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Aboul-Ella H, Gohar A, Ali AA, Ismail LM, Mahmoud AEER, Elkhatib WF, Aboul-Ella H. Monoclonal antibodies: From magic bullet to precision weapon. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2024; 5:47. [PMID: 39390211 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-024-00210-1] [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: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 09/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are used to prevent, detect, and treat a broad spectrum of non-communicable and communicable diseases. Over the past few years, the market for mAbs has grown exponentially with an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.07% from 2024 (237.64 billion USD estimated at the end of 2023) to 2033 (679.03 billion USD expected by the end of 2033). Ever since the advent of hybridoma technology introduced in 1975, antibody-based therapeutics were realized using murine antibodies which further progressed into humanized and fully human antibodies, reducing the risk of immunogenicity. Some benefits of using mAbs over conventional drugs include a drastic reduction in the chances of adverse reactions, interactions between drugs, and targeting specific proteins. While antibodies are very efficient, their higher production costs impede the process of commercialization. However, their cost factor has been improved by developing biosimilar antibodies as affordable versions of therapeutic antibodies. Along with the recent advancements and innovations in antibody engineering have helped and will furtherly help to design bio-better antibodies with improved efficacy than the conventional ones. These novel mAb-based therapeutics are set to revolutionize existing drug therapies targeting a wide spectrum of diseases, thereby meeting several unmet medical needs. This review provides comprehensive insights into the current fundamental landscape of mAbs development and applications and the key factors influencing the future projections, advancement, and incorporation of such promising immunotherapeutic candidates as a confrontation approach against a wide list of diseases, with a rationalistic mentioning of any limitations facing this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Aboul-Ella
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
| | - Asmaa Gohar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Galala University, Suez, Egypt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ahram Canadian University (ACU), Giza, Egypt
- Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), Giza, Egypt
| | - Aya Ahmed Ali
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sinai University, Sinai, Egypt
| | - Lina M Ismail
- Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
- Creative Egyptian Biotechnologists (CEB), Giza, Egypt
| | | | - Walid F Elkhatib
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Galala University, Suez, Egypt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Heba Aboul-Ella
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Drug Technology, Egyptian Chinese University (ECU), Cairo, Egypt
- Scientific Research Group in Egypt (SRGE), Cairo, Egypt
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2
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Casadevall A, Paneth N. The Logic and History of Passive Immunity and Antibody Therapies. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2024. [PMID: 38772970 DOI: 10.1007/82_2024_267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
This volume takes a broad overview of antibody-based therapies prior to and during the COVID pandemic and examines their potential use in future pandemics. Passive antibody therapy was the first effective antimicrobial treatment and its development in the early twentieth century helped catalyze immunological and microbiological research. During the era of serum therapy (1890-1940) antibody-based therapies were developed against both viral and bacterial diseases. Effective treatment required an understanding of how to quantify antibodies, how to develop serotype-specific sera and recognition of the need to treat early in disease. Thus, although the era of serum therapy essentially ended with the development of small molecule antimicrobial therapy in the 1940s, antibody-based therapies led to important new scientific understanding, while remaining in use for some toxin and venom-caused diseases and in the prevention of outbreaks of viral hepatitis. A renewed interest in antibody-based therapies was seen in the widespread deployment of convalescent plasma and monoclonal antibodies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Convalescent plasma will likely be the first specific therapy during outbreaks with new pathogens for which there is no other therapy. For all forms of antibody-based therapies, effectiveness relies on the key principles of antibody therapy, namely, treatment early in disease with preparations containing sufficient antibody specific to the microbe in question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Casadevall
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Nigel Paneth
- Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Pediatrics and Human Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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3
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Almutawif YA, Al‐kuraishy HM, Al‐Gareeb AI, Alexiou A, Papadakis M, Eid HMA, Saad HM, Batiha GE. Insights on Covid-19 with superimposed pulmonary histoplasmosis: The possible nexus. Immun Inflamm Dis 2023; 11:e989. [PMID: 37773721 PMCID: PMC10540147 DOI: 10.1002/iid3.989] [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: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A novel coronavirus (CoV) known as severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV type 2 is the causative agent for the development of CoV disease 2019 (Covid-19). Covid-19 may increase the risk of developing pulmonary histoplasmosis due to immune dysregulation. In addition, Covid-19 may enhance the propagation of acute pulmonary histoplasmosis due to lung injury and inflammation, and using corticosteroids in severely affected Covid-19 patients may reactivate latent pulmonary histoplasmosis. Likewise, activation of inflammatory signaling pathways during H. capsulatum infection may increase the severity of Covid-19 and vice versa. Furthermore, lymphopenia in Covid-19 may increase the risk for the progress of pulmonary histoplasmosis besides activation of inflammatory signaling pathways during H. capsulatum infection may increase the severity of Covid-19 and vice versa. Therefore, this critical review aimed to find the potential link between Covid-19 pneumonia and pulmonary histoplasmosis concerning the immunological response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahya A. Almutawif
- Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, College of Applied Medical SciencesTaibah UniversityMadinahSaudi Arabia
| | - Hayder M. Al‐kuraishy
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Medicine, College of MedicineAl‐Mustansiriyia UniversityBaghdadIraq
| | - Ali I. Al‐Gareeb
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Medicine, College of MedicineAl‐Mustansiriyia UniversityBaghdadIraq
| | - Athanasios Alexiou
- Department of Science and EngineeringNovel Global Community Educational FoundationHebershamNew South WalesAustralia
- AFNP MedWienAustria
| | - Marios Papadakis
- Department of Surgery II, University Hospital Witten‐Herdecke, Heusnerstrasse 40University of Witten‐HerdeckeWuppertalGermany
| | - Hamza M. A. Eid
- Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, College of Applied Medical SciencesTaibah UniversityMadinahSaudi Arabia
| | - Hebatallah M. Saad
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary MedicineMatrouh UniversityMarsaMatruhEgypt
| | - Gaber El‐Saber Batiha
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Veterinary MedicineDamanhour UniversityDamanhourAlBeheiraEgypt
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4
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Kumar R, Srivastava V. Application of anti-fungal vaccines as a tool against emerging anti-fungal resistance. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2023; 4:1241539. [PMID: 37746132 PMCID: PMC10512234 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2023.1241539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
After viruses and bacteria, fungal infections remain a serious threat to the survival and well-being of society. The continuous emergence of resistance against commonly used anti-fungal drugs is a serious concern. The eukaryotic nature of fungal cells makes the identification of novel anti-fungal agents slow and difficult. Increasing global temperature and a humid environment conducive to fungal growth may lead to a fungal endemic or a pandemic. The continuous increase in the population of immunocompromised individuals and falling immunity forced pharmaceutical companies to look for alternative strategies for better managing the global fungal burden. Prevention of infectious diseases by vaccines can be the right choice. Recent success and safe application of mRNA-based vaccines can play a crucial role in our quest to overcome anti-fungal resistance. Expressing fungal cell surface proteins in human subjects using mRNA technology may be sufficient to raise immune response to protect against future fungal infection. The success of mRNA-based anti-fungal vaccines will heavily depend on the identification of fungal surface proteins which are highly immunogenic and have no or least side effects in human subjects. The present review discusses why it is essential to look for anti-fungal vaccines and how vaccines, in general, and mRNA-based vaccines, in particular, can be the right choice in tackling the problem of rising anti-fungal resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravinder Kumar
- Department of Pathology, Collage of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Vartika Srivastava
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
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5
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Rabaan AA, Alfaraj AH, Alshengeti A, Alawfi A, Alwarthan S, Alhajri M, Al-Najjar AH, Al Fares MA, Najim MA, Almuthree SA, AlShurbaji ST, Alofi FS, AlShehail BM, AlYuosof B, Alynbiawi A, Alzayer SA, Al Kaabi N, Abduljabbar WA, Bukhary ZA, Bueid AS. Antibodies to Combat Fungal Infections: Development Strategies and Progress. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11030671. [PMID: 36985244 PMCID: PMC10051215 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11030671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The finding that some mAbs are antifungal suggests that antibody immunity may play a key role in the defense of the host against mycotic infections. The discovery of antibodies that guard against fungi is a significant advancement because it gives rise to the possibility of developing vaccinations that trigger protective antibody immunity. These vaccines might work by inducing antibody opsonins that improve the function of non-specific (such as neutrophils, macrophages, and NK cells) and specific (such as lymphocyte) cell-mediated immunity and stop or aid in eradicating fungus infections. The ability of antibodies to defend against fungi has been demonstrated by using monoclonal antibody technology to reconsider the function of antibody immunity. The next step is to develop vaccines that induce protective antibody immunity and to comprehend the mechanisms through which antibodies mediate protective effects against fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali A. Rabaan
- Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran 31311, Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Public Health and Nutrition, The University of Haripur, Haripur 22610, Pakistan
- Correspondence:
| | - Amal H. Alfaraj
- Pediatric Department, Abqaiq General Hospital, First Eastern Health Cluster, Abqaiq 33261, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amer Alshengeti
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah 41491, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Infection Prevention and Control, Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Hospital, National Guard Health Affairs, Al-Madinah 41491, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulsalam Alawfi
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah 41491, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sara Alwarthan
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34212, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mashael Alhajri
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34212, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amal H. Al-Najjar
- Drug & Poison Information Center, Pharmacy Department, Security Forces Hospital Program, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mona A. Al Fares
- Department of Internal Medicine, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mustafa A. Najim
- Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Madinah 41411, Saudi Arabia
| | - Souad A. Almuthree
- Department of Infectious Disease, King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah 43442, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sultan T. AlShurbaji
- Outpatient Pharmacy, Dr. Sulaiman Alhabib Medical Group, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh 91877, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fadwa S. Alofi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, King Fahad Hospital, Madinah 42351, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bashayer M. AlShehail
- Pharmacy Practice Department, College of Clinical Pharmacy, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Buthina AlYuosof
- Directorate of Public Health, Dammam Network, Eastern Health Cluster, Dammam 31444, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahlam Alynbiawi
- Infectious Diseases Section, Medical Specialties Department, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh 12231, Saudi Arabia
| | - Suha A. Alzayer
- Parasitology Laboratory Department, Qatif Comprehensive Inspection Center, Qatif 31911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nawal Al Kaabi
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi 51900, United Arab Emirates
| | - Wesam A. Abduljabbar
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Fakeeh College for Medical Science, Jeddah 21134, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zakiyah A. Bukhary
- Department of Internal Medicine, King Fahad General Hospital, Jeddah 23325, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed S. Bueid
- Microbiology Laboratory, King Faisal General Hospital, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
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6
