49 research outputs found
Role of bi-specific monoclonal antibodies in immunodiagnostic assay
This review paper highlights the use of bi-specific monoclonal antibodies (bsMAb) in the diagnostic assays for the early detection of pathogens of human infectious diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), chikungunya (CHIKV), tuberculosis (TB) and dengue. Bi-specific monoclonal antibodies (bsMAb) are unique and artificially engineered macromolecules with two distinct binding sites, and are capable of binding two different antigens non-covalently. However, the traditional methods of diagnosis such as virus or bacterial isolation, and PCR amplification are quite expensive and time consuming. Bispecific monoclonal antibodies (bsMAb) are versatile, and can increase the specificity and sensitivity of detection in the suspected individuals. Therefore, immunodiagnostic assays using bsMAb are less expensive, and a large number of clinical samples could be analyzed at a faster rate for the detection of pathogens within a stipulated time. This could allow in developing a cost effective diagnostic kit, which is very useful particularly in the developing countries for the early assessment of the disease outbreak
Dengue Diagnostics: Current Scenario
There is an urgent requirement for specific, sensitive and inexpensive dengue diagnostic tools that can be used for clinical management, surveillance and outbreak investigations would permit early intervention to treat patients and prevent or control epidemics. Additionally, new techniques for the early detection of severe disease such as the use of biomarkers have the potential to decrease morbidity and mortality. Recent developments in rapid detection technologies offer the promise of improved diagnostics for case management and the early detection of dengue outbreaks. This short review summarizes the various diagnostics tests currently pursued
A Mini-review of Dengue Vaccine Development
About 100 million dengue cases are reported annually and an estimated 2.5 billion people are susceptible to the infection mostly in the tropical regions. Dengue virus is a member of the Flavivirus genus and consists of four serotypes (DV-1, DV-2, DV-3, and DV- 4), each of which is capable of causing dengue fever and the more severe dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome. There is an urgent need to develop a safe and effective vaccine that induces protective immune response to all the four serotypes overcoming antibody dependent enhancement. At present there is no licensed vaccine or specific therapeutic measures for prevention or management of the fatal infection. This mini review outlines the different vaccine candidates that are at various stages of development
Targeting strategies and nanocarriers in vaccines and therapeutics
In the past few decades, remarkable advances have been made in the field of immunology and molecular biology. Even though the efficacy level, protein binding capacity and other pharmacological parameters are extraordinary, formulations have become more challenging in terms of making drugs or antigens reach specific sites of action, the release rate of a drug at the site of action, proper presentation of an antigen by antigen-presenting cells or dendritic cells and other pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters of finished drug products and vaccines. The purpose of this review is to present a brief overview of the challenges to drug targeting, especially vaccines, as well as of different approaches designed to overcome these barriers