Functional Fv fragment of an antibody specific for CD28: Fv-mediated co-stimulation of T cells

AbstractThe most predominant co-stimulation pathway, which is critical for T cell activation and proliferation, is the CD28-B7 pathway. The anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody (mAb) also provides a co-stimulatory signal to T cells. In order to construct a functional Fv fragment (complex of VH and VL domains) of anti-CD28 antibody using a bacterial expression system, cDNA encoding the variable regions of immunoglobulin from 15E8 hybridoma cells was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The Fv fragment was obtained as a soluble protein from the periplasmic fraction and showed a binding pattern similar to parental IgG. The Fv fragment induced proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the presence of anti-CD3 or anti-CD2 mAb and enhanced anti-tumor activity of anti-MUC1×anti-CD3 bispecific antibody when tested with lymphokine-activated killer cells with T cell phenotype. Thus, the anti-CD28 Fv fragment will be promising not only for the study of co-stimulation, but also for cancer immunotherapy

Notes of the Teaching practice on the Japanese language education (4) : For the time to come

本研究は, より優れた中等教育授業者を育成する国語科教育実習のあり方を求めて, 実習現場で生起している出来事の記述, 分析, 考察を行い, それを通じて, ①中等国語科教員養成プログラム(学部教育+附属実習)の教育内容の体系化, ②中等国語科教育実習指導体制の確立, にかかわる提言を試みることを目的としている 2008年度は, 単元及び教材と授業の具体に即した記述, 分析を積み重ねてより実践的なモデルを構築していく研究の2年次として, 「小説」単元の実習授業を取り上げた。分析・考察の第1は, 「小説単元における授業力獲得のための課題と指導のポイント」として, ①「主題把握」から「問題領域の焦点化」への転換, ②「登場人物の心情把握と共感」から「問題を引き受ける読み」への転換, ③作品と学習者の接点, ④ワークシート作業の陥穽, ⑤読みの交流の成否。分析・考察の第2は, 授業力向上における「経験の転換・飛躍ポイント」として, ①授業経験の上に指導教員の授業を観察する, ②授業者自身のことばを具体的に考察する, ③学習者を受け止め学習者に働きかける意識。また, 「『単元別 授業力獲得モデル(II)-小説』-授業力獲得のための指導ポイント-」を提案

Comparative genome analysis of VSP-II and SNPs reveals heterogenic variation in contemporary strains of Vibrio cholerae O1 isolated from cholera patients in Kolkata, India

Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease and a major public health problem in many developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Since the Bay of Bengal is considered the epicenter for the seventh cholera pandemic, it is important to understand the genetic dynamism of Vibrio cholerae from Kolkata, as a representative of the Bengal region. We analyzed whole genome sequence data of V. cholerae O1 isolated from cholera patients in Kolkata, India, from 2007 to 2014 and identified the heterogeneous genomic region in these strains. In addition, we carried out a phylogenetic analysis based on the whole genome single nucleotide polymorphisms to determine the genetic lineage of strains in Kolkata. This analysis revealed the heterogeneity of the Vibrio seventh pandemic island (VSP)-II in Kolkata strains. The ctxB genotype was also heterogeneous and was highly related to VSP-II types. In addition, phylogenetic analysis revealed the shifts in predominant strains in Kolkata. Two distinct lineages, 1 and 2, were found between 2007 and 2010. However, the proportion changed markedly in 2010 and lineage 2 strains were predominant thereafter. Lineage 2 can be divided into four sublineages, I, II, III and IV. The results of this study indicate that lineages 1 and 2-I were concurrently prevalent between 2007 and 2009, and lineage 2-III observed in 2010, followed by the predominance of lineage 2-IV in 2011 and continued until 2014. Our findings demonstrate that the epidemic of cholera in Kolkata was caused by several distinct strains that have been constantly changing within the genetic lineages of V. cholerae O1 in recent years