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Many factors restrict honey bees' productivity and pollination potential, especially with the infestation of Greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella L., and synthetic pesticides used to manage this pest. Therefore, a study was conducted to examine the efficacy of oils extracted from Pongamia pinnata, Mentha piperita, Ocimum basilicum, and Thymus vulgaris on the biology and survival of wax moth. The results revealed that all treatments exhibited control over the hatching potential of eggs, and the lowest egg hatchability (6.67%) was observed with peppermint and thyme oil (4%). The larval mortality increased with increasing concentrations of the treatments. The basil oil (4%) showed the highest mortality of 3rd (76.67%) and 7th instar larvae (56.67%). All treatments reduced larval duration, while the time of pupation and adult longevity increased compared to the control. The cellular immune active response of 7th instar larvae at LC50 of these botanicals revealed a decrease in the number of granulocytes and plasmatocytes compared to control. This study demonstrated the potential of botanical pesticides in managing greater wax moth infestations, offering a more environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we incorporate immune systems containing Cytotoxic T lymphocyte and humoral immunity into a general human immunodeficiency viruses infection model, which also considers logistic growth for target cells and both modes of spread, cell-to-cell and cell-free represents, by linear functions. We derive five threshold parameters which are used to study the existence of equilibria. By considering the characteristic equations, the local stability of disease-free and immune-free equilibria is investigated. Lyapunov functions and LaSalle's invariance are constructed to prove the global stability of all steady states. Global dynamics of the human immunodeficiency viruses model can be accurately expressed by threshold parameters; also the existence of Hopf bifurcation is discussed and the results are expressed in the form of a proposition. Furthermore, numerical simulations confirm the corresponding theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of humanity's three major infectious diseases. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia due to impaired insulin secretion or impaired insulin function. It has been reported that DM is a primary risk factor for TB disease. Given the increasing public health threat to people's health, more and more studies have focused on diabetes complicated by TB. Hyperglycemia can affect the function of human immune cells, promote primary infections and reactivation of TB, and increase the susceptibility and severity of TB. However, the immunological mechanism behind it is still not clear. By reviewing the related articles on tuberculosis complicated with diabetes published in recent years, this paper expounds on the effect of hyperglycemia on innate immunity and adaptive immunity of patients with TB. This review provides new insights for elucidating the immunological mechanism of TB complicated with DM and lays the foundation for finding potential targets for preventing and treating TB combined with DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer immunotherapy is an effective treatment option against cancer. One of the approaches of cancer immunotherapy is the modification of T cell-based anti-tumor immune responses. T-cells, a type of adaptive immune response cells responsible for cell-mediated immunity, have long been recognized as key regulators of immune-mediated anti-tumor immunity. T-cell activities have been reported to be suppressed or enhanced by changes in cell metabolism. Moreover, metabolic reprogramming during activation of T cells is required for the development of distinct differentiation profiles of these cells, which may allow the development of long-term cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity. However, T cells have been shown to undergo metabolic exhaustion in tumor microenvironment (TME) as it poses several obstacles to their function. Applications of several mechanistic solutions to improve the efficacy of T cell-based therapies including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy are yet to be determined. Modifying the metabolic properties of these cells and employing them in cancer immunotherapy is a potential strategy for improving their anti-tumor activity and therapeutic efficacy. To give an insight, in this review paper, we endeavoured to cover metabolic reprogramming in cancer and T cells, signalling mechanisms involved in immuno-metabolic regulation, the effects of the TME on T cell metabolic fitness, and targeting metabolic reprogramming of T cells for an enhanced anti-tumor response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause different cancers in both men and women. The virus interferes with functions of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus in the anogenital area, breast, and head and neck cancer due to the local lesions. The tumors lead to death if not treated as a result of distant metastasis to internal organs and brain. Moreover, HPV attenuates the immune system during chronic infection and releases viral antigens into the tumor microenvironment. The tumors know how difficult is to win the battle with a strong united army of immune cells that are equipped with cytokines and enzymes. They confuse the immune cells with secreting viral antigens. The immune system is equipped with cytokines, a complement system, antibodies, and other secretory proteins to overcome the foreign invaders and viral antigens. However, the majority of the time, tumors win the battle without having all the equipment of the immune cells. Thus, in this review, we describe the recent progression in cellular and humoral immunity studies during the progression of HPV-related cancers. First of all, we describe the role of B, plasmoid cells, and B regulatory cells (Breg) in their functions in the tumor microenvironment. Then, different subtypes of T cells such as T CD8, CD4, T regulatory (Treg) cells were studied in recently published papers. Furthermore, NK cells and their role in tumor progression and prevention were studied. Finally, we indicate the breakthroughs in immunotherapy techniques for HPV-related cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, various joint efforts have been made to support the creation of vaccines. Different projects have been under development, of which some are in the clinical evaluation stage and others in are in phase III with positive results. The aim of this paper was to describe the current situation of the development and production of vaccines available to the population to facilitate future research and continue developing and proposing ideas for the benefit of the population. So, we carried out a systematic review using databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, SciELO, and MEDLINE, including keywords such as "vaccines," "COVID-19," and "SARS-CoV-2". We reviewed the development and production of the anti-COVID vaccine and its different platforms, the background leading to the massive development of these substances, and the most basic immune aspects for a better understanding of their physiological activity and the immune response in those who receive the vaccine. We also analyzed immunization effects in populations with any medical or physiological conditions (such as immunosuppression, people with comorbidities, and pregnancy), as well as the response to immunization with heterologous vaccines and the hybrid immunity (the combination of natural immunity to SARS-CoV-2 with immunity generated by the vaccine). Likewise, we address the current situation in Mexico and its role in managing the vaccination process against SARS-CoV-2 at the national and international levels. There are still many clinical and molecular aspects to be described, such as the duration of active immunity and the development of immunological memory, to mention some of the most important ones. However, due to the short time since the global vaccination roll-out and that it has been progressive (not counting children and people with medical conditions), it is premature to say whether a second vaccination schedule will be necessary for the near future. Thus, it is essential to continue with health measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How the molecular programs of differentiated cells develop as cells transit from multipotency through lineage commitment remains unexplored. This reflects the inability to access cells undergoing commitment or located in the immediate vicinity of commitment boundaries. It remains unclear whether commitment constitutes a gradual process, or else represents a discrete transition. Analyses of in vitro self-renewing multipotent systems have revealed cellular heterogeneity with individual cells transiently exhibiting distinct biases for lineage commitment. Such systems can be used to molecularly interrogate early stages of lineage affiliation and infer rules of lineage commitment. In haematopoiesis, population-based studies have indicated that lineage choice is governed by global transcriptional noise, with self-renewing multipotent cells reversibly activating transcriptome-wide lineage-affiliated programs. We examine this hypothesis through functional and molecular analysis of individual blood cells captured from self-renewal cultures, during cytokine-driven differentiation and from primary stem and progenitor bone marrow compartments. We show dissociation between self-renewal potential and transcriptome-wide activation of lineage programs, and instead suggest that multipotent cells experience independent activation of individual regulators resulting in a low probability of transition to the committed state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Quantitative studies on tissue transplantation immunity. III. Actively acquired tolerance', published in Philosophical Transactions B in 1956 by Peter Medawar and his colleagues, PhD graduate Leslie Brent and postdoctoral fellow Rupert Billingham, is a full description of the concept of acquired transplantation tolerance. Their 1953 Nature paper (Billingham RE et al. 1953 Nature 172, 603-606. (doi:10.1038/172603a0)) had provided initial evidence with experimental results from a small number of neonatal mice, with mention of similar findings in chicks. The Philosophical Transactions B 1956 paper is clothed with an astonishing amount of further experimental detail. It is written in Peter Medawar's landmark style: witty, perceptive and full of images that can be recalled even when details of the supporting information have faded. Those images are provided not just by a series of 20 colour plates showing skin graft recipient mice, rats, rabbits, chickens and duck, bearing fur or plumage of donor origin, but by his choice of metaphor, simile and analogy to express the questions being addressed and the interpretation of their results, along with those of relevant published data and his prescient ideas of what the results might portend. This work influenced both immunology researchers and clinicians and helped to lay the foundations for successful transplantation programmes. It led to the award of a Nobel prize in 1960 to Medawar, and subsequently to several scientists who advanced these areas. This commentary was written to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural elucidation of lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) from Gram‐negative marine bacteria, along with the assessment of their immunological properties, is a fascinating and active research field. Such studies can aid understanding of adaptation phenomena that occur in the marine environment, but they can also open up new perspectives on the design and development of new immunoregulatory drugs. In this paper, we report the structural characterization of the lipid A component of the LPS isolated from the marine bacterium Cobetia pacifica KMM 3879T, which is characterized by a family of structures differing in their acylation patterns. The structural assignment was achieved through extensive chemical analysis and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. Moreover, cellular immunology studies on the LPS highlighted its low immunostimulatory impact, as well as a very interesting and promising inhibitory activity of the toxic effects of Escherichia coli LPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a list of forthcoming books about immunology. These include "IL-5 Target Genes Involved in B Cell Terminal Maturation," by Keisuke Horikawa and K. Takatsu, "The Riddle of the Dual Expression of IgM and IgD," by Roland Geisberger, Marinus Lamers and Gernot Achatz, and "Anti-Idiotype Antibody Induced Cellular Immunity in Mice Transgenic for Human Carcinoembryonic Antigen," by Asim Saha, Sunil Chaterjee, Kenneth Foon and Malaya Chatterjee.

