Immune NetworkPub Date : 2022-12-01DOI: 10.4110/in.2022.22.e50
Sujin Lee, Jeong In Yang, Joo Hee Lee, Hyun Woo Lee, Tae Jin Kim
{"title":"Low-Level Expression of CD138 Marks Naturally Arising Anergic B Cells.","authors":"Sujin Lee, Jeong In Yang, Joo Hee Lee, Hyun Woo Lee, Tae Jin Kim","doi":"10.4110/in.2022.22.e50","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2022.22.e50","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Autoreactive B cells are not entirely deleted, but some remain as immunocompetent or anergic B cells. Although the persistence of autoreactive B cells as anergic cells has been shown in transgenic mouse models with the expression of B cell receptor (BCR) reactive to engineered self-antigen, the characterization of naturally occurring anergic B cells is important to identify them and understand their contribution to immune regulation or autoimmune diseases. We report here that a low-level expression of CD138 in the splenic B cells marks naturally arising anergic B cells, not plasma cells. The CD138<sup>int</sup> B cells consisted of IgM<sup>low</sup>IgD<sup>high</sup> follicular (FO) B cells and transitional 3 B cells in homeostatic conditions. The CD138<sup>int</sup> FO B cells showed an anergic gene expression profile shared with that of monoclonal anergic B cells expressing engineered BCRs and the gene expression profile was different from those of plasma cells, age-associated B cells, or germinal center B cells. The anergic state of the CD138<sup>int</sup> FO B cells was confirmed by attenuated Ca<sup>2+</sup> response and failure to upregulate CD69 upon BCR engagement with anti-IgM, anti-IgD, anti-Igκ, or anti-IgG. The BCR repertoire of the CD138<sup>int</sup> FO B cells was distinct from that of the CD138<sup>-</sup> FO B cells and included some class-switched B cells with low-level somatic mutations. These findings demonstrate the presence of polyclonal anergic B cells in the normal mice that are characterized by low-level expression of CD138, IgM downregulation, reduced Ca<sup>2+</sup> and CD69 responses upon BCR engagement, and distinct BCR repertoire.</p>","PeriodicalId":13307,"journal":{"name":"Immune Network","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/25/3f/in-22-e50.PMC9807963.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10524863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Immune NetworkPub Date : 2022-12-01DOI: 10.4110/in.2022.22.e47
Geneva Rose Notario, Kihyuck Kwak
{"title":"Increased B Cell Understanding Puts Improved Vaccine Platforms Just Over the Horizon.","authors":"Geneva Rose Notario, Kihyuck Kwak","doi":"10.4110/in.2022.22.e47","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2022.22.e47","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the face of an endlessly expanding repertoire of Ags, vaccines are constantly being tested, each more effective than the last. As viruses and other pathogens evolve to become more infectious, the need for efficient and effective vaccines grows daily, which is especially obvious in an era that is still attempting to remove itself from the clutches of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the cause of coronavirus pandemic. To continue evolving alongside these pathogens, it is proving increasingly essential to consider one of the main effector cells of the immune system. As one of the chief orchestrators of the humoral immune response, the B cell and other lymphocytes are essential to not only achieving immunity, but also maintaining it, which is the vital objective of every vaccine.</p>","PeriodicalId":13307,"journal":{"name":"Immune Network","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/d5/a0/in-22-e47.PMC9807965.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10518551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Immune NetworkPub Date : 2022-12-01DOI: 10.4110/in.2022.22.e48
Seung Ho Baek, Hanseul Oh, Bon-Sang Koo, Green Kim, Eun-Ha Hwang, Hoyin Jung, You Jung An, Jae-Hak Park, Jung Joo Hong
{"title":"Cynomolgus Macaque Model for COVID-19 Delta Variant.","authors":"Seung Ho Baek, Hanseul Oh, Bon-Sang Koo, Green Kim, Eun-Ha Hwang, Hoyin Jung, You Jung An, Jae-Hak Park, Jung Joo Hong","doi":"10.4110/in.2022.22.e48","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2022.22.e48","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>With the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, which are randomly mutated, the dominant strains in regions are changing globally. The development of preclinical animal models is imperative to validate vaccines and therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 variants. The objective of this study was to develop a non-human primate (NHP) model for SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant infection. Cynomolgus macaques infected with Delta variants showed infectious viruses and viral RNA in the upper (nasal and throat) and lower respiratory (lung) tracts during the acute phase of infection. After 3 days of infection, lesions consistent with diffuse alveolar damage were observed in the lungs. For cellular immune responses, all macaques displayed transient lymphopenia and neutrophilia in the early stages of infection. SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant spike protein-specific IgM, IgG, and IgA levels were significantly increased in the plasma of these animals 14 days after infection. This new NHP Delta variant infection model can be used for comparative analysis of the difference in severity between SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and may be useful in the efficacy evaluation of vaccines and universal therapeutic drugs for mutations.</p>","PeriodicalId":13307,"journal":{"name":"Immune Network","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/62/98/in-22-e48.PMC9807958.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10524862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Immune NetworkPub Date : 2022-12-01DOI: 10.4110/in.2022.22.e49
Chuang Sun, Wei Li, Yanhong Li, Jian Chen, Huixian An, Guangwei Zeng, Tingting Wang, Yazhou Guo, Changying Wang
{"title":"MiR-182-5p Mediated by Exosomes Derived From Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Attenuates Inflammatory Responses by Targeting TLR4 in a Mouse Model of Myocardial Infraction.","authors":"Chuang Sun, Wei Li, Yanhong Li, Jian Chen, Huixian An, Guangwei Zeng, Tingting Wang, Yazhou Guo, Changying Wang","doi":"10.4110/in.2022.22.e49","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2022.22.e49","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could protect against myocardial infarction (MI). TLR4 is reported to play an important role in MI, while microRNA-182-5p (miR-182-5p) negatively regulates TLR4 expression. Therefore, we hypothesize that MSCs-derived exosomes overexpressing miR-182-5p may have beneficial effects on MI. We generated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) and overexpressed miR-182-5p in these cells for exosome isolation. H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-stimulated neonatal mouse ventricle myocytes (NMVMs) and MI mouse model were employed, which were subjected to exosome treatment. The expression of inflammatory factors, heart function, and TLR4 signaling pathway activation were monitored. It was found that miR-182-5p decreased TLR4 expression in BM-MSCs and NMVMs. Administration of exosomes overexpressing miR-182-5p to H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-stimulated NMVMs enhanced cell viability and suppressed the expression of inflammatory cytokines. In addition, they promoted heart function, suppressed inflammatory responses, and de-activated TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in MI mice. In conclusion, miR-182-5p transferred by the exosomes derived from BM-MSCs protected against MI-induced impairments by targeting TLR4.</p>","PeriodicalId":13307,"journal":{"name":"Immune Network","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/bd/4f/in-22-e49.PMC9807961.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10524861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Immune NetworkPub Date : 2022-12-01DOI: 10.4110/in.2022.22.e44
Jongwook Yu, Jae Hee Cheon
{"title":"Microbial Modulation in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.","authors":"Jongwook Yu, Jae Hee Cheon","doi":"10.4110/in.2022.22.e44","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2022.22.e44","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gut dysbiosis is one of prominent features in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) which are of an unknown etiology. Although the cause-and-effect relationship between IBD and gut dysbiosis remains to be elucidated, one area of research has focused on the management of IBD by modulating and correcting gut dysbiosis. The use of antibiotics, probiotics either with or without prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation from healthy donors are representative methods for modulating the intestinal microbiota ecosystem. The gut microbiota is not a simple assembly of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, but a complex organ-like community system composed of numerous kinds of microorganisms. Thus, studies on specific changes in the gut microbiota depending on which treatment option is applied are very limited. Here, we review previous studies on microbial modulation as a therapeutic option for IBD and its significance in the pathogenesis of IBD.</p>","PeriodicalId":13307,"journal":{"name":"Immune Network","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/8f/cf/in-22-e44.PMC9807960.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10518552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Immune NetworkPub Date : 2022-10-25eCollection Date: 2022-10-01DOI: 10.4110/in.2022.22.e42
Sang-Hyun Kim, Ji-Hyun Park, Sun-Jae Lee, Hee-Sung Lee, Jae-Kyung Jung, Young-Ran Lee, Hyun-Il Cho, Jeong-Ki Kim, Kyungjae Kim, Chan-Su Park, Chong-Kil Lee
