Development of a preventive vaccine for Ebola virus infection in primates

Outbreaks of haemorrhagic fever caused by the Ebola virus are associated with high mortality rates that are a distinguishing feature of this human pathogen. The highest lethality is associated with the Zaire subtype, one of four strains identified to date. Its rapid progression allows little opportunity to develop natural immunity, and there is currently no effective anti-viral therapy. Therefore, vaccination offers a promising intervention to prevent infection and limit spread. Here we describe a highly effective vaccine strategy for Ebola virus infection in non-human primates. A combination of DNA immunization and boosting with adenoviral vectors that encode viral proteins generated cellular and humoral immunity in cynomolgus macaques. Challenge with a lethal dose of the highly pathogenic, wild-type, 1976 Mayinga strain of Ebola Zaire virus resulted in uniform infection in controls, who progressed to a moribund state and death in less than one week. In contrast, all vaccinated animals were asymptomatic for more than six months, with no detectable virus after the initial challenge. These findings demonstrate that it is possible to develop a preventive vaccine against Ebola virus infection in primates.     

RNAi-mediated gene silencing in non-human primates

The opportunity to harness the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway to silence disease-causing genes holds great promise for the development of therapeutics directed against targets that are otherwise not addressable with current medicines. Although there are numerous examples of in vivo silencing of target genes after local delivery of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), there remain only a few reports of RNAi-mediated silencing in response to systemic delivery of siRNA, and there are no reports of systemic efficacy in non-rodent species. Here we show that siRNAs, when delivered systemically in a liposomal formulation, can silence the disease target apolipoprotein B (ApoB) in non-human primates. APOB-specific siRNAs were encapsulated in stable nucleic acid lipid particles (SNALP) and administered by intravenous injection to cynomolgus monkeys at doses of 1 or 2.5 mg kg(-1). A single siRNA injection resulted in dose-dependent silencing of APOB messenger RNA expression in the liver 48 h after administration, with maximal silencing of >90%. This silencing effect occurred as a result of APOB mRNA cleavage at precisely the site predicted for the RNAi mechanism. Significant reductions in ApoB protein, serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels were observed as early as 24 h after treatment and lasted for 11 days at the highest siRNA dose, thus demonstrating an immediate, potent and lasting biological effect of siRNA treatment. Our findings show clinically relevant RNAi-mediated gene silencing in non-human primates, supporting RNAi therapeutics as a potential new class of drugs.     

LNA-mediated microRNA silencing in non-human primates

microRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs that are important in development and disease and therefore represent a potential new class of targets for therapeutic intervention. Despite recent progress in silencing of miRNAs in rodents, the development of effective and safe approaches for sequence-specific antagonism of miRNAs in vivo remains a significant scientific and therapeutic challenge. Moreover, there are no reports of miRNA antagonism in primates. Here we show that the simple systemic delivery of a unconjugated, PBS-formulated locked-nucleic-acid-modified oligonucleotide (LNA-antimiR) effectively antagonizes the liver-expressed miR-122 in non-human primates. Acute administration by intravenous injections of 3 or 10 mg kg(-1) LNA-antimiR to African green monkeys resulted in uptake of the LNA-antimiR in the cytoplasm of primate hepatocytes and formation of stable heteroduplexes between the LNA-antimiR and miR-122. This was accompanied by depletion of mature miR-122 and dose-dependent lowering of plasma cholesterol. Efficient silencing of miR-122 was achieved in primates by three doses of 10 mg kg(-1) LNA-antimiR, leading to a long-lasting and reversible decrease in total plasma cholesterol without any evidence for LNA-associated toxicities or histopathological changes in the study animals. Our findings demonstrate the utility of systemically administered LNA-antimiRs in exploring miRNA function in rodents and primates, and support the potential of these compounds as a new class of therapeutics for disease-associated miRNAs.     

Travelling waves in the occurrence of dengue haemorrhagic fever in Thailand

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne virus that infects 50-100 million people each year. Of these infections, 200,000-500,000 occur as the severe, life-threatening form of the disease, dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF). Large, unanticipated epidemics of DHF often overwhelm health systems. An understanding of the spatial-temporal pattern of DHF incidence would aid the allocation of resources to combat these epidemics. Here we examine the spatial-temporal dynamics of DHF incidence in a data set describing 850,000 infections occurring in 72 provinces of Thailand during the period 1983 to 1997. We use the method of empirical mode decomposition to show the existence of a spatial-temporal travelling wave in the incidence of DHF. We observe this wave in a three-year periodic component of variance, which is thought to reflect host-pathogen population dynamics. The wave emanates from Bangkok, the largest city in Thailand, moving radially at a speed of 148 km per month. This finding provides an important starting point for detecting and characterizing the key processes that contribute to the spatial-temporal dynamics of DHF in Thailand.     

