Dengue fever remains a significant public health challenge in Malaysia,with its incidence continuing to rise despite existing control measures.Dengue,a disease caused by the dengue virus and transmitted by Aedes mosqu...Dengue fever remains a significant public health challenge in Malaysia,with its incidence continuing to rise despite existing control measures.Dengue,a disease caused by the dengue virus and transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes,places a substantial burden on healthcare systems and economic productivity.Despite efforts by the Malaysian government,including the release of Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in dengue hotspot areas since 2017,the problem persists.In 2023,Malaysia reported 123133 dengue cases,an 86.3%increase compared to 2022[1].This highlights the urgent need for more effective interventions,including the potential integration of dengue vaccines into routine immunization programs.Currently,two dengue vaccines have been licensed:Dengvaxia(CYD-TDV)by Sanofi Pasteur and Qdenga(TAK-003)by Takeda.Dengvaxia,the first licensed dengue vaccine,has significant limitations,as it increases the risk of hospitalization in dengue-naïve individuals due to antibody-dependent enhancement[2,3].As a result,it is only licensed for individuals with prior dengue infections,necessitating pre-vaccination screening.These constraints make it unsuitable for inclusion in Malaysia’s routine immunization programs.展开更多
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus(PEDV),an enteric coronavirus,is widely spread worldwide and causes huge economic losses.The effective measure to control the viral infection is to develop ideal vaccines.Here,the collag...Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus(PEDV),an enteric coronavirus,is widely spread worldwide and causes huge economic losses.The effective measure to control the viral infection is to develop ideal vaccines.Here,the collagenase equivalent domain(COE)of PEDV was displayed on the surface of nanoparticles(NPs)in order to develop a newer,safer and more effective subunit vaccine against PEDV.The monomeric COE was displayed on the mi3 protein,which self-assembles into nanoparticles composed of 60 subunits,using the SpyTag/SpyCatcher system.The size,zeta potential,microstructure of the COE-mi3 virus-like particles(VLPs)were investigated.The COE-mi3 VLPs that possessed good security,stability and better retention can be more efficiently taken up by antigen-presenting cells(APCs)and help promote dendritic cells(DCs)maturation.Moreover,COE-mi3 VLPs could prominently improve specifc antibody levels including neutralizing antibodies(NAbs),and serum IgG,mucosal IgA.Moreover,COE-mi3 VLPs elicited more activation of CD4^(+)and CD8^(+)T cells and production of IFN-γand IL-4 cytokines.In particular,COE-mi3 VLPs is an effectual antigen-delivery platform to enhance germinal center(GC)B cell responses.This structure-based self-assembly of NP gives great potential to be developed as a new subunit vaccines attractive platform,and may also provide new ideas for the development of other enteric coronavirus vaccines.展开更多
[Objective] This study aimed to construct DNA vaccine of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).[Method] Plasmid carriers plESZP1 and pUTK3CP1 with PRV were constructed for FMDV P1 gene expression.Mice were immunized,and thei...[Objective] This study aimed to construct DNA vaccine of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).[Method] Plasmid carriers plESZP1 and pUTK3CP1 with PRV were constructed for FMDV P1 gene expression.Mice were immunized,and their antibody level was detected.The two eukaryotic expression plasmids constructed were transfected into Vero cells.PCR,IFA and Westem-blot were carried out to detect the transcription and expression of the objective gene.Balb/C mice were intramuscularly inoculated with the DNA plasmid which expressed the target gene correctly,and the antibody level in mice was detected by the means of ELISA and serum neutralization (SN).[Result] DNA plasmid carrying P1 gene which encodes FMDV capsid protein caused specific body fluid immunoreaction in mice,and the antibody level of anti-FMDV had no difference in the mice induced by the two recombinant plasmids.[Conclusion] This study lays a foundation for evaluating the genetically modified vaccine by immunizing animals with recombinant PRV containing the FMDV P1 gene and recombinant virus.展开更多
BACKGROUND Immunization is a key component of primary health care and an indisputable human right.Vaccines are critical to the prevention and control of infectious disease outbreaks.The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-...BACKGROUND Immunization is a key component of primary health care and an indisputable human right.Vaccines are critical to the prevention and control of infectious disease outbreaks.The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic and associated disruptions over the past two years have strained the health systems,with many children missing out on essential childhood vaccines.AIM To evaluate the immunization coverage among 12-23-month-old children in the rural areas of Community Health Centre(CHC)Dighal and to determine the factors influencing the existing immunization coverage.METHODS A coverage evaluation survey was conducted according to the 30-cluster sampling technique,which is the standard methodology for such surveys devised by World Health Organization.A total of 300 children aged 12-23 months were included,whose immunization details were noted from their immunization cards.RESULTS Full immunization rate was noted in 86.7%of the children,with partial and non-immunized children accounting for 9%and 4.3%respectively.The full immunization dropout rate was 4.2%.The common reasons for partial or non-immunization were family problem including illness of mother,vaccine not being available and child being ill.Place of birth(P=0.014)and availability of immunization card(P<0.001)were significant predictors of the immunization status.Since the study was conducted in 2020/2021,health services were disrupted due to the COVID-19 lockdown.CONCLUSION Due to the coverage being higher than the national average,it was concluded that the immunization coverage was optimal and not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.展开更多
Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, having high population growth and a complex health care environment, has highest density of unimmunized (zero dose) and under-immunized children. The main reasons of low immuniza...Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, having high population growth and a complex health care environment, has highest density of unimmunized (zero dose) and under-immunized children. The main reasons of low immunization coverage in Karachi were lack of governance and accountability in a duplicative and fragmented health management structure, weak and inequitable immunization services, and lack of demand and trust among people for immunization services. The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), Ministry of Health (MOH) in Sindh Province spearheaded a structured and collaborative process to develop strategies for addressing inequity in immunization services towards achieving Universal Immunization Coverage (UIC) in Karachi. The process included a situation analysis with gathering quantitative and qualitative information on the root causes of zero-dose and inequity of the immunization services. The strategies and interventions were developed with multi-layer input and feedback of the stakeholders and partners, and focusing primarily to address gaps in three program areas: governance, leadership and accountability;immunization service delivery;and building demand and trust among the people. The interventions were further prioritized for high-risk areas;identified based on maximum number zero-dose children, presence of large slum areas, measles outbreak and on-going circulation of wild poliovirus. Finally, costing for the Roadmap activities was done through consultation with partners and aligning domestic and external (donor) resources. In this paper, we have highlighted the unique process the Sindh Government undertook in collaboration with the stakeholders and partners to develop strategies and interventions for addressing inequity in urban immunization services in Karachi towards achieving Universal Immunization Coverage (UIC). Similar processes can be adapted, as a potential model, for developing strategies to achieve universal health coverage in the cities of Pakistan and in other countries.展开更多
