Challenges and opportunities in current vaccine technology and administration: A comprehensive survey examining oral vaccine potential in the United States

This study provides a snapshot of the current vaccine business ecosystem, including practices, challenges, beliefs, and expectations of vaccine providers. Our team focused on providers' firsthand experience with administering vaccines to determine if an oral vaccine (e.g. pill or oral-drop) would be well-received. We interviewed 135 healthcare providers and vaccine specialists across the US, focusing questions on routine vaccinations, not COVID-19 vaccines. Improving workflow efficiency is a top concern among vaccine providers due to shrinking reimbursement rates-determined by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)-and the time-intensiveness of injectable vaccines. Administering injectable vaccines takes 23 minutes/patient on average, while dispensing pills takes only 5 minutes/patient. An average of 24% of patients express needle-fear, which further lengthens the processing time. Misaligned incentives between providers and PBMs could reduce the quality and availability of vaccine-related care. The unavailability of single-dose orders prevents some rural providers from offering certain vaccines. Most interviewees (74%) believe an oral vaccine would improve patient-provider experience, patient-compliance, and workflow efficiency, while detractors (26%) worry about the taste, vaccine absorption, and efficacy. Additional research could investigate whether currently non-vaccinating pharmacies would be willing to offer oral vaccines, and the impact of oral vaccines on vaccine acceptance.

Leucine or carbohydrate supplementation reduces AMPK and eEF2 phosphorylation and extends postprandial muscle protein synthesis in rats

Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) increases after consumption of a protein-containing meal but returns to baseline values within 3 h despite continued elevations of plasma amino acids and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTORC1) signaling. This study evaluated the potential for supplemental leucine (Leu), carbohydrates (CHO), or both to prolong elevated MPS after a meal. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (∼270 g) trained to consume three meals daily were food deprived for 12 h, and then blood and gastrocnemius muscle were collected 0, 90, or 180 min after a standard 4-g test meal (20% whey protein). At 135 min postmeal, rats were orally administered 2.63 g of CHO, 270 mg of Leu, both, or water (sham control). Following test meal consumption, MPS peaked at 90 min and then returned to basal (time 0) rates at 180 min, although ribosomal protein S6 kinase and eIF4E-binding protein-1 phosphorylation remained elevated. In contrast, rats administered Leu and/or CHO supplements at 135 min postmeal maintained peak MPS through 180 min. MPS was inversely associated with the phosphorylation states of translation elongation factor 2, the "cellular energy sensor" adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase-α (AMPKα) and its substrate acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and increases in the ratio of AMP/ATP. We conclude that the incongruity between MPS and mTORC1 at 180 min reflects a block in translation elongation due to reduced cellular energy. Administering Leu or CHO supplements ∼2 h after a meal maintains cellular energy status and extends the postprandial duration of MPS.

Salinity stress adaptation competence in the extremophile Thellungiella halophila in comparison with its relative Arabidopsis thaliana

In stark contrast to Arabidopsis, a related species, Thellungiella halophila (Thellungiella salsuginea; salt cress), displays extreme tolerance to high salinity, low humidity and freezing. High nucleotide sequence identity permits the use of tools developed for Arabidopsis for Thellungiella transcript profiling, for which a microarray platform with >25,000 DNA elements (70-mer oligonucleotides) was used. Microarray transcript profiling and intensity analysis, quantitative RT-PCR, and metabolite profiles define genes and pathways that showed shared and divergent responses to salinity stress in the two species. Shared responses are exemplified by 40% of the regulated genes functioning in confining ribosomal functions, photosynthesis and cell growth, as well as activating osmolyte production, transport activities and abscisic acid-dependent pathways. An additional 60% of regulated genes distinguished Thellungiella from Arabidopsis. Analysis of the differences showed that Arabidopsis exhibited a global defense strategy that required bulk protein synthesis, while Thellungiella induced genes functioning in protein folding, post-translational modification and protein redistribution. At 150 mm NaCl, Thellungiella maintained unimpeded growth. Transcript intensity analyses and metabolite profiles supported the microarray results, pointing towards a stress-anticipatory preparedness in Thellungiella.