Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Ivana Haluskova Balter
French society of Immunology, France
Keynote: Innovative path to tackle neglected diseases : Restoring functionality of host immune system
Biography:
Haluskova Balter Ivana , MD,MBA, France, French/Slovak active medical professional specialised in infectious diseases, internal medicine covering various therapeutic axes, certified in Immunology and Pediatric, MBA in vaccinology. Lived multi-country medical “field “experience in Southeast Asia, West/Central/East Europe and Middle East. Speaking French, English, Russian, Italian, Czech, and Slovak with notion of Mandarin. Over 15 years of experience in pharmaceutical research and development for European and USA companies as Medical lead /Director of R&D in various therapeutic areas and as Scientific and Medical independent consultant for various academic and private stakeholders globally. Active member of French immunology society (SFI) administrative board and several international academic societies with focus on R&D innovation and partnership highlighting role immunology/immune-metabolism and genetics for innovative treatment, prevention and diagnostic. Member of advisory Health concern (India) and think tank group in order to attract attention to role of accessible medical care, education and awareness along with accurate diagnostic and innovative partnership in this area. Years of expertise to work globally but recently more focused on BRICS as Medical advisor for scientific partnership, bringing new innovative concepts alive and getting them endorsed.
Abstract:
Diseases neglected or omitted and neglected worth growing attention and new innovative immune/metabolic paths show real potential and overlapping approach to be undertaken. The fight against the Neglected Tropical Diseases receiving increased worldwide attention after the recent attribution of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to William Campbell and Satoshi ÅŒmura for their development of a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites. Recently, WHO’s efforts to address growing global AMR (27th Feb 2017) and it highlighted, in particular, the threat of gram-negative bacteria but initially “neglected” growing world urgency of tuberculosis – XDR/MDR and latent in particular. Based on recent works natural defenses to infection are mediated by intrinsic/innate and adaptive immune responses. While our understanding is considerable it is incomplete and emerging areas of research such as those related to the immune-metabolic axis are started to be appreciated. Macrophages play a frontline role in this process connecting immunity, infection and lipid biology, and collaterally are a central target for infection by a wide range of pathogens including viruses and bacteria, especially intracellular bacteria such as mycobacteria. Clinical manifestations of disease severity in the infected host are likely to pay tribute to perturbations of the metabolic-immune phenomena found in lymphocytes and myeloid cells. Historically and consistent with this notion, vitamin D based oxysterols have had a long association with promoting clinical improvements to patients infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. M. tuberculosis has invested considerable genomic real estate to encode enzymes capable of exploiting and catabolizing these host-derived immune metabolites (1) Similarly, it appears that L (Leishmania ) parasites by decreasing membrane cholesterol during their intracellular life cycle may have altered the conformation of MHC-II molecules with direct bearing on the compromised agonist affinity leading to faster dissociation of cognate peptide from the peptide-MHC-II complex which could be corrected by liposomal cholesterol delivery. Several new paths to understanding host immune system interactions during L infection are looked at. Phagocytosis, a process known to be subverted by parasites like Leishmania (L). Indeed, the intracellular development of L amastigote relies on the biogenesis and dynamic remodeling of a phagolysosome, termed the parasitophorous vacuole. (2) It appears that L parasites by decreasing membrane cholesterol during their intracellular life cycle may have altered the conformation of MHC-II molecules with direct bearing on the compromised agonist affinity leading to faster dissociation of cognate peptide from the peptide-MHC-II complex which could be corrected by liposomal cholesterol delivery(4) Additionally or consequently CD8 T cells are driven to energy/exhaustion in human VL, which affect their ability to contribute to protective immune responses. (3) Effective approach capable of constraining the visceralizing parasites to the skin holds much promise as it would block colonization of the viscera, where these species are perfectly adapted for survival and subversion of the immune response. Based on recent works natural defenses to infection are mediated by intrinsic/innate and adaptive immune responses. Understanding the role of early metabolic mediators of inflammatory responses to infection, principles of immuno-metabolism will aid in the development of urgently needed HOST directed therapeutic, preventive (Vaccines) and diagnostic innovations knowing limitations of existing tools.