AIM: Persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is characterized by a weak CD8+ T cell response to HBV. Immunotherapeutic strategies that overcome tolerance and boost these suboptimal responses may facilitate viral ...AIM: Persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is characterized by a weak CD8+ T cell response to HBV. Immunotherapeutic strategies that overcome tolerance and boost these suboptimal responses may facilitate viral clearance in chronically infected individuals. Therefore, we examined whether CD25+CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) cells might be involved in a inhibition of CD8+T cell priming or in the modulation of the magnitude of the 'peak' antiviral CD8+ T cell response primed by DNA immunization. METHODS: B10.D2 mice were immunized once with plasmid pCMV-S. Mice received 500 μg of anti-CD25 mAb injected intraperitoneally 3 d before DNA immunization to deplete CD25+ cells. Induction of HBV-specific CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was measured by S28-39 peptide loaded DimerX staining and their function was analyzed by intracellular IFN-γ staining. RESULTS: DNA immunization induced HBV-specific CD8+ T cells. At the peak T cell response (d 10), 7.1±2.0% of CD8+ T cells were HBV-specific after DNA immunization, whereas 12.7±3.2% of CD8+ T cells were HBV-specific in Treg-depleted mice, suggesting that DNA immunization induced more antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in the absence of CD25+ Treg cells (n = 6, P<0.05). Similarly, fewer HBV specific memory T cells were detected in the presence of these cells (1.3±0.4%) in comparison to Treg-depleted mice (2.6±0.9%) on d 30 after DNA immunization (n - 6, P<0.01). Both IFN-γ production and the avidity of the HBV-specific CD8+ T cell response to antigen were higher in HBV-specific CD8+ T cells induced in the absence of Treg cells. CONCLUSION: CD25+ Treg cells suppress priming and/or expansion of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells during DNA immunization and the peak CD8+ T cell response is enhanced by depleting this cell population. Furthermore, Treg cells appear to be involved in the contraction phase of the CD8+ T cell response and may affect the quality of memory T cell pools. The elimination of Treg cells or their inhibition may be important in immunotherapeutic strategies to control HBV infection by inducing virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses in chronically infected subjects.展开更多
AIM To observe the long-term effectiveness of low-dose immunization strategy and risk factors of HBsAg carriers in immunized children of Zhuang minorities of Longan County in the 9th year after infancy immunization.ME...AIM To observe the long-term effectiveness of low-dose immunization strategy and risk factors of HBsAg carriers in immunized children of Zhuang minorities of Longan County in the 9th year after infancy immunization.METHODS Two epidemiologic methods, a cross-sectional follow-up study and a case-control study, were used for the evaluation of the serological effect and the determination of the risk factors. Hepatitis B virus markers were detected with radioimmunoassay.RESULTS The protective anti-HBs-positive rate was 43.8% in 1183 children aged 1-9 years, who were immunized with three doses of 10 μg hepatitis B vaccine in infancy according to 0, 1 and 6 months schedule. It declined from 87.9% in the first year to 37.1% in the 9th year after vaccination. The HBsAg-positive rate was 1.6%, not increasing with age during 9 years after the infant immunization program. Compared with 14.0% of HBsAg-positive rate of the baseline survey in 1985, the effectiveness of hepatitis B vaccine immunization was 88.6%. Of 36 immunized children with positive HBsAg, 89.1% were likely attributable to HBsAg positivity of their mothers.CONCLUSION The long-term effectiveness of infancy low-dose hepatitis B vaccine immunization is high, and the booster is not needed 9 years after the vaccination in the Zhuang minority area where hepatitis B is highly endemic. A high-dose immunization strategy should be recommended in order to further decrease the current HBsAg-positive rate.展开更多
INTRODUCTION At present hepatitis B vaccine immunization is an unique effective measure for controlling hepatitis B.It is important o determine optimal immunization
Based on the random walk and the intentional random walk, we propose two types of immunization strategies which require only local connectivity information. On several typical scale-free networks, we demonstrate that ...Based on the random walk and the intentional random walk, we propose two types of immunization strategies which require only local connectivity information. On several typical scale-free networks, we demonstrate that these strategies can lead to the eradication of the epidemic by immunizing a small fraction of the nodes in the networks. Particularly, the immunization strategy based on the intentional random walk is extremely efficient for the assortatively mixed networks.展开更多
This study aimed to improve egg-laying performance in incubating Magang geese of Guangdong origin and Landaise geese of French origin. In experiment 1, 50 adults, egg-laying Magang geese were inoculated intramuscular...This study aimed to improve egg-laying performance in incubating Magang geese of Guangdong origin and Landaise geese of French origin. In experiment 1, 50 adults, egg-laying Magang geese were inoculated intramuscularly (i.m.) on days 0, 22, and 45 with 1 mL of immunogen containing 1 mg of recombinant chicken inhibin fusion protein. Immunization significantly increased blood antibody titers against inhibin fusion protein, but did not affect the egg-laying performance within 10 days after the first inoculation. From day 15, the egg-laying rate in inhibin-immunized group increased and was significantly higher than the values of control geese from day 40 to 55. However, the reverse was true from day 55 to 75 when more immunized geese developed incubation. In the entire 120 days of the experiment, the immunized geese laid 17.3 eggs in contrast to 16.4 eggs laid by the control geese. From day 30 till the end of the experiment, weight of eggs in the control geese was significantly greater than that in inhibin-immunized birds. In experiment 2, 40 Landaise geese were immunized against inhibin, as described in experiment 1. These geese laid 9.0 eggs on average in contrast to 7.3 eggs laid by nonimmunized control geese over 90 days of egg laying. The above results demonstrated that immunization against recombinant chicken inhibin fusion protein improved egg-laying performance in geese, and the increment was higher in nonincubating geese.展开更多
