Preclinical evaluation of a plant-derived SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccine: Protective efficacy,immunogenicity, safety,and toxicity

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory illness caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission has become a global priority. Previously, we showed that a protein subunit vaccine that was developed based on the fusion of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) to the Fc portion of human IgG1 (RBD-Fc), produced in Nicotiana benthamiana, and adjuvanted with alum, namely, Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 1, induced potent immunological responses in both mice and cynomolgus monkeys. Hence, this study evaluated the protective efficacy, safety, and toxicity of Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 1 in K18-hACE2 mice, monkeys and Wistar rats. Two doses of vaccine were administered three weeks apart on Days 0 and 21. The administration of the vaccine to K18-hACE2 mice reduced viral loads in the lungs and brains of the vaccinated animals and protected the mice against challenge with SARS-CoV-2. In monkeys, the results of safety pharmacology tests, general clinical observations, and a core battery of studies of three vital systems, namely, the central nervous, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems, did not reveal any safety concerns. The toxicology study of the vaccine in rats showed no vaccine-related pathological changes, and all the animals remained healthy under the conditions of this study. Furthermore, the vaccine did not cause any abnormal toxicity in rats and was clinically tolerated even at the highest tested concentration. In addition, general health status, body temperature, local toxicity at the administration site, hematology, and blood chemistry parameters were also monitored. Overall, this work presents the results of the first systematic study of the safety profile of a plant-derived vaccine, Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 1; this approach can be considered a viable strategy for the development of vaccines against COVID-19.     

Preparing IR for COVID-19: The Singapore Experience

This paper describes country-wide special measures undertaken for interventional radiology staff during the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Although each interventional radiology service around the world faces unique challenges, the principles outlined in this article will be useful when designing or strengthening individual practices and integrating them within wider hospital and national measures. Moving beyond the current outbreak, these measures will be useful for any future infectious diseases which are likely to arise.     

新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情下喉镜检查的防护策略

目的探讨新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID 19）疫情下耳鼻咽喉头颈外科喉镜室如何做好防护工作，在保证临床诊疗工作顺利完成的同时保护好医务人员及患者健康、避免院内交叉感染。方法本研究查阅相关资料并总结医院的疫情防控经验及应对策略，在患者合理分流、喉镜室工作环境的布置及工作人员的个人防护、喉镜检查前的准备工作、检查中的操作流程及注意事项及检查后的清洁消毒工作等方面做好疫情期间周详合理的工作安排。结果疫情期间，耳鼻咽喉头颈外科喉镜室每日临床工作顺利完成，所有医务人员及患者均未感染新型冠状病毒，也未出现其他院内交叉感染。结论耳鼻咽喉头颈外科喉镜室的防护策略合理有效，能够在完成临床诊疗工作的同时有效保护医患的健康。     

Epidemiologic Characteristics of Work-related Eye Injuries and Risk Factors Associated with Severe Eye Injuries: A Registry-based Multicentre Study

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Work-related eye injuries have been reported with a variety of epidemiologic and clinical characteristics. We aimed to identify epidemiologic characteristics of work-related eye injuries and risk factors associated with severe injury in a large metropolitan city.     

女性难治性膀胱过度活动症患者心理弹性及保护性因素研究

目的探讨女性难治性膀胱过度活动症患者心理弹性状况及保护性因素，为改善其身心健康提供依据。方法采用心理弹性量表、症状自评量表、艾森克人格问卷、社会支持量表、焦虑及抑郁量表对80例女性难治性膀胱过度活动症患者进行问卷调查。结果女性难治性膀胱过度活动症患者心理弹性得分为（54.10±8.27）分，显著低于国内常模（P＜0.05）。患者的一般情况（病程、年龄、文化程度）对心理弹性的预测作用不明显（R2=0.14，F=18.10），当社会支持、SCL-90、人格特质、SAS、SDS进入方程后，对患者的心理弹性具有较明显的预测作用（R2=0.67，△R2=0.46，F=115.22）。结论女性难治性膀胱过度活动症患者心理弹性较差，社会支持、SCL-90、人格特质、焦虑抑郁情绪是其重要的影响因素，应重视患者存在的心理问题，发掘心理弹性的保护性因素并积极干预，促进其身心健康。     

浅谈医疗设备预防性保养的重要性

对于医疗设备来说,其临床医疗中有十分重要的作用,而且医疗设备的实际运行效率也与医院的经济效益有直接的关系,但是在大部分医院中仍然采用传统的医疗设备养护方式,导致医疗设备的维护缺乏科学性,从而增加了医疗设备故障的发生率,并且也影响了实际应用的效果,严重的情况下甚至会发生医疗事故。基于此,该文主要对医疗设备预防性保养的重要性与方法进行分析,希望能够使医疗设备的性能得到最优化的体现,使其能够更好地为医疗服务的开展提供支持。     

Intranasal immunization with protective antigen of Bacillus anthracis induces a long-term immunological memory response

Although intranasal vaccination has been shown to be effective for the protection against inhalational anthrax, establishment of long-term immunity has yet to be achieved. Here, we investigated whether intranasal immunization with recombinant protective antigen (rPA) of Bacillus anthracis induces immunological memory responses in the mucosal and systemic compartments. Intranasal immunization with rPA plus cholera toxin (CT) sustained PA-specific antibody responses for 6 months in lung, nasal washes, and vaginal washes as well as serum. A significant induction of PA-specific memory B cells was observed in spleen, cervical lymph nodes (CLNs) and lung after booster immunization. Furthermore, intranasal immunization with rPA plus CT remarkably generated effector memory CD4⁺ T cells in the lung. PA-specific CD4⁺ T cells preferentially increased the expression of Th1- and Th17-type cytokines in lung, but not in spleen or CLNs. Collectively, the intranasal immunization with rPA plus CT promoted immunologic memory responses in the mucosal and systemic compartments, providing long-term immunity.     

DNA vaccine encoding the moonlighting protein Onchocerca volvulus glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (Ov-GAPDH) leads to partial protection in a mouse model of human filariasis

River blindness, caused by the filarial parasite Onchocerca volvulus, is a major socio-economic and public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. In January 2015, The Onchocerciasis Vaccine for Africa (TOVA) Initiative has been launched with the aim of providing new tools to complement mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin, thereby promoting elimination of onchocerciasis in Africa. In this context we here present Onchocerca volvulus glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (Ov-GAPDH) as a possible DNA vaccine candidate. We report that in a laboratory model for filariasis, immunization with Ov-GAPDH led to a significant reduction of adult worm load and microfilaraemia in BALB/c mice after challenge infection with the filarial parasite Litomosoides sigmodontis. Mice were either vaccinated with Ov-GAPDH.DNA plasmid (Ov-pGAPDH.DNA) alone or in combination with recombinantly expressed Ov-GAPDH protein (Ov-rGAPDH). During the following challenge infection of immunized and control mice with L. sigmodontis, those formulations which included the DNA plasmid, led to a significant reduction of adult worm loads (up to 57% median reduction) and microfilaraemia (up to 94% reduction) in immunized animals. In a further experiment, immunization with a mixture of four overlapping, synthetic Ov-GAPDH peptides (Ov-GAPDHpept), with alum as adjuvant, did not significantly reduce worm loads. Our results indicate that DNA vaccination with Ov-GAPDH has protective potential against filarial challenge infection in the mouse model. This suggests a transfer of the approach into the cattle Onchocerca ochengi model, where it is possible to investigate the effects of this vaccination in the context of a natural host–parasite relationship.     

医疗设备维修管理之团队建设

通过我院设备科设备维修队伍的团队建设,说明团队建设在设备维修管理中的重要性。