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Singh S, Barbarino A, Youssef EG, Coleman D, Gebremariam T, Ibrahim AS. Protective Efficacy of Anti-Hyr1p Monoclonal Antibody against Systemic Candidiasis Due to Multi-Drug-Resistant Candida auris. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:103. [PMID: 36675924 PMCID: PMC9860579 DOI: 10.3390/jof9010103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida auris is a multi-drug-resistant fungal pathogen that can survive outside the host and can easily spread and colonize the healthcare environment, medical devices, and human skin. C. auris causes serious life-threatening infections (up to 60% mortality) in immunosuppressed patients staying in such contaminated healthcare facilities. Some isolates of C. auris are resistant to virtually all clinically available antifungal drugs. Therefore, alternative therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. Using in silico protein modeling and analysis, we identified a highly immunogenic and surface-exposed epitope that is conserved between C. albicans hyphal-regulated protein (Cal-Hyr1p) and Hyr1p/Iff-like proteins in C. auris (Cau-HILp). We generated monoclonal antibodies (MAb) against this Cal-Hyr1p epitope, which recognized several clinical isolates of C. auris representing all four clades. An anti-Hyr1p MAb prevented biofilm formation and enhanced opsonophagocytic killing of C. auris by macrophages. When tested for in vivo efficacy, anti-Hyr1p MAb protected 55% of mice against lethal systemic C. auris infection and showed significantly less fungal burden. Our study is highly clinically relevant and provides an effective alternative therapeutic option to treat infections due to MDR C. auris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakti Singh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ashley Barbarino
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502, USA
| | - Eman G. Youssef
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502, USA
| | - Declan Coleman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502, USA
- Biology Department, Pomona College, Pomona, CA 91711, USA
| | - Teclegiorgis Gebremariam
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502, USA
| | - Ashraf S. Ibrahim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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7
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Infection and Immunity. Clin Immunol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-818006-8.00007-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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8
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Woodring T, Deepe GS, Levitz SM, Wuethrich M, Klein BS. They shall not grow mold: Soldiers of innate and adaptive immunity to fungi. Semin Immunol 2023; 65:101673. [PMID: 36459927 PMCID: PMC10311222 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2022.101673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Fungi are ubiquitous commensals, seasoned predators, and important agents of emerging infectious diseases [1 ]. The immune system assumes the essential responsibility for responding intelligently to the presence of known and novel fungi to maintain host health. In this Review, we describe the immune responses to pathogenic fungi and the varied array of fungal agents confronting the vertebrate host within the broader context of fungal and animal evolution. We provide an overview of the mechanistic details of innate and adaptive antifungal immune responses, as well as ways in which these basic mechanisms support the development of vaccines and immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Therese Woodring
- Departments of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI, USA
| | - George S Deepe
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Stuart M Levitz
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Marcel Wuethrich
- Departments of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI, USA
| | - Bruce S Klein
- Departments of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI, USA; Departments of Internal Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI, USA; Departments of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI, USA.
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9
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Vij S, Thakur R, Kumari L, Suri CR, Rishi P. Potential of a novel flagellin epitope as a broad-spectrum vaccine candidate against enteric fever. Microb Pathog 2023; 174:105936. [PMID: 36494021 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105936] [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: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Relentless emergence of antibiotic resistant Salmonella strains, coupled with the drawbacks associated with currently available vaccines against enteric fever, warrants an urgent need to look for new vaccine candidates. Out of the multiple virulence factors harbored by Salmonella, flagella are regarded as one of the most important targets of innate as well as adaptive immune response. Individual Salmonella serotypes alternate between expression of two different antigenic forms encoded by fliC and fljB genes, respectively thereby employing this as a strategy to escape the host immune response. In the present study, using various immunoinformatic approaches, a flagellin epitope, present in both antigenic forms of typhoidal Salmonellae has been targeted. Following B-cell epitope and B-cell derived T-cell epitope prediction and interaction studies with major histocompatibility complexes using molecular docking, a peptide epitope was selected. Further, it was screened for its presence in majority of typhoidal serovars along with other useful attributes, in silico. Thereafter, safety studies were performed with the synthesized peptide. Subsequently, immunization studies were carried out using S. Typhi as well as S. Paratyphi A induced murine peritonitis model. Active immunization with peptide-BSA conjugate resulted in 75% and 80% mice survival following lethal challenge with S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A respectively, along with a significant IgG antibody titer, thereby highlighting its immunogenic potential. Reduced bacterial burden in vital organs along with improved histoarchitecture and cytokine levels further substantiated the protective efficacy of the proposed candidate. Passive immunization studies with the candidate verified the protective efficacy of the generated antibodies against lethal challenge of bacteria in mice. Given the endemic nature of enteric fever and the antigenic variability observed in Salmonella serotypes, present study highlights the importance of using a vaccine candidate, which, along with generating a strong immune response, also exhibits a broad coverage against both, S. Typhi as well as S. Paratyphi A strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shania Vij
- Department of Microbiology, Basic Medical Sciences, Block I, South Campus, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Reena Thakur
- Department of Microbiology, Basic Medical Sciences, Block I, South Campus, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Laxmi Kumari
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | | | - Praveen Rishi
- Department of Microbiology, Basic Medical Sciences, Block I, South Campus, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
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10
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Mendoza SR, Liedke SC, de La Noval CR, da Silva Ferreira M, Gomes KX, Honorato L, Nimrichter L, Peralta JM, Guimarães AJ. In vitro and in vivo efficacies of Dectin-1-Fc(IgG)(s) fusion proteins against invasive fungal infections. Med Mycol 2022; 60:6648754. [PMID: 35867978 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myac050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections have increased in the last years, particularly associated to an increment in the number of immunocompromised individuals and the emergence of known or new resistant species, despite the difficulties in the often time-consuming diagnosis. The controversial efficacy of the currently available strategies for their clinical management, apart from their high toxicity and severe side effects, have renewed the interest in the research and development of new broad antifungal alternatives. These encompass vaccines and passive immunization strategies with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), recognizing ubiquitous fungal targets, such as fungal cell wall β-1,3-glucan polysaccharides, which could be used in early therapeutic intervention without the need for the diagnosis at species-level. As additional alternatives, based on the Dectin-1 great affinity to β-1,3-glucan, our group developed broad antibody-like Dectin1-Fc(IgG)(s) from distinct subclasses (IgG2a and IgG2b) and compared their antifungal in vitro and passive immunizations in vivo performances. Dectin1-Fc(IgG2a) and Dectin1-Fc(IgG2b) demonstrated high affinity to laminarin and the fungal cell wall by ELISA, flow cytometry and microscopy. Both Dectin-1-Fc(IgG)(s) inhibited H. capsulatum and C. neoformans growth in a dose-dependent fashion. For C. albicans, such inhibitory effect was observed with concentrations as low as 0.098 and 0.049 µg/mL, respectively, which correlated with the impairment of the kinetics and lengths of germ tubes in comparison to controls. Previous opsonization with Dectin-1-Fc(IgG)(s) enhanced considerably the macrophage antifungal effector functions, increasing the fungi macrophages-interactions and significantly reducing the intraphagosome fungal survival, as lower CFUs were observed. The administration of both Dectin1-Fc(IgG)(s) reduced the fungal burden and mortality in murine histoplasmosis and candidiasis models, in accordance with previous evaluations in aspergillosis model. These results altogether strongly suggested that therapeutic interventions with Dectin-1-Fc(IgG)(s) fusion proteins could directly impact the innate immunity and disease outcome in favor of the host, by direct neutralization, opsonization, phagocytosis, and fungal elimination, providing interesting information on the potential of these new strategies for the control of invasive fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- S R Mendoza
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Instituto Biomédico, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia e Inflamação, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - S C Liedke
- Laboratório de Diagnóstico Imunológico e Molecular de Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - C R de La Noval
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Instituto Biomédico, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil.,Laboratório de Glicobiologia de Eucariotos, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - M da Silva Ferreira
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Instituto Biomédico, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia e Inflamação, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - K X Gomes
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Instituto Biomédico, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil.,Rede Micologia RJ - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), RJ, Brazil
| | - L Honorato
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia de Eucariotos, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - L Nimrichter
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia de Eucariotos, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Rede Micologia RJ - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), RJ, Brazil
| | - J M Peralta
- Laboratório de Diagnóstico Imunológico e Molecular de Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - A J Guimarães
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Instituto Biomédico, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia e Inflamação, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Rede Micologia RJ - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), RJ, Brazil.,Pós-Graduação em Microbiologia e Parasitologia Aplicadas, Instituto Biomédico, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil
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11
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Adekanmbi O, Nwanji I, Oladele R. Disseminated Histoplasmosis in an AIDS Patient with Immunologic Non-response to HAART: A Case Report. J Mycol Med 2022; 32:101271. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2022.101271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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12
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Tirado-Sánchez A, Vazquez-González D, Sáenz-Dávila B, Bonifaz A. Antifungal Vaccines: Current Status and Future Directions. Fungal Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-89664-5_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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13
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Figueiredo ABC, Fonseca FL, Kuczera D, Conte FDP, Arissawa M, Rodrigues ML. Monoclonal Antibodies against Cell Wall Chitooligomers as Accessory Tools for the Control of Cryptococcosis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2021; 65:e0118121. [PMID: 34570650 PMCID: PMC8597760 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01181-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic strategies against systemic mycoses can involve antifungal resistance and significant toxicity. Thus, novel therapeutic approaches to fight fungal infections are urgent. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) are promising tools to fight systemic mycoses. In this study, MAbs of the IgM isotype were developed against chitin oligomers. Chitooligomers derive from chitin, an essential component of the fungal cell wall and a promising therapeutic target, as it is not synthesized by humans or animals. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays and cell-binding tests showed that the MAbs recognizing chitooligomers have high affinity and specificity for the chitin derivatives. In vitro tests showed that the chitooligomer MAbs increased the fungicidal capacity of amphotericin B against Cryptococcus neoformans. The chitooligomer-binding MAbs interfered with two essential properties related to cryptococcal pathogenesis: biofilm formation and melanin production. In a murine model of C. neoformans infection, the combined administration of the chitooligomer-binding MAb and subinhibitory doses of amphotericin B promoted disease control. The data obtained in this study support the hypothesis that chitooligomer antibodies have great potential as accessory tools in the control of cryptococcosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fernanda L. Fonseca
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Diogo Kuczera
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Fernando de Paiva Conte
- Projeto Implantação Planta Piloto, Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcia Arissawa
- Vice Diretoria de Desenvolvimento Técnologico, Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcio L. Rodrigues
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Curitiba, Brazil
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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14
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Emerging Preclinical and Clinical Applications of Theranostics for Nononcological Disorders. PET Clin 2021; 16:429-440. [PMID: 34053586 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpet.2021.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Studies in nuclear medicine have shed light on molecular imaging and therapeutic approaches for oncological and nononcological conditions. Using the same radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and therapeutics of malignancies, the theranostics approach, has improved clinical management of patients. Theranostic approaches for nononcological conditions are recognized as emerging topics of research. This review focuses on preclinical and clinical studies of nononcological disorders that include theranostic strategies. Theranostic approaches are demonstrated as possible in the clinical management of infections and inflammations. There is an emerging need for randomized trials to specify the factors affecting validity and efficacy of theranostic approaches in nononcological diseases.