A total of 40 rats, aged in 30 days. were divided into 4 groups and immunized (intramuscularly injection) with 0 μg(control), 15μg (group 1), 25μg (group 2) or 40 μg (group 3) of inhibin α(1-32) re-combinant expr...A total of 40 rats, aged in 30 days. were divided into 4 groups and immunized (intramuscularly injection) with 0 μg(control), 15μg (group 1), 25μg (group 2) or 40 μg (group 3) of inhibin α(1-32) re-combinant expression plasmid pcINH in combination with liposome. Booster was given without liposome on day 20 after primary immunization. The results showed that 50%(13/26) rats were detected in positive antibody against inhibin. However, the increase of immunization dosage and booster did not promote the ratio of antibody positive rats. The number of matured follicles above 0.8 mm in diameter in the antibody positive rats was 2.3 more than that in the negative rats (P>0. 05). The concentration of blood plasma FSH increased distinctively on day 10 after primary immunization (P<0. 05), but no increase was observed after booster immunization. The 17-β-estradiol levels in blood plasma of rats between the positive and the negative groups had no remarkable differences (P>0.05). These results suggested that recombinant inhibin expression plasmid could stimulate animal body to produce antibody against inhibin.展开更多
For efficient mucosal vaccine delivery, nanoparticulate antigens are better taken by microfold cells in the nasal associated lymphoid tissue and also dendritic cells. Nanoparticles based on polymers such as chitosan(C...For efficient mucosal vaccine delivery, nanoparticulate antigens are better taken by microfold cells in the nasal associated lymphoid tissue and also dendritic cells. Nanoparticles based on polymers such as chitosan(CHT) and its water soluble derivative, trimethylchitosan(TMC), could be successfully used as carrier/adjuvant for this purpose. Sodium alginate, a negatively charged biopolymer, could modify the immunostimulatory properties of CHT and TMC NPs and increase their stability. Sodium alginate(ALG)-coated chitosan(CHT)and trimethylchitosan(TMC) nanoparticles(NPs) loaded with inactivated PR8 influenza virus were successfully prepared by direct coating of the virus with CHT or TMC polymers to evaluate their immunoadjuvant potential after nasal immunization. After nasal immunizations in BALB/c mice, PR8-CHT formulation elicited higher IgG2 a and Ig G1 antibody titers compared with PR8-TMC. ALG coating of this formulation(PR8-CHT-ALG) significantly decreased the antibody titers and a less immune response was induced than PR8-TMC-ALG formulation. PR8-TMC-ALG formulation showed significantly higher Ig G2 a/Ig G1 ratio, as criteria for Th1-type immune response, compared with PR8-CHT-ALG and PR8 virus alone. Altogether, the PR8-TMC-ALG formulation could be considered as an efficient intranasal antigen delivery system for nasal vaccines.展开更多
In this paper, a standard susceptible-infected-recovered-susceptible(SIRS) epidemic model based on the Watts- Strogatz (WS) small-world network model and the Barabsi-Albert (BA) scale-free network model is estab...In this paper, a standard susceptible-infected-recovered-susceptible(SIRS) epidemic model based on the Watts- Strogatz (WS) small-world network model and the Barabsi-Albert (BA) scale-free network model is established, and a new immunization scheme - "the most common friend first immunization" is proposed, in which the most common friend's node is described as being the first immune on the second layer protection of complex networks. The propagation situations of three different immunization schemes - random immunization, high-risk immunization, and the most common friend first immunization are studied. At the same time, the dynamic behaviors are also studied on the WS small-world and the BA scale-free network. Moreover, the analytic and simulated results indicate that the immune effect of the most common friend first immunization is better than random immunization, but slightly worse than high-risk immunization. However, high-risk immunization still has some limitations. For example, it is difficult to accurately define who a direct neighbor in the life is. Compared with the traditional immunization strategies having some shortcomings, the most common friend first immunization is effective, and it is nicely consistent with the actual situation.展开更多
Regulatory T cells (Treg) play important roles in immune system homeostasis, and may also be involved in tumor immunotolerance by suppressing Th1 immune response which is involved in anti-tumor immunity. We have pre...Regulatory T cells (Treg) play important roles in immune system homeostasis, and may also be involved in tumor immunotolerance by suppressing Th1 immune response which is involved in anti-tumor immunity. We have previously reported that immunization with attenuated activated autologous T cells leads to enhanced anti-tumor immunity and upregulated Thl responses in vivo. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well understood. Here we show that Treg function was significantly downregulated in mice that received immunization of attenuated activated autologous T cells. We found that Foxp3 expression decreased in CD4+CD25+ T cells from the immunized mice. Moreover, CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg obtained from immunized mice exhibited diminished immunosuppression ability compared to those from naive mice. Further analysis showed that the serum of immunized mice contains a high level ofanti-CD25 antibody (about 30 ng/ml, p〈0.01 vs controls). Consistent with a role ofanti-CD25 response in the downregulation of Treg, adoptive transfer of serum from immunized mice to naive mice led to a significant decrease in Treg population and function in recipient mice. The triggering of anti-CD25 response in immunized mice can be explained by the fact that CD25 was induced to a high level in the ConA activated autologous T cells used for immunization. Our results demonstrate for the first time that immunization with attenuated activated autologous T cells evokes anti-CD25 antibody production, which leads to impeded CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg expansion and function in vivo. We suggest that dampened Treg function likely contributes to enhanced Thl response in immunized mice and is at least part of the mechanism underlying the boosted anti-tumor immunity.展开更多
In order to prevent and control the spread of rumors, the implementation of immunization strategies for ignorant individuals is very necessary, where the immunization usually means letting them learn the truth of rumo...In order to prevent and control the spread of rumors, the implementation of immunization strategies for ignorant individuals is very necessary, where the immunization usually means letting them learn the truth of rumors.Considering the facts that there is always a delay time between rumor spreading and implementing immunization, and that the truth of rumors can also be spread out, this paper constructs a novel susceptible-infected-removed(SIR) model.The propagation dynamical behaviors of the SIR model on homogeneous networks are investigated by using the meanfield theory and the Monte Carlo method. Research shows that the greater the delay time, the worse the immune effect of the immunization strategy. It is also found that the spread of the truth can inhibit to some extent the propagation of rumors, and the trend will become more obvious with the increase of reliability of the truth. Moreover, under the influence of delay time, the existence of nodes' identification force still slightly reduces the propagation degree of rumors.展开更多
