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Geller G, Dvoskin R, Thio CL, Duggal P, Lewis MH, Bailey TC, Sutherland A, Salmon DA, Kahn JP. Genomics and infectious disease: a call to identify the ethical, legal and social implications for public health and clinical practice. Genome Med 2014; 6:106. [PMID: 25593592 PMCID: PMC4295297 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-014-0106-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in genomics are contributing to the development of more effective, personalized approaches to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Genetic sequencing technologies are furthering our understanding of how human and pathogen genomic factors - and their interactions - contribute to individual differences in immunologic responses to vaccines, infections and drug therapies. Such understanding will influence future policies and procedures for infectious disease management. With the potential for tailored interventions for particular individuals, populations or subpopulations, ethical, legal and social implications (ELSIs) may arise for public health and clinical practice. Potential considerations include balancing health-related benefits and harms between individuals and the larger community, minimizing threats to individual privacy and autonomy, and ensuring just distribution of scarce resources. In this Opinion, we consider the potential application of pathogen and host genomic information to particular viral infections that have large-scale public health consequences but differ in ELSI-relevant characteristics such as ease of transmission, chronicity, severity, preventability and treatability. We argue for the importance of anticipating these ELSI issues in advance of new scientific discoveries, and call for the development of strategies for identifying and exploring ethical questions that should be considered as clinical, public health and policy decisions are made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gail Geller
- Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA ; Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA ; Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA ; Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Rachel Dvoskin
- Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Chloe L Thio
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Priya Duggal
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Michelle H Lewis
- Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Theodore C Bailey
- Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA ; Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Andrea Sutherland
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Daniel A Salmon
- Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA ; Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Jeffrey P Kahn
- Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA ; Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
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Petrizzo A, Tagliamonte M, Tornesello M, Buonaguro FM, Buonaguro L. Systems vaccinology for cancer vaccine development. Expert Rev Vaccines 2014; 13:711-9. [PMID: 24766452 DOI: 10.1586/14760584.2014.913484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Results of therapeutic vaccines for established chronic infections or cancers are still unsatisfactory. The only therapeutic cancer vaccine approved for clinical use is the sipuleucel-T, for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer, which induces a limited 4-month improvement in the overall survival of vaccinated patients compared to controls. This represents a remarkable advancement in the cancer immunotherapy field, although the clinical outcome of cancer vaccines needs to be substantially improved. To this aim, a multipronged strategy is required, including the evaluation of mechanisms underlying the effective elicitation of immune responses by cancer vaccines. The recent development of new technologies and computational tools allows the comprehensive and quantitative analysis of the interactions between all of the components of innate and adaptive immunity over time. Here we review the potentiality of systems biology in providing novel insights in the mechanisms of action of vaccines to improve their design and effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annacarmen Petrizzo
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology, Department of Experimental Oncology, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, "Fondazione Pascale" - IRCCS, 80131 Naples, Italy
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Prediction of B-Cell Epitopes in Listeriolysin O, a Cholesterol Dependent Cytolysin Secreted by Listeria monocytogenes. Adv Bioinformatics 2014; 2014:871676. [PMID: 24523732 PMCID: PMC3909977 DOI: 10.1155/2014/871676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a gram-positive, foodborne bacterium responsible for disease in humans and animals. Listeriolysin O (LLO) is a required virulence factor for the pathogenic effects of L. monocytogenes. Bioinformatics revealed conserved putative epitopes of LLO that could be used to develop monoclonal antibodies against LLO. Continuous and discontinuous epitopes were located by using four different B-cell prediction algorithms. Three-dimensional molecular models were generated to more precisely characterize the predicted antigenicity of LLO. Domain 4 was predicted to contain five of eleven continuous epitopes. A large portion of domain 4 was also predicted to comprise discontinuous immunogenic epitopes. Domain 4 of LLO may serve as an immunogen for eliciting monoclonal antibodies that can be used to study the pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes as well as develop an inexpensive assay.
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