The Infona portal uses cookies, i.e. strings of text saved by a browser on the user's device. The portal can access those files and use them to remember the user's data, such as their chosen settings (screen view, interface language, etc.), or their login data. By using the Infona portal the user accepts automatic saving and using this information for portal operation purposes. More information on the subject can be found in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By closing this window the user confirms that they have read the information on cookie usage, and they accept the privacy policy and the way cookies are used by the portal. You can change the cookie settings in your browser.
This study aims to evaluate the antiviral role of nucleic acid-based agonists for the activation of toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathways, and its protective role in respiratory influenza A virus infections. TLR-3 is expressed on myeloid dendritic cells, respiratory epithelium, and macrophages, and appears to play a central role in mediating both the antiviral and inflammatory responses of the...
Cervical cancer is mainly associated with HPV genotype 16 infection. Recombinant measles virus (rMV) expressing HPV genotype 16 L1 capsid protein was generated by construction of an antigenomic plasmid, followed by rescue using the human “helper” cell line 293-3-46. In cell cultures the recombinant MV-L1 virus replicated practically as efficiently as the standard attenuated MV established as commercial...
Yersinia pestis continues to pose a threat as a potential biological weapon and is recognized by public health experts as a re-emerging infectious disease. Therefore there is great interest in developing a safe and effective vaccine. Vaccines against plague containing both the Fraction 1 (F1) and V antigens of Y. pestis have shown promise in protecting animal models against pneumonic plague, the deadliest...
Meningococcal disease is particularly severe. The case-fatality rate is 7.78% in Europe and 10–14% in the USA.This paper reports the results of a sero-epidemiological study in Italy on meningitis due to Meningococcus C before the introduction of the monovalent conjugate vaccine.In 2003–2004, a total of 577 sera were collected in 17 of the 20 Italian Regions. Serum Bactericidal Assay (SBA) was performed...
Cervical screening has resulted in a major reduction in the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in the UK and other developed countries. Nevertheless approximately 2700 women present with cervical cancer in the UK each year with mortality in excess of 1000 cases. Prophylactic HPV vaccination against HPV 16 and 18 has been shown to be highly effective in preventing HPV related malignancy in...
Taking the results of a prospective cohort study by our group that evaluated the effectiveness of the inactivated subunit virosomal influenza vaccine (Inflexal V ® , Crucell-Berna) in the prevention of influenza-related diseases and the reduction of its negative economic consequences, the economic costs and benefits for the family of vaccinating a theoretical cohort of 1000 healthy children...
The variability of immune response modulated by immune response gene polymorphisms is a significant factor in the protective effect of vaccines. We studied the association between cellular (cytokine) immunity and HLA genes among 738 schoolchildren (396 males and 342 females) between the ages of 11 and 19 years, who received two doses of rubella vaccine (Merck). Cytokine secretion levels in response...
There are no data currently available on gender and racial variation in smallpox vaccine immune responses. We recruited 1076 healthy adults 18–40 years old who received one dose of the US-licensed smallpox vaccine (Dryvax ® ). Vaccinia neutralizing antibody titers in each subject's serum were determined using a high throughput neutralization assay based on a recombinant, β-gal expressing vaccinia...
Recent investigations revealed strong immunosuppressive mechanisms in tumors that may block anti-tumor T cells and be responsible for failures of immunotherapies. Current attempts to overcome this immunosuppression include blockade of co-inhibitory factors on T cells. Reports from the respective trials indicate that the strategy can improve efficacy of therapeutic vaccination, but at the cost of severe...
Aiming to develop an animal model for anti-CD4 autoimmunity reflective of that observed in HIV-1 patients, we injected the selected peptides p1, p28 and p29 as the major immunogenic epitopes into HLA-DR4 and human CD4 transgenic DBA/16J mice, as well as into C57BL/6 and DBA mice. We document a decrease of CD4+ cells in peripheral blood and spleen after immunization with the human CD4-p28 immunogenic...
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of nosocomal and community acquired chronic infections in subjects with compromised respiratory function. The microbe is environmentally ubiquitious and has a high level of innate antimicrobial resistance. This has led researchers to investigate vaccine and immunotherapeutic approaches to prevent and treat P. aeruginosa infections. Seven cytosolic non-integral...
Liguria was the first Italian Administrative Region, since 2003, to actively recommend free-of-charge immunisation, of all infants, with heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV-7), within a research pilot-project. Vaccination coverage among infants rapidly increased from 42.8% in 2003 to 83.3% in 2004, progressively reaching levels of 93.4% in 2007. Two scientific projects have been carried...
Activation of innate immunity is critical for vaccine development and immunotherapy, through triggering antigen specific immune responses. Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a unique type of innate immune cells which exert potent anti-viral and anti-metastasis function, through producing interferon-γ and activating dendritic cells to present tumor antigens to CD8 T cells. alpha-Galactosylceramide, a...
HIV/AIDS has posed major challenges to the scientific community, both in terms of treatment and prevention. Current drug regimens, while efficacious, are expensive, inaccessible to major parts of the world, induce major side effects, and cannot prevent escape mutants due to lack of compliance and drug fatigue. In the vaccine field, recent setbacks related to the interruption and cancellation of major...
The aim of the present study was to investigate the immune response to native outer membrane vesicles (NOMVs) of Neisseria lactamica with and without Bordetella pertussis (BP) as adjuvant in intranasal (i.n./i.m) immunization. N. lactamica NOMVs delivered intranasally (i.n) to BALB/c mice in a final volume of 5μl that was gradually introduced with a micropipette, Animals received 1, 2, 3, or 4 doses...
Documentation of the safety of any vaccine is of paramount importance given the nature and scale of vaccination as a public health intervention. Prevenar ® was first approved for use in 2000, and includes seven pneumococcal serotypes conjugated to CRM 197 , a carrier protein that has been used safely in multiple conjugate vaccines for more than 20 years. The safety profile of Prevenar...
Safety and efficacy of adjuvanted vaccines in autoimmune individuals raises growing clinical and scientific interest. Protection from influenza would bring particular benefits in these patients with common cardiac and respiratory impairment. This study evaluates efficacy, clinical safety and immune effects of the administration of a single dose of a virosomal flu vaccine in 46 scleroderma patients...
To assess the safety and immunogenicity of influenza vaccination, patients with cirrhosis undergoing treatment or not and liver transplant recipients under standard immunosuppression were vaccinated and followed up for 6 months. One month after vaccination, seroprotection rates and antibody GMTs against the three vaccine antigens were higher than baseline levels in all three patients groups. No differences...
Set the date range to filter the displayed results. You can set a starting date, ending date or both. You can enter the dates manually or choose them from the calendar.