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15
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Almeida MA, Baeza LC, Almeida-Paes R, Bailão AM, Borges CL, Guimarães AJ, Soares CMA, Zancopé-Oliveira RM. Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Histoplasma capsulatum Yeast and Mycelium Reveals Differential Metabolic Shifts and Cell Wall Remodeling Processes in the Different Morphotypes. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:640931. [PMID: 34177824 PMCID: PMC8226243 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.640931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Histoplasma capsulatum is a thermally dimorphic fungus distributed worldwide, but with the highest incidence in the Americas within specific geographic areas, such as the Mississippi River Valley and regions in Latin America. This fungus is the etiologic agent of histoplasmosis, an important life-threatening systemic mycosis. Dimorphism is an important feature for fungal survival in different environments and is related to the virulence of H. capsulatum, and essential to the establishment of infection. Proteomic profiles have made important contributions to the knowledge of metabolism and pathogenicity in several biological models. However, H. capsulatum proteome studies have been underexplored. In the present study, we report the first proteomic comparison between the mycelium and the yeast cells of H. capsulatum. Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was used to evaluate the proteomic profile of the two phases of H. capsulatum growth, mycelium, and yeast. In summary, 214 and 225 proteins were only detected/or preferentially abundant in mycelium or yeast cells, respectively. In mycelium, enzymes related to the glycolytic pathway and to the alcoholic fermentation occurred in greater abundance, suggesting a higher use of anaerobic pathways for energy production. In yeast cells, proteins related to the tricarboxylic acid cycle and response to temperature stress were in high abundance. Proteins related to oxidative stress response or involved with cell wall metabolism were identified with differential abundance in both conditions. Proteomic data validation was performed by enzymatic activity determination, Western blot assays, or immunofluorescence microscopy. These experiments corroborated, directly or indirectly, the abundance of isocitrate lyase, 2-methylcitrate synthase, catalase B, and mannosyl-oligosaccharide-1,2-alpha-mannosidase in the mycelium and heat shock protein (HSP) 30, HSP60, glucosamine-fructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase, glucosamine-6-phosphate deaminase, and N-acetylglucosamine-phosphate mutase in yeast cells. The proteomic profile-associated functional classification analyses of proteins provided new and interesting information regarding the differences in metabolism between the two distinct growth forms of H. capsulatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Abreu Almeida
- Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lilian Cristiane Baeza
- Centro de Ciências Médicas e Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Cascavel, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Almeida-Paes
- Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Clayton Luiz Borges
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
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16
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Ankrah AO, Sathekge MM, Dierckx RAJO, Glaudemans AWJM. Radionuclide Imaging of Fungal Infections and Correlation with the Host Defense Response. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7060407. [PMID: 34067410 PMCID: PMC8224611 DOI: 10.3390/jof7060407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The human response to invading fungi includes a series of events that detect, kill, or clear the fungi. If the metabolic host response is unable to eliminate the fungi, an infection ensues. Some of the host response’s metabolic events to fungi can be imaged with molecules labelled with radionuclides. Several important clinical applications have been found with radiolabelled biomolecules of inflammation. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose is the tracer that has been most widely investigated in the host defence of fungi. This tracer has added value in the early detection of infection, in staging and visualising dissemination of infection, and in monitoring antifungal treatment. Radiolabelled antimicrobial peptides showed promising results, but large prospective studies in fungal infection are lacking. Other tracers have also been used in imaging events of the host response, such as the migration of white blood cells at sites of infection, nutritional immunity in iron metabolism, and radiolabelled monoclonal antibodies. Many tracers are still at the preclinical stage. Some tracers require further studies before translation into clinical use. The application of therapeutic radionuclides offers a very promising clinical application of these tracers in managing drug-resistant fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfred O. Ankrah
- National Centre for Radiotherapy Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra GA-222 7974, Ghana;
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Pretoria, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
- Medical Imaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Mike M. Sathekge
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Pretoria, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
| | - Rudi A. J. O. Dierckx
- Medical Imaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Andor W. J. M. Glaudemans
- Medical Imaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands;
- Correspondence:
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Silva LBR, Taira CL, Cleare LG, Martins M, Junqueira M, Nosanchuk JD, Taborda CP. Identification of Potentially Therapeutic Immunogenic Peptides From Paracoccidioides lutzii Species. Front Immunol 2021; 12:670992. [PMID: 34046037 PMCID: PMC8144467 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.670992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is an endemic mycosis in Latin America caused by the thermodimorphic fungi of the genus Paracoccidioides spp. Paracoccidioides lutzii (PL) is one of the 5 species that constitute the Paracoccidioides genus. PL expresses low amounts of glycoprotein (Gp) 43 (PLGp43) and PLGp43 displays few epitopes in common with the P. brasiliensis (PB) immunodominant antigen PBGp43, which is commonly used for serological diagnosis of PCM. This difference in structure between the glycoproteins markedly reduces the efficiency of serological diagnosis in patients infected with PL. We previously demonstrated that peptide 10 (P10) from the PBGp43 induces protective immune responses in in vitro and in vivo models of PB PCM. Since, P10 has proven to be a promising therapeutic to combat PB, we sought to identify peptides in PL that could similarly be applied for the treatment of PCM. PL yeast cell proteins were isolated from PL: dendritic cell co-cultures and subjected to immunoproteomics. This approach identified 18 PL peptides that demonstrated in silico predictions for immunogenicity. Eight of the most promising peptides were synthesized and applied to lymphocytes obtained from peptide-immunized or PL-infected mice as well as to in vitro cultures with peptides or dendritic cells pulsed the peptides. The peptides LBR5, LBR6 and LBR8 efficiently promoted CD4+ and CD8+ T cell proliferation and dendritic cells pulsed with LBR1, LBR3, LBR7 or LBR8 stimulated CD4+ T cell proliferation. We observed increases of IFN-γ in the supernatants from primed T cells for the conditions with peptides without or with dendritic cells, although IL-2 levels only increased in response to LBR8. These novel immunogenic peptides derived from PL will be employed to develop new peptide vaccine approaches and the proteins from which they are derived can be used to develop new diagnostic assays for PL and possibly other Paracoccidioides spp. These findings identify and characterize new peptides with a promising therapeutic profile for future against this important neglected systemic mycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro B R Silva
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.,Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Cleison L Taira
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Levi G Cleare
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Michele Martins
- Proteomics Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Magno Junqueira
- Proteomics Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Carlos P Taborda
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratorio de Micologia Medica (LIM53), Departamento de Dermatologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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18
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Parreira VDSC, Santos LGC, Rodrigues ML, Passetti F. ExVe: The knowledge base of orthologous proteins identified in fungal extracellular vesicles. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:2286-2296. [PMID: 33995920 PMCID: PMC8102145 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are double-membrane particles associated with intercellular communication. Since the discovery of EV production in the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans, the importance of EV release in its physiology and pathogenicity has been investigated. To date, few studies have investigated the proteomic content of EVs from multiple fungal species. Our main objective was to use an orthology approach to compare proteins identified by EV shotgun proteomics in 8 pathogenic and 1 nonpathogenic species. Using protein information from the UniProt and FungiDB databases, we integrated data for 11,433 hits in fungal EVs with an orthology perspective, resulting in 3,834 different orthologous groups. OG6_100083 (Hsp70 Pfam domain) was the unique orthologous group that was identified for all fungal species. Proteins with this protein domain are associated with the stress response, survival and morphological changes in different fungal species. Although no pathogenic orthologous group was found, we identified 5 orthologous groups exclusive to S. cerevisiae. Using the criteria of at least 7 pathogenic fungi to define a cluster, we detected the 4 unique pathogenic orthologous groups. Taken together, our data suggest that Hsp70-related proteins might play a key role in fungal EVs, regardless of the pathogenic status. Using an orthology approach, we identified at least 4 protein domains that could be novel therapeutic targets against pathogenic fungi. Our results were compiled in the herein described ExVe database, which is publicly available at http://exve.icc.fiocruz.br.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marcio L Rodrigues