Metabolic and immune cell responses are intimately linked and cross-regulated. Fouyet and colleagues compared the effects of nine different EDCs on three human cell models and observed the highest P2X7 receptor activation and apoptosis in the placental cells, followed by skin cells, and found no activation in the lung cells, implying that P2X7 activation and apoptosis were key mechanisms involved in EDC-associated endocrine placental and cutaneous disorders [[11]]. Haider and colleagues showed that increased dectin-2 monocyte expression in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients was associated with HOMA-IR and HbA1c but correlated inversely with SOCS3, which is a suppressor of JAK/STAT pathway cytokines, and involved the dectin-2-Syk-NF B signaling [[8]]. In these conditions, activation of the innate immunity leads to cytokine-mediated inflammation, without familial recurrency. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper, we propose and investigate a fractional diffusive model for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with capsids and immune response presented by cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) cells. We derive the conditions for global asymptotic stability of the steady states of the model in terms of the basic reproduction number R0 and the immune response reproduction number R1. By constructing appropriate Lyapunov functionals, it is shown that the infection-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable when R0 ≤ 1, the immune-free infection equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable when R1 ≤ 1 < R0 and the infection equilibrium with CTL immune response is globally asymptotically stable when R1 > 1. Numerical simulations are performed to illustrate the analytical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snyder et al. used fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and fluorescence microscopy to functionally identify and characterize phagocytes from the scleractinian coral, I Pocillopora damicornis i , and the actiniarian sea anemone, I Nematostella vectensis i . Keywords: invertebrate; innate immunity; metazoa; Cnidaria; Porifera EN invertebrate innate immunity metazoa Cnidaria Porifera 1 3 3 02/02/22 20220131 NES 220131 This Research Topic on innate immunity was motivated by the need to expand our knowledge of innate immunity and general immune responses in early diverging metazoans, such as cnidarians, placozoans, sponges, and ctenophores (Figure 1). This theme of complexity in immune response compliments other papers in the series looking at immunity from an ecological perspective in co-infection of octocorals by Tracy et al., down to discrete cellular activity level in scleractinian corals and anemones by Snyder et al. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Nasopharyngeal colonization is a precondition for mucosal and invasive pneumococcal disease. Prevention of colonization may reduce pneumococcal transmission and disease incidence. Therefore, several protein-based pneumococcal vaccines are currently under investigation. Areas covered: We aimed to better understand the host immune responses to pneumococcal proteins in the upper respiratory tract (URT) that could facilitate the development of serotype-independent pneumococcal vaccines. English peer-reviewed papers reporting immunological mechanisms involved in host immune response to pneumococcal proteins in the URT were retrieved through a PubMed search using the terms 'pneumococcal proteins,' 'nasopharyngeal colonization' and/or 'cellular/humoral host immune response.' Expert opinion: Although pneumococcal protein antigens induce humoral immune responses, as well as IL-17A-mediated immunity, none of them, when used as single antigen, is sufficient to control and broadly protect against pneumococcal colonization. Novel vaccines should contain multiple conserved protein antigens to activate both arms of the immune system and evoke protection against the whole spectrum of pneumococcal variants by reducing, rather than eradicating, pneumococcal carriage. The highest efficacy would likely be achieved when the vaccine is intranasally applied, inducing mucosal immunity and enhancing the first line of defense by restricting pneumococcal density in the URT, which in turn will lead to reduced transmission and protection against disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusion (F) and Hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) glycoproteins of Newcastle disease virus containing important epitopes play crucial role in stimulation of humoral and cell-mediated immunity of the host. In the present study we analyzed and compared genetic diversity of F and HN sequences related to long-term circulating sub-genotype VIIj isolates to genotype VII and II strains. In addition, F and HN epitope prediction was performed using IEDB, NetMHC 4.0 and NetMHC II 3.1 servers. Molecular docking analysis was also conducted for VIIj and LaSota isolates interacting MHC I and II molecules. Results indicated that certain specific mutations were occurred in Fusion and Hemagglutinin-neuraminidase proteins of VIIj sub-genotype. Epitope prediction study revealed that the unique variations were located on the antigenic site regions of F and HN glycoproteins. Furthermore, docking interaction analysis showed surprising results, in which defined antigenic site residues of VIIj isolates interacted to MHC molecules with higher affinity levels rather than LaSota strains used as vaccines. Our in silico results suggest that by applying certain epitope sequences inducing both immune responses, vaccination failures may be reduced and challenged vaccinated host cells may stop viral shedding beside protection from Newcastle disease infection. Thus, we recommend the introduced antigenic sites of VIIj sub-genotype in this paper would act as the great targets for epitope-based vaccine design in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the global stability of a general discrete-time viral infection model with virus-to-cell and cell-to-cell transmissions and with humoral immune response. We consider both latently and actively infected cells. The model incorporates three types of intracellular time delays. The production and clearance rates of all compartments as well as incidence rates of infection are modeled by general nonlinear functions. We use the nonstandard finite difference method to discretize the continuous-time model. We show that the solutions of the discrete-time model are positive and ultimately bounded. We derive two threshold parameters, the basic reproduction number R 0 and the humoral immune response activation number R 1 , which completely determine the existence and stability of the model's equilibria. By using Lyapunov functions, we have proven that if R 0 ≤ 1 , then the virus-free equilibrium Q0 is globally asymptotically stable; if R 1 ≤ 1 < R 0 , then the persistent infection equilibrium without immune response Q* is globally asymptotically stable; and if R 1 > 1 , then the persistent infection equilibrium with immune response Q ¯ is globally asymptotically stable. We illustrate our theoretical results by using numerical simulations. The effects of antiretroviral drug therapy and time delay on the virus dynamics are also studied. We have shown that the time delay has a similar