Outbreaks of smallpox (i.e., caused by variola virus) resulted in up to 30% mortality, but those who survived smallpox infection were regarded as immune for life. Early studies described the levels of neutralizing antibodies induced after infection, but smallpox was eradicated before contemporary methods for quantifying T-cell memory were developed. To better understand the levels and duration ...

A hemagglutination test capable of demonstrating antibodies in sera of ragweed-sensitive individuals has been described in detail. This test involves coupling of the antigen to rabbit erythrocytes via stable azo bonds. The antigen-coated cells are then suspended in the serum which is suspected to contain the homologous antibodies. The test has been shown to be specific and highly sensitive. Pre...

B7-H1 (aka PD-L1) blocking antibodies have been used in treatment of human cancers through blocking B7-H1 expressed by tumor cells; however, their impact on B7-H1 expressing tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells is still unknown. Here, we report that tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells expressing B7-H1 are functional effector cells. In contrast to normal B7-H1 blocking antibody, B7-H1 antibodies capable of activ...

To define domains of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1) that are important to its ability to inhibit fibroblast-type collagenase (FIB-CL), two different approaches were used: (i) competition with synthetic peptides modeled after the human TIMP-1 sequence and (ii) localization of epitopes of blocking antibodies. TIMP-1 consists of six loops, held in place by six disulfide bonds arra...

Exercise has been shown to positively augment adult hippocampal neurogenesis; however, the cellular and molecular pathways mediating this effect remain largely unknown. Previous studies have suggested that microglia may have the ability to differentially instruct neurogenesis in the adult brain. Here, we used transgenic Csf1r-GFP mice to investigate whether hippocampal microglia directly influe...

The tumour specific antigens and tumour associated embryonic antigens expressed on chemically induced rat hepatomata and sarcomata have been shown to be different by means of blocking antibody studies. Serum from multiparous female rats contained blocking antibody which protected both tumour and embryo cells from the in vitro cytotoxic effect of lymph node cells from multiparous donors. These s...

The goal of the AntiBotABE Program was the development of recombinant antibodies that neutralize botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) A, B and E. These serotypes are lethal and responsible for most human botulinum cases. To improve therapeutic efficacy, the heavy and light chains (HC and LC) of the three BoNT serotypes were targeted to achieve a synergistic effect (oligoclonal antibodies). For antibody...

Immunization of New Zealand White rabbits with purified visna virus elicited antibody activity demonstrated by passive hemagglutination (PHA), complement fixation (CF), and indirect immunofluorescent tests. The antibody activities of hyperimmune sera and Sephadex G-200 fractions of the sera were studied. It was found that the PHA test was 10 to 100 times more sensitive than the CF test in detec...

A blocking ELISA targeting an immunodominant West Nile epitope on the West Nile Virus NS1 protein was assessed for the detection of West Nile-specific antibodies in blood samples collected from 584 sentinel chickens and 238 wild birds collected in New Jersey from May-December 2000. Ten mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) experimentally infected with West Nile virus and six uninfected controls we...

Antibody blockade of immune checkpoint regulators such as PD-1 and CTLA4 has been shown to be an effective cancer treatment strategy; however, a large percentage of patients still do not respond to existing therapies. Discovery of additional immune checkpoints and development of antibody therapeutics against them are likely critical to address this unmet patient need. We generated a comprehensi...