Current cell therapies for systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease in which multiple organs are damaged by the immune system. Although standard treatment options such as hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), glucocorticoids (GCs), and other immunosuppressive or immune-modulating agents can help to manage symptoms, they do not offer a cure. Hence, there is an urgent need for the development of novel drugs and therapies. In recent decades, cell therapies have been used for the treatment of SLE with encouraging results. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, mesenchymal stem cells, regulatory T (Treg) cell, natural killer cells, and chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cells are advanced cell therapies which have been developed and evaluated in clinical trials in humans. In clinical application, each of these approaches has shown advantages and disadvantages. In addition, further studies are necessary to conclusively establish the safety and efficacy of these therapies. This review provides a summary of recent clinical trials investigating cell therapies for SLE treatment, along with a discussion on the potential of other cell-based therapies. The factors influencing the selection of common cell therapies for individual patients are also highlighted.

Bone Marrow-Derived Mononuclear Cells in the Treatment of Neurological Diseases: Knowns and Unknowns.

Bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) have been used for decades in preclinical and clinical studies to treat various neurological diseases. However, there is still a knowledge gap in the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of BMMNCs in the treatment of neurological diseases. In addition, prerequisite factors for the efficacy of BMMNC administration, such as the optimal route, dose, and number of administrations, remain unclear. In this review, we discuss known and unknown aspects of BMMNCs, including the cell harvesting, administration route and dose; mechanisms of action; and their applications in neurological diseases, including stroke, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, autism spectrum disorder, and epilepsy. Furthermore, recommendations on indications for BMMNC administration and the advantages and limitations of BMMNC applications for neurological diseases are discussed. BMMNCs in the treatment of neurological diseases. BMMNCs have been applied in several neurological diseases. Proposed mechanisms for the action of BMMNCs include homing, differentiation and paracrine effects (angiogenesis, neuroprotection, and anti-inflammation). Further studies should be performed to determine the optimal cell dose and administration route, the roles of BMMNC subtypes, and the indications for the use of BMMNCs in neurological conditions with and without genetic abnormalities.

Targeting Antigens for Universal Influenza Vaccine Development.

Traditional influenza vaccines generate strain-specific antibodies which cannot provide protection against divergent influenza virus strains. Further, due to frequent antigenic shifts and drift of influenza viruses, annual reformulation and revaccination are required in order to match circulating strains. Thus, the development of a universal influenza vaccine (UIV) is critical for long-term protection against all seasonal influenza virus strains, as well as to provide protection against a potential pandemic virus. One of the most important strategies in the development of UIVs is the selection of optimal targeting antigens to generate broadly cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies or cross-reactive T cell responses against divergent influenza virus strains. However, each type of target antigen for UIVs has advantages and limitations for the generation of sufficient immune responses against divergent influenza viruses. Herein, we review current strategies and perspectives regarding the use of antigens, including hemagglutinin, neuraminidase, matrix proteins, and internal proteins, for universal influenza vaccine development.

Influenza Chimeric Protein (3M2e-3HA2-NP) Adjuvanted with PGA/Alum Confers Cross-Protection against Heterologous Influenza A Viruses.

Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent influenza virus infections. However, conventional vaccines based on hemagglutinin (HA) have to be annually updated because the HA of influenza viruses constantly mutates. In this study, we produced a 3M2e-3HA2-NP chimeric protein as a vaccine antigen candidate using an Escherichia coli expression system. The vaccination of chimeric protein (15 µg) conferred complete protection against A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (H1N1; PR8) in mice. It strongly induced influenza virus-specific antibody responses, cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. To spare the dose and enhance the cross-reactivity of the chimeric, we used a complex of poly-γ-glutamic acid and alum (PGA/alum) as an adjuvant. PGA/alum-adjuvanted, low-dose chimeric protein (1 or 5 µg) exhibited higher cross-protective effects against influenza A viruses (PR8, CA04, and H3N2) compared with those of chimeric alone or alum-adjuvanted proteins in vaccinated mice. Moreover, the depletion of CD4+ T, CD8+ T, and NK cells reduced the survival rate and efficacy of the PGA/alum-adjuvanted chimeric protein. Collectively, the vaccination of PGA/alum-adjuvanted chimeric protein induced strong protection efficacy against homologous and heterologous influenza viruses in mice, which suggests that it may be a promising universal influenza vaccine candidate.

