Biogas upgrading through kinetic separation of carbon dioxide and methane over Rb- and Cs-ZK-5 zeolites

© The Royal Society of Chemistry. Eight-membered ring (8 MR) zeolites hold large potential for industrial CO2 separations such as biogas separation. They offer large selectivity due to the constrained environment for adsorption, especially when large cations are present in the interconnecting windows. The Rb- and Cs-exchanged ZK-5 zeolites (8 MR KFI type zeolites) were studied for kinetic CO2/CH4 separation. First, Rb-ZK-5 and Cs-ZK-5 were thoroughly characterized via chemical analysis, argon porosimetry, X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinements. Afterwards, the CO2/CH4 separation potential of both adsorbents was assessed via the measurement of kinetic and equilibrium data (T = 261.15 - 323 K), breakthrough measurements at 303 K (P = 1 - 8 bar), and simulations of their performance. The high occupation of the central 8 MR sites with large cations causes strong diffusional limitations for CH4 on Rb-ZK-5 and Cs-ZK-5. As a result, both zeolites effectively separate CH4 from CO2 with very high selectivities (α = 17 at 1 bar and 303 K). Despite their very large CO2 selectivities, the performance of Rb-ZK-5 and Cs-ZK-5 was still lower than for the benchmark 13X zeolite on a larger scale. Future research needs to further unravel the adsorption mechanism on low-silica 8 MR zeolites and their corresponding potential in separation processes such as biogas purification. This journal iscrosscheck: This document is CrossCheck deposited related_data: Supplementary Information copyright_licence: The Royal Society of Chemistry has an exclusive publication licence for this journal copyright_licence: The accepted version of this article will be made freely available after a 12 month embargo period history: Received 15 October 2014; Accepted 3 November 2014; Accepted Manuscript published 3 November 2014; Version of Record published 20 November 2014status: publishe

Phase I/II trial of a dendritic cell vaccine transfected with DNA encoding melan A and gp100 for patients with metastatic melanoma

This trial tested a dendritic cell (DC) therapeutic cancer vaccine in which antigen is loaded using a novel non-viral transfection method enabling the uptake of plasmid DNA condensed with a cationic peptide. Proof of principle required the demonstration of diverse T lymphocyte responses following vaccination, including multiple reactivities restricted through both major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II. Patients with advanced melanoma were offered four cycles of vaccination with autologous DC expressing melan A and gp100. Disease response was measured using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours. Circulating MHC class I- and II-restricted responses were measured against peptide and whole antigen targets using interferon-γ ELIspot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay assays, respectively. Responses were analyzed across the trial population and presented descriptively for some individuals. Twenty-five patients received at least one cycle. Vaccination was well tolerated. Three patients had reduction in disease volume. Across the trial population, vaccination resulted in an expansion of effector responses to both antigens, to the human leukocyte antigen A2-restricted modified epitope, melan A ELAGIGILTV, and to a panel of MHC class I- and II-restricted epitopes. Vaccination with mature DC non-virally transfected with DNA encoding antigen had biological effect causing tumour regression and inducing diverse T lymphocyte responses

A phase I vaccination study with tyrosinase in patients with stage II melanoma using recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA-hTyr)

A significant percentage of patients with stage II melanomas suffer a relapse after surgery and therefore need the development of adjuvant therapies. In the study reported here, safety and immunological response were analyzed after vaccination in an adjuvant setting with recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara carrying the cDNA for human tyrosinase (MVA-hTyr). A total of 20 patients were included and vaccinated three times at 4-week intervals with 5x10(8) IU of MVA-hTyr each time. The responses to the viral vector, to known HLA class I-restricted tyrosinase peptides, and to dendritic cells transfected with tyrosinase mRNA, were investigated by ELISpot assay on both ex vivo T cells and on T cells stimulated in vitro prior to testing. The delivery of MVA-hTyr was safe and did not cause any side effects above grade 2. A strong response to the viral vector was achieved, indicated by an increase in the frequency of MVA-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and an increase in virus-specific antibody titers. However, no tyrosinase-specific T-cell or antibody response was observed with MVA-hTyr in any of the vaccinated patients. Although MVA-hTyr provides a safe and effective antigen-delivery system, it does not elicit a measurable immune response to its transgene product in patients with stage II melanoma after repeated combined intradermal and subcutaneous vaccination. We presume that modification of the antigen and/or prime-boost vaccination applying different approaches to antigen delivery may be required to induce an effective tyrosinase-specific immune respons