Keynote Forum
Stef Stienstra
Royal Dutch Navy, The Netherlands
Keynote: Drug delivery by tattooing to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis
Biography:
Dr. Stef Stienstra works internationally for several medical and biotech companies as the scientific advisory board member and is also an active reserve-officer of the Royal Dutch Navy in his rank as Commander (OF4). For the Dutch Armed Forces, he is CBRN specialist with the focus on (micro)biological and chemical threats and medical- and environmental functional specialist within the 1st CMI (Civil-Military Interaction) Battalion of the Dutch Armed Forces. For Expertise France he is now managing an EU CBRN CoE public health project in West Africa. He is visiting professor for the University of Rome Tor Vergata in Italy for the CBRN Masters Course and lecturer for the NATO School in Oberammergau in Germany and the Joint NATO CBRN-Defense Center of Excellence in Vyskov in the Czech Republic. In his civilian position, he is at this moment developing with MT-Derm in Berlin (Germany) a novel intradermal vaccination technology as well as a new therapy for cutaneous leishmaniasis for which he has won a Canadian ‘Grand Challenge’ grant. With Hemanua in Dublin (Ireland) he has developed an innovative blood separation unit, which is also suitable to produce convalescent plasma for Ebola Virus Disease therapy. He has finished both his studies in Medicine and in Biochemistry in The Netherlands with a doctorate and has extensive practical experience in cell biology, immuno-hematology, infectious diseases, biodefense, and transfusion medicine. His natural business acumen and negotiation competence help to initiate new successful businesses, often generated by unexpected combinations of technologies.
Abstract:
Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease that is caused by obligate intra-macrophage protozoa of the Leishmania species. Leishmaniasis can cause different clinical syndromes, including cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), in which the patient generally presents with one or several ulcers (s) or nodule(s) on the skin, resulting from the infection of phagocytic cells located in the dermis. It often results in severe scar tissue in the skin. Most of the twelve million people infected with Leishmania worldwide are CL cases, a 1.5 million new cases occur annually.
Objective: WHO has a program to develop new treatments for cutaneous leishmaniasis. This study establishes a proof-of-concept that a tattoo device can target intra-dermal drug delivery against cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL).
Methods: The selected drug is oleylphosphocholine (OLPC) formulated as liposomes, particles known to be prone to macrophage ingestion. First is shown that treatment of cultured Leishmania-infected macrophages with OLPC-liposomes results in a direct dose-dependent killing of intracellular parasites. Based on this, in vivo efficacy is demonstrated using a 10-day tattooing-mediated treatment in mice infected with L. major and L. Mexicana. In both models, this regimen results in rapid clinical recovery with complete regression of skin lesions by Day 28. Parasite counts and histopathology examination confirm high treatment efficacy at the parasitic level. Low amount of drug required for tattooing combined with fast clinical recovery may have a positive impact on CL patient management.
Results: This first example of tattoo-mediated drug delivery could open to new therapeutic interventions in the treatment of skin diseases. This study demonstrates that the use of a tattoo instrument for drug delivery is possible in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis and that this method can successfully eliminate intracellular parasites at the site of infection. After showing that the selected drug oleylphosphocholine (OLPC) formulated as liposomes could efficiently reach intracellular parasites when in contact with infected macrophages, the activity of the drug was compared in vivo in mouse models of Old (L. major) and New World (L. Mexicana) leishmaniasis. Three routes of administrations of the same drug formulation were investigated: systemic (IP) administration, topical administration as a drop, and administration via the tattooing instrument. Evaluation parameters included clinical (lesion sizes) and parasitological parameters (burdens) using quantitative and qualitative methods. In all experiments, the tattooing delivery procedure was the most efficacious at both the clinical and parasitological levels.
Keynote Forum
Eugenie Bergogne Eugenie Bergogne-Berezin
PARIS University,France
Keynote: Pharmacotherapeutics of anti-infectives in the respiratory tract
Biography:
Eugenie Bergogne-Berezin is a Professor of Clinical Microbiology at University Diderot, Paris. She has studied MD in Medicine and PhD in Sciences in the early 1970s. She is a Chief of Department of Clinical Microbiology and research group, University Bichat Claude-Bernard and developed research on Acinetobacter spp., (nosocomial pathogen, pathogenicity, resistance), pharmacology of antibiotics, tissue distribution (lungs, brain, bronchi), research on intestinal ecology, jejunal flora and bacterial adhesion. She is an Adviser to pharmaceutical companies, expert in pharmacology-toxicology for the Ministry of Health, expert for international journals. She has developed a journal Antibiotics, (Elsevier). She has published 6 medical books, many chapters in international infectious diseases books, 200 articles in scientific journals.
