The role of transcription factors of neurosensory cells in non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss with or without inner ear malformation

Conclusions: Previous studies have stated the roles and correlation of the four TFs (Sox2, Atoh1, Neurog1, and Neurod1) in the development of neurosensory cells. but whether they are inherited pathogenic factors to cause non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss is unknown so far. This is the first time for screening the Sox2, Atoh1, Neurog1, and Neurod1 genes in children with NSHL. The c.133A > G in Neurod1 gene is a polymorphism, which is not associated with NSHL. Although these genes are the recognized TFs for modulating the development and transformation of NSCs, they may not be the inherited pathogenic factors to cause congenital severe or profound NSHL directly. Objective: To investigate the effect of the transcription factors (TFs) for the development of neurosensory cells (NSCs) and to explore the genetic etiology of congenital profound non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss (NSHL). Methods: Children with NSHL, from multi-national and regional group, and control group were recruited to screen for the most common mutations for non-syndromic deafness among East Asian (mtDNA 12S rRNA: 1555A > G, 1494C > T; SLC26A4: IVS7-2 A > G, 2168 C > T). And mutational analysis of the coding regions in Sox2, Atoh1 and Neurog1, Neurod1 genes were performed. Results: Only the c.133A > G (p. Ala45Thr) in the Neurod1 gene was detected in this study. The allele frequencies of this variant were 88.00% and 84.88% in the inner ear malformation group and the normal inner ear group, respectively, while 90.85% of children in the control group carried c.133A > G. This variant existed in every group commonly and had no significant difference among them. No variant in the other two TFs was detected in this cohort

Nonhuman Primates Are Protected against Marburg Virus Disease by Vaccination with a Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Vector-Based Vaccine Prepared under Conditions to Allow Advancement to Human Clinical Trials

Vaccines are needed to disrupt or prevent continued outbreaks of filoviruses in humans across Western and Central Africa, including outbreaks of Marburg virus (MARV). As part of a filovirus vaccine product development plan, it is important to investigate dose response early in preclinical development to identify the dose range that may be optimal for safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy, and perhaps demonstrate that using lower doses is feasible, which will improve product access. To determine the efficacious dose range for a manufacturing-ready live recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus vaccine vector (rVSV∆G-MARV-GP) encoding the MARV glycoprotein (GP), a dose-range study was conducted in cynomolgus macaques. Results showed that a single intramuscular injection with as little as 200 plaque-forming units (PFUs) was 100% efficacious against lethality and prevented development of viremia and clinical pathologies associated with MARV Angola infection. Across the vaccine doses tested, there was nearly a 2000-fold range of anti-MARV glycoprotein (GP) serum IgG titers with seroconversion detectable even at the lowest doses. Virus-neutralizing serum antibodies also were detected in animals vaccinated with the higher vaccine doses indicating that vaccination induced functional antibodies, but that the assay was a less sensitive indicator of seroconversion. Collectively, the data indicates that a relatively wide range of anti-GP serum IgG titers are observed in animals that are protected from disease implying that seroconversion is positively associated with efficacy, but that more extensive immunologic analyses on samples collected from our study as well as future preclinical studies will be valuable in identifying additional immune responses correlated with protection that can serve as markers to monitor in human trials needed to generate data that can support vaccine licensure in the future

Serum anti-Env IgG antibody responses.

<p>(a) Mean anti-Env endpoint titers (4 animals/group) against JR-FL foldon trimer were determined over the course of the 11 week experiment as described previously.(b) Week 6 endpoint titers for mice primed with pEnvG/pIL-12 (group 1/2/3, N = 12), IN rVSV-EnvG₄-G₆ (group 4/5, N = 8), or IM rVSV-EnvG₄-G₆ (group 6/7, N = 8). *p<0.05 compared to group 1/2/3. (c) Week 8 endpoint titers for all groups. (d) Week 11 endpoint titers for all groups. *p<0.05 compared to group 1. ^#p<0.05 compared to group 2. ⁺p<0.05 compared to group 3. ∧p<0.05 compared to group 4. ^∇p<0.05 compared to group 5. (e) Ratio of IgG2a to IgG1endpoint titers at week 11. (f) Neutralization of HIV-1 virus pseudo-typed with SF162.LS Env as measured in a standard TZM-bl neutralization assay using IgG purified from week 11 sera of selected groups. SEM is shown.</p

Genetic layout of the rVSV-EnvG₄-G₆ vector, HIV-1 Env, and the EnvG insert.