effect as the antiretroviral drug therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunosuppression is characterized by a dysfunction of humoral and/or cellular immune response leading to increase of susceptibility to secondary infections, increase of mortality and morbidity, poor productivity, and welfare and vaccination failures. Humoral immune response depression is due to perturbation of soluble factors, as complement and chemokines in innate immunity and antibodies or cytokines in adaptive immunity. At the cellular immune response, immunosuppression is the consequence of the dysfunction of T-cells, B-cells, heterophils, monocytes, macrophages, and natural Killer cells. Immunosuppression in turkeys can be caused by numerous, non-infectious, and infectious agents, having variable pathological and molecular mechanisms. Interactions between them are very complex. This paper reviews the common viruses inducing clinical and sub-clinical immunosuppression in turkeys, and enteric and neoplastic viruses in particular, as well as the interactions among them. The evaluation of immunosuppression is currently based on classical approach; however, new technique such as the microarray technology is being developed to investigate immunological mediator's genes detection. Controlling of immunosuppression include, in general, biosecurity practices, maintaining appropriate breeding conditions and vaccination of breeders and their progeny. Nevertheless, few vaccines are available against immunosuppressive viruses in turkey's industry. The development of new control strategies is reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crustaceans such as shrimps and crabs, hold significant ecological significance and substantial economic value within marine ecosystems. However, their susceptibility to disease outbreaks and pathogenic infections has posed major challenges to production in recent decades. As invertebrate, crustaceans primarily rely on their innate immune system for defense, lacking the adaptive immune system found in vertebrates. Mucosal immunity, acting as the frontline defense against a myriad of pathogenic microorganisms, is a crucial aspect of their immune repertoire. This review synthesizes insights from comparative immunology, highlighting parallels between mucosal immunity in vertebrates and innate immune mechanisms in invertebrates. Despite lacking classical adaptive immunity, invertebrates, including crustaceans, exhibit immune memory and rely on inherent "innate immunity factors" to combat invading pathogens. Drawing on parallels from mammalian and piscine systems, this paper meticulously explores the complex role of mucosal immunity in regulating immune responses in crustaceans. Through the extrapolation from well-studied models like mammals and fish, this review infers the potential mechanisms of mucosal immunity in crustaceans and provides insights for research on mucosal immunity in crustaceans. • Mucosal immunity parallels cellular and humoral immunity and interacts closely with the lymphatic system. • Vertebrate mucosal immunity shows significant convergence with invertebrate innate immunity. • Mucosal immunity probably exists in crustaceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endemic, green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus), trademarked as Greenshell™ mussel, contributes most to the New Zealand aquaculture industry based on tonnage and export value. Research on mussel immunity is motivated greatly by economical and biosecurity necessities. Indeed, mussel aquaculture is threatened by pathogenic micro-organisms and environmental stressors. As such there is a need to understand the mechanisms that drive mussel immune responses and the associated interactions with the environment. Specifically, this review (1) analyses the existing immunological studies conducted on P. canaliculus, (2) evaluates the literature pertaining to mussel immunity at the cellular and humoral levels, (3) identifies and discusses pathogens that are relevant to P. canaliculus, (4) focuses on the virulent factors employed by mussel pathogens likely to induce diseases, (5) provides a comprehensive analysis of the response mechanisms employed by mussels to various stressors, and (6) explores omics applications and future perspectives in mussel immunology. Finally, this review highlights various strategies from immunological research, such as gene rearrangement, probiotics, immunostimulants, and selective breeding, promising to enhance mussel health and resilience in aquaculture. By exploring these immunological findings and their practical applications, this review contributes to sustainable mussel aquaculture, improving productivity and disease management in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is driven by a small number of pathogenic genetic variants and tumours usually exhibit a correspondingly low tumour mutational burden. This reduces tumour visibility to the immune system and impacts the immune cell profile of the tumour microenvironment. In the last decade targeted pathway inhibitors have revolutionized the therapeutic landscape for patients with advanced disease, with increasing options for systemic therapy tailored to the molecular signature of the tumour. Therefore, understanding the molecular basis of disease, pathogenesis of immune evasion and mechanisms of escape of pathway inhibition is of paramount importance. Here, we summarize genetic and molecular drivers of MTC and their relevance to tumour immunogenicity, the cellular milieu of the tumour microenvironment, and response to targeted therapy. In this review, we explore the underlying molecular biology of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and its interplay with the host immune system. MTC is consistently driven by a small number of specific pathogenic variants, beyond which few additional genetic events are required for tumorigenesis. This explains the exceedingly low tumour mutational burden seen in most MTC, in contrast to other cancers. However, because of the low tumour mutational burden (TMB), there is a correspondingly low level of tumour-associated neoantigens that are presented to the host immune system. This reduces tumour visibility and vigour of the anti-tumour immune response and suggests the efficacy of immunotherapy in MTC is likely to be poor, acknowledging this inference is largely based on the extrapolation of data from other tumour types. The dominance of specific RET (REarranged during Transfection) pathogenic variants in MTC tumorigenesis rationalizes the observed efficacy of the targeted RET-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in comparison to multi-kinase inhibitors (MKIs). Therapeutic durability of pathway inhibitors is an ongoing research focus. It may be limited by the selection pressure TKI treatment creates, promoting survival of resistant tumour cell clones that can escape pathway inhibition through binding-site mutations, activation of alternate pathways, and modulation of the cellular and cytokine milieu of the tumour microenvironment (TME). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents instructions for the authors submitting manuscripts to be published in the periodical "Scandinavian Journal of Immunology." The periodical publishes papers within the various fields of cellular and molecular immunology. Manuscripts should be submitted either to one of the managing editors or to one of the editors, whose addresses are given on the second cover page of the periodical. Manuscripts must be typewritten, double-spaced throughout, on one side of the paper, with a 5 centimeters wide margin.

