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Georgopoulos AP, James LM. Anthrax Vaccines in the 21st Century. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:159. [PMID: 38400142 PMCID: PMC10892718 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12020159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Vaccination against Bacillus anthracis is the best preventive measure against the development of deadly anthrax disease in the event of exposure to anthrax either as a bioweapon or in its naturally occurring form. Anthrax vaccines, however, have historically been plagued with controversy, particularly related to their safety. Fortunately, recent improvements in anthrax vaccines have been shown to confer protection with reduced short-term safety concerns, although questions about long-term safety remain. Here, we (a) review recent and ongoing advances in anthrax vaccine development, (b) emphasize the need for thorough characterization of current (and future) vaccines, (c) bring to focus the importance of host immunogenetics as the ultimate determinant of successful antibody production and protection, and (d) discuss the need for the systematic, active, and targeted monitoring of vaccine recipients for possible Chronic Multisymptom Illness (CMI).
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Affiliation(s)
- Apostolos P. Georgopoulos
- The Gulf War Illness Working Group, Brain Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA;
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Lisa M. James
- The Gulf War Illness Working Group, Brain Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA;
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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Henning L, Anderson M, Triplett C, Smith T, Boyce K, Hendey L, Ridenour A, Eng J, Schaeufele D, Wilson E, Sabourin CL, Adams LE, Babas T, Parish L, Wolfe D. Efficacy of different AV7909 dose regimens in a nonclinical model of pulmonary anthrax. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2023; 19:2290345. [PMID: 38115181 PMCID: PMC10760354 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2290345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary anthrax caused by exposure to inhaled Bacillus anthracis, the most lethal form of anthrax disease, is a continued military and public health concern for the United States. The vaccine AV7909, consisting of the licensed anthrax drug substance AVA adjuvanted with CpG7909, induces high levels of toxin neutralizing antibodies in healthy adults using fewer doses than AVA. This study compares the ability of one- or two-dose regimens of AV7909 to induce a protective immune response in guinea pigs challenged with a lethal dose of aerosolized B. anthracis spores 6 weeks after the last vaccine dose. The results indicated that AV7909 was less effective when delivered as a single dose compared to the two-dose regimen that resulted in dose-dependent protection against death. The toxin neutralizing assay (TNA) titer and anti-PA IgG responses were proportional to the protective efficacy, with a 50% TNA neutralizing factor (NF50) greater than 0.1 associated with survival in animals receiving two doses of vaccine. The strong protection at relatively low TNA NF50 titers in this guinea pig model supports the exploration of lower doses in clinical trials to determine if these protective levels of neutralizing antibodies can be achieved in humans; however, protection with a single dose may not be feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Henning
- Battelle Biomedical Research Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | | | - Tammy Smith
- Battelle Biomedical Research Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kevin Boyce
- Battelle Biomedical Research Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Alex Ridenour
- Battelle Biomedical Research Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jason Eng
- Battelle Biomedical Research Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Ehran Wilson
- Battelle Biomedical Research Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Carol L. Sabourin
- Tunnell Government Services, Inc, Supporting BARDA, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lily E. Adams
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) fellow at BARDA, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Tahar Babas
- Division of CBRN Countermeasures, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lindsay Parish
- Division of CBRN Countermeasures, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Washington, DC, USA
| | - Daniel Wolfe
- Division of CBRN Countermeasures, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Washington, DC, USA