Transferrin receptor 1 is a cellular receptor for New World haemorrhagic fever arenaviruses

At least five arenaviruses cause viral haemorrhagic fevers in humans. Lassa virus, an Old World arenavirus, uses the cellular receptor alpha-dystroglycan to infect cells. Machupo, Guanarito, Junin and Sabia viruses are New World haemorrhagic fever viruses that do not use alpha-dystroglycan. Here we show a specific, high-affinity association between transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) and the entry glycoprotein (GP) of Machupo virus. Expression of human TfR1, but not human transferrin receptor 2, in hamster cell lines markedly enhanced the infection of viruses pseudotyped with the GP of Machupo, Guanarito and Junin viruses, but not with those of Lassa or lymphocytic choriomeningitis viruses. An anti-TfR1 antibody efficiently inhibited the replication of Machupo, Guanarito, Junin and Sabia viruses, but not that of Lassa virus. Iron depletion of culture medium enhanced, and iron supplementation decreased, the efficiency of infection by Junin and Machupo but not Lassa pseudoviruses. These data indicate that TfR1 is a cellular receptor for New World haemorrhagic fever arenaviruses.     

Small molecule inhibitors reveal Niemann-Pick C1 is essential for Ebola virus infection

Ebola virus (EboV) is a highly pathogenic enveloped virus that causes outbreaks of zoonotic infection in Africa. The clinical symptoms are manifestations of the massive production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in response to infection and in many outbreaks, mortality exceeds 75%. The unpredictable onset, ease of transmission, rapid progression of disease, high mortality and lack of effective vaccine or therapy have created a high level of public concern about EboV. Here we report the identification of a novel benzylpiperazine adamantane diamide-derived compound that inhibits EboV infection. Using mutant cell lines and informative derivatives of the lead compound, we show that the target of the inhibitor is the endosomal membrane protein Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1). We find that NPC1 is essential for infection, that it binds to the virus glycoprotein (GP), and that antiviral compounds interfere with GP binding to NPC1. Combined with the results of previous studies of GP structure and function, our findings support a model of EboV infection in which cleavage of the GP1 subunit by endosomal cathepsin proteases removes heavily glycosylated domains to expose the amino-terminal domain, which is a ligand for NPC1 and regulates membrane fusion by the GP2 subunit. Thus, NPC1 is essential for EboV entry and a target for antiviral therapy.     

猪瘟病毒分子生物学与致病机制研究进展

猪瘟是由猪瘟病毒感染导致的高度接触性传染病,家猪和野猪对该病原易感.该病主要特征是高热、微血管变性而引起实质器官出血、坏死,是世界上危害最严重猪病之一,给养猪业带来重大损失.综述了猪瘟病毒基因组、蛋白质功能以及致病机理的最新研究进展,为相关研究人员参考.     

Genetic dissection of the circuit for hand dexterity in primates

It is generally accepted that the direct connection from the motor cortex to spinal motor neurons is responsible for dexterous hand movements in primates. However, the role of the 'phylogenetically older' indirect pathways from the motor cortex to motor neurons, mediated by spinal interneurons, remains elusive. Here we used a novel double-infection technique to interrupt the transmission through the propriospinal neurons (PNs), which act as a relay of the indirect pathway in macaque monkeys (Macaca fuscata and Macaca mulatta). The PNs were double infected by injection of a highly efficient retrograde gene-transfer vector into their target area and subsequent injection of adeno-associated viral vector at the location of cell somata. This method enabled reversible expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged tetanus neurotoxin, thereby permitting the selective and temporal blockade of the motor cortex–PN–motor neuron pathway. This treatment impaired reach and grasp movements, revealing a critical role for the PN-mediated pathway in the control of hand dexterity. Anti-GFP immunohistochemistry visualized the cell bodies and axonal trajectories of the blocked PNs, which confirmed their anatomical connection to motor neurons. This pathway-selective and reversible technique for blocking neural transmission does not depend on cell-specific promoters or transgenic techniques, and is a new and powerful tool for functional dissection in system-level neuroscience studies.     