Our previous paper reported that it was difficult to induce tolerance using donor specific transfusion (DST) in Lewis rats, while in DA and PVG rats it was possible to induce tolerance using DST. In this paper we investigated the effects of DST in a local graft versus host reaction (GVHR) model using these rat strains. The following results were obtained: (i) DST suppressed the GVHR in the DA rat but not in the Lewis rat; (ii) DST did not suppress GVHR in PVG rat strain, but lymphocytes, prepared from the PVG rats that were tolerant of Lewis heart grafts induced by DST, could suppress the the GVHR; and (iii) in Lewis rats, intrathymic injection of whole blood suppressed the GVHR, suggesting this route of antigen delivery might be effective in prolonging allograft survival. Cardiac allograft survival in this strain was prolonged in some cases after pretreatment with intrathymic donor whole blood. These results suggest the value of the GVHR in the assessment of new protocols to induce allograft tolerance in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herpes zoster, which is due to the reactivation of Varicella zoster virus (VZV), is a leading cause of morbidity after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). While cell-mediated immunity (CMI) is critical to inhibiting VZV reactivation, CMI is not routinely assessed due to a lack of reliable tests. In this study, we aimed to evaluate VZVspecific CMI among allo-HSCT recipients (n = 60) and healthy individuals (HI, n = 17) through a panel of three immune functional assays after ex vivo stimulation by VZV antigen: quantification of (i) IFN-g release in the supernatants, (ii) T-cell proliferation after a 7-day stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and (iii) measurement of the ifn-g mRNA gene expression level after 24 h of stimulation of a whole-blood sample. VZV responsiveness was defined according to IFN-g release from VZV-stimulated PBMC. Upon VZV stimulation, we found that allo-HSCT recipients at a median time of 6 [5-8] months post-transplant had lower IFN-g release (median [IQR], 0.34 [0.12-8.56] vs. 409.5 [143.9-910.2] pg/ml, P <.0001) and fewer proliferating T cells (0.05 [0.01-0.57] % vs. 8.74 [3.12-15.05] %, P <.0001) than HI. A subset of allo-HSCT recipients (VZVresponders, n = 15/57, 26%) distinguished themselves from VZV-non-responders (n = 42/57, 74%; missing data, n = 3) by higher IFN-g release (80.45 [54.3-312.8] vs. 0.22 [0.12-0.42] pg/ml, P <.0001) and T-cell proliferation (2.22 [1.18-7.56] % vs. 0.002 [0.001-0.11] %, P <.0001), suggesting recovery of VZV-specific CMI. Interestingly, VZV responders had a significant fold increase in ifn-g gene expression, whereas ifn-g mRNA was not detected in whole blood of VZV-non-responders (P <.0001). This study is the first to suggest that measurement of ifn-g gene expression in 24-h-stimulated whole blood could be an accurate test of VZV-specific CMI. The routine use of this immune functional assay to guide antiviral prophylaxis at an individual level remains to be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discuses the golden anniversary of Macfarlane Burnet's preliminary account of clonal selection theory. The paper was published in the "Australian Journal of Science," which was the first clear outline of the clonal selection theory. This paved the way to the modern era of cellular and molecular immunology.

Parasite spillover from invasive aliens to native species increases the risk of disease emergence within native biota—either by direct harm to the new host or by indirect effects like increased risks of secondary infection.One example for such a detrimental effect is the parasitic copepod Mytilicola intestinalis that infected blue mussels Mytilus edulis after being introduced into the North Sea in the early 20th century. Since 1949, the parasite was blamed for multiple mass mortalities of infested blue mussels but evidence for a direct causal involvement of M. intestinalis remained circumstantial.Here, we now examine the potential effects of primary infections by the invasive parasite on the susceptibility to secondary infections with virulent bacteria (Vibrio spp.) in a full factorial infection experiment combining parasite infection (control vs. infected) with different Vibrio infection treatments (control, bath challenge, injection) in environmental conditions that either favoured the host (ambient temperature) or the bacterium (elevated temperature). The influence of primary and secondary infections on cellular immunity (phagocytosis) and Vibrio load in the haemolymph was used to correlate these results to host survival.Our results suggest that the rate of secondary Vibrio infection is increased due to lower efficiency of the cellular immune response. As a consequence, the failure of clearing Vibrio from the haemolymph might increase mortality of mussels infected by M. intestinalis.This demonstrates that indirect effects of parasite invasions can outweigh direct effects of the infection highlighting the need for a more integrative approach to understand and predict the consequences of parasite invasions. This paper demonstrates that indirect effects of immune modulation caused by infection with an invasive parasite can outweigh direct effects of the infection. This highlights the need for a more integrative approach to predict the consequences of parasite invasions and species invasions in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to investigate the dynamical behavior of a general nonlinear delayed viral infection model with cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) immune response. The intrinsic growth rate of uninfected hepatocytes, incidence rate of infection, removal rate of infected hepatocytes and capsids, production and removal rate of viruses, activation rate of CTLs, and decay rate of CTLs are given by general nonlinear functions with a set of conditions on these