Background: Large-scale production of poultry viral vaccines increasingly requires robust suspension cell platforms. However, most avian cell lines, including DF-1, are strictly anchorage-dependent, limiting scalability. Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) regulates cell-cell adhesion and membrane dynamics, making it a potential target for engineering suspension growth. This study aimed to generate a stable DF-1 suspension cell line via AQP1 disruption and evaluate its potential for enhanced infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) production. Methodology: DF-1 cells were engineered using a CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein system to create a truncated AQP1 gene. DF-1/AQP1- cells were assessed for morphology, tumorigenicity in nude mice, and genetic stability across 20 passages. Suspension growth, cell density, and viability were measured. Cells were infected with IBDV strain BJQ902, and viral titers were compared with wild-type DF-1 and monolayer DF-1/AQP1- cells. Results: DF-1/AQP1- cells maintained normal morphology, were non-tumorigenic, and retained stable AQP1 mutations. They grew as true suspension cultures without adaptation, reaching 4.0 × 106 cells/mL with >95% viability. Suspension DF-1/AQP1- cells cells produced significantly higher viral titers (9.0 log TCID50/mL; 8.63 log EID50/mL) than both monolayer DF-1/AQP1- and wild-type DF-1 cells. Virus production time was shortened in suspension cultures. Conclusions: Targeted AQP1 disruption converts DF-1 cells into a stable, non-tumorigenic suspension cell line with markedly enhanced IBDV production, providing a scalable platform for next-generation avian vaccine manufacturing.
{"title":"Engineering AQP1-Deficient DF-1 Suspension Cells for High-Yield IBDV Production and Vaccine Scale-Up.","authors":"Bingmei Dong, Ruonan Wang, Yu Guan, Xiubao Zhao, Ronghua Li, Qingqing Xu, Hui Li, Qingfang Gao, Shengjie Yao, Shuyu Song, Ashenafi Kiros Wubshet, Na Tang","doi":"10.3390/vaccines14010052","DOIUrl":"10.3390/vaccines14010052","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background</b>: Large-scale production of poultry viral vaccines increasingly requires robust suspension cell platforms. However, most avian cell lines, including DF-1, are strictly anchorage-dependent, limiting scalability. Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) regulates cell-cell adhesion and membrane dynamics, making it a potential target for engineering suspension growth. This study aimed to generate a stable DF-1 suspension cell line via AQP1 disruption and evaluate its potential for enhanced infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) production. <b>Methodology</b>: DF-1 cells were engineered using a CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein system to create a truncated AQP1 gene. DF-1/AQP1<sup>-</sup> cells were assessed for morphology, tumorigenicity in nude mice, and genetic stability across 20 passages. Suspension growth, cell density, and viability were measured. Cells were infected with IBDV strain BJQ902, and viral titers were compared with wild-type DF-1 and monolayer DF-1/AQP1<sup>-</sup> cells. <b>Results</b>: DF-1/AQP1<sup>-</sup> cells maintained normal morphology, were non-tumorigenic, and retained stable AQP1 mutations. They grew as true suspension cultures without adaptation, reaching 4.0 × 10<sup>6</sup> cells/mL with >95% viability. Suspension DF-1/AQP1<sup>-</sup> cells cells produced significantly higher viral titers (9.0 log TCID<sub>50</sub>/mL; 8.63 log EID<sub>50</sub>/mL) than both monolayer DF-1/AQP1<sup>-</sup> and wild-type DF-1 cells. Virus production time was shortened in suspension cultures. <b>Conclusions</b>: Targeted AQP1 disruption converts DF-1 cells into a stable, non-tumorigenic suspension cell line with markedly enhanced IBDV production, providing a scalable platform for next-generation avian vaccine manufacturing.</p>","PeriodicalId":23634,"journal":{"name":"Vaccines","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12846492/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146067241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Cervical cancer is associated with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Besides cervical cancer, oro-pharyngo-laryngeal or uro-genital cancers are also reported. The HPV vaccine has been strongly recommended for school age children. However, the parents' or guardians' hesitancy remains. Methods: This is a mixed-method study in which the parents or guardians of school children, aged 10-18 years, were enrolled voluntarily. Their general demographic data, knowledge, attitudes, and awareness of vaccine accessibility, healthcare cost entitlement of the children, types of school affiliation, education administration areas where the schools were located, and the presence of a healthcare professional in family were analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted with all studied variables to define the significant associated factors with the parents' or guardians' HPV vaccine acceptance (p < 0.05). In-depth interviews were subsequently performed with the selected participants until the qualitative data were saturated. Thematic analysis was applied, and the results of the two study methods were integrated to explore the reasons for vaccine acceptance or hesitancy. Results: A total of 943 questionnaire respondents were enrolled, among whom 75.8% were female and 86.4% were parents. A total of 663 (70.3%) participants accepted the HPV vaccine. Parents' or guardians' knowledge and attitudes, awareness of vaccine accessibility, type of school affiliation, the children's healthcare cost entitlement, and the presence of a healthcare professional in the family were significantly associated with vaccine acceptance in the multivariate analysis (p < 0.05). The qualitative study revealed that misunderstanding of the vaccine's safety and benefits combined with inadequate reliable information sources were associated factors with HPV vaccine hesitancy among the parents or guardians. Conclusions: Providing clear-cut knowledge about the HPV vaccine benefit vs. risk and clearing financial barriers for the parents or guardians of school children are advocated.