Abstract:
Antibiotic levels in tissues and fluids of the respiratory tract have been seen as significant for therapeutic efficacy: Using appropriately chosen drugs in localized infections due to pathogenic microorganisms, concept of “tissue pharmacokinetics” has become controversial, taking into account multiple factors limiting the significance of antibiotic tissue kinetics and “high tissue antibiotic levels”. Multiple anatomic sites constitute human respiratory tract and can be diversely infected. Some have been explored in terms of antibiotic local concentrations, like bronchial secretions; many data on a variety of antibiotic local levels have been published: but inflammatory conditions, purulence, edema influencing the variable permeability of tissue barriers to drugs tested are factors leading to a doubtful value of data established. Similarly in terms of concentrations in pulmonary tissues and fluids, collected directly from lungs, or in surgical conditions or exploratory conditions, local transfer of antibiotics through lung membranes, alveolar structures, levels of antibiotics can be reached. In respiratory tract infected sites the potential antibiotic distal course of antibiotics has been explored, with however methodological and interpretive remaining questions, and potential therapeutic efficacy. Other pharmacotherapeutic models have been used such as Epithelial lining fluid (ELF), Alveolar Macrophages (AM), Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), reflecting the potential improvement in the respiratory tract infections: in most respiratory tract infected sites the potential antibiotic distal course of antibiotics has been explored with interpretive remaining questions.
Keynote Forum
Peter F. Billingsley
Sanaria Inc. for the International PfSPZ Consortium,USA
Keynote: PfSPZ vaccines: Developing a malaria vaccine to prevent infection, protect individuals and eliminate malaria in areas with intense transmission
Biography:
Peter F. Billingsley PhD is Vice President of International Projects and Strategy at Sanaria Inc. He has over 25 years’ experience working on malaria, in particular the biology of transmission of malaria through the mosquito from the molecular level in the laboratory right through to the ecology and epidemiology of transmission. He was awarded a prestigious Royal Society University Research Fellowship in 1988 which he held at Imperial College and then later was senior lecturer, head of Zoology and director of post-graduate studies for life sciences at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. At Sanaria, Dr. Billingsley has been part of the core team taking the PfSPZ Vaccine and PfSPZ Challenge from R&D right through to major clinical trials in USA, Africa and Europe. Until recently, he was Senior Director of Quality Systems at Sanaria and retains a functional QA role with respect to international site visits and training, while stilll acting as PI on grants for vaccine R&D.
Abstract:
Cases and deaths caused by malaria worldwide increased in 2016. Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) by RDT was ~11% in 2-14-year olds on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea (EG) in 2017 compared to ~45% in 2004. Between 2004 and 2017, a national and international team supported by a technical advisory group instituted intense malaria control measures funded by one of the largest per capita investments in malaria control in the world. Consistent with prevalence reduction, malaria related mortality was reduced by ~85% and the EIR and basic case reproduction number (R0) by >90%. However, the prevalence as measured by RDT has remained stable recently (14% and 11% in 2012 and 2016), and qPCR studies in EG indicate prevalence is 3-fold higher. This situation is common in Africa. New tools are needed to move toward an R0 <1 and elimination. R0 has two components, vectorial capacity of mosquitoes and the chance an individual bitten by an infected mosquito will transmit: the majority of investment in malaria control is aimed at reducing vectorial capacity. Case management and other treatment strategies reduce the chance an exposed individual will transmit in the short term. A vaccine with significant efficacy against infection could have an enormous additional impact on the probability an exposed individual can transmit, directly protecting many and indirectly protecting many more through herd immunity if administered to an entire community. PfSPZ Vaccine induced sterile protection for 6 months against intense Pf transmission in 3 clinical trials in Mali and Burkina Faso. Protection by time to event and proportional analyses reached 52% and 38% respectively, opening the possibility of mass vaccination programs to regionally eliminate Pf. The results of clinical trials including >5,000 injections to >2,000 subjects of PfSPZ products and plans for Phase 3 and 4 trials and elimination campaigns will be presented.
Location: Boston,USA
Session Introduction
Bin Gong
University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston
Title: Novel small molecules as broad-spectrum therapeutics for high consequence viral and bacterial pathogens
Biography:
Dr. Bin Gong is an Associate Professor of Pathology, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, TX. Dr. Gong’s laboratory is active in the determination of novel pathogenic mechanisms focusing on the interface between the endothelium and highly virulent intracellular pathogens, in particular the highly invasive bacterial genus Rickettsia and the viral family Filoviridae. Dr. Gong is being the P.I. of active R01 project R01AI121012 and the co P.I. of active R01 projects R01AI111464.
