COVID-19 outbreaks in a transmission control scenario: challenges posed by social and leisure activities, and for workers in vulnerable conditions, Spain, early summer 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 community-wide transmission declined in Spain by early May 2020, being replaced by outbreaks and sporadic cases. From mid-June to 2 August, excluding single household outbreaks, 673 outbreaks were notified nationally, 551 active (>6,200 cases) at the time. More than half of these outbreaks and cases coincided with: (i) social (family/friends’ gatherings or leisure venues) and (ii) occupational (mainly involving workers in vulnerable conditions) settings. Control measures were accordingly applied

Improvement of the synthetic tri-peptide vaccine (S3Pvac) against porcine Taenia solium cysticercosis in search of a more effective, inexpensive and manageable vaccine

Vaccination of pigs may curtail Taenia solium transmission by reducing the number of cysticerci, the precursors of adult intestinal tapeworms in humans. Several antigen preparations induce protection against porcine cysticercosis in experimental settings but only one subunit vaccine (S3Pvac) has been tested and proved effective in the field against naturally acquired disease. Besides improving of the vaccine's effectiveness, significant reductions in production costs and in the logistics of its administration are necessary for the feasibility of nationwide control programs. This review highlights the development of several versions of S3Pvac aimed to increase effectiveness, reduce costs and increase feasibility by novel delivery systems and alternative routes of administrationFil: Sciutto, Edda. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Rosas, Gabriela. Universidad Autónoma de Morelos; MéxicoFil: Hernández, Marisela. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Morales, Julio. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Cruz Revilla, Carmen. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Toledo, Andrea. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Manoutcharian, Karen. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Gevorkian, Goar. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Blancas, Abel. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Acero, Gonzalo. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Hernández, Beatriz. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Cervantes, Jacquelynne. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Bobes, Raul J.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Goldbaum, Fernando Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Huerta, Mirna. Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla; MéxicoFil: Diaz Orea, Alicia. Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social; MéxicoFil: Fleury, Agnes. Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía; MéxicoFil: de Aluja, Aline S.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Cabrera Ponce, José Luis. Unidad Irapuato. Unidad de Biotecnología e Ingeniería Genética de Plantas; MéxicoFil: Herrera Estrella, Luis. Unidad Irapuato. Unidad de Biotecnología e Ingeniería Genética de Plantas; MéxicoFil: Fragoso, Gladis. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Larralde, Carlos. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Méxic

Promoter polymorphisms of ST3GAL4 and ST6GAL1 genes and associations with risk of premalignant and malignant lesions of the cervix

"Sialyltransferase gene expression is altered in several cancers, including examples in the cervix. Transcriptional regulation of the responsible genes depends on different promoters. We aimed to determine the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the B3 promoter of the ST3GAL4 gene and the P1 promoter of the ST6GAL1 gene with cervical premalignant lesions or cervical cancer. A blood sample and/or cervical scrapes were obtained from 104 women with normal cytology, 154 with premalignant lesions and 100 with cervical cancer. We also included 119 blood samples of random donors. The polymorphisms were identified by sequencing from PCR products. For the B3 promoter, a fragment of 506 bp (from nucleotide -408 to +98) was analyzed, and for the P1 promoter a 490 bp (-326 to +164) fragment. The polymorphism analysis showed that at SNP rs10893506, genotypes CC and CT of the ST3GAL4 B3 promoter were associated with the presence of premalignant lesions (OR=2.89; 95%CI 1.72-4.85) and cervical cancer (OR=2.23; 95%CI 1.27-3.91). We detected only one allele of each polymorphism in the ST6GAL1 P1 promoter. We did not detect any genetic variability in the P1 promoter region in our study population. Our results suggest that the rs10893506 polymorphism -22C/T may increase susceptibility to premalignant and malignant lesions of the cervix"