Nanoceramics for blood-borne virus removal

The development of nanoscience and nanotechnology in the field of ceramics has brought new opportunities for the development of virus removal techniques. A number of nanoceramics, including nanostructured alumina, titania, zirconia etc. have been introduced for the applications in virus removal/separation. Filtration or adsorption of viruses and thus the removal of viruses through nanoceramics, such as nanoporous/mesoporous ceramic membranes, ceramic nanofibres, and ceramic nanoparticles will make it possible to produce an efficient system for virus removal from blood and with excellent chemical/thermal stability. Currently nanoceramic membranes and filters based on sol-gel alumina membranes and NanoCeram® nanofibre filters have been commercialized and applied to remove viruses from the blood. Nevertheless, filtration using nanoprous filters is limited to the removal of only free viruses in the bloodstream

Neutrophils Play an Important Role in Host Resistance to Respiratory Infection with Acinetobacter baumannii in Mice▿

Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a major cause of both community-associated and nosocomial pneumonia, but little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms of host defense against respiratory infection with this bacterial pathogen. In this study, we examined the role of neutrophils in host resistance to pulmonary A. baumannii infection in a mouse model of intranasal (i.n.) infection. We found that neutrophils were rapidly recruited to the lungs following i.n. inoculation of the pathogen and declined to baseline level upon clearance of the infection. Depletion of neutrophils using monoclonal antibody RB6-8C5 prior to infection resulted in an acute lethal infection that was associated with enhanced bacterial burdens in the lung (P < 0.05) and extrapulmonary dissemination to the spleen. The increased susceptibility to A. baumannii in neutropenic mice was associated with a delay in the mRNA expression and production of early proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, keratinocyte chemoattractant protein, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2) in the lungs and development of severe bronchopneumonia and lymphoid tissue destruction in the spleen. Moreover, i.n. administration of the neutrophil-inducing chemokine MIP-2 to normal mice induced a pulmonary influx of neutrophils and significantly enhanced the clearance of A. baumannii from the lungs (P < 0.01). These results imply that neutrophils play a critical role in host resistance to respiratory A. baumannii infection

Effect of synthetic cannabinoids on spontaneous neuronal activity: evaluation using Ca\ub2\u207a spiking and multi-electrode arrays

Activation of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB\u2081) inhibits synaptic transmission in hippocampal neurons. The goal of this study was to evaluate the ability of benchmark and emerging synthetic cannabinoids to suppress neuronal activity in vitro using two complementary techniques, Ca\ub2\u207a spiking and multi-electrode arrays (MEAs). Neuron culture and fluorescence imaging conditions were extensively optimized to provide maximum sensitivity for detection of suppression of neural activity by cannabinoids. The neuronal Ca\ub2\u207a spiking frequency was significantly suppressed within 10 min by the prototypic aminoalkylindole cannabinoid, WIN 55,212-2 (10 \u3bcM). Suppression by WIN 55,212-2 was not improved by pharmacological intervention with signaling pathways known to interfere with CB\u2081 signaling. The naphthoylindole CB\u2081 agonist, JWH-018 suppressed Ca\ub2\u207a spiking at a lower concentration (2.5 \u3bcM), and the CB\u2081 antagonist rimonabant (5 \u3bcM), reversed this suppression. In the MEA assay, the ability of synthetic CB\u2081 agonists to suppress spontaneous electrical activity of hippocampal neurons was evaluated over 80 min sessions. All benchmark (WIN 55,212-2, HU-210, CP 55,940 and JWH-018) and emerging synthetic cannabinoids (XLR-11, JWH-250, 5F-PB-22, AB-PINACA and MAM-2201) suppressed neural activity at a concentration of 10 \u3bcM; furthermore, several of these compounds also significantly suppressed activity at 1 \u3bcM concentrations. Rimonabant partially reversed spiking suppression of 5F-PB-22 and, to a lesser extent, of MAM-2201, supporting CB\u2081- mediated involvement, although the inactive WIN 55,212-3 also partially suppressed activity. Taken together, synthetic cannabinoid CB\u2081-mediated suppression of neuronal activity was detected using Ca\ub2\u207a spiking and MEAs.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

Immunoproteomic analysis of the human antibody response to natural tularemia infection with Type A or Type B strains or LVS vaccination

Francisella tularensis is pathogenic for many mammalian species including humans, causing a spectrum of diseases called tularemia. The highly virulent Type A strains have associated mortality rates of up to 60% if inhaled. An attenuated live vaccine strain (LVS) is the only vaccine to show efficacy in humans, but suffers several barriers to licensure, including the absence of a correlate of protection. An immunoproteomics approach was used to survey the repertoire of antibodies in sera from individuals who had contracted tularemia during two outbreaks and individuals from two geographical areas who had been vaccinated with NDBR Lot 11 or Lot 17 LVS. These data showed a large overlap in the antibodies generated in response to tularemia infection or LVS vaccination. A total of seven proteins were observed to be reactive with 60% or more sera from vaccinees and convalescents. A further four proteins were recognised by 30\u201360% of the sera screened. These proteins have the potential to serve as markers of vaccination or candidates for subunit vaccines.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye