Aluminum salts gels (alum) are TLR-independent adjuvants and have been used to boost antibody responses in alum-based vaccines such as diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus toxoid (DPT) triple vaccine. However, the pro-Th2 activity of alum-based vaccine formulations has not been fully appreciated. Here we found that alum-based tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccine was biased toward a Th-2 profile as shown b...

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a central kinase integrating nutrient, energy, and metabolite signals. The kinase forms two distinct complexes: mTORC1 and mTORC2. mTORC1 plays an essential but undefined regulatory function for regeneration of adipose tissue. Analysis of mTOR in general is hampered by the complexity of regulatory mechanisms, including protein interactions and/or phosphor...

BRCA1/2 screening for all triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients younger than 60 years may still be an economic burden in China. Further evidences that include incidence and outcome of pathogenic variants (PV) screened based on age or family history (FH) are worth discussing improving the cost-effectiveness testing Chinese TNBC. We aimed to investigate prevalence germline tumor PV TNBC p...

We present a case of parafibromin deficient (HPT-JT type, CDC73-mutated) parathyroid tumour (PDPT) occurring in 16-year-old girl. PDPT was recently proposed as distinct class neoplasms that show deficiency without meeting the invasive criteria required to diagnose carcinoma. Our histological examination revealed characteristic morphological features PDPT, including thick capsule, sheet-like gro...

As shown previously, encapsulation of a peptide derived from tyrosinase-related protein2 (TRP2) into liposomes (artificial virus envelope (AVE) 3) resulted in combination with CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides in the induction of higher numbers of antigen-specific T cells compared to vaccination with free TRP2. Here, we present further data with regard to optimal antigen dose, the relevance of vaccine ...

Protein-based vaccines offer a safer alternative to live-attenuated or inactivated vaccines but have limited immunogenicity. The identification of adjuvants that augment immunogenicity, specifically in a manner that is durable and antigen-specific, is therefore critical for advanced development. In this study, we use the filovirus virus-like particle (VLP) as a model protein-based vaccine in or...

Natural heterogeneity in the structure of the lipid A portion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) produces differential effects on the innate immune response. Gram-negative bacterial species produce LPS structures that differ from the classic endotoxic LPS structures. These differences include hypoacylation and hypophosphorylation of the diglucosamine backbone, both differences known to decrease LPS to...