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, FIOCRUZ, Rua Prof. Algacyr Munhoz Mader, 3775, CEP 81350-010, Curitiba/PR, Brazil.,Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil
| | - Fabio Passetti
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, FIOCRUZ, Rua Prof. Algacyr Munhoz Mader, 3775, CEP 81350-010, Curitiba/PR, Brazil
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19
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Almeida MA, Almeida-Paes R, Guimarães AJ, Valente RH, Soares CMDA, Zancopé-Oliveira RM. Immunoproteomics Reveals Pathogen's Antigens Involved in Homo sapiens- Histoplasma capsulatum Interaction and Specific Linear B-Cell Epitopes in Histoplasmosis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:591121. [PMID: 33251160 PMCID: PMC7673445 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.591121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Histoplasmosis is one of the most frequent systemic mycosis in HIV patients. In these patients, histoplasmosis has high rates of morbidity/mortality if diagnosis and treatment are delayed. Despite its relevance, there is a paucity of information concerning the interaction between Histoplasma capsulatum and the human host, especially regarding the B-cell response, which has a direct impact on the diagnosis. Culture-based “gold-standard” methods have limitations, making immunodiagnostic tests an attractive option for clinical decisions. Despite the continuous development of those tests, improving serological parameters is necessary to make these methods efficient tools for definitive diagnosis of histoplasmosis. This includes the determination of more specific and immunogenic antigens to improve specificity and sensitivity of assays. In this study, we performed a co-immunoprecipitation assay between a protein extract from the yeast form of H. capsulatum and pooled sera from patients with proven histoplasmosis, followed by shotgun mass spectrometry identification of antigenic targets. Sera from patients with other pulmonary infections or from healthy individuals living in endemic areas of histoplasmosis were also assayed to determine potentially cross-reactive proteins. The primary structures of H. capsulatum immunoprecipitated proteins were evaluated using the DNAStar Protean 7.0 software. In parallel, the online epitope prediction server, BCPREDS, was used to complement the B-epitope prediction analysis. Our approach detected 132 reactive proteins to antibodies present in histoplasmosis patients’ sera. Among these antigens, 127 were recognized also by antibodies in heterologous patients’ and/or normal healthy donors’ sera. Therefore, the only three antigens specifically recognized by antibodies of histoplasmosis patients were mapped as potential antigenic targets: the M antigen, previously demonstrated in the diagnosis of histoplasmosis, and the catalase P and YPS-3 proteins, characterized as virulence factors of H. capsulatum, with antigenic properties still unclear. The other two proteins were fragments of the YPS-3 and M antigen. Overlapping results obtained from the two aforementioned bioinformatic tools, 16 regions from these three proteins are proposed as putative B-cell epitopes exclusive to H. capsulatum. These data reveal a new role for these proteins on H. capsulatum interactions with the immune system and indicate their possible use in new methods for the diagnosis of histoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Abreu Almeida
- Laboratório de Micologia, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Almeida-Paes
- Laboratório de Micologia, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Allan Jefferson Guimarães
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
| | - Richard Hemmi Valente
- Laboratório de Toxinologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Rosely Maria Zancopé-Oliveira
- Laboratório de Micologia, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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20
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Rodriguez-de la Noval C, Ruiz Mendoza S, de Souza Gonçalves D, da Silva Ferreira M, Honorato L, Peralta JM, Nimrichter L, Guimarães AJ. Protective Efficacy of Lectin-Fc(IgG) Fusion Proteins In Vitro and in a Pulmonary Aspergillosis In Vivo Model. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6040250. [PMID: 33120893 PMCID: PMC7712007 DOI: 10.3390/jof6040250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillosis cases by Aspergillus fumigatus have increased, along with fungal resistance to antifungals, urging the development of new therapies. Passive immunization targeting common fungal antigens, such as chitin and β-glucans, are promising and would eliminate the need of species-level diagnosis, thereby expediting the therapeutic intervention. However, these polysaccharides are poorly immunogenic. To overcome this drawback, we developed the lectin-Fc(IgG) fusion proteins, Dectin1-Fc(IgG2a), Dectin1-Fc(IgG2b) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)-Fc(IgG2a), based on their affinity to β-1,3-glucan and chitooligomers, respectively. The WGA-Fc(IgG2a) previously demonstrated antifungal activity against Histoplasma capsulatum, Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans. In the present work, we evaluated the antifungal properties of these lectin-Fc(s) against A. fumigatus. Lectin-Fc(IgG)(s) bound in a dose-dependent manner to germinating conidia and this binding increased upon conidia germination. Both lectin-Fc(IgG)(s) displayed in vitro antifungal effects, such as inhibition of conidia germination, a reduced length of germ tubes and a diminished biofilm formation. Lectin-Fc(IgG)(s) also enhanced complement deposition on conidia and macrophage effector functions, such as increased phagocytosis and killing of fungi. Finally, administration of the Dectin-1-Fc(IgG2b) and WGA-Fc(IgG2a) protected mice infected with A. fumigatus, with a 20% survival and a doubled life-span of the infected mice, which was correlated to a fungal burden reduction in lungs and brains of treated animals. These results confirm the potential of lectin-Fc(IgGs)(s) as a broad-spectrum antifungal therapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Rodriguez-de la Noval
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói 24020-141, RJ, Brazil; (C.R.-d.l.N.); (S.R.M.); (D.d.S.G.); (M.d.S.F.)
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia de Eucariotos, Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil; (L.H.); (L.N.)
| | - Susana Ruiz Mendoza
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói 24020-141, RJ, Brazil; (C.R.-d.l.N.); (S.R.M.); (D.d.S.G.); (M.d.S.F.)
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil;
| | - Diego de Souza Gonçalves
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói 24020-141, RJ, Brazil; (C.R.-d.l.N.); (S.R.M.); (D.d.S.G.); (M.d.S.F.)
- Pós-Graduação em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-913, RJ, Brazil
| | - Marina da Silva Ferreira
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói 24020-141, RJ, Brazil; (C.R.-d.l.N.); (S.R.M.); (D.d.S.G.); (M.d.S.F.)
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil;
| | - Leandro Honorato
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia de Eucariotos, Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil; (L.H.); (L.N.)
| | - José Mauro Peralta
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil;
- Pós-Graduação em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-913, RJ, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia de Eucariotos, Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil; (L.H.); (L.N.)
| | - Allan J. Guimarães
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói 24020-141, RJ, Brazil; (C.R.-d.l.N.); (S.R.M.); (D.d.S.G.); (M.d.S.F.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Microbiologia e Parasitologia Aplicadas (PPGMPA), Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rua Professor Hernani Pires de Melo 101, São Domingos, Niterói 24210-130, RJ, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-21-2629-2410
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Host Immune Defense upon Fungal Infections with Mucorales: Pathogen-Immune Cell Interactions as Drivers of Inflammatory Responses. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6030173. [PMID: 32957440 PMCID: PMC7557740 DOI: 10.3390/jof6030173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last few decades, mucormycosis has emerged as one of the most common fungal infections, following candidiasis and aspergillosis. The fungal order responsible for causing mucormycosis is the Mucorales. The main hallmarks of this infection include the invasion of blood vessels, infarction, thrombosis, and tissue necrosis, which are exhibited at the latest stages of the infection. Therefore, the diagnosis is often delayed, and the rapid progression of the infection severely endangers the life of people suffering from diabetes mellitus, hematological malignancies, or organ transplantation. Given the fact that mortality rates for mucormycosis range from 40 to 80%, early diagnosis and novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to battle the infection. However, compared to other fungal infections, little is known about the host immune response against Mucorales and the influence of inflammatory processes on the resolution of the infection. Hence, in this review, we summarized our current understanding of the interplay among pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and the host-immune cells in response to mucoralean fungi, as well as their potential use for immunotherapies.
