Current opinion in immunology
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A little more than a decade after the explosion of research into recombinant live-attenuated or replication-deficient viruses as vaccine platforms, many viral vector-based vaccines have been licensed for animals. Progress has been slower for humans but 2011 will see the licensure of the first viral-vectored vaccine for humans, against Japanese Encephalitis. ⋯ Viral-based vaccines have an excellent safety profile but must deal with the potential problem of pre-existing anti-vector immunity. Recent successes reflect diverse improvements such as development of new adenovirus serotypes and better prime-boost approaches, suggesting that many viral vectors are approaching their final years as vaccine 'candidates' rather than vaccines.
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Curr. Opin. Immunol. · Oct 2009
ReviewPulmonary alveolar proteinosis, a primary immunodeficiency of impaired GM-CSF stimulation of macrophages.
Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare syndrome characterized by accumulation of pulmonary surfactant, respiratory insufficiency, and increased infections. It occurs in various clinical settings that disrupt surfactant catabolism in alveolar macrophages, including a relatively more common autoimmune disease caused by GM-CSF autoantibodies and a rare congenital disease caused by CSF2RA mutations. ⋯ GM-CSF is also required to determine the basal functional capacity of circulating neutrophils, including adhesion, phagocytosis, and microbial killing. PAP research has illuminated the crucial role of GM-CSF in innate immunity and led to novel therapy for PAP and the potential use of anti-GM-CSF therapy in other common disorders.
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There has been an increase in our understanding of the complexity of the T cell response to mycobacterial infection recently. Improved tools have allowed the determination of the location and kinetics of naïve T cell activation in the mouse as well the variety of function of mycobacteria-specific cells in humans. There is also an increased appreciation of the balance required during mycobacterial infection between anti-bacterial activity and control of the immunopathologic response. The integration of the T cell functional data with the consequences of infection should improve rational vaccine design.
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An effective vaccine usually requires more than one time immunization in the form of prime-boost. Traditionally the same vaccines are given multiple times as homologous boosts. ⋯ In many cases such heterologous prime-boost can be more immunogenic than homologous prime-boost. Heterologous prime-boost represents a new way of immunization and will stimulate better understanding on the immunological basis of vaccines.
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Curr. Opin. Immunol. · Apr 2009
ReviewAdoptive transfer of virus-specific and tumor-specific T cell immunity.
The adoptive transfer of T cells isolated or engineered to have specificity for diseased cells represents an ideal approach for the targeted therapy of human viral and malignant diseases. The therapeutic potential of adoptive T cell therapy for infections and cancer was demonstrated in rodent models long ago, but the task of translating this approach into an effective clinical therapy has not been easy. Carefully designed clinical trials have evaluated the transfer of antigen-specific T cells in humans, and provided insight into the barriers to efficacy and strategies to improve T cell therapy. The importance of altering the host environment to facilitate persistence and function of transferred T cells and intrinsic properties of T cells that are selected or engineered for therapy in determining their fate in vivo are key issues that have recently emerged and are informing the design of the next generation of clinical trials.