Silkworm pupa is a nourishing food with high nutritional value,but its consumption has been greatly limited given its allergenicity.Enzyme hydrolytic technique is recognized as an effective method to reduce the allerg...Silkworm pupa is a nourishing food with high nutritional value,but its consumption has been greatly limited given its allergenicity.Enzyme hydrolytic technique is recognized as an effective method to reduce the allergenicity of protein.In this study,we aimed to investigate the effect of enzymolysis on the allergenicity of silkworm pupa.Crude silkworm pupa protein was extracted through alkali extraction and acid precipitation,which included 5 proteins with the molecular weights ranging from 34 kDa to 76 kDa,and silkworm pupa were then hydrolyzed by alkaline protease.The allergenicity of silkworm pupa protein and its enzymatic hydrolysates was evaluated by establishing BALB/c mice model,and the mice were immunized via intragastric gavage and intraperitoneal injection,respectively.The results indicated that the intraperitoneal inj ection immunization route induced more by detecting with antibodies,histamine and Th2-related cytokines.Moreover,mice treated with silkworm pupa protein peptide displayed no obvious allergic symptoms,indicating that enzyme hydrolytic technique could significantly reduce the allergenicity of silkworm pupa.展开更多
In order to evaluate effects of Chinese medicinal herb (CMH) on growth and immunization of laying male chicks,eleven CMHs were used in this study,which are Astragalus membranacens (AM),Schisandra chinensis (SC),Ligust...In order to evaluate effects of Chinese medicinal herb (CMH) on growth and immunization of laying male chicks,eleven CMHs were used in this study,which are Astragalus membranacens (AM),Schisandra chinensis (SC),Ligustrum Lucidum(LL),Codonopsis,Scutellaria baicalensis (SB),Atractylodes macrocephala(AMA),Haw,Ginger,Acanthopanax scenticosns (AS),Angelica and Lycium,added to basal diet as 1%,respectively,with the basal diet supplemented with 50 mg·kg^(-1) bacitracin zinc(BZ) as the control.The body weight (BW) of birds were recorded at 1,21 and 42 days after birth,individually.The birds were vaccinated 0.50 mL against Newcastle disease (ND) with La sota vaccinel (containing mineral oil as adjuvant) by i.m.inoculation at 21 d of age.All of birds was vaccinated with F48E9 NDV by i.m.inoculation at 49 day of age.Blood samples were taken via wing vein from each bird on the day receiving the vaccination (Day-1) and on 14,21,28,30 and 34 d after vaccination (Days 14,21,28,30 and 34). Results showed that bodyweight (BW) and bodyweight gain(BWG) of the trial groups are similar to the control group.No significant differences of relative weight (RW) of bursa and spleen were observed among trial groups except for AS (P<0.05).Serum antibody titers of SC,LL,Codonopsis,SB,AMA and Lycium groups were significantly increased (P<0.05) in contrast to these control group on day-21 or 28 after immunized ND La sota vaccinel,which suggested that SC,LL,Codonopsis,SB,AMA and Lycium could augment antibody formulation.Furthermore,Compared with the control,antibody titers in SC,Codonopsis,AS,Lycium,SB and AMA group were higher (P<0.05) after vaccinated with F48E9 NDV,which suggested that SC,Codonopsis,AS,Lycium,SB and AMA have activity of antivirus.In conclusion,CMH used in the present study have similar effect on BW and BWG of chicks compared with the control.Moreover,these eleven CMH have little influence on RW of immunized organ except AS.However,SC,Codonopsis,LL,Lycium,SB and AMA could augment antibody formulation.Furthermore,SC,Codonopsis,AS,Lycium,SB and AMA have activity of antivirus compared with the control.展开更多
BACKGROUND Infections and associated morbidity and mortality may be more frequent in children who have undergone liver transplant than in healthy children.Immunization strategies to prevent vaccine-preventable infecti...BACKGROUND Infections and associated morbidity and mortality may be more frequent in children who have undergone liver transplant than in healthy children.Immunization strategies to prevent vaccine-preventable infections(VPIs)can effectively minimize this infection burden.However,data on age-appropriate immunization and VPIs in children after liver transplant in Asia are limited.AIM To evaluate the immunization status,VPIs and non-VPIs requiring hospitalization in children who have undergone a liver transplant.METHODS The medical records of children who had a liver transplant between 2004 and 2018 at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital(Bangkok,Thailand)were retrospectively reviewed.Immunization status was evaluated via their vaccination books.Hospitalization for infections that occurred up to 5 years after liver transplantation were evaluated,and divided into VPIs and non-VPIs.Hospitalizations for cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus were excluded.Severity of infection,length of hospital stay,ventilator support,intensive care unit requirement,and mortality were assessed.RESULTS Seventy-seven children with a mean age of 3.29±4.17 years were included in the study,of whom 41(53.2%)were female.The mean follow-up duration was 3.68±1.45 years.Fortyeight children(62.3%)had vaccination records.There was a significant difference in the proportion of children with incomplete vaccination according to Thailand’s Expanded Program on Immunization(52.0%)and accelerated vaccine from Infectious Diseases Society of America(89.5%)(P<0.001).Post-liver transplant,47.9%of the children did not catch up with ageappropriate immunizations.There were 237 infections requiring hospitalization during the 5 years of follow-up.There were no significant differences in hospitalization for VPIs or non-VPIs in children with complete and incomplete immunizations.The risk of serious infection was high in the first year after receiving a liver transplant,and two children died.Respiratory and gastrointestinal systems were common sites of infection.The most common pathogens that caused VPIs were rotavirus,influenza virus,and varicella-zoster virus.CONCLUSION Incomplete immunization was common pre-and post-transplant,and nearly all children required hospitalization for non-VPIs or VPIs within 5 years posttransplant.Infection severity was high in the first year post-transplant.展开更多
Immune reactions to foreign or self-antigens lead to protective immunity and, sometimes, immune disorders such as allergies and autoimmune diseases. Antigen presenting cells (APC) including epidermal Langerhans cells ...Immune reactions to foreign or self-antigens lead to protective immunity and, sometimes, immune disorders such as allergies and autoimmune diseases. Antigen presenting cells (APC) including epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs) play an important role in the course and outcome of the immune reactions. Epidermal powder immunization (EPI) is a technology that offers a tool to manipulate the LCs and the potential to harness the immune reactions towards prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and immune disorders.展开更多
文摘Dengue fever remains a significant public health challenge in Malaysia,with its incidence continuing to rise despite existing control measures.Dengue,a disease caused by the dengue virus and transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes,places a substantial burden on healthcare systems and economic productivity.Despite efforts by the Malaysian government,including the release of Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in dengue hotspot areas since 2017,the problem persists.In 2023,Malaysia reported 123133 dengue cases,an 86.3%increase compared to 2022[1].This highlights the urgent need for more effective interventions,including the potential integration of dengue vaccines into routine immunization programs.Currently,two dengue vaccines have been licensed:Dengvaxia(CYD-TDV)by Sanofi Pasteur and Qdenga(TAK-003)by Takeda.Dengvaxia,the first licensed dengue vaccine,has significant limitations,as it increases the risk of hospitalization in dengue-naïve individuals due to antibody-dependent enhancement[2,3].As a result,it is only licensed for individuals with prior dengue infections,necessitating pre-vaccination screening.These constraints make it unsuitable for inclusion in Malaysia’s routine immunization programs.