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Inglefield J, Catania J, Harris A, Hickey T, Ma Z, Minang J, Baranji K, Spangler T, Look J, Ruiz C, Lu H, Alleva D, Reece JJ, Lacy MJ. Use of protective antigen of Bacillus anthracis as a model recombinant antigen to evaluate toll-like receptors 2, 3, 4, 7 and 9 agonists in mice using established functional antibody assays, antigen-specific antibody assays and cellular assays. Vaccine 2022; 40:5544-5555. [PMID: 35773119 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists can act as immune stimulants alone or as part of alum or oil formulations. Humoral and cellular immune responses were utilized to assess quantitative and qualitative immune response enhancement by TLR agonists using recombinant protective antigen (rPA) of B. anthracis as a model antigen. To rPA, combined with aluminum hydroxide (Alhydrogel; Al(OH)3) or squalene (AddaVax™), was added one of 7 TLR agonists: TLR2 agonist Pam3CysSK4 (PamS), TLR3 agonist double stranded polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (PolyIC), TLR4 agonists Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) or glucopyranosyl lipid A (GLA), TLR7-8 agonists 3M-052 or Resiquimod (Resiq), or TLR9 agonist CPG 7909 (CPG). CD-1 or BALB/c mice received two intraperitoneal or intramuscular immunizations 14 days apart, followed by serum or spleen sampling 14 days later. All TLR agonists except PamS induced high levels of B. anthracis lethal toxin-neutralizing antibodies and immunoglobulin G (IgG) anti-PA. Some responses were >100-fold higher than those without a TLR agonist, and IP delivery (0.5 mL) induced higher TLR-mediated antibody response increases compared to IM delivery (0.05 mL). TLR7-8 and TLR9 agonists induced profound shifts of IgG anti-PA response to IgG2a or IgG2b. Compared to the 14-day immunization schedule, use of a shortened immunization schedule of only 7 days between prime and boost found that TLR9 agonist CPG in a squalene formulation maintained higher interferon-γ-positive cells than TLR4 agonist GLA. Variability in antibody responses was lower in BALB/c mice than CD-1 mice but antibody responses were higher in CD-1 mice. Lower serum 50% effective concentration (EC50) values were found for rPA-agonist formulations and squalene formulations compared to Al(OH)3 formulations. Lower EC50 values also were associated with low frequency detection of linear peptide epitopes. In summary, TLR agonists elicited cellular immune responses and markedly boosted humoral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Inglefield
- Emergent BioSolutions Inc., 300 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA
| | - Jason Catania
- Emergent BioSolutions Inc., 300 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA
| | - Andrea Harris
- Emergent BioSolutions Inc., 300 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA
| | - Thomas Hickey
- Emergent BioSolutions Inc., 300 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA
| | - Zhidong Ma
- Emergent BioSolutions Inc., 300 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA
| | - Jacob Minang
- Emergent BioSolutions Inc., 300 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA
| | - Katalin Baranji
- Emergent BioSolutions Inc., 300 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA
| | - Tarl Spangler
- Emergent BioSolutions Inc., 300 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA
| | - Jee Look
- Emergent BioSolutions Inc., 300 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA
| | - Christian Ruiz
- Emergent BioSolutions Inc., 300 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA
| | - Hang Lu
- Emergent BioSolutions Inc., 300 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA
| | - David Alleva
- Emergent BioSolutions Inc., 300 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA
| | - Joshua J Reece
- Emergent BioSolutions Inc., 300 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA
| | - Michael J Lacy
- Emergent BioSolutions Inc., 300 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA.
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Smith K, Garman L, Norris K, Muther J, Duke A, Engler RJM, Nelson MR, Collins LC, Spooner C, Guthridge C, James JA. Insufficient Anthrax Lethal Toxin Neutralization Is Associated with Antibody Subclass and Domain Specificity in the Plasma of Anthrax-Vaccinated Individuals. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061204. [PMID: 34199431 PMCID: PMC8229884 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA) is a significant line of defense against bioterrorist attack from Bacillus anthracis spores. However, in a subset of individuals, this vaccine may produce a suboptimal quantity of anti-protective antigen (PA), antibodies that are poorly neutralizing, and/or antibody titers that wane over time, necessitating annual boosters. To study individuals with such poor responses, we examine the properties of anti-PA in a subset of vaccinated individuals that make significant quantities of antibody but are still unable to neutralize toxin. In this cohort, characterized by poorly neutralizing antibody, we find that increased IgG4 to IgG1 subclass ratios, low antibody avidity, and insufficient antibody targeting domain 4 associate with improper neutralization. Thus, future vaccines and vaccination schedules should be formulated to improve these deficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Smith
- Department of Arthritis and Clinical Immunology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, 825 NE 13th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; (K.N.); (J.M.); (A.D.); (C.G.)