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Gonçalves LNC, Costa-Orlandi CB, Bila NM, Vaso CO, Da Silva RAM, Mendes-Giannini MJS, Taylor ML, Fusco-Almeida AM. Biofilm Formation by Histoplasma capsulatum in Different Culture Media and Oxygen Atmospheres. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1455. [PMID: 32754126 PMCID: PMC7365857 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Histoplasma capsulatum is a dimorphic fungus that causes an important systemic mycosis called histoplasmosis. It is an infectious disease with high prevalence and morbidity that affects the general population. Recently, the ability of these fungi to form biofilms, a phenotype that can induce resistance and enhance virulence, has been described. Despite some efforts, data regarding the impact of nutrients and culture media that affect the H. capsulatum biofilm development in vitro are not yet available. This work aimed to study H. capsulatum biofilms, by checking the influence of different culture media and oxygen atmospheres in the development of these communities. The biofilm formation by two strains (EH-315 and G186A) was characterized under different culture media: [Brain and Heart Infusion (BHI), Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) with 2% glucose, Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and nutrient medium HAM-F12 (HAM-F12) supplemented with glucose (18.2 g/L), glutamic acid (1 g/L), HEPES (6 g/L) and L-cysteine (8.4 mg/L)] and oxygen atmospheres (aerobiosis and microaerophilia), using the XTT reduction assay to quantify metabolic activities, crystal violet staining for biomass, safranin staining for the quantification of polysaccharide material and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the observation of topographies. Results indicated that although all culture mediums have stimulated the maturation of the communities, HAM-F12 provided the best development of biomass and polysaccharide material when compared to others. Regarding the oxygen atmospheres, both stimulated an excellent development of the communities, however in low oxygen conditions an exuberant amount of extracellular matrix was observed when compared to biofilms formed in aerobiosis, mainly in the HAM-F12 media. SEM images showed yeasts embedded by an extracellular matrix in several points, corroborating the colorimetric assays. However, biofilms formed in BHI, RPMI, and DMEM significantly induced yeast to hyphae reversal, requiring further investigation. The results obtained so far contribute to in vitro study of biofilms formed by these fungi and show that nutrition promoted by different media modifies the development of these communities. These data represent advances in the field of biofilms and contribute to future studies that can prove the role of these communities in the fungi-host interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caroline Barcelos Costa-Orlandi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Clinical Analysis, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Níura Madalena Bila
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Clinical Analysis, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara, Brazil.,School of Veterinary, Department of Para Clinic, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Carolina Orlando Vaso
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Clinical Analysis, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara, Brazil
| | | | | | - Maria Lucia Taylor
- School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ana Marisa Fusco-Almeida
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Clinical Analysis, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara, Brazil
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23
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Burnet MC, Zamith-Miranda D, Heyman HM, Weitz KK, Bredeweg EL, Nosanchuk JD, Nakayasu ES. Remodeling of the Histoplasma Capsulatum Membrane Induced by Monoclonal Antibodies. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E269. [PMID: 32498228 PMCID: PMC7349930 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibodies play a central role in host immunity by directly inactivating or recognizing an invading pathogen to enhance different immune responses to combat the invader. However, the cellular responses of pathogens to the presence of antibodies are not well-characterized. Here, we used different mass spectrometry techniques to study the cellular responses of the pathogenic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum to monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against HSP60, the surface protein involved in infection. A proteomic analysis of H. capsulatum yeast cells revealed that mAb binding regulates a variety of metabolic and signaling pathways, including fatty acid metabolism, sterol metabolism, MAPK signaling and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. The regulation of the fatty acid metabolism was accompanied by increases in the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which further augmented the degree of unsaturated lipids in H. capsulatum's membranes and energy storage lipids, such as triacylglycerols, phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylinositols. MAb treatment also regulated sterol metabolism by increasing the levels of cholesterol and ergosterol in the cells. We also showed that global changes in the lipid profiles resulted in an increased susceptibility of H. capsulatum to the ergosterol-targeting drug amphotericin B. Overall, our data showed that mAb induction of global changes in the composition of H. capsulatum membranes can potentially impact antifungal treatment during histoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meagan C. Burnet
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA; (M.C.B.); (H.M.H.); (K.K.W.)
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA;
| | - Heino M. Heyman
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA; (M.C.B.); (H.M.H.); (K.K.W.)
| | - Karl K. Weitz
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA; (M.C.B.); (H.M.H.); (K.K.W.)
| | - Erin L. Bredeweg
- Environmental and Molecular Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA;
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA;
| | - Ernesto S. Nakayasu
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA; (M.C.B.); (H.M.H.); (K.K.W.)
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24
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Malavia D, Gow NAR, Usher J. Advances in Molecular Tools and In Vivo Models for the Study of Human Fungal Pathogenesis. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E803. [PMID: 32466582 PMCID: PMC7356103 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic fungi represent an increasing infectious disease threat to humans, especially with an increasing challenge of antifungal drug resistance. Over the decades, numerous tools have been developed to expedite the study of pathogenicity, initiation of disease, drug resistance and host-pathogen interactions. In this review, we highlight advances that have been made in the use of molecular tools using CRISPR technologies, RNA interference and transposon targeted mutagenesis. We also discuss the use of animal models in modelling disease of human fungal pathogens, focusing on zebrafish, the silkworm, Galleria mellonella and the murine model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jane Usher
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK; (D.M.); (N.A.R.G.)
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25
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Boniche C, Rossi SA, Kischkel B, Vieira Barbalho F, Nogueira D’Aurea Moura Á, Nosanchuk JD, Travassos LR, Pelleschi Taborda C. Immunotherapy against Systemic Fungal Infections Based on Monoclonal Antibodies. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6010031. [PMID: 32121415 PMCID: PMC7151209 DOI: 10.3390/jof6010031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing incidence in systemic fungal infections in humans has increased focus for the development of fungal vaccines and use of monoclonal antibodies. Invasive mycoses are generally difficult to treat, as most occur in vulnerable individuals, with compromised innate and adaptive immune responses. Mortality rates in the setting of our current antifungal drugs remain excessively high. Moreover, systemic mycoses require prolonged durations of antifungal treatment and side effects frequently occur, particularly drug-induced liver and/or kidney injury. The use of monoclonal antibodies with or without concomitant administration of antifungal drugs emerges as a potentially efficient treatment modality to improve outcomes and reduce chemotherapy toxicities. In this review, we focus on the use of monoclonal antibodies with experimental evidence on the reduction of fungal burden and prolongation of survival in in vivo disease models. Presently, there are no licensed monoclonal antibodies for use in the treatment of systemic mycoses, although the potential of such a vaccine is very high as indicated by the substantial promising results from several experimental models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Boniche
- Biomedical Sciences Institute, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (C.B.); (S.A.R.); (B.K.); (F.V.B.)
| | - Suélen Andreia Rossi
- Biomedical Sciences Institute, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (C.B.); (S.A.R.); (B.K.); (F.V.B.)
| | - Brenda Kischkel
- Biomedical Sciences Institute, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (C.B.); (S.A.R.); (B.K.); (F.V.B.)
| | - Filipe Vieira Barbalho
- Biomedical Sciences Institute, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (C.B.); (S.A.R.); (B.K.); (F.V.B.)
| | - Ágata Nogueira D’Aurea Moura
- Tropical Medicine Institute, Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 05403-000, Brazil;
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA;
| | - Luiz R. Travassos
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 04021-001, Brazil;
| | - Carlos Pelleschi Taborda
- Biomedical Sciences Institute, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (C.B.); (S.A.R.); (B.K.); (F.V.B.)
- Tropical Medicine Institute, Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 05403-000, Brazil;
- Correspondence:
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Ulrich S, Ebel F. Monoclonal Antibodies as Tools to Combat Fungal Infections. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6010022. [PMID: 32033168 PMCID: PMC7151206 DOI: 10.3390/jof6010022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies represent an important element in the adaptive immune response and a major tool to eliminate microbial pathogens. For many bacterial and viral infections, efficient vaccines exist, but not for fungal pathogens. For a long time, antibodies have been assumed to be of minor importance for a successful clearance of fungal infections; however this perception has been challenged by a large number of studies over the last three decades. In this review, we focus on the potential therapeutic and prophylactic use of monoclonal antibodies. Since systemic mycoses normally occur in severely immunocompromised patients, a passive immunization using monoclonal antibodies is a promising approach to directly attack the fungal pathogen and/or to activate and strengthen the residual antifungal immune response in these patients.
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27
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de Oliveira FFM, Paredes V, de Sousa HR, D'Áurea Moura ÁN, Riasco-Palacios J, Casadevall A, Felipe MSS, Nicola AM. Thioredoxin Reductase 1 Is a Highly Immunogenic Cell Surface Antigen in Paracoccidioides spp., Candida albicans, and Cryptococcus neoformans. Front Microbiol 2020; 10:2930. [PMID: 31993026 PMCID: PMC6964600 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing number of immunocompromised people has made invasive fungal infections more common. The antifungal armamentarium, in contrast, is limited to a few classes of drugs, with frequent toxicity and low efficacy pointing to the need for new agents. Antibodies are great candidates for novel antifungals, as their specificity can result in lower toxicity. Additionally, the immunomodulatory activity of antibodies could treat the underlying cause of many invasive mycoses, immune disfunction. In a previous comparative genomics study, we identified several potential targets for novel antifungals. Here we validate one of these targets, thioredoxin reductase (TRR1), to produce antibodies that could be useful therapeutic tools. Recombinant TRR1 proteins were produced by heterologous expression in Escherichia coli of genes encoding the proteins from Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Paracoccidioides lutzii. These proteins were then used to immunize mice, followed by detection of serum antibodies against them by ELISA and western blot. A first set of experiments in which individual mice were immunized repeatedly with TRR1 from a single species showed that all three were highly immunogenic, inducing mostly IgG1 antibodies, and that antibodies produced against one species cross-reacted with the others. In a second experiment, individual mice were immunized three times, each with the protein from a different species. The high titers of antibodies confirmed the presence of antigenic epitopes that were conserved in fungi but absent in humans. Immunofluorescence with sera from these immunized mice detected the protein in the cytoplasm and on the cell surface of fungi from all three species. These results validate TRR1 as a good target for potentially broad-spectrum antifungal antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiana Freire Mendes de Oliveira
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.,Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Verenice Paredes
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.,Karan Technologies Research and Development, Brasília, Brazil
| | | | - Ágata Nogueira D'Áurea Moura
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences II, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Arturo Casadevall
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Maria Sueli Soares Felipe
- Graduate Program in Genomic Sciences and Biotechnology, Catholic University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - André Moraes Nicola
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.,Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Karan Technologies Research and Development, Brasília, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Genomic Sciences and Biotechnology, Catholic University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
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28
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Gupta AK, Carviel J, Shear NH. A Stealthy Fungal Attack Requires an Equally Clandestine Approach to Onychomycosis Treatment. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 2019; 109:374-378. [PMID: 31599670 DOI: 10.7547/17-080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Onychomycosis is a chronic fungal infection of the nail that is recalcitrant to treatment. It is unclear why normally effective antifungal therapy results in low cure rates. Evidence suggests that there may be a plethora of reasons that include the limited immune presence in the nail, reduced circulation, presence of commensal microbes, and fungal influence on immune signaling. Therefore, treatment should be designed to address these possibilities and work synergistically with both the innate and adaptive immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya K. Gupta
