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Research

One vaccine for life: Lessons from immune ontogeny

There remains a general misconception that the immune status of the fetus and neonate is immature or insufficient. However, emerging research in immune ontogeny prompts reconsideration of this orthodoxy, reframing this period instead as one of unique opportunity. Vaccine responses (qualitative and quantitative) vary between individuals, and across demographic cohorts. Elements of baseline immune status and function predict vaccine response - some of these factors are well described, others remain a subject of ongoing research, especially with the rapidly expanding field of 'omics' research, enabled by development of highly granular immune profiling techniques and increasing computational capacity.

Research

The Fifth International Neonatal and Maternal Immunization Symposium (INMIS 2019): Securing Protection for the Next Generation

Despite significant progress in reaching some milestones of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, neonatal and early infant morbidity and mortality remain high, and maternal health remains suboptimal in many countries. Novel and improved preventative strategies with the potential to benefit pregnant women and their infants are needed, with maternal and neonatal immunization representing effective approaches.

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Malt1 deficient mice develop osteoporosis independent of osteoclast-intrinsic effects of Malt1 deficiency

Malt1 deficient mice develop an osteoporotic phenotype with increased osteoclastogenesis in vivo, but suggest that this is caused by inflammation

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FluBubs: Safety and immunogenicity of Early Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine

Christopher Tobias Blyth Kollmann CC TK MBBS (Hons) DCH FRACP FRCPA PhD PhD, M.D., SFUW Centre Head, Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious

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Molecular analysis of human tick-bitten skin yields signatures associated with distinct spatial and temporal trajectories - A proof-of-concept study

Tick-associated diseases present challenges due to tridirectional interactions among host-specific responses, tick toxins and salivary proteins as well as microbes. We aimed to uncover molecular mechanisms in tick-bitten skin samples and contralateral skin samples collected simultaneously from the same participants, using spatial transcriptomics.

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Revaccination with Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is associated with an increased risk of abscess and lymphadenopathy

The reported frequency and types of adverse events following initial vaccination and revaccination with Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) varies worldwide. Using active surveillance in a randomised controlled trial of BCG vaccination (the BRACE trial), we determined the incidence and risk factors for the development of BCG injection site abscess and regional lymphadenopathy.

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Innate Immune Responses and Gut Microbiomes Distinguish HIV-Exposed from HIV-Unexposed Children in a Population-Specific Manner

In both high- and low-income countries, HIV-negative children born to HIV-positive mothers (HIV exposed, uninfected [HEU]) are more susceptible to severe infection than HIV-unexposed, uninfected (HUU) children, with altered innate immunity hypothesized to be a cause. Both the gut microbiome and systemic innate immunity differ across biogeographically distinct settings, and the two are known to influence each other.

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Interferon-α2b Treatment for COVID-19

We describe here the effects of treatment with interferon-α2b in a cohort of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Wuhan, China

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Implications of Non-Specific Effects for Testing, Approving, and Regulating Vaccines

The current framework for testing and regulating vaccines was established before the realization that vaccines, in addition to their effect against the vaccine-specific disease, may also have "non-specific effects" affecting the risk of unrelated diseases. Accumulating evidence from epidemiological studies shows that vaccines in some situations can affect all-cause mortality and morbidity in ways that are not explained by the prevention of the vaccine-targeted disease.

Research

A cluster randomized trial of interferon ss-1a for the reduction of transmission of SARS-Cov-2: protocol for the Containing Coronavirus Disease 19 trial (ConCorD-19)

SARS-CoV-2 infection rapidly spreads in populations due to the high rates of community transmission. Interrupting the shedding of SARS-CoV-2 may reduce the incidence of Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19).