基金supported by the Major Scientific and Technological Project of the Henan Province,China(221100110600)the Beijing Life Science Academy,China(2024500CA0010)+1 种基金the Major Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China(32192452)the Chinese Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2023M743209)。
文摘Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus(PEDV),an enteric coronavirus,is widely spread worldwide and causes huge economic losses.The effective measure to control the viral infection is to develop ideal vaccines.Here,the collagenase equivalent domain(COE)of PEDV was displayed on the surface of nanoparticles(NPs)in order to develop a newer,safer and more effective subunit vaccine against PEDV.The monomeric COE was displayed on the mi3 protein,which self-assembles into nanoparticles composed of 60 subunits,using the SpyTag/SpyCatcher system.The size,zeta potential,microstructure of the COE-mi3 virus-like particles(VLPs)were investigated.The COE-mi3 VLPs that possessed good security,stability and better retention can be more efficiently taken up by antigen-presenting cells(APCs)and help promote dendritic cells(DCs)maturation.Moreover,COE-mi3 VLPs could prominently improve specifc antibody levels including neutralizing antibodies(NAbs),and serum IgG,mucosal IgA.Moreover,COE-mi3 VLPs elicited more activation of CD4^(+)and CD8^(+)T cells and production of IFN-γand IL-4 cytokines.In particular,COE-mi3 VLPs is an effectual antigen-delivery platform to enhance germinal center(GC)B cell responses.This structure-based self-assembly of NP gives great potential to be developed as a new subunit vaccines attractive platform,and may also provide new ideas for the development of other enteric coronavirus vaccines.
文摘[Objective] This study aimed to construct DNA vaccine of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).[Method] Plasmid carriers plESZP1 and pUTK3CP1 with PRV were constructed for FMDV P1 gene expression.Mice were immunized,and their antibody level was detected.The two eukaryotic expression plasmids constructed were transfected into Vero cells.PCR,IFA and Westem-blot were carried out to detect the transcription and expression of the objective gene.Balb/C mice were intramuscularly inoculated with the DNA plasmid which expressed the target gene correctly,and the antibody level in mice was detected by the means of ELISA and serum neutralization (SN).[Result] DNA plasmid carrying P1 gene which encodes FMDV capsid protein caused specific body fluid immunoreaction in mice,and the antibody level of anti-FMDV had no difference in the mice induced by the two recombinant plasmids.[Conclusion] This study lays a foundation for evaluating the genetically modified vaccine by immunizing animals with recombinant PRV containing the FMDV P1 gene and recombinant virus.
文摘BACKGROUND Immunization is a key component of primary health care and an indisputable human right.Vaccines are critical to the prevention and control of infectious disease outbreaks.The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic and associated disruptions over the past two years have strained the health systems,with many children missing out on essential childhood vaccines.AIM To evaluate the immunization coverage among 12-23-month-old children in the rural areas of Community Health Centre(CHC)Dighal and to determine the factors influencing the existing immunization coverage.METHODS A coverage evaluation survey was conducted according to the 30-cluster sampling technique,which is the standard methodology for such surveys devised by World Health Organization.A total of 300 children aged 12-23 months were included,whose immunization details were noted from their immunization cards.RESULTS Full immunization rate was noted in 86.7%of the children,with partial and non-immunized children accounting for 9%and 4.3%respectively.The full immunization dropout rate was 4.2%.The common reasons for partial or non-immunization were family problem including illness of mother,vaccine not being available and child being ill.Place of birth(P=0.014)and availability of immunization card(P<0.001)were significant predictors of the immunization status.Since the study was conducted in 2020/2021,health services were disrupted due to the COVID-19 lockdown.CONCLUSION Due to the coverage being higher than the national average,it was concluded that the immunization coverage was optimal and not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
文摘Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, having high population growth and a complex health care environment, has highest density of unimmunized (zero dose) and under-immunized children. The main reasons of low immunization coverage in Karachi were lack of governance and accountability in a duplicative and fragmented health management structure, weak and inequitable immunization services, and lack of demand and trust among people for immunization services. The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), Ministry of Health (MOH) in Sindh Province spearheaded a structured and collaborative process to develop strategies for addressing inequity in immunization services towards achieving Universal Immunization Coverage (UIC) in Karachi. The process included a situation analysis with gathering quantitative and qualitative information on the root causes of zero-dose and inequity of the immunization services. The strategies and interventions were developed with multi-layer input and feedback of the stakeholders and partners, and focusing primarily to address gaps in three program areas: governance, leadership and accountability;immunization service delivery;and building demand and trust among the people. The interventions were further prioritized for high-risk areas;identified based on maximum number zero-dose children, presence of large slum areas, measles outbreak and on-going circulation of wild poliovirus. Finally, costing for the Roadmap activities was done through consultation with partners and aligning domestic and external (donor) resources. In this paper, we have highlighted the unique process the Sindh Government undertook in collaboration with the stakeholders and partners to develop strategies and interventions for addressing inequity in urban immunization services in Karachi towards achieving Universal Immunization Coverage (UIC). Similar processes can be adapted, as a potential model, for developing strategies to achieve universal health coverage in the cities of Pakistan and in other countries.