<p>VSV genes are shown in the 3′ to 5′ orientation as ordered on the recombinant genomic VSV plasmid and are not to scale. Arrows below each VSV gene depict the diminishing 3′-to-5′ mRNA transcription gradient. ss: signal sequence. MPER: membrane proximal external region. TM: transmembrane domain. CT: cytoplasmic tail domain. Star denotes site of intracellular Env(G) cleavage by furin.</p

Murine Immunization Regimens.

<p>* Groups 1–3 were primed twice, at weeks 0 and 3; groups 4–7 were primed once at week 3.</p><p>∧All groups were boosted at week 6. <b>IN</b>: Intranasal; <b>IM</b>: Intramuscular. <i>Superscript</i> IN/NJ denotes strain of rVSV used.</p><p>Murine Immunization Regimens.</p

Surface staining of rVSV-EnvG₄-G₆-infected Vero cells and rVSV-EnvG₄-G₆ particles.

<p>(a) After a 22 hr infection, Vero cells were detached from plate by gentle trypsin treatment and resuspended in PBS. 5×10⁶ cells were analyzed for VSV G and HIV-1 EnvG surface expression. All cells analyzed for Env staining were first gated as positive for G staining. (b) For rVSV staining, 10⁹ pfu of virus was bound to alum at 37°C with agitation. rVSV/alum conjugates were stained with titrated anti-VSV-G (Vi10) or anti-HIV-1 Env Ab followed by anti-human IgG or anti-mouse IgG2a Alexa555 and acquired on a modified LSRII flow cytometer. Median fluorescent intensity (MFI) was determined for each Ab dilution. (c) 10⁹ pfu of virus was incubated with SYTO 63 nucleotide stain in PBS for 30 min at RT followed by incubation with anti-VSV-G (Vi10) and then anti-mouse IgG2a Alexa555. Virus was analyzed as described above. Minimum threshold settings on SSC were used to increase sensitivity for small particles and FSC and SSC parameters were set to log scale. Deionized water was run for 15 min to equilibrate for low threshold noise. ∼50,000 events were acquired for the PBS control, ∼10⁶ events were acquired for virus samples. Particles staining positive for nucleic acid that were above the noise threshold were gated on, and the amount of anti-G staining for those populations were compared.</p

Fusogenicity and Functionality of EnvG.

<p>(a) 10⁷ 293T cells were transfected with pEnvG or empty vector using Mirus Trans-IT 293 according to manufacturer's protocol. 48 h post-transfection, 293T cells were overlaid with 2×10⁶ CD4+CCR5+ GHOST cells. 48 h after overlay, cells were visualized under light microscope and images were captured. (b) 10⁶ CD4+CCR5+ GHOST cells were infected as above after pre-incubation with anti-VSV-G (Vi10) and/or anti-Env cocktail. After infection, Vi10 and/or anti-Env cocktail was included in the culture media. Eight hours post infection, cells were visualized under light microscope and images were captured.</p

Frequency of JR-FL Env-specific CD4+ T cell responses in the lung and spleen.

<p>1.5×10⁶ leukocytes isolated from the lungs (a, b) andspleen (c, d) at the end of the study were stimulated <i>ex vivo</i> with JR-FL gp140, anti-CD28 and brefeldin A before being analyzed by flow cytometry for production of IFNg, IL-2 and TNFa. The total frequency of cytokine secreting CD4+ T cells (%) producing IFNγ, IL-2 or TNFα are shown on the left (a, c) and the frequency of multifunctional CD4+ T cells producing any combination of IFN γ +, IL-2+, and/or TNFα+ on the right (b, d). *p<0.05 compared to group 1. ^#p<0.05 compared to group 2. ∧p<0.05 compared to group 4. ^∇p<0.05 compared to group 5. ^@p<0.05 compared to group 6. ^xp<0.05 compared to group 7. Bars represent the median (with SEM), individual animals are shown.</p

Effect of IN rVSV-EnvG₄-G₆ adminstration.

<p>(a) Mean body weights and temperatures (b) of inoculated mice. (c) Mean copy numbers of VSV N genomic RNA or (d) VSV N mRNA per mg of indicated tissue or mL of blood. N = 4–12, dependent on study day. Fresh tissue specimens were homogenized, clarified by centrifugation and supernatants were subjected to RNA extraction and qPCR. All samples were tested in duplicate. Dotted lines indicate limits of detection. SEM is shown. *<i>p</i><0.05 for comparison of rVSV-EnvG₄-G₆ to rVSV-G₄. All PBS and rVSV-EnvG₄-ΔG values were found to be significantly lower than rVSV-EnvG₄-G₆ and rVSV-G₄ values.</p