Immunobiology of Carbohydrates: Implications for Novel Vaccine and Adjuvant Design Against Infectious Diseases

open5sìCarbohydrates are ubiquitous molecules expressed on the surface of nearly all living cells, and their interaction with carbohydrate-binding proteins is critical to many immunobiological processes. Carbohydrates are utilized as antigens in many licensed vaccines against bacterial pathogens. More recently, they have also been considered as adjuvants. Interestingly, unlike other types of vaccines, adjuvants have improved immune response to carbohydrate-based vaccine in humans only in a few cases. Furthermore, despite the discovery of many new adjuvants in the last years, aluminum salts, when needed, remain the only authorized adjuvant for carbohydrate-based vaccines. In this review, we highlight historical and recent advances on the use of glycans either as vaccine antigens or adjuvants, and we review the use of currently available adjuvants to improve the efficacy of carbohydrate-based vaccines. A better understanding of the mechanism of carbohydrate interaction with innate and adaptive immune cells will benefit the design of a new generation of glycan-based vaccines and of immunomodulators to fight both longstanding and emerging diseases.openStefanetti, Giuseppe; Borriello, Francesco; Richichi, Barbara; Zanoni, Ivan; Lay, LuigiStefanetti, Giuseppe; Borriello, Francesco; Richichi, Barbara; Zanoni, Ivan; Lay, Luig

Implant Abutment Cleaning by Plasma of Argon: 5â Year Followâ Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142177/1/jper0434.pd

Aesthetic- And patient- related outcomes following root coverage procedures: A systematic review and network meta- analysis

BackgroundAim of this systematic review (SR) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was to evaluate effect of different flap designs and graft materials for root coverage, in terms of aesthetics, patient satisfaction and self- reported morbidity (post- operative pain/discomfort).Material and MethodsA comprehensive literature search was performed. A mixed- modelling approach to network meta- analysis was utilized to formulate direct and indirect comparisons among treatments for Root Coverage Esthetic Score (RES), with its individual components, and for subjective patient- reported satisfaction and post- operative pain/discomfort (visual analogue scale (VAS) of 100).ResultsTwenty- six RCTs with a total of 867 treated patients (1708 recessions) were included. Coronally Advanced Flap (CAF) + Connective Tissue Graft (CTG) (0.74 (95% CI [0.24, 1.26], p = .005)), Tunnel (TUN) + CTG (0.84 (95% CI [0.15, 1.53]), p = .01) and CAF + Graft substitutes (GS) (0.55 (95% CI [0.006, 1.094], p = .04)) were significantly associated with higher RES than CAF. No significant difference between CAF + CTG and TUN + CTG was detected (0.09 (95% CI [- 0.54, 0.72], p = .77)). Addition of CTG resulted in less natural tissue texture (- 0.21 (95% CI [- 0.34, - 0.08]), p = .003) and gingival colour (- 0.06 (95% CI [- 0.12, - 0.03], p = .03)) than CAF. CTG techniques were associated with increased morbidity.ConclusionsConnective tissue graft procedures showed highest overall aesthetic performance for root coverage, although graft integration might impair soft tissue colour and appearance. Additionally, CTG- based techniques were also correlated with a greater patient satisfaction and morbidity.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163404/2/jcpe13346.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163404/1/jcpe13346_am.pd

Preparation and immunogenicity of gold glyco-nanoparticles as antipneumococcal vaccine model

Nanotechnology-based fully synthetic carbohydrate vaccines are promising alternatives to classic polysaccharide/protein conjugate vaccines. We have prepared gold glyco-nanoparticles (GNP) bearing two synthetic carbohydrate antigens related to serotypes 19F and 14 of Streptococcus pneumoniae and evaluated their immunogenicity in vivo. Results: A tetrasaccharide fragment of serotype 14 (Tetra-14), a trisaccharide fragment of serotype 19F (Tri-19F), a T-helper peptide and d -glucose were loaded onto GNP in different ratios. Mice immunization showed that the concomitant presence of Tri-19F and Tetra-14 on the same nanoparticle critically enhanced the titers of specific IgG antibodies toward type 14 polysaccharide compared with GNP exclusively displaying Tetra-14, while no IgG antibodies against type 19F polysaccharide were elicited. Conclusion: This work is a step forward toward synthetic nanosystems combining carbohydrate antigens and immunogenic peptides as potential carbohydrate-based vaccines

Long term assessment of root coverage stability using connective tissue graft with or without an epithelial collar for gingival recession treatment. A 12-year follow-up from a randomized clinical trial

