A synthetic #TLR4 agonist significantly increases #humoral immune #responses and the protective ability of an #MDCK-cell-derived inactivated #H7N9 #vaccine in #mice, Arch Virol.: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00705-024-06082-8

Antigenically divergent H7N9 viruses pose a potential threat to public #health, with the poor #immunogenicity of candidate H7N9 vaccines demonstrated in clinical trials underscoring the urgent need for more-effective H7N9 vaccines.

A synthetic TLR4 agonist significantly increases humoral immune responses and the protective ability of an MDCK-cell-derived inactivated H7N9 vaccine in mice - Archives of Virology

Antigenically divergent H7N9 viruses pose a potential threat to public health, with the poor immunogenicity of candidate H7N9 vaccines demonstrated in clinical trials underscoring the urgent need for more-effective H7N9 vaccines. In the present study, mice were immunized with various doses of a suspended-MDCK-cell-derived inactivated H7N9 vaccine, which was based on a low-pathogenic H7N9 virus, to assess cross-reactive immunity and cross-protection against antigenically divergent H7N9 viruses. We found that the CRX-527 adjuvant, a synthetic TLR4 agonist, significantly enhanced the humoral immune responses of the suspended-MDCK-cell-derived H7N9 vaccine, with significant antigen-sparing and immune-enhancing effects, including robust virus-specific IgG, hemagglutination-inhibiting (HI), neuraminidase-inhibiting (NI), and virus-neutralizing (VN) antibody responses, which are crucial for protection against influenza virus infection. Moreover, the CRX-527-adjuvanted H7N9 vaccine also elicited cross-protective immunity and cross-protection against a highly pathogenic H7N9 virus with a single vaccination. Notably, NI and VN antibodies might play an important role in cross-protection against lethal influenza virus infections. This study showed that a synthetic TLR4 agonist adjuvant has a potent immunopotentiating effect, which might be considered worth further development as a means of increasing vaccine effectiveness.

SpringerLink
The mathematics of cell boundary 'ruggedness'

Researchers have uncovered both the mathematical and biological mechanism behind the rugged structures at cell boundaries found in tissues such as the kidneys and nasal glands. The team hopes that their new insights can help develop new ways of treating associated pathologies and build better biological models for future study.

Phys.org