{"title":"Efficient Anti-Tumor Immunotherapy Using Tumor Epitope-Coated Biodegradable Nanoparticles Combined With Polyinosinic-Polycytidylic Acid and an Anti-PD1 Monoclonal Antibody.","authors":"Sang-Hyun Kim, Ji-Hyun Park, Sun-Jae Lee, Hee-Sung Lee, Jae-Kyung Jung, Young-Ran Lee, Hyun-Il Cho, Jeong-Ki Kim, Kyungjae Kim, Chan-Su Park, Chong-Kil Lee","doi":"10.4110/in.2022.22.e42","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2022.22.e42","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vaccination with tumor peptide epitopes associated with MHC class I molecules is an attractive approach directed at inducing tumor-specific CTLs. However, challenges remain in improving the therapeutic efficacy of peptide epitope vaccines, including the low immunogenicity of peptide epitopes and insufficient stimulation of innate immune components <i>in vivo</i>. To overcome this, we aimed to develop and test an innovative strategy that elicits potent CTL responses against tumor epitopes. The essential feature of this strategy is vaccination using tumor epitope-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) in combination with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly-IC) and anti-PD1 mAb. Carboxylated NPs were prepared using poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) and poly(ethylene/maleic anhydride), covalently conjugated with anti-H-2K<sup>b</sup> mAbs, and then attached to H-2K<sup>b</sup> molecules isolated from the tumor mass (H-2<sup>b</sup>). Native peptides associated with the H-2K<sup>b</sup> molecules of H-2K<sup>b</sup>-attached NPs were exchanged with tumor peptide epitopes. Tumor peptide epitope-loaded NPs efficiently induced tumor-specific CTLs when used to immunize tumor-bearing mice as well as normal mice. This activity of the NPs significantly was increased when co-administered with poly-IC. Accordingly, the NPs exerted significant anti-tumor effects in mice implanted with EG7-OVA thymoma or B16-F10 melanoma, and the anti-tumor activity of the NPs was significantly increased when applied in combination with poly-IC. The most potent anti-tumor activity was observed when the NPs were co-administered with both poly-IC and anti-PD1 mAb. Immunization with tumor epitope-loaded NPs in combination with poly-IC and anti-PD1 mAb in tumor-bearing mice can be a powerful means to induce tumor-specific CTLs with therapeutic anti-tumor activity.</p>","PeriodicalId":13307,"journal":{"name":"Immune Network","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/9f/37/in-22-e42.PMC9634146.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40687730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Immune NetworkPub Date : 2022-10-07eCollection Date: 2022-10-01DOI: 10.4110/in.2022.22.e39
Jin Ouk Choi, Jeong Hyeon Ham, Soo Seok Hwang
{"title":"RNA Metabolism in T Lymphocytes.","authors":"Jin Ouk Choi, Jeong Hyeon Ham, Soo Seok Hwang","doi":"10.4110/in.2022.22.e39","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2022.22.e39","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>RNA metabolism plays a central role in regulating of T cell-mediated immunity. RNA processing, modifications, and regulations of RNA decay influence the tight and rapid regulation of gene expression during T cell phase transition. Thymic selection, quiescence maintenance, activation, differentiation, and effector functions of T cells are dependent on selective RNA modulations. Recent technical improvements have unveiled the complex crosstalk between RNAs and T cells. Moreover, resting T cells contain large amounts of untranslated mRNAs, implying that the regulation of RNA metabolism might be a key step in controlling gene expression. Considering the immunological significance of T cells for disease treatment, an understanding of RNA metabolism in T cells could provide new directions in harnessing T cells for therapeutic implications.</p>","PeriodicalId":13307,"journal":{"name":"Immune Network","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/1e/5f/in-22-e39.PMC9634142.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40687731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Immune NetworkPub Date : 2022-09-27eCollection Date: 2022-10-01DOI: 10.4110/in.2022.22.e40
Yosep Mo, Yujin Kim, Ji-Young Bang, Jiung Jung, Chun-Geun Lee, Jack A Elias, Hye-Ryun Kang
{"title":"Mesenchymal Stem Cells Attenuate Asthmatic Inflammation and Airway Remodeling by Modulating Macrophages/Monocytes in the IL-13-Overexpressing Mouse Model.","authors":"Yosep Mo, Yujin Kim, Ji-Young Bang, Jiung Jung, Chun-Geun Lee, Jack A Elias, Hye-Ryun Kang","doi":"10.4110/in.2022.22.e40","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2022.22.e40","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are attractive alternatives to conventional anti-asthmatic drugs for severe asthma. Mechanisms underlying the anti-asthmatic effects of MSCs have not yet been elucidated. This study evaluated the anti-asthmatic effects of intravenously administered MSCs, focusing on macrophages and monocytes. Seven-week-old transgenic (Tg) mice with lung-specific overexpression of IL-13 were used to simulate chronic asthma. MSCs were intravenously administered four days before sampling. We examined changes in immune cell subpopulations, gene expression, and histological phenotypes. IL-13 Tg mice exhibited diverse features of chronic asthma, including severe type 2 inflammation, airway fibrosis, and mucus metaplasia. Intravenous administration of MSCs attenuated these asthmatic features just four days after a single treatment. MSC treatment significantly reduced SiglecF<sup>-</sup>CD11c<sup>-</sup>CD11b<sup>+</sup> monocyte-derived macrophages (MoMs) and inhibited the polarization of MoMs