E. coli-Produced Monophosphoryl Lipid a Significantly Enhances Protective Immunity of Pandemic H1N1 Vaccine.

Emerging influenza viruses pose an extreme global risk to human health, resulting in an urgent need for effective vaccination against influenza infection. Adjuvants are vital components that can improve vaccine efficacy, yet only a few adjuvants have been licensed in human vaccines. Here, we investigate the adjuvant effects of Escherichia coli-produced monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL), named EcML, in enhancing the immunogenicity and efficacy of an influenza vaccine. Similar to MPL, EcML activated dendritic cells and enhanced the antigen processing of cells in vitro. Using ovalbumin (OVA) as a model antigen, EcML increased OVA-specific antibody production, cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity. The safety of EcML was demonstrated as being similar to that of MPL by showing not significant in vitro cell cytotoxicity but transient systemic inflammatory responses within 24 h in OVA immunized mice. Importantly, mice vaccinated with pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) vaccine antigen, combined with EcML, were fully protected from pH1N1 virus infection by enhanced influenza-specific antibody titers, hemagglutination inhibition titers, and IFN-γ- secreting cells. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that EcML might be a promising vaccine adjuvant for preventing influenza virus infection.

Development of Monoclonal Antibody Specific to Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Type A for Serodiagnosis.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious and economically devastating disease affecting cloven-hoofed livestock worldwide. FMD virus (FMDV) type A is one of the most common causes of FMD outbreaks among the seven FMDV serotypes, and its serological diagnosis is therefore important to confirm FMDV type A infection and to determine FMD vaccine efficacy. Here, we generated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific to FMDV type A via hybridoma systems using an inactivated FMDV type A (A22/Iraq/1964) and found 4 monoclones (#29, #106, #108, and #109) with high binding reactivity to FMDV type A among 594 primary clones. In particular, the #106 mAb had a higher binding reactivity to the inactivated FMDV type A than the other mAbs and a commercial mAb. Moreover, the #106 mAb showed no cross-reactivity to inactivated FMDV type South African territories 1, 2, and 3, and low reactivity to inactivated FMDV type O (O1 Manisa). Importantly, the solid-phase competitive ELISA (SPCE) using horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated #106 mAb detected FMDV type A-specific Abs in sera from FMD type A-vaccinated cattle more effectively than a commercial SPCE. These results suggest that the newly developed FMDV type A-specific mAb might be useful for diagnostic approaches for detecting Abs against FMDV type A.

Poly-γ-Glutamic Acid Complexed With Alum Induces Cross-Protective Immunity of Pandemic H1N1 Vaccine.

The use of a good vaccine adjuvant may induce a higher immunogenicity profile of vaccine antigens. Here, we developed a new adjuvant by combining poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) with alum (PGA/Alum) and investigated its ability to enhance the immunogenicity and the cross-reactive efficacy of pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) influenza vaccine antigen. PGA/Alum enhanced antigen delivery to draining lymph nodes and antigen-specific immunogenicity in mice using OVA as a model antigen. It also greatly increased OVA-specific antibody production, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). These abilities of PGA/Alum improved the protective efficacy of pH1N1 vaccine antigen by increasing hemagglutination-inhibition titers, enhancing ADCC and CTL activity, and speeding viral clearance following homologous viral challenge. Importantly, the cross-protective efficacy of pH1N1 vaccine against heterologous viruses [A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1) and A/Hong Kong/1/1968 (H3N2)] was significantly enhanced by PGA/Alum, and cross-reactive ADCC and CTL activities were observed. Together, our results strongly suggest that PGA/Alum may be a promising vaccine adjuvant for preventing influenza and other infectious diseases.

Photoshrinkage in polysaccharide gels with trivalent metal ions.

The giant anionic polysaccharide "sacran", which is composed of 6-deoxyhexoses, pentoses, uronic acids as well as hexoses, showed hydrophobization and insolubilization phenomena in response to ultraviolet light irradiation. The sacran solution became turbid, and microparticles were formed by photoirradiation. To visualize the results of this photoreaction, anionic polysaccharide gels cross-linked by metal cations were used. As a result, we observed that sacran-gels with trivalent metal ions gradually contracted depending on the photoirradiation energy. In contrast, alginate gels used as a comparison degraded instead of contracting. This photoshrinkage of the sacran gels may be attributed to the hydrophobization of uronic acid based on photodecarboxylation. We propose that sacran-metal ion gels can function as effective, photoresponsive gels.