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Pituitary Malfunction and Immune Abnormalities
Published in Istvan Berczi, Pituitary Function and Immunity, 2019
Duquesnoy24 studied the Ames strain of recessive pituitary dwarf mice and found lymphocyte depletion and involution of the thymus, peripheral lymphoid tissue lymphopenia, and wasting syndrome with death at a young age. The appearance of IgM and IgG hemolytic plaque-forming cells after immunization with sheep erythrocytes was delayed and significantly less in dwarf mice than in normal littermates. The GVH reactivity of spleen cells in young Ames × AKR/F1 hybrid mice was significantly lower in dwarf animals. However, there was no marked deficiencies in serum immunoglobulins and the colony-forming capacity of bone marrow cells was normal. The author suggested that in the Ames dwarf mouse the stem cell population in the bone marrow is normal, whereas the thymus-dependent lymphoid system is deficient.
Medical microbiology
Published in Lois N. Magner, Oliver J. Kim, A History of Medicine, 2017
The anthrax bacillus has been called the ideal biological weapon. In 2001, five people died in the United States and 13 became ill because of contact with letters containing anthrax spores. The strain used in the anthrax attacks was identified as the Ames strain, which could be found in several laboratories in the United States. Misinformation promulgated by the media in the wake of the anthrax attacks demonstrated the dangers of widespread scientific illiteracy. Confused and misleading descriptions of anthrax contributed to panic and hysteria. Commentators ignored the difference between viruses and bacteria, antibodies and antibiotics, and indiscriminately described anthrax as a virus, toxin, poison, fungal spore, or a dangerous chemical. Some media “experts” claimed that since anthrax was not a virus it was not contagious.
Vaccines against anthrax based on recombinant protective antigen: problems and solutions
Published in Expert Review of Vaccines, 2019
Olga A. Kondakova, Nikolai A. Nikitin, Ekaterina A. Evtushenko, Ekaterina M. Ryabchevskaya, Joseph G. Atabekov, Olga V. Karpova
Adjuvant efficacy depends on numerous parameters, including the immunization schedule. For example, Malic et al. [160] investigated the adjuvant potential of three compositions, comprising PA encapsulated in trimethylchitosan nanoparticles (PA-TMC) and PA-TMC combined with immunostimulants – agonists of toll-like receptors (TLR) – CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs) and polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly (I:C)), which were administered intramuscularly, subcutaneously or intraperitoneally. The results demonstrated that subcutaneous administration was the most effective for TMC-PA and CpG TMC-PA compositions, while for poly (I:C) TMC-PA composition, the maximum adjuvant activity was shown for subcutaneous and intramuscular administration. CpG ODNs – a TLR 9 agonist – is a candidate adjuvant (CPG 7909 adjuvant) for the AVA vaccine (BioThrax™) and is currently undergoing clinical trials. The results of Phase II of the clinical trials have been published [161]. Rao et al. [162] conducted a comparative study of different anthrax protective antigen (PA)-adjuvant vaccine formulations. The vaccine formulations included PA encapsulated in liposomes containing monophosphoryl lipid A L(PA+MPLA); stable liposomal oil-in-water emulsion; РА displayed on bacteriophage T4, which is simultaneously a delivery system and an immunostimulant; PA mixed with heat-labile E. coli enterotoxin (HLT) tested on two animal species: rhesus macaques and New Zealand white rabbits [162]. Different animal species demonstrated different immune responses. All the four vaccine preparations provided 100% protection for rhesus macaques against lethal challenge with В. anthracis Ames strain spores. In the New Zealand white rabbit model only two preparations (PA-liposomes and PA-HTL) induced 100% protection, while the protection of the other two ones was only partial. The L(PA+MPLA) group induced higher LT neutralizing titres than all other groups, including PA adsorbed onto Alhydrogel [162,163].