into M2 macrophages, especially M2a and M2c. Furthermore, MSCs downregulated the excessive accumulation of Ly6c<sup>-</sup> monocytes in the lungs. While an intravenous adoptive transfer of Ly6c<sup>-</sup> monocytes promoted the infiltration of MoM and Th2 inflammation, that of MSC-exposed Ly6c<sup>-</sup> monocytes did not. <i>Ex vivo</i> Ly6c<sup>-</sup> MoMs upregulated M2-related genes, which were reduced by MSC treatment. Molecules secreted by Ly6c<sup>-</sup> MoMs from IL-13 Tg mice lungs upregulated the expression of fibrosis-related genes in fibroblasts, which were also suppressed by MSC treatment. In conclusion, intravenously administered MSCs attenuate asthma phenotypes of chronic asthma by modulating macrophages. Identifying M2 macrophage subtypes revealed that exposure to MSCs transforms the phenotype and function of macrophages. We suggest that Ly6c<sup>-</sup> monocytes could be a therapeutic target for asthma management.</p>","PeriodicalId":13307,"journal":{"name":"Immune Network","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/0e/76/in-22-e40.PMC9634145.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40687734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Immune NetworkPub Date : 2022-09-26eCollection Date: 2022-10-01DOI: 10.4110/in.2022.22.e43
Hyoeun Jeon, Jungeun Yu, Jung Me Hwang, Hye-Won Park, Jiyeon Yu, Zee-Won Lee, Taesoo Kim, Jaerang Rho
{"title":"1,3-Dibenzyl-5-Fluorouracil Prevents Ovariectomy-Induced Bone Loss by Suppressing Osteoclast Differentiation.","authors":"Hyoeun Jeon, Jungeun Yu, Jung Me Hwang, Hye-Won Park, Jiyeon Yu, Zee-Won Lee, Taesoo Kim, Jaerang Rho","doi":"10.4110/in.2022.22.e43","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2022.22.e43","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Osteoclasts (OCs) are clinically important cells that resorb bone matrix. Accelerated bone destruction by OCs is closely linked to the development of metabolic bone diseases. In this study, we screened novel chemical inhibitors targeting OC differentiation to identify drug candidates for metabolic bone diseases. We identified that 1,3-dibenzyl-5-fluorouracil, also named OCI-101, is a novel inhibitor of osteoclastogenesis. The formation of multinucleated OCs is reduced by treatment with OCI-101 in a dose-dependent manner. OCI-101 inhibited the expression of OC markers via downregulation of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand and M-CSF signaling pathways. Finally, we showed that OCI-101 prevents ovariectomy-induced bone loss by suppressing OC differentiation in mice. Hence, these results demonstrated that OCI-101 is a good drug candidate for treating metabolic bone diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":13307,"journal":{"name":"Immune Network","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/23/0b/in-22-e43.PMC9634144.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40688253","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Immune NetworkPub Date : 2022-09-26eCollection Date: 2022-10-01DOI: 10.4110/in.2022.22.e41
Ju Kim, Ye Lin Yang, Yongsu Jeong, Yong-Suk Jang
{"title":"Application of Antimicrobial Peptide LL-37 as an Adjuvant for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus Antigen Induces an Efficient Protective Immune Response Against Viral Infection After Intranasal Immunization.","authors":"Ju Kim, Ye Lin Yang, Yongsu Jeong, Yong-Suk Jang","doi":"10.4110/in.2022.22.e41","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2022.22.e41","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 has chemotactic and modulatory activities in various immune cells, including dendritic cells. Because of its characteristics, LL-37 can be considered an adjuvant for vaccine development. In this study, we confirmed the possible adjuvant activity of LL-37 in mucosal vaccine development against Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) by means of intranasal immunization in C57BL/6 and human dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (hDPP4)-transgenic (hDPP4-Tg) mice. Intranasal immunization using the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of MERS-CoV spike protein (S-RBD) recombined with LL-37 (S-RBD-LL-37) induced an efficient mucosal IgA and systemic IgG response with virus-neutralizing activity, compared with S-RBD. Ag-specific CTL stimulation was also efficiently induced in the lungs of mice that had been intranasally immunized with S-RBD-LL-37, compared with S-RBD. Importantly, intranasal immunization of hDPP4-Tg mice with S-RBD-LL-37 led to reduced immune cell infiltration into the lungs after infection with MERS-CoV. Finally, intranasal immunization of hDPP4-Tg mice with S-RBD-LL-37 led to enhanced protective efficacy, with increased survival and reduced body weight loss after challenge infection with MERS-CoV. Collectively, these results suggest that S-RBD-LL-37 is an effective intranasal vaccine candidate molecule against MERS-CoV infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":13307,"journal":{"name":"Immune Network","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/7d/ba/in-22-e41.PMC9634147.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40687733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}