Abstract:
Ebola virus (EBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV), the causative agents of Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fever respectively, are classified in the family Filoviridae. These viruses are important human pathogens with case-fatality rates ranging from 70% to 90% for EBOV up to 90% for MARV. These agents are classified as Category A Priority Pathogens by the NIAID/NIH, and there is presently no licensed vaccine or treatment against filoviral infection. According to the latest figures from the WHO, since March 2014 West Africa’s first-ever Ebola outbreak in humans is the most deadly and geographically widespread outbreak on record, and it threatens to spread. Rickettsioses represent some of the most devastating human infections. These tick-borne diseases are caused by obligately intracellular bacteria of the genus Rickettsia. It has been forecasted that temperature increases due to global climate change will lead to the more widespread incidence of rickettsioses. In addition, a high infectivity and severe illness after inhalation make rickettsiae potential bioterrorism threats. Although rickettsial infections can be controlled by appropriate broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy if diagnosed early, up to 20% of misdiagnosed or untreated and 5% of treated Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) cases result in a fatal outcome. In fact, a fatality rate as high as 32% has been reported in hospitalized patients of Mediterranean spotted fever. Strains of R. prowazekii resistant to tetracycline and chloramphenicol have been developed in laboratories. Therefore, novel host mechanism-based treatments are urgently needed. Currently, we discovered that cAMP signaling axes play critical roles in filoviral infection and rickettsial pathogenesis. This exciting avenue of research, coupled with recent success in developing small molecules that specifically inhibit exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP (EPAC), has implications to develop broad-spectrum therapeutics that have activity against both viral and bacterial pathogens.
Kagimu Enock
Makerere University, Uganda
Title: Evaluating the gaps in cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) screening in the reduction of HIV associated cryptococcal meningitis in Uganda
Biography:
Kagimu Enock is 25 years, completed his bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery at Makerere university, college of health sciences (MAKChs), principal investigator of study on evaluation of CrAg screening program in reduction of HIV associated cryptococcal meningitis in Uganda, research assistant of the study on determining effectiveness of vitamin-c in management of tetanus, and an active member of Day of lung science on implementation science MAKChs.
Abstract:
Cryptococcus neoformans is the most common cause of meningitis among HIV infected adults in sub-Saharan Africa, and it is responsible for approximately 20-25% of AIDS-related deaths in the region (Uganda HIV ART Addendum report 2014). The 6-month case fatality rate for cryptococcal meningitis (CM) in Uganda is 40%, compared to 9% the US, Oceania, and Western Europe, thus more fatal than HIV/TB co-infection. Asymptomatic patients with a positive cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) test in the blood (antigenemia) typically develop meningitis in approximately 3 weeks. This provides a window of opportunity in which treatment with fluconazole as pre-emptive therapy can prevent progression to cryptococcal meningitis. Unlike T.B, Cryptococcus routine screening hasn’t been emphasised or evaluated much in number of facilities despite its inclusion in guidelines 1 year back by MoH, HIV positive patients are indeed presenting with meningitis even shortly after ART initiation, with 57% 10 week survival even with effective treatment (article by Boulware DR et al.) and incurring the expensive treatment strategy for cryptococcal meningitis. Through review of Crag registers and patient open MRS (chats), and doing in-depth interviews with the Nurse in-charges ART clinic and infectious disease wards, lab personnel concerned with Crag testing, in 7 sample facilities in Kampala city and 7 from the rural setting, plan to assess, how many; facilities are currently using a standard Crag register, do patients who are ART naive or CD4 <100 go through the Crag screening cascade, how many complete it, how long it takes to know their results, and the final outcome of whether they developed the CM or not. Through the interviews we intend to assess whether there was any CME on HIV/CM, Staffing of the facility, and supplies of CrAg kits, follow up the process of patients, and any gaps and successes of the screening program. There is clear evidence of cost-effectiveness and straightforward recommendations for the integration of CrAg screening and CM pre-emptive therapy into routine HIV care. Results of the study will be used to generate a standardized tool for evaluating the screening by Uganda Ministry of Health and groups that may be involved in funding the program, including but not limited to CDC. Our goal is to improve clinical practice and thus, reduce morbidity and mortality among HIV/CM patients.