- Correspondence: (K.S.); (J.A.J.); Tel.: +1-405-271-3275 (K.S.); +1-405-271-4987 (J.A.J.)
| | - Lori Garman
- Department of Genes and Human Disease, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, 825 NE 13th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA;
| | - Kathleen Norris
- Department of Arthritis and Clinical Immunology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, 825 NE 13th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; (K.N.); (J.M.); (A.D.); (C.G.)
| | - Jennifer Muther
- Department of Arthritis and Clinical Immunology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, 825 NE 13th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; (K.N.); (J.M.); (A.D.); (C.G.)
| | - Angie Duke
- Department of Arthritis and Clinical Immunology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, 825 NE 13th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; (K.N.); (J.M.); (A.D.); (C.G.)
| | - Renata J. M. Engler
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; (R.J.M.E.); (M.R.N.); (L.C.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Michael R. Nelson
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; (R.J.M.E.); (M.R.N.); (L.C.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Limone C. Collins
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; (R.J.M.E.); (M.R.N.); (L.C.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Christina Spooner
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; (R.J.M.E.); (M.R.N.); (L.C.C.); (C.S.)
| | - Carla Guthridge
- Department of Arthritis and Clinical Immunology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, 825 NE 13th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; (K.N.); (J.M.); (A.D.); (C.G.)
| | - Judith A. James
- Department of Arthritis and Clinical Immunology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, 825 NE 13th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; (K.N.); (J.M.); (A.D.); (C.G.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Oklahoma University Health Science Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Oklahoma University Health Science Center, 1000 Stanton L. Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Correspondence: (K.S.); (J.A.J.); Tel.: +1-405-271-3275 (K.S.); +1-405-271-4987 (J.A.J.)
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Modi T, Gervais D, Smith S, Miller J, Subramaniam S, Thalassinos K, Shepherd A. Characterization of the UK anthrax vaccine and human immunogenicity. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2020; 17:747-758. [PMID: 32897798 PMCID: PMC7993152 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1799668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The manufacture of the UK Anthrax vaccine (AVP) focuses on the production of Protective Antigen (PA) from the Bacillus anthracis Sterne strain. Although used for decades, several of AVP’s fundamental properties are poorly understood, including its exact composition, the extent to which proteins other than PA may contribute to protection, and whether the degree of protection varies between individuals. This study involved three innovative investigations. Firstly, the composition of AVP was analyzed using liquid chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), requiring the development of a novel desorption method for releasing B. anthracis proteins from the vaccine’s aluminum-containing adjuvant. Secondly, computational MHC-binding predictions using NetMHCIIpan were made for the eight most abundant proteins of AVP, for the commonest HLA alleles in multiple ethnic groups, and for multiple B. anthracis strains. Thirdly, antibody levels and toxin neutralizing antibody (TNA) levels were measured in sera from AVP human vaccinees for both PA and Lethal Factor (LF). It was demonstrated that AVP is composed of at least 138 B. anthracis proteins, including PA (65%), LF (8%) and Edema Factor (EF) (3%), using LC-MS/MS. NetMHCIIpan predicted that peptides from all eight abundant proteins are likely to be presented to T cells, a pre-requisite for protection; however, the number of such peptides varied considerably between different HLA alleles. These analyses highlight two important properties of the AVP vaccine that have not been established previously. Firstly, the effectiveness of AVP within humans may not depend on PA alone; there is compelling evidence to suggest that LF has a protective role, with computational predictions suggesting that additional proteins may be important for individuals with specific HLA allele combinations. Secondly, in spite of differences in the sequences of key antigenic proteins from different B. anthracis strains, these are unlikely to affect the cross-strain protection afforded by AVP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tapasvi Modi
- Porton Biopharma Limited, Development, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
| | - David Gervais
- Porton Biopharma Limited, Development, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
| | - Stuart Smith
- Porton Biopharma Limited, Development, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
| | - Julie Miller
- Porton Biopharma Limited, Development, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
| | - Shaan Subramaniam
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, Darwin Building Room 101A, University College London, London, UK
