Feature Papers of Vaccines and Therapeutic Developments

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2022) | Viewed by 11491

Special Issue 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,

We have lanuched a Special Issue titled “Feature Papers of Vaccines and Therapeutic Developments”. This Special Issue aims to solicit primary research articles, reviews, editorials, and commentaries on contemporary and hot topics from scholars.

Due to the pandemic, scholars have experienced significant delays in their research works. Despite the current situation, many researches have devoted their time to conducting research and submitting their original papers on COVID-19 to Pathogens in the hope that these published papers might assistant researchers in combating the virus. In the hope of acknowledging scholars’ works and avoiding inconveniences brought by the pandemic, this Special Issue is specifically dedicated to Feature Papers of Vaccines and Therapeutic Developments. We sincerely hope that scholars from all over the world will publish papers based on their research over recent years. 

Prof. 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.

Published Papers (5 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review, Other

11 pages, 599 KiB  
Article
More Insights about the Efficacy of Copper Ion Treatment on Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP): A Clue for the Observed Tolerance
by Carlos Tejeda, Pamela Steuer, Marcela Villegas, Angelica Reyes-Jara, Esperanza C. Iranzo, Reydoret Umaña and Miguel Salgado
Pathogens 2022, 11(2), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11020272 - 19 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1478
Abstract
Background: Scientific evidence is scarce for the antimicrobial effect of copper on bacteria characterized as more resistant. Using Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), a highly resistant microorganism, as a pathogen model, copper ion treatment has shown a significant bactericidal effect; however, the sustainability [...] Read more.
Background: Scientific evidence is scarce for the antimicrobial effect of copper on bacteria characterized as more resistant. Using Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), a highly resistant microorganism, as a pathogen model, copper ion treatment has shown a significant bactericidal effect; however, the sustainability of MAP against copper toxicity was also reported in several studies. Accordingly, the present study aimed to evaluate the impacts of copper on MAP. Methodology: This study considered physicochemical properties and copper concentration in a buffer since it could modulate MAP response during the application of copper treatment. Results: Despite the efficacy of copper ions in significantly reducing the MAP load in Phosphate Buffered Saline, some MAP cells were able to survive. The copper concentration generated by the copper ion treatment device increased significantly with increasing exposure times. MAP bacterial load decreased significantly when treated with copper ions as the exposure times increased. An increase in pH decreased oxygen consumption, and an increase in conductivity was reported after treatment application. Conclusions: Even with higher concentrations of copper, the efficacy of MAP control was not complete. The concentration of copper must be a key element in achieving control of highly resistant microorganisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Vaccines and Therapeutic Developments)
Show Figures

Figure 1

9 pages, 574 KiB  
Article
Impact of Cytomegalovirus Infection and Genetic Background on the Frequencies of Peripheral Blood Suppressor Cells in Human Twins
by David Goldeck, Lisbeth Aagaard Larsen, Kaare Christensen, Klaus Hamprecht, Lilly Öttinger, Karin Hähnel and Graham Pawelec
Pathogens 2021, 10(8), 963; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10080963 - 30 Jul 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1859
Abstract
Frequencies and proportions of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in peripheral blood may be informative biomarkers for certain disease states. The influence of genetics and lifetime pathogen exposures on Treg and MDSC frequencies is largely unexplored. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) establishes [...] Read more.
Frequencies and proportions of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in peripheral blood may be informative biomarkers for certain disease states. The influence of genetics and lifetime pathogen exposures on Treg and MDSC frequencies is largely unexplored. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) establishes a latent infection and causes an accumulation of late-differentiated CD8+ memory T cells, commonly associated with a lower frequency of naive cells. Here, analyzing peripheral blood mononuclear cells by multicolor flow cytometry, we found a tendency towards lower frequencies of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Tregs in CMV-seropositive than -seronegative middle-aged individuals (p = 0.054), whereas frequencies of lineage-negative CD14+HLA-DR-MDSCs were significantly lower in CMV-seropositive participants (p = 0.005). Assessing associations with the presence of antibodies against different CMV structural proteins, rather than merely assigning seropositivity or seronegativity, failed to yield any closer associations. Examining Treg subsets revealed at most a minor role of the individual’s genetic background, based on an analysis of monozygotic (MZ, n = 42) versus dizygotic (DZ, n = 39) twin pairs from the Danish Twin Registry. The same was true for MDSCs. These initial results suggest that an immunological history of exposures is more important than genetics in determining overall human suppressor cell levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Vaccines and Therapeutic Developments)
Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 1807 KiB  
Article
Fusion of Dendritic Cells Activating Rv2299c Protein Enhances the Protective Immunity of Ag85B-ESAT6 Vaccine Candidate against Tuberculosis
by Yong Woo Back, Hyun Shik Bae, Han-Gyu Choi, Dang Thi Binh, Yeo-Jin Son, Seunga Choi and Hwa-Jung Kim
Pathogens 2020, 9(11), 865; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9110865 - 22 Oct 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2415
Abstract
In Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, naïve T cells that encounter mycobacterial antigens through dendritic cells (DCs) induce various CD4+ T-cell responses; therefore, appropriate DC activation is the key for protective immunity against tuberculosis. We previously found that Rv2299c-matured DCs induce Th1 differentiation with [...] Read more.
In Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, naïve T cells that encounter mycobacterial antigens through dendritic cells (DCs) induce various CD4+ T-cell responses; therefore, appropriate DC activation is the key for protective immunity against tuberculosis. We previously found that Rv2299c-matured DCs induce Th1 differentiation with bactericidal activity. In this study, to prove that Rv2299c could enhance the protective immunity of other vaccine candidates comprising T-cell-stimulating antigens, Ag85B-ESAT6, a well-known vaccine candidate, was selected as a fusion partner of Rv2299c. Recombinant Rv2299c-Ag85B-ESAT6 protein induced DC maturation and activation. Furthermore, fusion of Rv2299c enhanced the protective efficacy of the Ag85B-ESAT6 vaccine in a mouse model and significantly higher production of TNF-α and IL-2 was detected in the lungs, spleen, and lymph nodes of the group immunized with the Rv2299c-fused protein than with Ag85B-ESAT6. In addition, fusion of Rv2299c enhanced the Ag85B-ESAT6-mediated expansion of multifunctional CD4+ T cells. These data suggested that the DC-activating protein Rv2299c may potentiate the protective immunity of the vaccine candidate comprising T cell antigens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Vaccines and Therapeutic Developments)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