- Mediprobe Research, Inc, London, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto School of Medicine, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Neil H. Shear
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto School of Medicine, Toronto, Canada
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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29
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Almeida-Silva F, Gonçalves DDS, de Abreu Almeida M, Guimarães AJ. Current Aspects of Diagnosis and Therapeutics of Histoplasmosis and Future Trends: Moving onto a New Immune (Diagnosis and Therapeutic) Era? CURRENT CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40588-019-00118-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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30
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Roth MT, Zamith-Miranda D, Nosanchuk JD. Immunization Strategies for the Control of Histoplasmosis. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2019; 6:35-41. [PMID: 31772912 PMCID: PMC6879175 DOI: 10.1007/s40475-019-00172-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by the dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. Histoplasmosis is typically self-limited and presents asymptomatically in most people. Nevertheless, histoplasmosis can cause severe pulmonary disease and death. Histoplasmosis is increasingly found worldwide; however, it is best documented in the endemic region of the Mississippi river valley system in the Eastern part of the United States (US). Epidemiological studies from the US detailing the morbidity, mortality, and cost associated with histoplasmosis underscore the need to develop a vaccine. PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review will detail some of the major developments in potential vaccines against histoplasmosis, with particular emphasis on those that could be used to immunize immunocompromised hosts. Additionally, this review will highlight some non-traditional vaccine-like ideas for the prevention of diverse mycoses. RECENT FINDINGS Historically, immunization strategies against histoplasmosis have largely focused on identifying immunogenic proteins that confer protection in animal models. More recently, novel active, therapeutic, and immunomodulatory strategies have been explored as potential alternatives for those with various immune-deficiencies. SUMMARY The studies summarized in this review demonstrate that more research is needed to clarify the immunobiology, clinical role and efficacy of each candidate vaccine in the ever-expanding potential armamentarium against histoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell T Roth
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
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31
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Vaccine Development to Systemic Mycoses by Thermally Dimorphic Fungi. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40475-019-00179-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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32
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Gonzalez-Lara MF, Sifuentes-Osornio J, Ostrosky-Zeichner L. Drugs in Clinical Development for Fungal Infections. Drugs 2019; 77:1505-1518. [PMID: 28840541 DOI: 10.1007/s40265-017-0805-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Despite increasing rates of invasive fungal infections being reported globally, only a single antifungal drug has been approved during the last decade. Resistance, toxicity, drug interactions and restricted routes of administration remain unresolved issues. This review focuses on new antifungal compounds which are currently in various clinical phases of development. We discuss two azoles with a tetrazole moiety that allows selective activity against the fungal CYP: VT-1161 for Candida infections and VT-1129 for cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. We also discuss two glucan synthesis inhibitors: CD101, an echinocandin with an increased half-life, and SCY-078 with oral bioavailability and increased activity against echinocandin-resistant isolates. Among the polyenes, we discuss MAT023, an encochleated amphotericin B formulation that allows oral administration. Two novel classes of antifungal drugs are also described: glycosylphosphatidylinositol inhibitors, and the leading drug APX001, which disrupt the integrity of the fungal wall; and the orotomides, inhibitors of pyrimidine synthesis with the leading drug F901318. Finally, a chitin synthesis inhibitor and progress on human monoclonal antifungal antibodies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria F Gonzalez-Lara
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Vasco de Quiroga 15, Belisario Domínguez Sección XVI, Tlalpan, Zip Code 14080, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Jose Sifuentes-Osornio
- Department of Medicine, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Vasco de Quiroga 15, Belisario Domínguez Sección XVI, Tlalpan, Zip Code 14080, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner
- Division of Infectious Diseases, McGovern Medical School, Medical Director of Epidemiology, Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center, 6431 Fanning MSB 2.112, Houston, TX, USA
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33
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Identification and characterization of Paracoccidioides lutzii proteins interacting with macrophages. Microbes Infect 2019; 21:401-411. [PMID: 30951888 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), caused by thermodimorphic fungi of the Paracoccidioides genus, is a systemic disorder that involves the lungs and other organs. The adherence of pathogenic microorganisms to host tissues is an essential event in the onset of colonization and spread. The host-pathogen interaction is a complex interplay between the defense mechanisms of the host and the efforts of pathogenic microorganisms to colonize it. Therefore, the identification of fungi proteins interacting with host proteins is an important step understanding the survival strategies of the fungus within the host. In this paper, we used affinity chromatography based on surface proteomics (ACSP) to investigate the interactions of pathogen proteins with host surface molecules. Paracoccidioides lutzii extracts enriched of surface proteins were captured by chromatographic resin, which was immobilized with macrophage cell surface proteins, and identified by mass spectrometry. A total of 215 proteins of P. lutzii were identified interacting with macrophage proteins. In silico analysis classified those proteins according to the presence of sites for N- and O-glycosylation and secretion by classical and non-classical pathways. Serine proteinase (SP) and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA) were identified in our proteomics analysis. Immunolocalization assay and flow cytometry both showed an increase in the expression of these two proteins during host-pathogen interaction.
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34
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Van Hoecke L, Roose K. How mRNA therapeutics are entering the monoclonal antibody field. J Transl Med 2019; 17:54. [PMID: 30795778 PMCID: PMC6387507 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-019-1804-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In 1975, Milstein and Köhler revolutionized the medical world with the development of the hybridoma technique to produce monoclonal antibodies. Since then, monoclonal antibodies have entered almost every branch of biomedical research. Antibodies are now used as frontline therapeutics in highly divergent indications, ranging from autoimmune disease over allergic asthma to cancer. Wider accessibility and implementation of antibody-based therapeutics is however hindered by manufacturing challenges and high development costs inherent to protein-based drugs. For these reasons, alternative ways are being pursued to produce and deliver antibodies more cost-effectively without hampering safety. Over the past decade, messenger RNA (mRNA) based drugs have emerged as a highly appealing new class of biologics that can be used to encode any protein of interest directly in vivo. Whereas current clinical efforts to use mRNA as a drug are mainly situated at the level of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination, three recent preclinical studies have addressed the feasibility of using mRNA to encode therapeutic antibodies directly in vivo. Here, we highlight the potential of mRNA-based approaches to solve several of the issues associated with antibodies produced and delivered in protein format. Nonetheless, we also identify key hurdles that mRNA-based approaches still need to take to fulfill this potential and ultimately replace the current protein antibody format.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lien Van Hoecke
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium. .,Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Kenny Roose
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium.,Departement of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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35
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Yadav RK, Shukla PK. A novel monoclonal antibody against enolase antigen ofAspergillus fumigatusprotects experimental aspergillosis in mice. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2019; 366:5289863. [DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnz015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ravindra Kumar Yadav
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow-226031, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Training and Development Complex, CSIR Road, Taramani, Chennai-600113, India
| | - P K Shukla
- Division of Microbiology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow-226031, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Training and Development Complex, CSIR Road, Taramani, Chennai-600113, India
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36
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Schlake T, Thess A, Thran M, Jordan I. mRNA as novel technology for passive immunotherapy. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:301-328. [PMID: 30334070 PMCID: PMC6339677 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-018-2935-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
While active immunization elicits a lasting immune response by the body, passive immunotherapy transiently equips the body with exogenously generated immunological effectors in the form of either target-specific antibodies or lymphocytes functionalized with target-specific receptors. In either case, administration or expression of recombinant proteins plays a fundamental role. mRNA prepared by in vitro transcription (IVT) is increasingly appreciated as a drug substance for delivery of recombinant proteins. With its biological role as transient carrier of genetic information translated into protein in the cytoplasm, therapeutic application of mRNA combines several advantages. For example, compared to transfected DNA, mRNA harbors inherent safety features. It is not associated with the risk of inducing genomic changes and potential adverse effects are only temporary due to its transient nature. Compared to the administration of recombinant proteins produced in bioreactors, mRNA allows supplying proteins that are difficult to manufacture and offers extended pharmacokinetics for short-lived proteins. Based on great progress in understanding and manipulating mRNA properties, efficacy data in various models have now demonstrated that IVT mRNA constitutes a potent and flexible platform technology. Starting with an introduction into passive immunotherapy, this review summarizes the current status of IVT mRNA technology and its application to such immunological interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Schlake
- CureVac AG, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Andreas Thess
- CureVac AG, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Moritz Thran
- CureVac AG, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ingo Jordan
- CureVac AG, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
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37
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Mittal J, Ponce MG, Gendlina I, Nosanchuk JD. Histoplasma Capsulatum: Mechanisms for Pathogenesis. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2019; 422:157-191. [PMID: 30043340 PMCID: PMC7212190 DOI: 10.1007/82_2018_114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Histoplasmosis, caused by the dimorphic environmental fungus Histoplasma capsulatum, is a major mycosis on the global stage. Acquisition of the fungus by mammalian hosts can be clinically silent or it can lead to life-threatening systemic disease, which can occur in immunologically intact or deficient hosts, albeit severe disease is more likely in the setting of compromised cellular immunity. H. capsulatum yeast cells are highly adapted to the mammalian host as they can effectively survive within intracellular niches in select phagocytic cells. Understanding the biological response by both the host and H. capsulatum will facilitate improved approaches to prevent and/or modify disease. This review presents our current understanding of the major pathogenic mechanisms involved in histoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Mittal
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Maria G Ponce
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Inessa Gendlina
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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38
