intentional EBOV infection of domestic pigs, complex and time-consuming safe depopulation and carcass disposal are [...] Read more.
Under experimental conditions, pigs infected with Ebola Virus (EBOV) develop disease and can readily transmit the virus to non-human primates or pigs. In the event of accidental or intentional EBOV infection of domestic pigs, complex and time-consuming safe depopulation and carcass disposal are expected. Delaying or preventing transmission through a reduction in viral shedding is an absolute necessity to limit the spread of the virus. In this study, we tested whether porcine interferon-α or λ3 (porIFNα or porIFNλ3) delivered by a replication-defective human type 5 adenovirus vector (Ad5-porIFNα or Ad5-porIFNλ3) could limit EBOV replication and shedding in domestic pigs. Our results show that pigs pre-treated with Ad5-porIFNα did not develop measurable clinical signs, did not shed virus RNA, and displayed strongly reduced viral RNA load in tissues. A microarray analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells indicated that Ad5-porIFNα treatment led to clear upregulation in immune and inflammatory responses probably involved in protection against disease. Our results indicate that administration of Ad5-porIFNα can potentially be used to limit the spread of EBOV in pigs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Anniversary of Pathogens—Advances in Vaccines and Antimicrobial Therapy)
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Review

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17 pages, 352 KiB  
Review
Have Diagnostics, Therapies, and Vaccines Made the Difference in the Pandemic Evolution of COVID-19 in Comparison with “Spanish Flu”?
by Florigio Lista, Mario Stefano Peragallo, Roberto Biselli, Riccardo De Santis, Sabrina Mariotti, Roberto Nisini and Raffaele D’Amelio
Pathogens 2023, 12(7), 868; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12070868 - 23 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1413
Abstract
In 1918 many countries, but not Spain, were fighting World War I. Spanish press could report about the diffusion and severity of a new infection without censorship for the first-time, so that this pandemic is commonly defined as “Spanish flu”, even though Spain [...] Read more.
In 1918 many countries, but not Spain, were fighting World War I. Spanish press could report about the diffusion and severity of a new infection without censorship for the first-time, so that this pandemic is commonly defined as “Spanish flu”, even though Spain was not its place of origin. “Spanish flu” was one of the deadliest pandemics in history and has been frequently compared with the coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic. These pandemics share similarities, being both caused by highly variable and transmissible respiratory RNA viruses, and diversity, represented by diagnostics, therapies, and especially vaccines, which were made rapidly available for COVID-19, but not for “Spanish flu”. Most comparison studies have been carried out in the first period of COVID-19, when these resources were either not yet available or their use had not long started. Conversely, we wanted to analyze the role that the advanced diagnostics, anti-viral agents, including monoclonal antibodies, and innovative COVID-19 vaccines, may have had in the pandemic containment. Early diagnosis, therapies, and anti-COVID-19 vaccines have markedly reduced the pandemic severity and mortality, thus preventing the collapse of the public health services. However, their influence on the reduction of infections and re-infections, thus on the transition from pandemic to endemic condition, appears to be of minor relevance. The high viral variability of influenza and coronavirus may probably be contained by the development of universal vaccines, which are not easy to be obtained. The only effective weapon still remains the disease prevention, to be achieved with the reduction of promiscuity between the animal reservoirs of these zoonotic diseases and humans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Anniversary of Pathogens—Advances in Vaccines and Antimicrobial Therapy)
26 pages, 440 KiB  
Review
Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines in Patients with Autoimmune Diseases, in Patients with Cardiac Issues, and in the Healthy Population
by Loredana Frasca, Giuseppe Ocone and Raffaella Palazzo
Pathogens 2023, 12(2), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020233 - 02 Feb 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 45718
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a challenge for the whole world since the beginning of 2020, and COVID-19 vaccines were considered crucial for disease eradication. Instead of producing classic vaccines, some companies pointed to develop products that mainly function by inducing, [...] Read more.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a challenge for the whole world since the beginning of 2020, and COVID-19 vaccines were considered crucial for disease eradication. Instead of producing classic vaccines, some companies pointed to develop products that mainly function by inducing, into the host, the production of the antigenic protein of SARS-CoV-2 called Spike, injecting an instruction based on RNA or a DNA sequence. Here, we aim to give an overview of the safety profile and the actual known adverse effects of these products in relationship with their mechanism of action. We discuss the use and safety of these products in at-risk people, especially those with autoimmune diseases or with previously reported myocarditis, but also in the general population. We debate the real necessity of administering these products with unclear long-term effects to at-risk people with autoimmune conditions, as well as to healthy people, at the time of omicron variants. This, considering the existence of therapeutic interventions, much more clearly assessed at present compared to the past, and the relatively lower aggressive nature of the new viral variants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Anniversary of Pathogens—Advances in Vaccines and Antimicrobial Therapy)
17 pages, 3445 KiB  
Review
First Impressions Matter: Immune Imprinting and Antibody Cross-Reactivity in Influenza and SARS-CoV-2
by Samantha M. King, Shane P. Bryan, Shannon P. Hilchey, Jiong Wang and Martin S. Zand
Pathogens 2023, 12(2), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020169 - 21 Jan 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3200
Abstract
Many rigorous studies have shown that early childhood infections leave a lasting imprint on the immune system. The understanding of this phenomenon has expanded significantly since 1960, when Dr. Thomas Francis Jr first coined the term “original antigenic sin”, to account for all [...] Read more.
Many rigorous studies have shown that early childhood infections leave a lasting imprint on the immune system. The understanding of this phenomenon has expanded significantly since 1960, when Dr. Thomas Francis Jr first coined the term “original antigenic sin”, to account for all previous pathogen exposures, rather than only the first. Now more commonly referred to as “immune imprinting”, this effect most often focuses on how memory B-cell responses are shaped by prior antigen exposure, and the resultant antibodies produced after subsequent exposure to antigenically similar pathogens. Although imprinting was originally observed within the context of influenza viral infection, it has since been applied to the pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. To fully comprehend how imprinting affects the evolution of antibody responses, it is necessary to compare responses elicited by pathogenic strains that are both antigenically similar and dissimilar to strains encountered previously. To accomplish this, we must be able to measure the antigenic distance between strains, which can be easily accomplished using data from multidimensional immunological assays. The knowledge of imprinting, combined with antigenic distance measures, may allow for improvements in vaccine design and development for both influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Anniversary of Pathogens—Advances in Vaccines and Antimicrobial Therapy)
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