Virion glycoproteins such as glycoprotein D (gD) are believed to be the dominant antigens of herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2). We have observed that mice immunized with a live HSV-2 ICP0- mutant virus, HSV-2 0ΔNLS, are 10 to 100 times better protected against genital herpes than mice immunized with a HSV-2 gD subunit vaccine (PLoS ONE 6:e17748). In light of these results, we sought to determine w...

We recently constructed a novel non-replicating dominant-negative HSV-2 recombinant viral vaccine (CJ2-gD2) capable of expressing various HSV-2 antigens that are dominant targets of HSV-2-specific CD8 T-cell response. Importantly, CJ2-gD2 expresses gD2, the HSV-2 major antigen glycoprotein D, as efficiently as wild-type HSV-2 infection and can lead to a nearly 500-fold reduction in wild-type HS...

There is a need for a more efficient vaccine against the bacterium Yersinia pestis, the agent of pneumonic plague. The F1-LcrV (F1-V) subunit vaccine in alhydrogel is known to induce humoral immunity. In this study, we utilized DC to investigate cellular immunity. We genetically engineered the LcrV virulence protein into the anti-DEC-205/CD205 mAb and thereby targeted the conjugated protein dir...

We designed an amebiasis subunit vaccine that is constructed by using four peptide epitopes of the galactose-inhibitable lectin heavy subunit that were recognized by intestinal secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies from immune human subjects. These epitopes are contained in the region encompassing amino acids 758 to 1134 of the lectin heavy subunit, designated LC3. Baboons (Papio anubis) ...

PURPOSE Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important causes of nosocomial and community-acquired infections. The increasing incidence of multiple antibiotic-resistant S. aureus strains and the emergence of vancomycin resistant S. aureus strains have placed renewed interest on alternative means of prevention and control of infection. S. aureus produces a variety of virulence factors, so a ...

OBJECTIVE(S) Brucellosis, especially caused by Brucella melitensis, remains one of the most common zoonotic diseases worldwide with more than 500,000 human cases reported annually. The commonly used live attenuated vaccine in ovine brucellosis prophylaxis is B. melitensis Rev1. But due to different problems caused by the administration of this vaccine, a protective subunit vaccine against B. me...

An influenza pandemic remains a major public health concern. A key strategy to prevent a pandemic is to stockpile and pre-position stable influenza vaccine to allow rapid deployment in response to an outbreak. However, most influenza vaccines today are formulated as liquids that are stable only within a temperature range of 2°C to 8°C and require use of a cold chain, making vaccine transportati...

We previously developed a gene-based vaccine, termed 4pox, which targets four orthopoxvirus proteins (A33, L1, B5, and A27). Because any subunit orthopoxvirus vaccine must protect against multiple species of orthopoxviruses, we are interested in understanding the cross-protective potential of our 4pox vaccine target immunogens. In our current studies, we focused on the A33 immunogen. We found o...

Soybean seeds possess several inherent qualities that make them an ideal host for the production of biopharmaceuticals when compared with other plant-based and non-plant-based recombinant expression systems (e.g., low cost of production, high protein to biomass ratio, long-term stability of seed proteins under ambient conditions, etc.). To demonstrate the practicality and feasibility of this pl...

BACKGROUND An adjuvanted recombinant varicella zoster virus (VZV) subunit vaccine is being developed for the prevention of herpes zoster and its complications. METHODS In a phase I/II, open-label, randomized, parallel-group study, older adults (50-70 years) received 2 doses 2 months apart of an adjuvanted recombinant glycoprotein E vaccine (HZ/su; n = 45), a live attenuated Oka strain VZV vac...