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Guimarães AJ, de Cerqueira MD, Zamith-Miranda D, Lopez PH, Rodrigues ML, Pontes B, Viana NB, DeLeon-Rodriguez CM, Rossi DCP, Casadevall A, Gomes AMO, Martinez LR, Schnaar RL, Nosanchuk JD, Nimrichter L. Host membrane glycosphingolipids and lipid microdomains facilitate Histoplasma capsulatum internalisation by macrophages. Cell Microbiol 2018; 21:e12976. [PMID: 30427108 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Recognition and internalisation of intracellular pathogens by host cells is a multifactorial process, involving both stable and transient interactions. The plasticity of the host cell plasma membrane is fundamental in this infectious process. Here, the participation of macrophage lipid microdomains during adhesion and internalisation of the fungal pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum (Hc) was investigated. An increase in membrane lateral organisation, which is a characteristic of lipid microdomains, was observed during the first steps of Hc-macrophage interaction. Cholesterol enrichment in macrophage membranes around Hc contact regions and reduced levels of Hc-macrophage association after cholesterol removal also suggested the participation of lipid microdomains during Hc-macrophage interaction. Using optical tweezers to study cell-to-cell interactions, we showed that cholesterol depletion increased the time required for Hc adhesion. Additionally, fungal internalisation was significantly reduced under these conditions. Moreover, macrophages treated with the ceramide-glucosyltransferase inhibitor (P4r) and macrophages with altered ganglioside synthesis (from B4galnt1-/- mice) showed a deficient ability to interact with Hc. Coincubation of oligo-GM1 and treatment with Cholera toxin Subunit B, which recognises the ganglioside GM1, also reduced Hc association. Although purified GM1 did not alter Hc binding, treatment with P4 significantly increased the time required for Hc binding to macrophages. The content of CD18 was displaced from lipid microdomains in B4galnt1-/- macrophages. In addition, macrophages with reduced CD18 expression (CD18low ) were associated with Hc at levels similar to wild-type cells. Finally, CD11b and CD18 colocalised with GM1 during Hc-macrophage interaction. Our results indicate that lipid rafts and particularly complex gangliosides that reside in lipid rafts stabilise Hc-macrophage adhesion and mediate efficient internalisation during histoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan J Guimarães
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Biomedical Institute, Fluminense Federal University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Mariana Duarte de Cerqueira
- Department of General Microbiology, Microbiology Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Department of General Microbiology, Microbiology Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Pablo H Lopez
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Marcio L Rodrigues
- Department of General Microbiology, Microbiology Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Bruno Pontes
- LPO-COPEA, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Nathan B Viana
- LPO-COPEA, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,LPO-COPEA, Institute of Physics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carlos M DeLeon-Rodriguez
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Diego Conrado Pereira Rossi
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Andre M O Gomes
- Program of Structural Biology, Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis and National Institute of Science and Technology of Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luis R Martinez
- Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas
| | - Ronald L Schnaar
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Department of General Microbiology, Microbiology Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Nami S, Mohammadi R, Vakili M, Khezripour K, Mirzaei H, Morovati H. Fungal vaccines, mechanism of actions and immunology: A comprehensive review. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 109:333-344. [PMID: 30399567 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.10.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections include a wide range of opportunistic and invasive diseases. Two of four major fatal diseases in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are related to the fungal infections, cryptococcosis, and pneumocystosis. Disseminated candidiasis and different clinical forms of aspergillosis annually impose expensive medical costs to governments and hospitalized patients and ultimately lead to high mortality rates. Therefore, urgent implementations are necessary to prevent the expansion of these diseases. Designing an effective vaccine is one of the most important approaches in this field. So far, numerous efforts have been carried out in developing an effective vaccine against fungal infections. Some of these challenges engaged in different stages of clinical trials but none of them could be approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Here, in addition to have a comprehensive overview on the data from studied vaccine programs, we will discuss the immunology response against fungal infections. Moreover, it will be attempted to clarify the underlying immune mechanisms of vaccines targeting different fungal infections that are crucial for designing an effective vaccination strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanam Nami
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Rasoul Mohammadi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine/Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mahshid Vakili
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology/Invasive Fungi Research Center (IFRC), School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Kimia Khezripour
- Department of Pharmacotherapy, School of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hamed Mirzaei
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Hamid Morovati
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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40
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Nicola AM, Albuquerque P, Paes HC, Fernandes L, Costa FF, Kioshima ES, Abadio AKR, Bocca AL, Felipe MS. Antifungal drugs: New insights in research & development. Pharmacol Ther 2018; 195:21-38. [PMID: 30347212 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2018.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The need for better antifungal therapy is commonly accepted in view of the high mortality rates associated with systemic infections, the low number of available antifungal classes, their associated toxicity and the increasing number of infections caused by strains with natural or acquired resistance. The urgency to expand the range of therapeutic options for the treatment of fungal infections has led researchers in recent decades to seek alternative antifungal targets when compared to the conventional ones currently used. Although new potential targets are reported, translating the discoveries from bench to bedside is a long process and most of these drugs fail to reach the patients. In this review, we discuss the development of antifungal drugs focusing on the approach of drug repurposing and the search for novel drugs for classical targets, the most recently described gene targets for drug development, the possibilities of immunotherapy using antibodies, cytokines, therapeutic vaccines and antimicrobial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrícia Albuquerque
- Faculty of Ceilândia, University of Brasília, Brazil; Graduate Programme in Microbial Biology, University of Brasília, Brazil
| | - Hugo Costa Paes
- Division of Clinical Medicine, University of Brasília Medical School, Brazil
| | - Larissa Fernandes
- Faculty of Ceilândia, University of Brasília, Brazil; Graduate Programme in Microbial Biology, University of Brasília, Brazil
| | - Fabricio F Costa
- Graduate Programme in Genomic Science and Biotechnology, Catholic University of Brasília, Brazil; MATTER, Chicago, IL, USA; Cancer Biology and Epigenomics Program, Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago Research Center, Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Erika Seki Kioshima
- Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Ana Karina Rodrigues Abadio
- School for Applied Social and Agricultural Sciences, State University of Mato Grosso, Nova Mutum Campus, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Sueli Felipe
- Graduate Programme in Genomic Science and Biotechnology, Catholic University of Brasília, Brazil; Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília, Brazil.
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41
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Thran M, Mukherjee J, Pönisch M, Fiedler K, Thess A, Mui BL, Hope MJ, Tam YK, Horscroft N, Heidenreich R, Fotin-Mleczek M, Shoemaker CB, Schlake T. mRNA mediates passive vaccination against infectious agents, toxins, and tumors. EMBO Mol Med 2018; 9:1434-1447. [PMID: 28794134 PMCID: PMC5623855 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201707678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The delivery of genetic information has emerged as a valid therapeutic approach. Various reports have demonstrated that mRNA, besides its remarkable potential as vaccine, can also promote expression without inducing an adverse immune response against the encoded protein. In the current study, we set out to explore whether our technology based on chemically unmodified mRNA is suitable for passive immunization. To this end, various antibodies using different designs were expressed and characterized in vitro and in vivo in the fields of viral infections, toxin exposure, and cancer immunotherapies. Single injections of mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (LNP) were sufficient to establish rapid, strong, and long-lasting serum antibody titers in vivo, thereby enabling both prophylactic and therapeutic protection against lethal rabies infection or botulinum intoxication. Moreover, therapeutic mRNA-mediated antibody expression allowed mice to survive an otherwise lethal tumor challenge. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates the utility of formulated mRNA as a potent novel technology for passive immunization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean Mukherjee
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ying K Tam
- Acuitas Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Charles B Shoemaker
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
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García-Carnero LC, Pérez-García LA, Martínez-Álvarez JA, Reyes-Martínez JE, Mora-Montes HM. Current trends to control fungal pathogens: exploiting our knowledge in the host-pathogen interaction. Infect Drug Resist 2018; 11:903-913. [PMID: 30013373 PMCID: PMC6037146 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s170337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human fungal infections remain a major challenge in medicine. Only a limited number of antifungal drugs are available, which are often related to severe adverse effects. In addition, there is an increased emergence related to resistant strains, which makes imperative to understand the host-pathogen interactions as well as to develop alternative treatments. Host innate and adaptive immunity play a crucial role controlling fungal infections; therefore, vaccines are a viable tool to prevent and treat fungal pathogens. Innate immunity is triggered by the interaction between the cell surface pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and the pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Such an initial immunological response is yet little understood in fungal infections, in part due to the complexity and plasticity of the fungal cell walls. Described host cell-fungus interactions and antigenic molecules are addressed in this paper. Furthermore, antigens found in the cell wall and capsule, including peptides, glycoproteins, glycolipids, and glycans, have been used to trigger specific immune responses, and an increased production of antibodies has been observed when attached to immunogenic molecules. The recent biotechnological advances have allowed the development of vaccines against viral and bacterial pathogens with positive results; therefore, this technology has been applied to develop anti-fungal vaccines. Passive immunization has also emerged as an appealing alternative to treat disseminated mycosis, especially in immunocompromised patients. Those approaches have a long way to be seen in clinical cases. However, all studies discussed here open the possibility to have access to new therapies to be applied alone or in combination with current antifungal drugs. Herein, the state of the art of fungal vaccine developments is discussed in this review, highlighting new advances against Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Cryptococcus neoformans, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, and Sporothrix spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C García-Carnero
- Department of Biology, Division of Exact and Natural Sciences, Campus Guanajuato, Universidad de Guanajuato,
| | - Luis A Pérez-García
- Multidisciplinay Academic Unit, Zona Huasteca, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Ciudad Valles, México
| | - José A Martínez-Álvarez
- Department of Biology, Division of Exact and Natural Sciences, Campus Guanajuato, Universidad de Guanajuato,
| | - Juana E Reyes-Martínez
- Department of Biology, Division of Exact and Natural Sciences, Campus Guanajuato, Universidad de Guanajuato,
| | - Héctor M Mora-Montes
- Department of Biology, Division of Exact and Natural Sciences, Campus Guanajuato, Universidad de Guanajuato,
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43
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Casadevall A. Antibody-based vaccine strategies against intracellular pathogens. Curr Opin Immunol 2018; 53:74-80. [PMID: 29704764 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2018.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 04/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Historically, antibody-mediated immunity was considered effective against toxins, extracellular pathogens and viruses, while control of intracellular pathogens was the domain of cellular immunity. However, numerous observations in recent decades have conclusively shown that antibody can protect against intracellular pathogens. This paradigmatic shift has tremendous implications for immunology and vaccine design. For immunology the observation that antibody can protect against intracellular pathogens has led to the discovery of new mechanisms of antibody action. For vaccine design the knowledge that humoral immunity can be effective in protection means that the knowledge acquired in more than a century of antibody studies can be applied to make new vaccines against this class of pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Casadevall
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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Heat Shock Proteins in Histoplasma and Paracoccidioides. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2017; 24:CVI.00221-17. [PMID: 28903987 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00221-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are highly conserved biomolecules that are constitutively expressed and generally upregulated in response to various stress conditions (biotic and abiotic). Hsps have diverse functions, categorizations, and classifications. Their adaptive expression in fungi indicates their significance in these diverse species, particularly in dimorphic pathogens. Histoplasma capsulatum and Paracoccidioides species are dimorphic fungi that are the causative agents of histoplasmosis and paracoccidioidomycosis, respectively. This minireview focuses on the pathobiology of Hsps, with particular emphasis on their roles in the morphogenesis and virulence of Histoplasma and Paracoccidioides and the potential roles of active and passive immunization against Hsps in protection against infection with these fungi.