| | - Konstantinos Thalassinos
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, Darwin Building Room 101A, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Adrian Shepherd
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
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Sok D, Burton DR. Recent progress in broadly neutralizing antibodies to HIV. Nat Immunol 2018; 19:1179-1188. [PMID: 30333615 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-018-0235-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 272] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In this Review, we highlight some recent developments in the discovery and application of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); i.e., antibodies able to neutralize diverse isolates of HIV. We consider the characterization of novel bnAbs, recent data on the effects of bnAbs in vivo in humans and animal models, and the importance of both kinds of data for the application of Abs to prophylaxis and therapy and to guide vaccine design. We seek to place newly discovered bnAbs in the context of existing bnAbs, and we explore the various characteristics of the antibodies that are most desirable for different applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin Sok
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA. .,IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA. .,Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology and Immunogen Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA. .,International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Dennis R Burton
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA. .,IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA. .,Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology and Immunogen Discovery, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA. .,Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Lv J, Zhang YY, Lu X, Zhang H, Wei L, Gao J, Hu B, Hu WW, Hu DZ, Jia N, Feng X. Comparisons of the humoral and cellular immunity induced by live A16R attenuated spore and AVA-like anthrax vaccine in mice. Biologicals 2017; 46:130-138. [PMID: 28215694 DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2017.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Revised: 02/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The live attenuated anthrax vaccine and anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA) are two main types of anthrax vaccines currently used in human. However, the immunoprotective mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we compared humoral and cellular immunity induced by live A16R spore vaccine and A16R strain derived AVA-like vaccine in mice peripheral blood, spleen and bone marrow. Both A16R spores and AVA-like vaccines induced a sustained IgG antibody response with IgG1/IgG2b subtype dominance. However, A16R spores vaccine induced higher titer of IgG2a compared with AVA-like vaccine, indicating a stronger Th1 response to A16R spores. Using antigen-specific ELISpot assay, we observed a significant response of ASCs (antibody secreting cells) and IL4-CSCs (cytokine secreting cells) in mice. Specially, there was a positive correlation between the frequencies of antigen specific ASCs and IL4-CSCs in bone marrow derived cells, either by A16R spore or AVA-like vaccine vaccination. Moreover, we also found A16R spore vaccine, not AVA-like vaccine, could induce sustained frequency of IFN-γ-CSCs in bone marrow derived cells. Collectively, both the vaccines induced a mixed Th1/Th2 response with Th2 dominance in mice and A16R spore vaccine might provide a more comprehensive protection because of humoral and cellular immunity induced in bone marrow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Lv
- The General Hospital of the PLA Rocket Force, Beijing, China
| | - Ying-Ying Zhang
- The General Hospital of the PLA Rocket Force, Beijing, China
| | - Xun Lu
- The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- The General Hospital of the PLA Rocket Force, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Wei
- The General Hospital of the PLA Rocket Force, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Gao
- The General Hospital of the PLA Rocket Force, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Hu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of the PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Wei Hu
- The General Hospital of the PLA Rocket Force, Beijing, China
| | - Dun-Zhong Hu
- The General Hospital of the PLA Rocket Force, Beijing, China
| | - Na Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China.
| | - Xin Feng
- The General Hospital of the PLA Rocket Force, Beijing, China.
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Longstreth J, Skiadopoulos MH, Hopkins RJ. Licensure strategy for pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis of biothrax vaccine: the first vaccine licensed using the FDA animal rule. Expert Rev Vaccines 2016; 15:1467-1479. [DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2016.1254556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Janice Longstreth
- Biodefense Division, Emergent BioSolutions Inc., Gaithersburg, MD, US
| | | | - Robert J. Hopkins
- Biodefense Division, Emergent BioSolutions Inc., Gaithersburg, MD, US
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