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Aptamers in Bacterial, Viral, and Parasitic Diseases
Published in Rakesh N. Veedu, Aptamers, 2017
Henning Ulrich, Arquimedes Cheffer, Flávia M. Zimbres, Attila Tárnok, Carsten Wrenger
Millions of people worldwide are affected by tuberculosis or multidrug-resistant bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus or Salmonella enterica, which make these diseases a public health problem. Although there is one vaccine against tuberculosis, which consists of an attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis, bacillus Calmette–Guėrin (BCG), its efficacy is limited to tuberculosis endemic regions [40]. In 2007 Chen et al. [41] obtained an aptamer called NK2, which binds with high affinity and specificity to membrane proteins present on the surface of the virulent M. tuberculosis strain H37Rv, not existing on BCG. Moreover, the interaction between the NK2 aptamer and H37Rv increased the production and release of IFN-γ by CD4+T cells, which is a protective cytokine against M. tuberculosis infections. When the NK2 aptamers-treated mice spleen was analyzed, a reduced bacterial number as compared to the control was observed [41]. Taken together, these data demonstrate the potency of the NK2 aptamer as an antimycobacterial agent.
An update on COVID-19: SARS-CoV-2 life cycle, immunopathology, and BCG vaccination
Published in Preparative Biochemistry & Biotechnology, 2021
Shankar M. Khade, Shivraj M. Yabaji, Jyoti Srivastava
Mycobacterium bovis BCG is an attenuated strain of virulent mycobacterial strain M. bovis and this attenuated strain has been used a vaccine for tuberculosis. The BCG vaccine is preferred to give in children and administered intradermally. The BCG vaccine was shown to protect TB in children in a better way as compared to adults. The BCG vaccine boosts the immune response, which helps to protect against infection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and few other unrelated pathogens, including viral infection.[57] The clinical trial data from BCG showed improved innate and adaptive immunity such as inflammatory Th1 cytokines, including IFNg, IL-1 and TNFa, and reduces Th2 cytokines IL-4.[58] The improved immune response play important role in control the upcoming viral or bacterial infections, and this is referred as a trained immunity.[59]