general nonlinear functions, which make the analysis of the model more difficult. The global threshold dynamics with respect to the reproduction numbers for viral infection R0 and for CTL immune response R1 have been presented by constructing suitable Lyapunov functionals. Numerical simulations are carried out for a model with specific forms of the general functions to confirm the theoretical results and show that both the numerical and theoretical results are consistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a humoral and cellular immunity virus dynamics model with the Beddington-DeAngelis incidence rate is set up. We derive the basic reproductive number R0, the cytotoxic T lymphocytes immune response reproductive number R1, the humoral immune response reproductive number R2, humoral immune response competitive reproductive number R3, and cytotoxic T lymphocytes immune response competitive reproductive number R4, and a full description of the relation between the existence of the equilibria and reproductive numbers is given. The global properties of the five equilibria are obtained by constructing Lyapunov functions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the HIV-1 epidemic in southern Africa still rising, a prophylactic vaccine against the region’s most prolific subtype (subtype C) would be a significant step forward. In this paper we report on the effect of 2 different adjuvants, AddaVax and AlhydroGel, formulated with HIV-1 subtype C gp140, on the development of binding and neutralising antibody titres in rabbits. AddaVax is a squalene-based oil-in-water nano-emulsion (similar to MF59) which can enhance both cellular and humoral immune responses, whilst AlhydroGel (aluminium hydroxide gel) mainly drives a Th2 response. The gp140 gene tested was derived from the superinfecting virus (SU) from participant CAP256 in the CAPRISA 002 Acute infection cohort. The furin cleavage site of the Env protein was replaced with a flexible linker and an I559P mutation introduced. Lectin affinity purified soluble Env protein was mainly trimeric as judged by molecular weight using BN-PAGE and contained intact broadly neutralising epitopes for the V3-glycan supersite (monoclonal antibodies PGT128 and PGT135), the CD4 binding site (VRC01) and the V2-glycan (PG9) but not for the trimer-specific monoclonal antibodies PG16, PGT145 and CAP256-VRC26_08. When this soluble Env protein was tested in rabbits, AlhydroGel significantly enhanced soluble Env and V1V2 binding antibodies when compared to AddaVax. Finally, AlhydroGel resulted in significantly higher neutralization titres for a subtype C Tier 1A virus (MW965.26) and increased neutralization breadth to Tier 1A and 1B viruses. However, no autologous Tier 2 neutralisation was observed. These data suggest that adjuvant selection is critical for developing a successful vaccine and AlhydroGel should be further investigated. Additional purification of trimeric native-like CAP256 Env and/or priming with DNA or MVA might enhance the induction of neutralizing antibodies and possible Tier 2 HIV-1 neutralisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a mathematical model of immune response by T cells where the regulatory T cells (Treg) inhibit interleukin 2 (IL‐2) secretion. We model the suppression of the autoimmune line of T cells after a different line of T cells responded to a pathogen infection. In this paper, we show that if the population of the pathogen responding line of T cells becomes large enough, the competition for IL‐2 and the increase in the death rates may lead to a depletion in the concentration of autoimmune T cells. Provided this lasts for a sufficiently long time, the concentration of autoimmune T cells can be brought down to values inside the basin of attraction of the controlled state, and autoimmunity can be suppressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell stability is becoming an important design concern as process technology continues to scale down. In this paper, we present a single-ended 10T SRAM cell that improves simultaneously both read static noise margin (RSNM) and write static noise margin (WSNM) by employing separate read buffer and power gating transistors, respectively. The cross-point write structure of the proposed cell facilitates bit-interleaved architecture to enhance soft-error immunity. Simulation is done on 65-nm CMOS technology on Cadence. Simulation results show that the RSNM of the proposed SRAM cell is 2.78 times and 1.47 times higher than those of the conventional 6T and Schmitt trigger-based 10T (ST-2) cells, respectively, at 0:4 V. The WSNM of the proposed design is 5.14 times larger than that of the two-port disturbfree 9T (TPDF9T) cell (without write assist) at 0:4 V. Write delay of the proposed cell is 77.56% less than that of the TPDF9T cell at 0:4 V. Leakage power dissipation of the proposed SRAM cell is 0.89 times that of the ST-2 cell at 0:4 V. The proposed cell occupies 1.34 times more area than the conventional 6T cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The study of cellular and molecular immunology is almost completely dependent on monoclonal antibody technology. Despite the relatively long history of monoclonal antibodies, there is still huge potential for developing novel and transformative uses for this technology. In this issue of Immunology, we present two such papers, one focussing on anti‐complement (C5) antibodies, the other on anti‐CD6‐specific antibodies. Both manuscripts describe novel ways that monoclonal antibodies may be used for scientific and potentially for therapeutic benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper introduces a new approach permitting for the first time a specific, non-invasive diagnosis of myocarditis by visualizing the infiltration of immune cells into the myocardium. Materials and methods: The feasibility of this approach is shown in a murine model of viral myocarditis. Our study uses biochemically inert perfluorocarbons (PFCs) known to be taken up by circulating monocytes/macrophages after intravenous injection. Results: In vivo F MRI at 9.4 T demonstrated that PFC-loaded immune cells infiltrate into inflamed myocardial areas. Because of the lack of any fluorine background in the body, detected F signals of PFCs are highly specific as confirmed ex vivo by flow cytometry and histology. Conclusion: Since PFCs are a family of compounds previously used clinically as blood substitutes, the technique described in our paper holds the potential as a new imaging modality for the diagnosis of myocarditis in man. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronicity in wound healing is a challenge for health services financially and scientifically, with negative consequences on patients' lives. This paper seeks to explore why chronic wounds fail to heal in relation to the inflammatory cellular dysfunction associated with bioflm development. Findings demonstrate an association between chronic wounds failing to heal, the presence of devitalised tissue and abnormal immune cell activity with a consequential excessive release of harmful matrix metalloproteases (MMPs). This process perpetuates the cycle of wound chronicity and extracellular matrix destruction, which prolongs the inflammatory response, fuelling biofilm formation. Evidence suggests that 'trapping' MMPs may increase new tissue growth but, while devitalised tissue is present, phagocytic cells continue to secrete MMPs and chronicity persists. Consequently, by removing the trigger and implementing effective, sustained debridement of devitalised tissue, both MMP and biofilm production will be diminished, with positive healing outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iran is the only country in the world currently with a legalized compensated kidney donation system, in which kidney sellers are matched with end‐stage renal disease patients through a regulated process. From a practical point of view, this model provides an abundance of kidneys for transplantation as opposed to the American model that relies on altruistic donation. The major concern about adopting the Iranian model is the possibility of exploitation. A large body of literature exists on this topic, but few have focused on its cultural aspects. This paper sheds light on the cultural implications of the Iranian model by providing empirical evidence on the social stigmas against kidney sale in Iran. We claim that these stigmas act as barriers to entry to the supply market of kidneys. Due to the conditions created by social stigmas, kidney sellers are forced to consider not only monetary rewards but also cultural factors. Thus, they tend to be more cautious and try to avoid impulsive decisions. Such social stigmas act as unofficial regulatory forces to keep kidney sale as the last resort for the poor, to diversify the supply market by age, and to stretch the decision‐making process in the absence of a mandatory waiting period for transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the development and current status of Neuroimmune Biology (NIB) is summarised and the extended NISS is discussed. The significance of this newly emerging science is the demonstration that NISS coordinates host defence against infection and other pathogenic agents. Indeed NISS is in control of the biology of higher organisms for their life time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the dynamical behavior of a virus model into which cell-mediated and humoral immune responses are incorporated. The global stability of an infection-free equilibrium and four infected equilibria is established via a Lyapunov functional approach. The present construction methods are applicable to a wide range of incidence rates that are monotone increasing with respect to concentration of uninfected cells and concave with respect to the concentration of free virus particles. In addition, when the incidence rate is monotone increasing with respect to concentration of free virus particles, the functional approach plays an important role in determining the global stability of each of the four infected equilibria. This implies that the dynamical behavior of virus prevalence would be determined by basic reproduction numbers when the "saturation effect" for free virus particles appears. We point out that the incidence rate includes not only separable incidence rate but also non-separable incidence rate such as standard incidence and Beddington-DeAngelis functional response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chimeric protein, formed by two fragments of the conserved nucleocapsid (N) and S2 proteins from SARS-CoV-2, was obtained as a recombinant construct in Escherichia coli. The N fragment belongs to the C-terminal domain whereas the S2 fragment spans the fibre structure in the post-fusion conformation of the spike protein. The resultant protein, named S2NDH, was able to form spherical particles of 10 nm, which forms aggregates upon mixture with the CpG ODN-39M. Both preparations were recognized by positive COVID-19 human sera. The S2NDH + ODN-39M formulation administered by the intranasal route resulted highly immunogenic in Balb/c mice. It induced cross-reactive anti-N humoral immunity in both sera and bronchoalveolar fluids, under a Th1 pattern. The cell-mediated immunity (CMI) was also broad, with positive response even against the N protein of SARS-CoV-1. However, neither neutralizing antibodies (NAb) nor CMI against the S2 region were obtained. As alternative, the RBD protein was included in the formulation as inducer of NAb. Upon evaluation in mice by the intranasal route, a clear adjuvant effect was detected for the S2NDH + ODN-39M preparation over RBD. High levels of NAb were induced against SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1. The bivalent formulation S2NDH + ODN-39M + RBD, administered by the intranasal route, constitutes an attractive proposal as booster vaccine of sarbecovirus scope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is characterized by T cell infiltration and frequently by the presence of anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAbs). The role of cellular immunity and of TbAbs in this context is a matter of debate. The aim of our study was to correlate the presence of TgAbs, tumor epitope-specific T cells and the clinical outcome of PTC patients. We studied n=183 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of PTC which were treated with total thyroidectomy plus131 I ablation. During a follow-up of in mean 97 months, most of the PTC patients had no signs of tumor relapse (n=157 patients). In contrast, one patient had serum Tg levels above the detection limit and<1 ng/ml, two patients Tg serum levels≥1 ng/ml and<2 ng/ml and n=23 patients had Tg serum levels≥2 ng/ml. Morphological signs of tumor recurrence were seen in 14 patients; all of these patients had serum Tg levels≥2 ng/ml. Importantly, with the exception of one patient, all TgAb positive PTC patients (n=27) had no signs of tumor recurrence as the serum Tg levels were below the assays functional sensitivities. Tetramer analyses revealed a higher number of tumor epitope-specific CD8+T cells in TgAb positive patients compared to TgAb negative PTC patients. In summary, we show that the occurrence of TgAbs may have an impact on the clinical outcome in PTC patients. This might be due to a tumor epitope-specific cellular immunity in PTC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza A virus (IAV) causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide due to seasonal epidemics and