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Characterization of the antifungal functions of a WGA-Fc (IgG2a) fusion protein binding to cell wall chitin oligomers. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12187. [PMID: 28939893 PMCID: PMC5610272 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12540-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of therapeutic strategies for mycosis require the protracted administration of antifungals, which can result in significant toxicities and have unacceptable failure rates. Hence, there is an urgent need for the development of improved therapeutic approaches, and monoclonal antibody-based drugs are potentially a powerful alternative to standard antifungals. To develop a broad antibody-like reagent against mycosis, wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) was linked to the effector Fc region of murine IgG2a. The resultant WGA-Fc displayed high affinity to purified chitin and bound efficiently to fungal cell walls, co-localizing with chitin, in patterns ranging from circular (Histoplasma capsulatum) to punctate (Cryptococcus neoformans) to labeling at the bud sites (Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae). WGA-Fc directly inhibited fungal growth in standard cultures. WGA-Fc opsonization increased fungal phagocytosis, as well augmented the antifungal functions by macrophages. Prophylactic administration of WGA-Fc fully protected mice against H. capsulatum, correlating with a reduction in lung, spleen and liver fungal burdens. Administration of WGA-Fc also dramatically diminished pulmonary inflammation. Hence, the opsonic activity of WGA-Fc effectively modulates fungal cell recognition and promotes the elimination of fungal pathogens. Therefore, we propose WGA-Fc as a potential “pan-fungal” therapeutic that should be further developed for use against invasive mycoses.
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Araújo DS, de Sousa Lima P, Baeza LC, Parente AFA, Melo Bailão A, Borges CL, de Almeida Soares CM. Employing proteomic analysis to compare Paracoccidioides lutzii yeast and mycelium cell wall proteins. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2017; 1865:1304-1314. [PMID: 28844734 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2017.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Paracoccidioidomycosis is an important systemic mycosis caused by thermodimorphic fungi of the Paracoccidioides genus. During the infective process, the cell wall acts at the interface between the fungus and the host. In this way, the cell wall has a key role in growth, environment sensing and interaction, as well as morphogenesis of the fungus. Since the cell wall is absent in mammals, it may present molecules that are described as target sites for new antifungal drugs. Despite its importance, up to now few studies have been conducted employing proteomics in for the identification of cell wall proteins in Paracoccidioides spp. Here, a detailed proteomic approach, including cell wall-fractionation coupled to NanoUPLC-MSE, was used to study and compare the cell wall fractions from Paracoccidioides lutzii mycelia and yeast cells. The analyzed samples consisted of cell wall proteins extracted by hot SDS followed by extraction by mild alkali. In summary, 512 proteins constituting different cell wall fractions were identified, including 7 predicted GPI-dependent cell wall proteins that are potentially involved in cell wall metabolism. Adhesins previously described in Paracoccidioides spp. such as enolase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were identified. Comparing the proteins in mycelium and yeast cells, we detected some that are common to both fungal phases, such as Ecm33, and some specific proteins, as glucanase Crf1. All of those proteins were described in the metabolism of cell wall. Our study provides an important elucidation of cell wall composition of fractions in Paracoccidioides, opening a way to understand the fungus cell wall architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Silva Araújo
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74001-970 Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Patrícia de Sousa Lima
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74001-970 Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil; Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Itapuranga, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Lilian Cristiane Baeza
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74001-970 Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Ana Flávia Alves Parente
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Química de Proteínas, Instituto de Biologia, Campus Universitário Darci Ribeiro, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Melo Bailão
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74001-970 Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Clayton Luiz Borges
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74001-970 Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Célia Maria de Almeida Soares
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74001-970 Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
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47
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IFNγ is Required for Optimal Antibody-Mediated Immunity against Genital Chlamydia Infection. Infect Immun 2016; 84:3232-3242. [PMID: 27600502 PMCID: PMC5067755 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00749-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Defining the mechanisms of immunity conferred by the combination of antibody and CD4+ T cells is fundamental to designing an efficacious chlamydial vaccine. Using the Chlamydia muridarum genital infection model of mice, which replicates many features of human C. trachomatis infection and avoids the characteristic low virulence of C. trachomatis in the mouse, we previously demonstrated a significant role for antibody in immunity to chlamydial infection. We found that antibody alone was not protective. Instead, protection appeared to be conferred through an undefined antibody-cell interaction. Using gene knockout mice and in vivo cellular depletion methods, our data suggest that antibody-mediated protection is dependent on the activation of an effector cell population in genital tract tissues by CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, the CD4+ T cell-secreted cytokine gamma interferon (IFN-γ) was found to be a key component of the protective antibody response. The protective function of IFN-γ was not related to the immunoglobulin class or to the magnitude of the Chlamydia-specific antibody response or to recruitment of an effector cell population to genital tract tissue. Rather, IFN-γ appears to be necessary for activation of the effector cell population that functions in antibody-mediated chlamydial immunity. Our results confirm the central role of antibody in immunity to chlamydia reinfection and demonstrate a key function for IFN-γ in antibody-mediated protection.
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Abstract
Fungal organisms are ubiquitous in the environment. Pathogenic fungi, although relatively few in the whole gamut of microbial pathogens, are able to cause disease with varying degrees of severity in individuals with normal or impaired immunity. The disease state is an outcome of the fungal pathogen's interactions with the host immunity, and therefore, it stands to reason that deep/invasive fungal diseases be amenable to immunotherapy. Therefore, antifungal immunotherapy continues to be attractive as an adjunct to the currently available antifungal chemotherapy options for a number of reasons, including the fact that existing antifungal drugs, albeit largely effective, are not without limitations, and that morbidity and mortality associated with invasive mycoses are still unacceptably high. For several decades, intense basic research efforts have been directed at development of fungal immunotherapies. Nevertheless, this approach suffers from a severe bench-bedside disconnect owing to several reasons: the chemical and biological peculiarities of the fungal antigens, the complexities of host-pathogen interactions, an under-appreciation of the fungal disease landscape, the requirement of considerable financial investment to bring these therapies to clinical use, as well as practical problems associated with immunizations. In this general, non-exhaustive review, we summarize the features of ongoing research efforts directed towards devising safe and effective immunotherapeutic options for mycotic diseases, encompassing work on antifungal vaccines, adoptive cell transfers, cytokines, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), and other agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kausik Datta
- a Division of Infectious Diseases , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA , and
| | - Mawieh Hamad
- b Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and the Sharjah Institute for Medical Research , University of Sharjah , Sharjah , UAE
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Jacobs AJ, Mongkolsapaya J, Screaton GR, McShane H, Wilkinson RJ. Antibodies and tuberculosis. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2016; 101:102-113. [PMID: 27865379 PMCID: PMC5120988 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health problem internationally, causing 9.6 million new cases and 1.5 million deaths worldwide in 2014. The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine is the only licensed vaccine against TB, but its protective effect does not extend to controlling the development of infectious pulmonary disease in adults. The development of a more effective vaccine against TB is therefore a pressing need for global health. Although it is established that cell-mediated immunity is necessary for the control of latent infection, the presupposition that such immunity is sufficient for vaccine-induced protection has recently been challenged. A greater understanding of protective immunity against TB is required to guide future vaccine strategies against TB. In contrast to cell-mediated immunity, the human antibody response against M.tb is conventionally thought to exert little immune control over the course of infection. Humoral responses are prominent during active TB disease, and have even been postulated to contribute to immunopathology. However, there is evidence to suggest that specific antibodies may limit the dissemination of M.tb, and potentially also play a role in prevention of infection via mucosal immunity. Further, antibodies are now understood to confer protection against a range of intracellular pathogens by modulating immunity via Fc-receptor mediated phagocytosis. In this review, we will explore the evidence that antibody-mediated immunity could be reconsidered in the search for new vaccine strategies against TB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley J Jacobs
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, W2 1PG, United Kingdom; Clinical Infectious Diseases Research Initiative and Department of Medicine, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory 7925, South Africa.
| | | | - Gavin R Screaton
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, W2 1PG, United Kingdom
| | - Helen McShane
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
| | - Robert J Wilkinson
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, W2 1PG, United Kingdom; Clinical Infectious Diseases Research Initiative and Department of Medicine, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory 7925, South Africa; The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 2AT, United Kingdom
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Gardinassi LG, de Miranda Santos IKF. Comment on "Regulation of immunity during visceral Leishmania infection" and further discussions about the role of antibodies in infections with Leishmania. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:386. [PMID: 27387545 PMCID: PMC4936235 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1669-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Comments on the article "Regulation of immunity during visceral Leishmania infection" published in Parasites & Vectors 2016, 9:118, and further discussions about the role of antibodies in infections with Leishmania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Gustavo Gardinassi
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
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