基金Supported by in part Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) (toK.K)
文摘AIM: Persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is characterized by a weak CD8+ T cell response to HBV. Immunotherapeutic strategies that overcome tolerance and boost these suboptimal responses may facilitate viral clearance in chronically infected individuals. Therefore, we examined whether CD25+CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) cells might be involved in a inhibition of CD8+T cell priming or in the modulation of the magnitude of the 'peak' antiviral CD8+ T cell response primed by DNA immunization. METHODS: B10.D2 mice were immunized once with plasmid pCMV-S. Mice received 500 μg of anti-CD25 mAb injected intraperitoneally 3 d before DNA immunization to deplete CD25+ cells. Induction of HBV-specific CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was measured by S28-39 peptide loaded DimerX staining and their function was analyzed by intracellular IFN-γ staining. RESULTS: DNA immunization induced HBV-specific CD8+ T cells. At the peak T cell response (d 10), 7.1±2.0% of CD8+ T cells were HBV-specific after DNA immunization, whereas 12.7±3.2% of CD8+ T cells were HBV-specific in Treg-depleted mice, suggesting that DNA immunization induced more antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in the absence of CD25+ Treg cells (n = 6, P<0.05). Similarly, fewer HBV specific memory T cells were detected in the presence of these cells (1.3±0.4%) in comparison to Treg-depleted mice (2.6±0.9%) on d 30 after DNA immunization (n - 6, P<0.01). Both IFN-γ production and the avidity of the HBV-specific CD8+ T cell response to antigen were higher in HBV-specific CD8+ T cells induced in the absence of Treg cells. CONCLUSION: CD25+ Treg cells suppress priming and/or expansion of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells during DNA immunization and the peak CD8+ T cell response is enhanced by depleting this cell population. Furthermore, Treg cells appear to be involved in the contraction phase of the CD8+ T cell response and may affect the quality of memory T cell pools. The elimination of Treg cells or their inhibition may be important in immunotherapeutic strategies to control HBV infection by inducing virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses in chronically infected subjects.
文摘AIM To observe the long-term effectiveness of low-dose immunization strategy and risk factors of HBsAg carriers in immunized children of Zhuang minorities of Longan County in the 9th year after infancy immunization.METHODS Two epidemiologic methods, a cross-sectional follow-up study and a case-control study, were used for the evaluation of the serological effect and the determination of the risk factors. Hepatitis B virus markers were detected with radioimmunoassay.RESULTS The protective anti-HBs-positive rate was 43.8% in 1183 children aged 1-9 years, who were immunized with three doses of 10 μg hepatitis B vaccine in infancy according to 0, 1 and 6 months schedule. It declined from 87.9% in the first year to 37.1% in the 9th year after vaccination. The HBsAg-positive rate was 1.6%, not increasing with age during 9 years after the infant immunization program. Compared with 14.0% of HBsAg-positive rate of the baseline survey in 1985, the effectiveness of hepatitis B vaccine immunization was 88.6%. Of 36 immunized children with positive HBsAg, 89.1% were likely attributable to HBsAg positivity of their mothers.CONCLUSION The long-term effectiveness of infancy low-dose hepatitis B vaccine immunization is high, and the booster is not needed 9 years after the vaccination in the Zhuang minority area where hepatitis B is highly endemic. A high-dose immunization strategy should be recommended in order to further decrease the current HBsAg-positive rate.
基金the China Medical Board of New York,Inc.,the United States,Grant No.93-582.
文摘INTRODUCTION At present hepatitis B vaccine immunization is an unique effective measure for controlling hepatitis B.It is important o determine optimal immunization
文摘Based on the random walk and the intentional random walk, we propose two types of immunization strategies which require only local connectivity information. On several typical scale-free networks, we demonstrate that these strategies can lead to the eradication of the epidemic by immunizing a small fraction of the nodes in the networks. Particularly, the immunization strategy based on the intentional random walk is extremely efficient for the assortatively mixed networks.
文摘This study aimed to improve egg-laying performance in incubating Magang geese of Guangdong origin and Landaise geese of French origin. In experiment 1, 50 adults, egg-laying Magang geese were inoculated intramuscularly (i.m.) on days 0, 22, and 45 with 1 mL of immunogen containing 1 mg of recombinant chicken inhibin fusion protein. Immunization significantly increased blood antibody titers against inhibin fusion protein, but did not affect the egg-laying performance within 10 days after the first inoculation. From day 15, the egg-laying rate in inhibin-immunized group increased and was significantly higher than the values of control geese from day 40 to 55. However, the reverse was true from day 55 to 75 when more immunized geese developed incubation. In the entire 120 days of the experiment, the immunized geese laid 17.3 eggs in contrast to 16.4 eggs laid by the control geese. From day 30 till the end of the experiment, weight of eggs in the control geese was significantly greater than that in inhibin-immunized birds. In experiment 2, 40 Landaise geese were immunized against inhibin, as described in experiment 1. These geese laid 9.0 eggs on average in contrast to 7.3 eggs laid by nonimmunized control geese over 90 days of egg laying. The above results demonstrated that immunization against recombinant chicken inhibin fusion protein improved egg-laying performance in geese, and the increment was higher in nonincubating geese.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(30070555).