22 pages, 944 KiB  
Review
NF-κB as an Important Factor in Optimizing Poxvirus-Based Vaccines against Viral Infections
by Justyna Struzik and Lidia Szulc-Dąbrowska
Pathogens 2020, 9(12), 1001; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9121001 - 29 Nov 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2526
Abstract
Poxviruses are large dsDNA viruses that are regarded as good candidates for vaccine vectors. Because the members of the Poxviridae family encode numerous immunomodulatory proteins in their genomes, it is necessary to carry out certain modifications in poxviral candidates for vaccine vectors to [...] Read more.
Poxviruses are large dsDNA viruses that are regarded as good candidates for vaccine vectors. Because the members of the Poxviridae family encode numerous immunomodulatory proteins in their genomes, it is necessary to carry out certain modifications in poxviral candidates for vaccine vectors to improve the vaccine. Currently, several poxvirus-based vaccines targeted at viral infections are under development. One of the important aspects of the influence of poxviruses on the immune system is that they encode a large array of inhibitors of the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), which is the key element of both innate and adaptive immunity. Importantly, the NF-κB transcription factor induces the mechanisms associated with adaptive immunological memory involving the activation of effector and memory T cells upon vaccination. Since poxviruses encode various NF-κB inhibitor proteins, before the use of poxviral vaccine vectors, modifications that influence NF-κB activation and consequently affect the immunogenicity of the vaccine should be carried out. This review focuses on NF-κB as an essential factor in the optimization of poxviral vaccines against viral infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Vaccines and Therapeutic Developments)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

4 pages, 532 KiB  
Hypothesis
Is SARS-CoV-2 Neutralized More Effectively by IgM and IgA than IgG Having the Same Fab Region?
by Yalcin Pisil, Zafer Yazici, Hisatoshi Shida and Tomoyuki Miura
Pathogens 2021, 10(6), 751; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10060751 - 13 Jun 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2401
Abstract
Recently, recombinant monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) of three Ig isotypes (IgG, IgA, and IgM) sharing the same anti-spike protein Fab region were developed; we evaluated their neutralizing abilities using a pseudo-typed lentivirus coated with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and ACE2-transfected Crandell–Rees feline kidney cells [...] Read more.
Recently, recombinant monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) of three Ig isotypes (IgG, IgA, and IgM) sharing the same anti-spike protein Fab region were developed; we evaluated their neutralizing abilities using a pseudo-typed lentivirus coated with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and ACE2-transfected Crandell–Rees feline kidney cells as the host cell line. Although each of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs was able to neutralize the spike-coated lentiviruses, IgM and IgA neutralized the viral particles at 225-fold and 125-fold lower concentrations, respectively, than that of IgG. Our finding that the neutralization ability of Igs with the same Fab domain was dramatically higher for IgM and IgA than IgG mAbs suggests a strategy for developing effective and affordable antibody therapies for COVID-19. The efficient neutralization conferred by IgM and IgA mAbs can be explained by their capacity to bind multiple virions. While several IgG mAbs have been approved as therapeutics by the FDA, there are currently no IgM or IgA mAbs available. We suggest that mAbs with multiple antigen-binding sites such as IgM and IgA could be developed as the new generation of therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Vaccines and Therapeutic Developments)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop