86 research outputs found
Systemic insecticide treatment of the canine reservoir of Trypanosoma cruzi induces high levels of lethality in Triatoma infestans, a principal vector of Chagas disease
BACKGROUND: Despite large-scale reductions in Chagas disease
prevalence across Central and South America, Trypanosoma cruzi
infection remains a considerable public health problem in the
Gran Chaco region where vector-borne transmission persists. In
these communities, peridomestic animals are major blood-meal
sources for triatomines, and household presence of infected dogs
increases T. cruzi transmission risk for humans. To address the
pressing need for field-friendly, complementary methods to
reduce triatomine infestation and interrupt T. cruzi
transmission, this study evaluated the systemic activity of
three commercial, oral, single dose insecticides Fluralaner
(Bravecto(R)), Afoxolaner (NexGard(R)) and Spinosad
(Comfortis(R)) in canine feed-through assays against Triatoma
infestans, the principal domestic vector species in the Southern
Cone of South America. METHODS: Twelve healthy, outbred dogs
were recruited from the Zoonosis Surveillance and Control
Program in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and randomized to three
treatment groups, each containing one control and three treated
dogs. Following oral drug administration, colony-reared second
and third stage T. infestans instars were offered to feed on
dogs for 30 min at 2, 7, 21, 34 and 51 days post-treatment.
RESULTS: Eighty-five per cent (768/907) of T. infestans
successfully blood-fed during bioassays, with significantly
higher proportions of bugs becoming fully-engorged when exposed
to Bravecto(R) treated dogs (P < 0.001) for reasons unknown.
Exposure to Bravecto(R) or NexGard(R) induced 100% triatomine
mortality in fully- or semi-engorged bugs within 5 days of
feeding for the entire follow-up period. The lethality effect
for Comfortis(R) was much lower (50-70%) and declined almost
entirely after 51 days. Instead Comfortis(R) treatment resulted
in substantial morbidity; of these, 30% fully recovered whereas
53% remained morbid after 120 h, the latter subsequently unable
to feed 30 days later. CONCLUSIONS: A single oral dose of
Fluralaner or Afoxolaner was safe and well tolerated, producing
complete triatomine mortality on treated dogs over 7.3 weeks.
While both drugs were highly efficacious, more bugs exposed to
Fluralaner took complete blood-meals, and experienced rapid
knock-down. Coupled with its longer residual activity,
Fluralaner represents an ideal insecticide for development into
a complementary, operationally-feasible, community-level method
of reducing triatomine infestation and potentially controlling
T. cruzi transmission, in the Gran Chaco region
Antibody targeting of Cathepsin S induces antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Proteolytic enzymes have been implicated in driving tumor progression by means of their cancer cell microenvironment activity where they promote proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Therapeutic strategies have focused on attenuating their activity using small molecule inhibitors, but the association of proteases with the cell surface during cancer progression opens up the possibility of targeting these using antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Cathepsin S is a lysosomal cysteine protease that promotes the growth and invasion of tumour and endothelial cells during cancer progression. Our analysis of colorectal cancer patient biopsies shows that cathepsin S associates with the cell membrane indicating a potential for ADCC targeting.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we report the cell surface characterization of cathepsin S and the development of a humanized antibody (Fsn0503h) with immune effector function and a stable <it>in vivo </it>half-life of 274 hours. Cathepsin S is expressed on the surface of tumor cells representative of colorectal and pancreatic cancer (23%-79% positive expression). Furthermore the binding of Fsn0503h to surface associated cathepsin S results in natural killer (NK) cell targeted tumor killing. In a colorectal cancer model Fsn0503h elicits a 22% cytotoxic effect.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This data highlights the potential to target cell surface associated enzymes, such as cathepsin S, as therapeutic targets using antibodies capable of elicitingADCC in tumor cells.</p
Phase I dose escalation pharmacokinetic assessment of intravenous humanized anti-MUC1 antibody AS1402 in patients with advanced breast cancer
Characterisation and internalisation of recombinant humanised HMFG-1 antibodies against MUC1
The humanised HMFG-1 immunoglobulin has been extensively developed as a clinical immunotherapeutic agent for MUC1 expressing tumours. We have constructed a single-chain Fv (scFv) and Fab fragment from this antibody and shown that both these species retain their specificity for MUC1. The scFv was less stable and less soluble than the Fab. Detailed analyses of the binding kinetics of the whole IgG and Fab fragment show that the affinity for MUC1 synthetic peptides is low (approximately 100βn for the IgG and 10βΞΌ for the Fab), with particularly low but similar dissociation rate constants (0.031β0.095βsβ1). Binding to native antigen on the cell surface is over two orders of magnitude better. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy shows that both the IgG and Fab are internalised rapidly (the IgG is internalised within 15βmin) and colocalise to early endosomes. This work provides an appreciation of the binding, internalising and trafficking kinetics, important for the development of future therapeutics based on this antibody
Botulinum Neurotoxins and Botulism: A Novel Therapeutic Approach
Specific treatment is not available for human botulism. Current remedial mainstay is the passive administration of polyclonal antibody to botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) derived from heterologous species (immunized animal or mouse hybridoma) together with supportive and symptomatic management. The antibody works extracellularly, probably by blocking the binding of receptor binding (R) domain to the neuronal receptors; thus inhibiting cellular entry of the holo-BoNT. The antibody cannot neutralize the intracellular toxin. Moreover, a conventional antibody with relatively large molecular size (150 kDa) is not accessible to the enzymatic groove and, thus, cannot directly inhibit the BoNT zinc metalloprotease activity. Recently, a 15β20 kDa single domain antibody (VHH) that binds specifically to light chain of BoNT serotype A was produced from a humanized-camel VH/VHH phage display library. The VHH has high sequence homology (>80%) to the human VH and could block the enzymatic activity of the BoNT. Molecular docking revealed not only the interface binding between the VHH and the toxin but also an insertion of the VHH CDR3 into the toxin enzymatic pocket. It is envisaged that, by molecular linking the VHH to a cell penetrating peptide (CPP), the CPP-VHH fusion protein would be able to traverse the hydrophobic cell membrane into the cytoplasm and inhibit the intracellular BoNT. This presents a novel and safe immunotherapeutic strategy for botulism by using a cell penetrating, humanized-single domain antibody that inhibits the BoNT by means of a direct blockade of the groove of the menace enzyme
CIPROFLOXACIN RESISTANCE PATTERN AMONG BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM PATIENTS WITH COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED URINARY TRACT INFECTION
The humoral immune response of patients receiving radiolabelled murine monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of malignant neoplasia
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