Ngomtcho Claudine Sen Henriette
University of Ngaoundere, Cameroon
Title: Molecular screening of tsetse flies and cattle reveal different Trypanosoma species including T. grayi and T. theileri in northern Cameroon
Biography:
Sen Claudine Henriette Ngomtcho has completed her Master at the age of 28 years from the University of Ngaoundéré. She won a DAAD grant for a two year Ph. D sandwich Program at the University of Bremen. She has been working on the coinfection of human by human and animal trypanosomes. Back to Cameroon 4 months ago, she will be defending her thesis very soon. She has published 1 paper in a reputed journal. She is a former medical lab technologist who worked for the ministry of public health of Cameroon. She is interested in doing careers in Research.
Abstract:
African trypanosomes are mainly transmitted through the bite of tsetse flies (Glossina spp.). The present study investigated the occurrence of pathogenic trypanosomes in tsetse flies and cattle in tsetse fly-infested areas of northern Cameroon. Trypanosomes were identified using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region, both by size estimation and sequencing of PCR products. Trypanosoma prevalence infection rate for the tsetse fly gut (40%) and proboscis (19%) were recorded. Among the flies where trypanosomes were detected in the gut, 41.7% were positive for T. congolense and 14.6% for T. brucei ssp., whereas in the proboscis 36% harbored T. congolense and 62% contained T. vivax. T. grayi was highly prevalent in tsetse fly gut (58%). Trypanosome prevalence rate in cattle blood was 6%. Surprisingly, in one case T. grayi was found in cattle, providing its first evidence in mammals. The mean packed cell volume (PCV) of cattle positive for trypanosomes was significantly lower (24.1 ± 5.6%; P < 0.05) than that of cattle in which trypanosomes were not detected (27.1 ± 4.9%). Interestingly, the occurrence of T. theileri or T. grayi DNA in cattle also correlated with low PCV at pathological levels. This molecular epidemiological study of Trypanosoma species in northern Cameroon revealed active foci of trypanosomes in Dodeo and Gamba. These findings are relevant in assessing the status of trypanosomosis in these regions and will serve as a guide for setting the priorities of the government in the control of the disease.
Luz Stella Losada and Jose Miguel De Angulo
MAP International Georgia, USA
Title: Community based chagas control
Biography:
Dr. Jose Miguel De Angulo is the Regional Director for Latin America for MAP International. He has worked with the MAP for over 30 years in the area of maternal and child health. He has worked internationally in various public health programs, community health programs, and grass-roots community organization projects, including TDs control programs. Dr. De Angulo earned his Medical Degree from Universidad del Cauca in Colombia. He received a Masters of Public Health (MPH) from John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and holds a Masters of Arts in Religion (MAR) from Eastern Baptist Seminar in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Abstract:
Over the last three decades, MAP International has used a Community Based strategy to resolve many public health problems in Bolivia. For two decades, we have implemented Community Based Chagas Control Programs focused on building community capacity to understand and diagnose Chagas, treat and follow-up patients, overcome myths that reproduce conditions for Chagas, prevention measures such as changing the vector's (vinchucas) ecosystem niche, introduce sanitary and hygiene practices, and building local capacity of the local health system for diagnosis, treatment and follow up of patients, among others. The Chagas control program uses a set of indicators to establish an epidemiological map of the presence of the disease, presence of risk factors, including the presence of the vector (vinchuca), and identified patients and support provided to complete their Chagas treatment. Community authorities and members play a central role in building local capacity to engage the Health System and synergically make the program sustainable. The presentation will describe the program and how to engage communities and government officials. It also will present the indicators used to for surveillance and monitoring achievements and impact. This presentation will show a variety of integrated community-based activities for Chagas control, such as training families, health promoters, and local authorities; environmental changes and home improvement to eradicate the vector; how we screen populations in the communities, confirm diagnoses, and follow up with patients; family and community support for patients; fostering networks between government agencies and grassroots organizations; mobilization for Chagas control, and other related subjects.
Ephrem Abiy Ejigu
Vector control Abt projects, Ethiopia
Title: Ethiopia schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthes control programme: progress and prospects
Biography:
Ephrem Abiy Ejigu has completed his MSc at the age of 25 years from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. He was NTD program officer at RTI International Ethiopia office and currently working as Senior Project Coordinator at Vector control Abt projects in Ethiopia. He has about 7 publications that have been cited over 6 times and has been serving as an editorial board member of Siftdesk, OMICS Ebooks, and Sokoto Journal.