periodic pandemics. The antigenic drift/shift of IAV continually gives rise to new strains and subtypes, aiding IAV in circumventing previously established immunity. As a result, there has been substantial interest in developing a broadly protective IAV vaccine that induces, durable immunity against multiple IAVs. Previously, a polyanhydride nanoparticle-based vaccine or nanovaccine (IAV-nanovax) encapsulating H1N1 IAV antigens was reported, which induced pulmonary B and T cell immunity and resulted in cross-strain protection against IAV. A key feature of IAV-nanovax is its ability to easily incorporate diverse proteins/payloads, potentially increasing its ability to provide broad protection against IAV and/or other pathogens. Due to human susceptibility to both H1N1 and H3N2 IAV, several H3N2 nanovaccines were formulated herein with multiple IAV antigens to examine the "plug-and-play" nature of the polyanhydride nanovaccine platform and determine their ability to induce humoral and cellular immunity and broad-based protection similar to IAV-nanovax. The H3N2-based IAV nanovaccine formulations induced systemic and mucosal B cell responses which were associated with antigen-specific antibodies. Additionally, systemic and lung-tissue resident CD4 and CD8 T cell responses were enhanced post-vaccination. These immune responses corresponded with protection against both homologous and heterosubtypic IAV infection. Overall, these results demonstrate the plug-and-play nature of the polyanhydride nanovaccine platform and its ability to generate immunity and protection against IAV utilizing diverse antigenic payloads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The loading of processed peptides on to major histocompatibility complex II (MHC-II) molecules for recognition by T cells is vital to cell-mediated adaptive immunity. As part of this process, MHC-II associates with the invariant chain (Ii) during biosynthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum to prevent premature peptide loading and to serve as a scaffold for subsequent proteolytic processing into MHC-II-CLIP. Cryo-electron microscopy structures of full-length Human Leukocyte Antigen-DR (HLA-DR) and HLA-DQ complexes associated with Ii, resolved at 3.0 to 3.1 Å, elucidate the trimeric assembly of the HLA/Ii complex and define atomic-level interactions between HLA, Ii transmembrane domains, loop domains, and class II-associated invariant chain peptides (CLIP). Together with previous structures of MHC-II peptide loading intermediates DO and DM, our findings complete the structural path governing class II antigen presentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the SARS-CoV-2 virus remains one of the main causes of severe respiratory system infections, the Food and Drug Administration strongly advises the continuation of current vaccination programs, including the distribution of updated boosters, especially in high-risk groups of patients. Therefore, there is an unceasing need for further research on the safety and, no less importantly, the clinical effectivity of the vaccines, with an extra focus on cohorts of patients with underlying health problems. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in possibly immunocompromised children with rheumatic disease while utilizing the interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) as a marker for COVID-19 immunity in the study follow-up. Methods: This prospective study was performed in a group of 55 pediatric patients diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Eight participants were immunized with the Comirnaty mRNA vaccine before the research commenced, while the rest of the group (n = 47) had not been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. At the study baseline, the cellular response to the virus antigen was measured using a specific quantitative IGRA in whole blood; subsequently, the anti-SARS-CoV-2 test was performed, marking the antibodies' levels in serum. Around four months after the enrollment of the last patient in the study, a follow-up survey regarding the events of COVID-19 infection within the cohort was conducted. Results: The study confirmed that all the vaccinated children developed specific T-cell (p = 0.0016) and humoral (p = 0.001 for IgA antibodies, p = 0.008 for IgG antibodies) responses to the inoculation, including those receiving biological treatment and those on conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. The study also showed the different patterns of immunity elicited both after infection and post-vaccination, with higher levels of antibodies and T-cell response after inoculation than after natural exposure to the pathogen. According to the follow-up survey, six children developed PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas the additional 10 patients admitted to having COVID-like symptoms with no laboratory verification. Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations elicit valid immune responses in pediatric rheumatic patients. Including the assessment of T-cell immunity in the evaluation of inoculation-induced immunization can enhance the accuracy of sole humoral response assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest global health problem in the last hundred years. The efficacy of the vaccine to protect against severe disease is estimated to be 70–95% according to the studies carried out, although there are aspects of the immune response to the vaccine that remain unclear. Methods: Humoral and cellular immunity after the administration of three doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech and Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 over one year and the appearance of post-vaccination COVID-19 were studied. SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgA antibodies, αβ and γδ T-cell subsets, and their differentiation stages and apoptosis were analyzed. Results: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgA antibodies showed a progressive increase throughout the duration of the study. This increase was the greatest after the third dose. The highest levels were observed in subjects who had anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies prior to vaccination. There was an increase in CD4+ αβ, CD8+ γδ and TEM CD8+ γδ T cells, and a decrease in apoptosis in CD4+ CD8+ and CD56+ αβ and γδ T cells. Post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infection was greater than 60%. The symptoms of COVID-19 were very mild and were related to a γδ T cell deficit, specifically CD8+ TEMRA and CD56+ γδ TEM, as well as lower pre-vaccine apoptosis levels. Conclusions: The results unveil the important role of γδ T cells in SARS-CoV-2-vaccine-mediated protection from the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]