{"title":"Parents' or Guardians' Decisions on Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Acceptance for School Children in a Southern Province of Thailand: A Mixed-Method Study.","authors":"Thanyalak Thongkamdee, Supinya Sono, Chutarat Sathirapanya","doi":"10.3390/vaccines14010053","DOIUrl":"10.3390/vaccines14010053","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> Cervical cancer is associated with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Besides cervical cancer, oro-pharyngo-laryngeal or uro-genital cancers are also reported. The HPV vaccine has been strongly recommended for school age children. However, the parents' or guardians' hesitancy remains. <b>Methods:</b> This is a mixed-method study in which the parents or guardians of school children, aged 10-18 years, were enrolled voluntarily. Their general demographic data, knowledge, attitudes, and awareness of vaccine accessibility, healthcare cost entitlement of the children, types of school affiliation, education administration areas where the schools were located, and the presence of a healthcare professional in family were analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted with all studied variables to define the significant associated factors with the parents' or guardians' HPV vaccine acceptance (<i>p</i> < 0.05). In-depth interviews were subsequently performed with the selected participants until the qualitative data were saturated. Thematic analysis was applied, and the results of the two study methods were integrated to explore the reasons for vaccine acceptance or hesitancy. <b>Results:</b> A total of 943 questionnaire respondents were enrolled, among whom 75.8% were female and 86.4% were parents. A total of 663 (70.3%) participants accepted the HPV vaccine. Parents' or guardians' knowledge and attitudes, awareness of vaccine accessibility, type of school affiliation, the children's healthcare cost entitlement, and the presence of a healthcare professional in the family were significantly associated with vaccine acceptance in the multivariate analysis (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The qualitative study revealed that misunderstanding of the vaccine's safety and benefits combined with inadequate reliable information sources were associated factors with HPV vaccine hesitancy among the parents or guardians. <b>Conclusions:</b> Providing clear-cut knowledge about the HPV vaccine benefit vs. risk and clearing financial barriers for the parents or guardians of school children are advocated.</p>","PeriodicalId":23634,"journal":{"name":"Vaccines","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12846666/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146067294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of the Changchun Baike varicella vaccine in Yanji City from 2018 to 2024. Methods: Varicella surveillance data from 2018 to 2024 and vaccination records from 2018 to 2020 were collected from the China Disease Prevention and Control Information System and analyzed. Results: In total, 2452 varicella cases were reported in Yanji from 2018 to 2024, with an average annual incidence rate of 62.71 per 100,000 population. Notably, the annual incidence rate decreased from 142.37 per 100,000 in 2018 to 55.25 per 100,000 population in 2024. Additionally, the highest and lowest incidence rates were observed in the 10-14 and ≥40 years age groups, respectively. Moreover, the vaccine demonstrated high protective effectiveness of 98.0-99.0% for one dose and 99.0% for two doses across the study period. These estimates were derived from propensity score-matched cohorts ranging from 686 to 6990 individuals (343 to 3495 matched pairs) across three overlapping observation periods (2018-2022, 2019-2023, and 2020-2024). Conclusions: The two-dose varicella vaccination schedule demonstrated superior protective efficacy compared with the single-dose schedule.
{"title":"High Effectiveness of the Changchun Baike Varicella Vaccine in a Real-World Outbreak Setting: An Observational Study from Yanji City, China.","authors":"Zheng Wang, Shuhan Shang, Xiaoguang Guo, Shiyuan Song, Feng Guo, Na Xu, Feifan Ren, Zijian Chen, Yihua Li, Hanxue Gu","doi":"10.3390/vaccines14010042","DOIUrl":"10.3390/vaccines14010042","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Objectives</b>: This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of the Changchun Baike varicella vaccine in Yanji City from 2018 to 2024. <b>Methods</b>: Varicella surveillance data from 2018 to 2024 and vaccination records from 2018 to 2020 were collected from the China Disease Prevention and Control Information System and analyzed. <b>Results</b>: In total, 2452 varicella cases were reported in Yanji from 2018 to 2024, with an average annual incidence rate of 62.71 per 100,000 population. Notably, the annual incidence rate decreased from 142.37 per 100,000 in 2018 to 55.25 per 100,000 population in 2024. Additionally, the highest and lowest incidence rates were observed in the 10-14 and ≥40 years age groups, respectively. Moreover, the vaccine demonstrated high protective effectiveness of 98.0-99.0% for one dose and 99.0% for two doses across the study period. These estimates were derived from propensity score-matched cohorts ranging from 686 to 6990 individuals (343 to 3495 matched pairs) across three overlapping observation periods (2018-2022, 2019-2023, and 2020-2024). <b>Conclusions</b>: The two-dose varicella vaccination schedule demonstrated superior protective efficacy compared with the single-dose schedule.</p>","PeriodicalId":23634,"journal":{"name":"Vaccines","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12846119/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146067209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-30DOI: 10.3390/vaccines14010045
Gabriella Ess, Ashley M Lew, Ashley Tippett, Luis W Salazar, Chris Choi, Khalel De Castro, Elizabeth G Taylor, Olivia D Reese, Humerazehra Momin, Caroline R Ciric, Amrita Banerjee, Amy Keane, Laura A Puzniak, Robin Hubler, Srinivas Valluri, Benjamin Lopman, Nadine Rouphael, Satoshi Kamidani, John M McLaughlin, Evan J Anderson, Christina A Rostad
Background/Objectives: COVID-19 mRNA vaccines protect against hospitalization, but less is known about real-world vaccine effectiveness (VE) against other severe outcomes. Methods: We enrolled adults hospitalized with acute respiratory illness at two hospitals in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from May 2021 to January 2023. Participants were eligible if they had standard-of-care COVID-19 testing or provided an upper respiratory swab for analysis. Vaccination status was confirmed through the state registry. mRNA COVID-19 VE among those with severe outcomes was determined using a test-negative case-control design with stepwise logistic regression adjusting for confounding variables. Results: Of 1973 participants eligible for analysis, 886 (44.9%) were unvaccinated, 641 (32.5%) received a primary series, and 446 (22.6%) received a primary series plus ≥ 1 booster. A total of 734 (37.2%) were positive for COVID-19. During the pre-Delta/Delta (2 May 2021-19 December 2021) vs. Omicron (20 December 2021-31 January 2023) eras, adjusted COVID-19 mRNA VE of a primary series compared to no vaccination was 85.5% (95% CI: 77.0%, 90.8%) vs. 38.2% (95% CI: 11.5%, 56.8%) overall, 90.0% (95% CI: 82.6%, 94.2%) vs. 54.4% (95% CI: 9.0%, 77.1%) among those with radiographic pneumonia, and 94.4% (95% CI: 80.5%, 98.4%) vs. 62.5% (95% CI: 19.0%, 82.7%) among those admitted to the ICU. VE against severe outcomes was highest within the 6 months following vaccination and during the pre-Delta/Delta era. A booster dose partially restored VE against Omicron-associated hospitalization and pneumonia. Conclusions: COVID-19 mRNA vaccines were effective at preventing hospitalization and other severe outcomes in adults during periods of pre-Delta/Delta and Omicron variant circulation.
{"title":"mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Against Severe Outcomes Among Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19 from May 2021 to January 2023.","authors":"Gabriella Ess, Ashley M Lew, Ashley Tippett, Luis W Salazar, Chris Choi, Khalel De Castro, Elizabeth G Taylor, Olivia D Reese, Humerazehra Momin, Caroline R Ciric, Amrita Banerjee, Amy Keane, Laura A Puzniak, Robin Hubler, Srinivas Valluri, Benjamin Lopman, Nadine Rouphael, Satoshi Kamidani, John M McLaughlin, Evan J Anderson, Christina A Rostad","doi":"10.3390/vaccines14010045","DOIUrl":"10.3390/vaccines14010045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives</b>: COVID-19 mRNA vaccines protect against hospitalization, but less is known about real-world vaccine effectiveness (VE) against other severe outcomes. <b>Methods</b>: We enrolled adults hospitalized with acute respiratory illness at two hospitals in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from May 2021 to January 2023. Participants were eligible if they had standard-of-care COVID-19 testing or provided an upper respiratory swab for analysis. Vaccination status was confirmed through the state registry. mRNA COVID-19 VE among those with severe outcomes was determined using a test-negative case-control design with stepwise logistic regression adjusting for confounding variables. <b>Results</b>: Of 1973 participants eligible for analysis, 886 (44.9%) were unvaccinated, 641 (32.5%) received a primary series, and 446 (22.6%) received a primary series plus ≥ 1 booster. A total of 734 (37.2%) were positive for COVID-19. During the pre-Delta/Delta (2 May 2021-19 December 2021) vs. Omicron (20 December 2021-31 January 2023) eras, adjusted COVID-19 mRNA VE of a primary series compared to no vaccination was 85.5% (95% CI: 77.0%, 90.8%) vs. 38.2% (95% CI: 11.5%, 56.8%) overall, 90.0% (95% CI: 82.6%, 94.2%) vs. 54.4% (95% CI: 9.0%, 77.1%) among those with radiographic pneumonia, and 94.4% (95% CI: 80.5%, 98.4%) vs. 62.5% (95% CI: 19.0%, 82.7%) among those admitted to the ICU. VE against severe outcomes was highest within the 6 months following vaccination and during the pre-Delta/Delta era. A booster dose partially restored VE against Omicron-associated hospitalization and pneumonia. <b>Conclusions</b>: COVID-19 mRNA vaccines were effective at preventing hospitalization and other severe outcomes in adults during periods of pre-Delta/Delta and Omicron variant circulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23634,"journal":{"name":"Vaccines","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12846602/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146067237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-30DOI: 10.3390/vaccines14010041
Matteo Legnardi, Claudia Maria Tucciarone
Veterinary medicine operates at the frontline of a constantly evolving biological landscape, where pathogens-particularly viruses-display remarkable genetic plasticity and adaptive capacity, which enable them to evade host immunity, cross species barriers, and establish persistent or recurring infections [...].
{"title":"Special Issue: Vaccines and Animal Health.","authors":"Matteo Legnardi, Claudia Maria Tucciarone","doi":"10.3390/vaccines14010041","DOIUrl":"10.3390/vaccines14010041","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Veterinary medicine operates at the frontline of a constantly evolving biological landscape, where pathogens-particularly viruses-display remarkable genetic plasticity and adaptive capacity, which enable them to evade host immunity, cross species barriers, and establish persistent or recurring infections [...].</p>","PeriodicalId":23634,"journal":{"name":"Vaccines","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12846354/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146067320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-30DOI: 10.3390/vaccines14010046
Monia Marchetti, Giovanni Barosi, Francesco Passamonti, Marco Falcone, Emanuele Nicastri, Simona Sica, Pellegrino Musto, Francesca Romana Mauro, Corrado Girmenia
Background: Pre-exposure passive immune prophylaxis (PrEP) might contribute to improve hematologic malignancy (HM) outcomes; however, there are currently no specific guidelines to inform patient selection.
Methods: A literature review and a Delphi consensus process were used to identify COVID-19 risk factors, critical COVID-19 outcomes, and efficacy of PrEP against SARS-CoV-2 in HMs. An analytic hierarchy process was used to assign a priority score to candidate outcomes and to determine the PrEP indications. For these decisions, the experts assumed adequate compliance with anti-COVID-19 vaccination and acknowledged the effectiveness of PrEP in reducing SARS-CoV-2-related mortality and hospital admissions.
Results: Based on the literature review, the expert panel identified 80 risk categories among patients with HM and prioritized eight clinical outcomes related to SARS-CoV-2 PrEP. The highest mean priority scores were observed for HM-related mortality (7.0), intensive care unit admission (6.7), and delays in anti-HM treatment (6.6). Based on such a framework, the experts deemed that if there was a variant-specific PrEP promptly available, it would be considered mandatory for all candidates receiving allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, CAR-T therapy, or bispecific antibodies, regardless of local viral epidemiology. During epidemiological waves, variant-specific PrEP would also be recommended for patients with HMs at high risk of unfavorable COVID-19 clinical outcomes.
Conclusions: This study identified PrEP indications for patients with HM receiving appropriate active immunization against COVID-19.
{"title":"Key Indications for Passive Immune Prophylaxis Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Malignant Hematological Disorders: An Analytic Hierarchy Process by an Ad Hoc Italian Expert Panel.","authors":"Monia Marchetti, Giovanni Barosi, Francesco Passamonti, Marco Falcone, Emanuele Nicastri, Simona Sica, Pellegrino Musto, Francesca Romana Mauro, Corrado Girmenia","doi":"10.3390/vaccines14010046","DOIUrl":"10.3390/vaccines14010046","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Pre-exposure passive immune prophylaxis (PrEP) might contribute to improve hematologic malignancy (HM) outcomes; however, there are currently no specific guidelines to inform patient selection.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A literature review and a Delphi consensus process were used to identify COVID-19 risk factors, critical COVID-19 outcomes, and efficacy of PrEP against SARS-CoV-2 in HMs. An analytic hierarchy process was used to assign a priority score to candidate outcomes and to determine the PrEP indications. For these decisions, the experts assumed adequate compliance with anti-COVID-19 vaccination and acknowledged the effectiveness of PrEP in reducing SARS-CoV-2-related mortality and hospital admissions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Based on the literature review, the expert panel identified 80 risk categories among patients with HM and prioritized eight clinical outcomes related to SARS-CoV-2 PrEP. The highest mean priority scores were observed for HM-related mortality (7.0), intensive care unit admission (6.7), and delays in anti-HM treatment (6.6). Based on such a framework, the experts deemed that if there was a variant-specific PrEP promptly available, it would be considered mandatory for all candidates receiving allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, CAR-T therapy, or bispecific antibodies, regardless of local viral epidemiology. During epidemiological waves, variant-specific PrEP would also be recommended for patients with HMs at high risk of unfavorable COVID-19 clinical outcomes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study identified PrEP indications for patients with HM receiving appropriate active immunization against COVID-19.</p>","PeriodicalId":23634,"journal":{"name":"Vaccines","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12846593/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146067252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-30DOI: 10.3390/vaccines14010043
Daria Shamakova, Marina A Shuklina, Nikita Yolshin, Ekaterina Romanovskaya-Romanko, Anna-Polina Shurygina, Kira Kudrya, Arman Muzhikyan, Mariia V Sergeeva, Marina Stukova
Background/Objectives: The current strategy for seasonal influenza prophylaxis relies on updating the vaccine components annually to account for the rapid antigenic drift of viruses and the low cross-protective efficacy of available vaccines. Mutant influenza viruses with truncated or deleted NS1 protein are known to stimulate cross-specific T-cell immune response and provide protection against heterosubtypic influenza A and B viruses. Methods: We generated NS1ΔC influenza A and B viruses with C-terminal NS1 deletions by reverse genetics. In a mouse model, we assessed the safety and immunogenicity of the B/Lee/NS1ΔC strain upon intranasal administration, as well as the mechanism of its cross-protective efficacy against sublethal B/Victoria and B/Yamagata challenges. We then investigated the potential of the intranasal Flu/NS1ΔC vaccine-a trivalent formulation of NS1ΔC A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B influenza viruses-to protect mice from lethal influenza infection with homologous, heterologous, and antigenically drifted influenza A and B viruses. Results: Intranasal immunization with the B/Lee/NS1ΔC strain was safe in mice. It activated cross-specific T-cell responses in the lungs and protected animals against heterologous challenge by reducing viral load, inflammation, and lung pathology. Immunization with the trivalent Flu/NS1ΔC vaccine formulation improved survival and reduced weight loss and viral load upon challenge with A/H1N1pdm, A/H2N2, A/H5N1, and B/Victoria viruses. Conclusions: The trivalent intranasal Flu/NS1ΔC influenza vaccine is a promising tool to improve seasonal influenza protection and preparedness for an influenza pandemic.
{"title":"Novel Intranasal Replication-Deficient NS1ΔC Flu Vaccine Confers Protection from Divergent Influenza A and B Viruses in Mice.","authors":"Daria Shamakova, Marina A Shuklina, Nikita Yolshin, Ekaterina Romanovskaya-Romanko, Anna-Polina Shurygina, Kira Kudrya, Arman Muzhikyan, Mariia V Sergeeva, Marina Stukova","doi":"10.3390/vaccines14010043","DOIUrl":"10.3390/vaccines14010043","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives</b>: The current strategy for seasonal influenza prophylaxis relies on updating the vaccine components annually to account for the rapid antigenic drift of viruses and the low cross-protective efficacy of available vaccines. Mutant influenza viruses with truncated or deleted NS1 protein are known to stimulate cross-specific T-cell immune response and provide protection against heterosubtypic influenza A and B viruses. <b>Methods</b>: We generated NS1ΔC influenza A and B viruses with C-terminal NS1 deletions by reverse genetics. In a mouse model, we assessed the safety and immunogenicity of the B/Lee/NS1ΔC strain upon intranasal administration, as well as the mechanism of its cross-protective efficacy against sublethal B/Victoria and B/Yamagata challenges. We then investigated the potential of the intranasal Flu/NS1ΔC vaccine-a trivalent formulation of NS1ΔC A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B influenza viruses-to protect mice from lethal influenza infection with homologous, heterologous, and antigenically drifted influenza A and B viruses. <b>Results</b>: Intranasal immunization with the B/Lee/NS1ΔC strain was safe in mice. It activated cross-specific T-cell responses in the lungs and protected animals against heterologous challenge by reducing viral load, inflammation, and lung pathology. Immunization with the trivalent Flu/NS1ΔC vaccine formulation improved survival and reduced weight loss and viral load upon challenge with A/H1N1pdm, A/H2N2, A/H5N1, and B/Victoria viruses. <b>Conclusions</b>: The trivalent intranasal Flu/NS1ΔC influenza vaccine is a promising tool to improve seasonal influenza protection and preparedness for an influenza pandemic.</p>","PeriodicalId":23634,"journal":{"name":"Vaccines","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12846425/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146067269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background/Objectives: Women treated with loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2+) remain at risk of HPV detection during follow-up. We assessed whether HPV vaccination was associated with HPV positivity at the first post-treatment follow-up after LEEP. Methods: This retrospective population-based cohort included women aged 20-79 years treated by LEEP in Troms and Finnmark, Norway, during 2022-2024 (n = 1052). Vaccination status, timing, and vaccine product were obtained from the national immunization register (SYSVAK). Follow-up HPV results (overall HPV, HPV16, HPV18, and pooled other HPV types; Roche cobas 4800 channels) were retrieved from SymPathy. Results: Overall, 329/1052 women (31.3%) were HPV-positive at first follow-up. HPV positivity was 37.7% (200/530) among unvaccinated women and 24.7% (129/522) among vaccinated women (ARR 13.0 percentage points; 95% CI 7.5-18.6; RR 0.655; 95% CI 0.544-0.788; p = 5.2 × 10-6). HPV16 was detected in 5.9% vs. 9.4% (p = 0.0335), and pooled other HPV types in 18.0% vs. 28.7% (p = 4.3 × 10-5); HPV18 did not differ (2.9% vs. 2.5%; p = 0.671). In adjusted analyses, vaccination in the year of LEEP was associated with lower risk of follow-up HPV positivity (aRR 0.592; 95% CI 0.444-0.789; p = 0.000348). Conclusions: HPV vaccination before the first post-treatment follow-up was associated with lower HPV positivity after LEEP. As this outcome is a surrogate endpoint and residual confounding is possible, studies with standardized follow-up and long-term clinical endpoints are needed.
背景/目的:在随访期间,接受环式电切手术(LEEP)治疗高级别宫颈上皮内瘤变(CIN2+)的女性仍有HPV检测的风险。我们在LEEP后的第一次治疗后随访中评估HPV疫苗接种是否与HPV阳性相关。方法:这项以人群为基础的回顾性队列研究纳入了2022-2024年间挪威特罗姆斯和芬马克接受LEEP治疗的20-79岁女性(n = 1052)。从国家免疫登记(SYSVAK)获得疫苗接种状态、时间和疫苗产品。随访HPV结果(总HPV、HPV16、HPV18和合并的其他HPV类型;Roche cobas 4800个通道)从SymPathy检索。结果:总体而言,329/1052名女性(31.3%)在首次随访时hpv阳性。未接种疫苗的妇女HPV阳性37.7%(200/530),接种疫苗的妇女HPV阳性24.7% (129/522)(ARR 13.0个百分点;95% CI 7.5-18.6; RR 0.655; 95% CI 0.544-0.788; p = 5.2 × 10-6)。HPV16的检出率为5.9%比9.4% (p = 0.0335),合并其他HPV类型的检出率为18.0%比28.7% (p = 4.3 × 10-5);HPV18无差异(2.9% vs. 2.5%; p = 0.671)。在调整分析中,LEEP年的疫苗接种与随访HPV阳性的风险较低相关(aRR 0.592; 95% CI 0.444-0.789; p = 0.000348)。结论:在第一次治疗后随访前接种HPV疫苗与LEEP后较低的HPV阳性相关。由于该结果是替代终点,并且可能存在残留混淆,因此需要进行标准化随访和长期临床终点的研究。
{"title":"HPV Vaccination and HPV Outcomes After LEEP: A Retrospective Population-Based Cohort Study from Northern Norway, 2022-2024.","authors":"Sveinung Wergeland Sørbye, Mona Antonsen, Elin Richardsen","doi":"10.3390/vaccines14010044","DOIUrl":"10.3390/vaccines14010044","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives</b>: Women treated with loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2+) remain at risk of HPV detection during follow-up. We assessed whether HPV vaccination was associated with HPV positivity at the first post-treatment follow-up after LEEP. <b>Methods</b>: This retrospective population-based cohort included women aged 20-79 years treated by LEEP in Troms and Finnmark, Norway, during 2022-2024 (<i>n</i> = 1052). Vaccination status, timing, and vaccine product were obtained from the national immunization register (SYSVAK). Follow-up HPV results (overall HPV, HPV16, HPV18, and pooled other HPV types; Roche cobas 4800 channels) were retrieved from SymPathy. <b>Results</b>: Overall, 329/1052 women (31.3%) were HPV-positive at first follow-up. HPV positivity was 37.7% (200/530) among unvaccinated women and 24.7% (129/522) among vaccinated women (ARR 13.0 percentage points; 95% CI 7.5-18.6; RR 0.655; 95% CI 0.544-0.788; <i>p</i> = 5.2 × 10<sup>-6</sup>). HPV16 was detected in 5.9% vs. 9.4% (<i>p</i> = 0.0335), and pooled other HPV types in 18.0% vs. 28.7% (<i>p</i> = 4.3 × 10<sup>-5</sup>); HPV18 did not differ (2.9% vs. 2.5%; <i>p</i> = 0.671). In adjusted analyses, vaccination in the year of LEEP was associated with lower risk of follow-up HPV positivity (aRR 0.592; 95% CI 0.444-0.789; <i>p</i> = 0.000348). <b>Conclusions</b>: HPV vaccination before the first post-treatment follow-up was associated with lower HPV positivity after LEEP. As this outcome is a surrogate endpoint and residual confounding is possible, studies with standardized follow-up and long-term clinical endpoints are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":23634,"journal":{"name":"Vaccines","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12846414/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146067321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-30DOI: 10.3390/vaccines14010047
Fabiana Nuccetelli, Sara Ciampini, Valeria Gabellone, Patrizio Zanobini, Pierluigi Lopalco, Luigi Roberto Biasio
Background: Vaccinations are essential to protect travelers from infectious diseases, especially in high-risk destinations. However, awareness and adherence to vaccination recommendations vary, influenced by communication, personal beliefs, and behavior. Methods: A focus group was conducted in February 2025 at a local health authority in central Italy, specifically within its travel clinic, to explore travelers' awareness, attitudes, and behaviors regarding vaccination. The discussion was analyzed using the "3Cs" Vaccine Hesitancy model. Participants were purposively selected to ensure diversity and representativeness. Discussions included past travel experiences, knowledge of required vaccines, motivations for immunization, and barriers to access. Results: Four key thematic areas emerged: socio-cultural/environmental factors, psychological/emotional influences, knowledge/information access, and general health perceptions. Communication gaps often weakened belief in vaccine efficacy and necessity. Cultural background, past experiences, and risk perception heavily influenced decisions. Discussion: Although vaccination is widely viewed as a protective measure, vaccine hesitancy persists due to misinformation and limited institutional trust. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified both awareness and skepticism. The 3Cs model clarified hesitancy levels and barriers, emphasizing the need for effective communication and trust-building. Conclusions: Enhancing access to accurate information, strengthening healthcare professionals' communicative role, and reducing economic obstacles are crucial. Tailored awareness campaigns and integrated health policies are essential to increasing vaccine uptake, safeguarding traveler health, and limiting global disease spread. Patient or Public Contribution: Members of the public contributed to this study by participating in a focus group, where they shared their personal experiences, perceptions, and opinions regarding travel-related vaccinations. Their insights provided valuable qualitative data that helped inform the study's findings. However, they were not involved in the study design, the analysis of the data, or the preparation of the manuscript. The role of participants was limited to the data collection phase of the study.