Abstract:
Schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths are among seventeen WHO prioritized neglected tropical diseases that infect humans. These parasitic infections can be treated using single-dose and safe drugs. Ethiopia successfully aped the distribution of these infections nationwide. According to the mapping, there are an estimated 37.3 million people living in schistosomiasis endemic areas, and 79 million in schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths endemic areas. The Federal Ministry of Health successfully scaled up Schistosomiasis and schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths intervention in endemic areas and treated over 19 million individuals in 2015. The Ministry of Health has made a huge effort to establish neglected tropical diseases, including schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths program in the health system which helped to map majority of the worlds and initiate nationwide intervention. The National control programme is designed to achieve elimination for those diseases as a major public health problem by 2020 and aim to attain a transmission break by 2025. The programme focuses on reaching those school-aged children who are not attending school, integration between neglected tropical diseases programme, and further collaboration with the WASH actors.
Mebrahtu G Tedla
The University of Melbourne, Australia
Title: Recognition of Schistosoma mansoni egg-expressed ovalbumin by OT-II T cell receptor transgenic T cells
Biography:
Abstract:
Human schistosomiasis is one of the neglected tropical parasitic diseases affecting nearly 200 million people worldwide, which is endemic in more than 70 countries with five known species causing the disease. Schistosoma mansoni is one of the common species existing in tropical countries. It is known to modulate the host’s immune system with the help of soluble egg proteins such as omega-1 and kappa-5, but most of these mechanisms have only been unraveled in vitro. Going towards, developing effective tools for the study of how S. mansoni influences T cells, we have developed S. mansoni eggs expressing chicken egg ovalbumin (OVA), using a lentiviral transduction system. Indeed, OVA is a “neutral antigen” and can be used to activate T cell from T cell receptor transgenic mice. The expression was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR of OVA-specific mRNA and western blotting using polyclonal antibodies specific for OVA. T cells from OT-II transgenic mice, mice expressing a T cell receptor specific for the OVA323-339 peptide, recognized the OVA expressed by transduced S. mansoni eggs. Using flow cytometry on CFSE-labelled OT-II splenocytes, we demonstrated that OVA-transduced eggs elicit higher OT-II T cell proliferative responses than untransduced eggs. The OT-II T cells also produced TNF and IFN-γ following exposure to OVA-transduced eggs. In addition, moderate amounts of IL-6 and IL-17A were also detected. In contrast, no IL-10, IL-4, and IL-2 were detected in cultures, whether the cells were stimulated with transduced or untransduced eggs. Thus, the cytokine signatures showed the transfected eggs induced a mixed type of Th1 and Th17 responses, with a small amount of IL-6. This study was further extended to analyze the degree of OVA detection by OT-II T cells in vivo following adoptive transfer and showed a considerable proliferation of T cells by OVA-transduced eggs comparing to untransduced eggs. Hence, the present finding signifies a detail investigation of the mechanism of parasite manipulation in vivo.
Biography:
Ryen MacDonald completed her PhD in Neurosciences from McGill University and works as a Product Manager for CTK Biotech, Inc located in San Diego, California.
Abstract:
The increasing burden of dengue virus infection continues to impact populations across the globe, highlighting the importance of multi-parameter dengue diagnostic technologies. Market and literature reviews show that since 2016, there is a soaring demand for early diagnosis of dengue infection, disease discrimination from other flaviviruses such as Zika, and development of accurate serological standards. As a point-of-care IVD company developing and manufacturing dengue antigens, antibodies, and IVD assays for the past decade, CTK Biotech has first-handedly witnessed the extreme limitations in undersourced and remote areas. Thus, as a company, CTK aims to address the issues of quality, ease-of-use, and pricing in an array of dengue products. For early detection of actively replicating virus, CTK offers a real-time PCR test that distinguishes between dengue and related viruses Zika and Chikungunya, and a serotyping assay that identifies dengue types 1-4. For qualification of dengue infection status, they have developed an IgM/IgG antibody test that determines an early or late stage active infection, and an IgG antibody test that identifies past infection only. These products were clinically evaluated in endemic regions, which include Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Malaysia, India, and Bangladesh. Because serological standardization and controls for dengue diagnostics remain a challenge, CTK has developed recombinant dengue murine-human chimeric IgM and IgG antibodies, and are currently developing a quantification method using WHO standards for IgG and IgM. As each technology has its advantages, CTK is committed to the fight against dengue infection and aims to contribute from every angle.
Jannelle Couret
University of Rhode Islan, USA