文摘A total of 40 rats, aged in 30 days. were divided into 4 groups and immunized (intramuscularly injection) with 0 μg(control), 15μg (group 1), 25μg (group 2) or 40 μg (group 3) of inhibin α(1-32) re-combinant expression plasmid pcINH in combination with liposome. Booster was given without liposome on day 20 after primary immunization. The results showed that 50%(13/26) rats were detected in positive antibody against inhibin. However, the increase of immunization dosage and booster did not promote the ratio of antibody positive rats. The number of matured follicles above 0.8 mm in diameter in the antibody positive rats was 2.3 more than that in the negative rats (P>0. 05). The concentration of blood plasma FSH increased distinctively on day 10 after primary immunization (P<0. 05), but no increase was observed after booster immunization. The 17-β-estradiol levels in blood plasma of rats between the positive and the negative groups had no remarkable differences (P>0.05). These results suggested that recombinant inhibin expression plasmid could stimulate animal body to produce antibody against inhibin.
基金part of Amir-Hossein Sabbaghi Pharm.D.thesis(Grant number:911042)supported by Vice Chancellor for Research,Mashhad University of Medical Sciences
文摘For efficient mucosal vaccine delivery, nanoparticulate antigens are better taken by microfold cells in the nasal associated lymphoid tissue and also dendritic cells. Nanoparticles based on polymers such as chitosan(CHT) and its water soluble derivative, trimethylchitosan(TMC), could be successfully used as carrier/adjuvant for this purpose. Sodium alginate, a negatively charged biopolymer, could modify the immunostimulatory properties of CHT and TMC NPs and increase their stability. Sodium alginate(ALG)-coated chitosan(CHT)and trimethylchitosan(TMC) nanoparticles(NPs) loaded with inactivated PR8 influenza virus were successfully prepared by direct coating of the virus with CHT or TMC polymers to evaluate their immunoadjuvant potential after nasal immunization. After nasal immunizations in BALB/c mice, PR8-CHT formulation elicited higher IgG2 a and Ig G1 antibody titers compared with PR8-TMC. ALG coating of this formulation(PR8-CHT-ALG) significantly decreased the antibody titers and a less immune response was induced than PR8-TMC-ALG formulation. PR8-TMC-ALG formulation showed significantly higher Ig G2 a/Ig G1 ratio, as criteria for Th1-type immune response, compared with PR8-CHT-ALG and PR8 virus alone. Altogether, the PR8-TMC-ALG formulation could be considered as an efficient intranasal antigen delivery system for nasal vaccines.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.61263019)the Program for International Science and Technology Cooperation Projects of Gansu Province,China(Grant No.144WCGA166)the Program for Longyuan Young Innovation Talents and the Doctoral Foundation of Lanzhou University of Technology,China
文摘In this paper, a standard susceptible-infected-recovered-susceptible(SIRS) epidemic model based on the Watts- Strogatz (WS) small-world network model and the Barabsi-Albert (BA) scale-free network model is established, and a new immunization scheme - "the most common friend first immunization" is proposed, in which the most common friend's node is described as being the first immune on the second layer protection of complex networks. The propagation situations of three different immunization schemes - random immunization, high-risk immunization, and the most common friend first immunization are studied. At the same time, the dynamic behaviors are also studied on the WS small-world and the BA scale-free network. Moreover, the analytic and simulated results indicate that the immune effect of the most common friend first immunization is better than random immunization, but slightly worse than high-risk immunization. However, high-risk immunization still has some limitations. For example, it is difficult to accurately define who a direct neighbor in the life is. Compared with the traditional immunization strategies having some shortcomings, the most common friend first immunization is effective, and it is nicely consistent with the actual situation.
基金This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.30671945)Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality(Nos.06JC14044,05ZR14055,054319928,04DZ14902)+2 种基金Shanghai Municipal Education(No.05BZ26)Shanghai Leading Academic Discipline Project(T0206)Science Foundation of Shanghai Institute of Immunology(No.07-A04,to Ningli Li).
文摘Regulatory T cells (Treg) play important roles in immune system homeostasis, and may also be involved in tumor immunotolerance by suppressing Th1 immune response which is involved in anti-tumor immunity. We have previously reported that immunization with attenuated activated autologous T cells leads to enhanced anti-tumor immunity and upregulated Thl responses in vivo. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well understood. Here we show that Treg function was significantly downregulated in mice that received immunization of attenuated activated autologous T cells. We found that Foxp3 expression decreased in CD4+CD25+ T cells from the immunized mice. Moreover, CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg obtained from immunized mice exhibited diminished immunosuppression ability compared to those from naive mice. Further analysis showed that the serum of immunized mice contains a high level ofanti-CD25 antibody (about 30 ng/ml, p〈0.01 vs controls). Consistent with a role ofanti-CD25 response in the downregulation of Treg, adoptive transfer of serum from immunized mice to naive mice led to a significant decrease in Treg population and function in recipient mice. The triggering of anti-CD25 response in immunized mice can be explained by the fact that CD25 was induced to a high level in the ConA activated autologous T cells used for immunization. Our results demonstrate for the first time that immunization with attenuated activated autologous T cells evokes anti-CD25 antibody production, which leads to impeded CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg expansion and function in vivo. We suggest that dampened Treg function likely contributes to enhanced Thl response in immunized mice and is at least part of the mechanism underlying the boosted anti-tumor immunity.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.61402531the Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China under Grant Nos.2014JQ8358,2015JQ6231,and 2014JQ8307+1 种基金the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation under Grant No.2015M582910the Basic Research Foundation of Engineering University of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force under Grant Nos.WJY201419,WJY201605 and JLX201686
文摘In order to prevent and control the spread of rumors, the implementation of immunization strategies for ignorant individuals is very necessary, where the immunization usually means letting them learn the truth of rumors.Considering the facts that there is always a delay time between rumor spreading and implementing immunization, and that the truth of rumors can also be spread out, this paper constructs a novel susceptible-infected-removed(SIR) model.The propagation dynamical behaviors of the SIR model on homogeneous networks are investigated by using the meanfield theory and the Monte Carlo method. Research shows that the greater the delay time, the worse the immune effect of the immunization strategy. It is also found that the spread of the truth can inhibit to some extent the propagation of rumors, and the trend will become more obvious with the increase of reliability of the truth. Moreover, under the influence of delay time, the existence of nodes' identification force still slightly reduces the propagation degree of rumors.
基金supported by Special Project on the Integration of Industry,Education and Research of Guangdong Provine(2013B090600060)National Key R&D Program of China(2018YFC1604205)National Natural Science Foundation of China(31760431)。
文摘Silkworm pupa is a nourishing food with high nutritional value,but its consumption has been greatly limited given its allergenicity.Enzyme hydrolytic technique is recognized as an effective method to reduce the allergenicity of protein.In this study,we aimed to investigate the effect of enzymolysis on the allergenicity of silkworm pupa.Crude silkworm pupa protein was extracted through alkali extraction and acid precipitation,which included 5 proteins with the molecular weights ranging from 34 kDa to 76 kDa,and silkworm pupa were then hydrolyzed by alkaline protease.The allergenicity of silkworm pupa protein and its enzymatic hydrolysates was evaluated by establishing BALB/c mice model,and the mice were immunized via intragastric gavage and intraperitoneal injection,respectively.The results indicated that the intraperitoneal inj ection immunization route induced more by detecting with antibodies,histamine and Th2-related cytokines.Moreover,mice treated with silkworm pupa protein peptide displayed no obvious allergic symptoms,indicating that enzyme hydrolytic technique could significantly reduce the allergenicity of silkworm pupa.
文摘In order to evaluate effects of Chinese medicinal herb (CMH) on growth and immunization of laying male chicks,eleven CMHs were used in this study,which are Astragalus membranacens (AM),Schisandra chinensis (SC),Ligustrum Lucidum(LL),Codonopsis,Scutellaria baicalensis (SB),Atractylodes macrocephala(AMA),Haw,Ginger,Acanthopanax scenticosns (AS),Angelica and Lycium,added to basal diet as 1%,respectively,with the basal diet supplemented with 50 mg·kg^(-1) bacitracin zinc(BZ) as the control.The body weight (BW) of birds were recorded at 1,21 and 42 days after birth,individually.The birds were vaccinated 0.50 mL against Newcastle disease (ND) with La sota vaccinel (containing mineral oil as adjuvant) by i.m.inoculation at 21 d of age.All of birds was vaccinated with F48E9 NDV by i.m.inoculation at 49 day of age.Blood samples were taken via wing vein from each bird on the day receiving the vaccination (Day-1) and on 14,21,28,30 and 34 d after vaccination (Days 14,21,28,30 and 34). Results showed that bodyweight (BW) and bodyweight gain(BWG) of the trial groups are similar to the control group.No significant differences of relative weight (RW) of bursa and spleen were observed among trial groups except for AS (P<0.05).Serum antibody titers of SC,LL,Codonopsis,SB,AMA and Lycium groups were significantly increased (P<0.05) in contrast to these control group on day-21 or 28 after immunized ND La sota vaccinel,which suggested that SC,LL,Codonopsis,SB,AMA and Lycium could augment antibody formulation.Furthermore,Compared with the control,antibody titers in SC,Codonopsis,AS,Lycium,SB and AMA group were higher (P<0.05) after vaccinated with F48E9 NDV,which suggested that SC,Codonopsis,AS,Lycium,SB and AMA have activity of antivirus.In conclusion,CMH used in the present study have similar effect on BW and BWG of chicks compared with the control.Moreover,these eleven CMH have little influence on RW of immunized organ except AS.However,SC,Codonopsis,LL,Lycium,SB and AMA could augment antibody formulation.Furthermore,SC,Codonopsis,AS,Lycium,SB and AMA have activity of antivirus compared with the control.
基金Supported by Thai Pediatric Gastroenterology,Hepatology and Immunology Research Unit,King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital,Faculty of Medicine,Chulalongkorn UniversityThe 100th Anniversary Chulalongkorn University Fund for Doctoral Scholarship,Chulalongkorn Universityand the Thailand Research Fund Thailand Science Research and Innovation,No.MRG6280190.
文摘BACKGROUND Infections and associated morbidity and mortality may be more frequent in children who have undergone liver transplant than in healthy children.Immunization strategies to prevent vaccine-preventable infections(VPIs)can effectively minimize this infection burden.However,data on age-appropriate immunization and VPIs in children after liver transplant in Asia are limited.AIM To evaluate the immunization status,VPIs and non-VPIs requiring hospitalization in children who have undergone a liver transplant.METHODS The medical records of children who had a liver transplant between 2004 and 2018 at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital(Bangkok,Thailand)were retrospectively reviewed.Immunization status was evaluated via their vaccination books.Hospitalization for infections that occurred up to 5 years after liver transplantation were evaluated,and divided into VPIs and non-VPIs.Hospitalizations for cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus were excluded.Severity of infection,length of hospital stay,ventilator support,intensive care unit requirement,and mortality were assessed.RESULTS Seventy-seven children with a mean age of 3.29±4.17 years were included in the study,of whom 41(53.2%)were female.The mean follow-up duration was 3.68±1.45 years.Fortyeight children(62.3%)had vaccination records.There was a significant difference in the proportion of children with incomplete vaccination according to Thailand’s Expanded Program on Immunization(52.0%)and accelerated vaccine from Infectious Diseases Society of America(89.5%)(P<0.001).Post-liver transplant,47.9%of the children did not catch up with ageappropriate immunizations.There were 237 infections requiring hospitalization during the 5 years of follow-up.There were no significant differences in hospitalization for VPIs or non-VPIs in children with complete and incomplete immunizations.The risk of serious infection was high in the first year after receiving a liver transplant,and two children died.Respiratory and gastrointestinal systems were common sites of infection.The most common pathogens that caused VPIs were rotavirus,influenza virus,and varicella-zoster virus.CONCLUSION Incomplete immunization was common pre-and post-transplant,and nearly all children required hospitalization for non-VPIs or VPIs within 5 years posttransplant.Infection severity was high in the first year post-transplant.
文摘Immune reactions to foreign or self-antigens lead to protective immunity and, sometimes, immune disorders such as allergies and autoimmune diseases. Antigen presenting cells (APC) including epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs) play an important role in the course and outcome of the immune reactions. Epidermal powder immunization (EPI) is a technology that offers a tool to manipulate the LCs and the potential to harness the immune reactions towards prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and immune disorders.