AimTo evaluate the long term root coverage outcomes of coronally advanced flap plus a connective tissue graft with (CAF + CTG) or without an epithelial collar (CAF + ECTG), and evaluate the adjacent treated sites included in the flap.MethodsSeventeen of the original 20 subjects included in the randomized clinical trial were available at 12 years (43 sites). Mean root coverage (mRC), keratinized tissue width (KTW), gingival thickness (GT) on the grafted and adjacent sites were evaluated and compared with baseline and 6 months.ResultThere was a reduction in the mRC at all sites: 16.52% in the CAF + CTG (p > .05), 19.42% in the CAF + ECTG (p  .05). Keratinized tissue width at baseline and at 6 months was found to be predictors for the stability of the gingival margin in the long term.ConclusionsCAF + CTG and CAF + ECTG were found equally efficacious in maintaining the levels of the gingival margin with a small amount of relapse over the period of 12 years while CAF-alone sites showed a greater gingival recession (GR) reoccurrence.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151994/1/jcpe13187_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151994/2/jcpe13187.pd

Surface mannosylation of dispersion polymerisation derived nanoparticles by copper mediated click chemistry

The synthesis of spherical polymeric nanoparticles containing alkyne surface functionalities for post poly- merisation glycosylation is described. The nanoparticles were obtained by a polymerisation induced self- assembly (PISA) inspired methodology in dispersed media by Cu(0) mediated polymerisation. A water soluble poly(ethylene glycol methacrylate-stat-propargyl methacrylate), poly(PEGMA18-stat-PgMA5), macroinitiator was first synthesised and chain extended with 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA) in water using a copper wire catalyst. It was found that irrespective of the macroinitiator to HPMA ratio and the reaction time the desired spherical morphologies (<100 nm) were obtained while the absence other morphologies suggest a deviation from the classical PISA process due to chain termination in the nano- particle’s core. The obtained nanoparticles contained alkyne functionalities in the shell, which were suc- cessfully reacted by copper mediated click chemistry with fluoresceine azide and mannosides with hydro- phobic and hydrophilic spacers of different lengths. The obtained mannosylated nanoparticles displayed no significant cytotoxicity against human alveolar basal epithelial adenocarcinomic (A549) cells at any dose <0.5 mg mL−1. Preliminary binding studies confirm the ability of the mannosylated nanoparticles to bind to human lectin dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN). The methodology reported here is a convenient route to well-defined spherical and shell- functionalisable nanoparticles to create libraries of bio-active nanomaterials

New generation of optical robotic sensor applied to small notch detection

In this paper the experimental application of a new class of an optical pressure sensor based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-Au is shown. The sensor consists of a tapered bended optical fiber, where an optical signal goes across, embedded into a PDMS-gold nanocomposite material (GNM) and it is used for scanning surfaces while it is moved automatically by a controlled servomotor. The sensor data during the scanning may be used for detecting a small notch on a beam. The experimental results are very encouraging for foreseeing successful use of this new sensor in robotic applications

Ridge preservation techniques to avoid invasive bone reconstruction: A systematic review and meta-analysis: Naples Consensus Report Working Group C

Purpose: To analyse and compare the dimensional changes of unassisted extraction sockets with alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) techniques and investigate any factors that impact the resorption of the alveolar bone. Materials and methods: A systematic search was conducted to identify randomised clinical trials (RCTs). All data were extracted, and a meta-analysis was performed for the changes in all buccolingual ridge width, midbuccal and midlingual ridge height, and mesial and distal ridge height, and horizontal width at reference points apical to the crestal area. Results: Based on 14 RCTs, the effectiveness of ARP in reducing the dimensions of the postextraction alveolar socket was confirmed. The clinical magnitude of this effect was 1.95 mm in the buccolingual ridge width, 1.62 mm in the midbuccal ridge height, and 1.26 mm on the midlingual ridge height. Additionally, 0.45 mm and 0.34 mm for mesial and distal ridge height, and 1.21 mm, and 0.76 mm for ridge width changes at points 3 and 5 mm apical to the crest were noted. Meta-regression analyses revealed that the reflection of flaps and primary wound coverage during ARP may have detrimental effects on bone remodelling, while no statistical significance was observed for any of the bone graft substitutes or the percentage of molar sockets. Conclusions: Regardless of the protocol, ARP can only minimise ridge resorption. ARP is most effective on horizontal ridge width, providing the most benefit coronally (approximating the crest), followed by the midbuccal ridge height.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/169220/1/BarootchietalIJOI_2019_04_s0399.pdfDescription of BarootchietalIJOI_2019_04_s0399.pdf : Full text of published articleSEL