{"title":"Qualitative Study on Vaccinations for Travelers.","authors":"Fabiana Nuccetelli, Sara Ciampini, Valeria Gabellone, Patrizio Zanobini, Pierluigi Lopalco, Luigi Roberto Biasio","doi":"10.3390/vaccines14010047","DOIUrl":"10.3390/vaccines14010047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> Vaccinations are essential to protect travelers from infectious diseases, especially in high-risk destinations. However, awareness and adherence to vaccination recommendations vary, influenced by communication, personal beliefs, and behavior. <b>Methods:</b> A focus group was conducted in February 2025 at a local health authority in central Italy, specifically within its travel clinic, to explore travelers' awareness, attitudes, and behaviors regarding vaccination. The discussion was analyzed using the \"3Cs\" Vaccine Hesitancy model. Participants were purposively selected to ensure diversity and representativeness. Discussions included past travel experiences, knowledge of required vaccines, motivations for immunization, and barriers to access. <b>Results:</b> Four key thematic areas emerged: socio-cultural/environmental factors, psychological/emotional influences, knowledge/information access, and general health perceptions. Communication gaps often weakened belief in vaccine efficacy and necessity. Cultural background, past experiences, and risk perception heavily influenced decisions. <b>Discussion:</b> Although vaccination is widely viewed as a protective measure, vaccine hesitancy persists due to misinformation and limited institutional trust. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified both awareness and skepticism. The 3Cs model clarified hesitancy levels and barriers, emphasizing the need for effective communication and trust-building. <b>Conclusions:</b> Enhancing access to accurate information, strengthening healthcare professionals' communicative role, and reducing economic obstacles are crucial. Tailored awareness campaigns and integrated health policies are essential to increasing vaccine uptake, safeguarding traveler health, and limiting global disease spread. <b>Patient or Public Contribution:</b> Members of the public contributed to this study by participating in a focus group, where they shared their personal experiences, perceptions, and opinions regarding travel-related vaccinations. Their insights provided valuable qualitative data that helped inform the study's findings. However, they were not involved in the study design, the analysis of the data, or the preparation of the manuscript. The role of participants was limited to the data collection phase of the study.</p>","PeriodicalId":23634,"journal":{"name":"Vaccines","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12846634/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146067297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-29DOI: 10.3390/vaccines14010038
Qiuyue Song, Junlin Liu, Chunhua Wang
Tuberculosis is a severe infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection and poses a serious public health challenge globally. The prevalence of multidrug-resistant MTB in countries with a high burden of tuberculosis has further increased the challenges of tuberculosis prevention and control. The rapid and accurate diagnosis of MTB and multidrug-resistant MTB serves as the prerequisite and key to controlling tuberculosis transmission and prevalence. However, the insufficient laboratory diagnosis capacity of tuberculosis seriously constrains the detection of tuberculosis cases, leading to delayed treatment and interpersonal transmission. Although multiple laboratory diagnostic techniques for tuberculosis have emerged, their diagnostic efficacy varies significantly. This review conducts a detailed analysis of the principles, characteristics, and clinical applications of various laboratory diagnostic techniques across three major categories: bacteriological morphology, molecular biology, and immunology. It elucidates the advantages and disadvantages of each technique and explores future development directions for tuberculosis laboratory diagnostics, aiming to provide valuable methodological references for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis.
{"title":"Tuberculosis: Clinical Laboratory Diagnostic Techniques and Future Perspectives.","authors":"Qiuyue Song, Junlin Liu, Chunhua Wang","doi":"10.3390/vaccines14010038","DOIUrl":"10.3390/vaccines14010038","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tuberculosis is a severe infectious disease caused by <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> (MTB) infection and poses a serious public health challenge globally. The prevalence of multidrug-resistant MTB in countries with a high burden of tuberculosis has further increased the challenges of tuberculosis prevention and control. The rapid and accurate diagnosis of MTB and multidrug-resistant MTB serves as the prerequisite and key to controlling tuberculosis transmission and prevalence. However, the insufficient laboratory diagnosis capacity of tuberculosis seriously constrains the detection of tuberculosis cases, leading to delayed treatment and interpersonal transmission. Although multiple laboratory diagnostic techniques for tuberculosis have emerged, their diagnostic efficacy varies significantly. This review conducts a detailed analysis of the principles, characteristics, and clinical applications of various laboratory diagnostic techniques across three major categories: bacteriological morphology, molecular biology, and immunology. It elucidates the advantages and disadvantages of each technique and explores future development directions for tuberculosis laboratory diagnostics, aiming to provide valuable methodological references for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":23634,"journal":{"name":"Vaccines","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12846603/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146067326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}