Optimal reactive vaccination strategies for a foot-and-mouth outbreak in the UK

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the UK provides an ideal opportunity to explore optimal control measures for an infectious disease. The presence of fine-scale spatio-temporal data for the 2001 epidemic has allowed the development of epidemiological models that are more accurate than those generally created for other epidemics and provide the opportunity to explore a variety of alternative control measures. Vaccination was not used during the 2001 epidemic; however, the recent DEFRA (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) contingency plan details how reactive vaccination would be considered in future. Here, using the data from the 2001 epidemic, we consider the optimal deployment of limited vaccination capacity in a complex heterogeneous environment. We use a model of FMD spread to investigate the optimal deployment of reactive ring vaccination of cattle constrained by logistical resources. The predicted optimal ring size is highly dependent upon logistical constraints but is more robust to epidemiological parameters. Other ways of targeting reactive vaccination can significantly reduce the epidemic size; in particular, ignoring the order in which infections are reported and vaccinating those farms closest to any previously reported case can substantially reduce the epidemic. This strategy has the advantage that it rapidly targets new foci of infection and that determining an optimal ring size is unnecessary.     

中厚板轧后高密度管层流快冷控制模型

根据鞍钢厚板厂投产的国内第一套中厚板轧后高密度管层流控冷装置的特点,结合理论分析,建立了一套适用于中厚板轧后快冷的控制用数学模型.该模型由层流冷却预设定冷却模式、各预设定冷却模式下终冷返红温度预报模型、终冷返红温度修正模型、自学习模型等组成,且该套模型已在鞍钢厚板厂投入使用.     

传感器故障非线性系统的快速抑制初态误差迭代学习控制

针对一类带有传感器故障的非线性系统提出了一种新的迭代学习控制算法,该算法在任意初态条件下,结合开环D型迭代学习律,设计一个随迭代次数增加而缩短的时间段,该时间段控制器对状态偏差进行修正,使系统跟踪误差收敛到与初态误差无关的界内,仅由系统自身不确定性和干扰决定。进而基于λ范数理论选取适当的控制增益,抑制传感器故障带来的跟踪误差,并给出控制算法的一致收敛性和误差的有界性证明。注塑机系统的速度控制仿真结果验证了该算法的有效性。     

煤快速氧化过程耗氧速率单一与分段模型比较

煤的耗氧速率是反映煤低温氧化能力的一个重要指标,也是预测煤最短自然发火期的重要参数之一。基于辅助热源恒热流加热方式搭建煤快速氧化实验台,快速模拟煤低温氧化升温过程,研究煤在快速氧化条件下的耗氧速率关联模型。根据所测定的煤快速氧化过程氧浓度变化,拟合出由单一活化能确定的耗氧速率计算模型;然后根据氧化速率的差异,使用双活化能分段确定出耗氧速率计算模型;最后基于煤氧复合机理,建立以恒热流方式加热的煤快速氧化升温数学模型。通过与所测煤温与氧浓度值的对比可知,基于单一活化能与双活化能分段描述的耗氧速率所获得的计算结果均表现出与煤快速氧化实验结果较好的一致性。     

集约化非免疫耐受猪场仔猪猪瘟免疫研究

从规模化猪场先后2次选非免疫耐受的猪瘟抗体效价≥1∶256的同日分娩母猪各10头所产10窝仔猪中各选3头进行试验,每次各30头仔猪。首先进行猪瘟母源抗体消长情况和合适首免日龄试验,结果仔猪乳前母源抗体均为0,吮吸初乳后母源抗体快速上升,15日龄达到峰值,合格率100%,20、25、30、35、40日龄逐步下降93.3%、86.7%、66.7%、33.3%、0%;其次用1、2、4头份首免量分3组进行合适首免量和二免日龄免疫试验,结果血清抗体效价合格率首免后15 d均为100%,25天1头份80%,2、4头份100%,35、45天20%、40%、50%和10%、30%、60%,55天50%、80%、100%,65、75天20%、40%、50%和10%、20%、40%。提示30日龄首免较合适,首免4头份免疫效果较佳,二免时间为55~60 d。     

贵州南方菜豆花叶病毒的ELISA检疫

采用ELISA间接法对分布于贵州几个地区的菜豆进行南方菜豆花叶病毒的检测 ,结果表明 :在所采集到的样品中 ,仅贵阳地区的菜豆感染有南方菜豆花叶病毒。其检测的灵敏度和最佳反应稀释度分别为 80 6ng/mL和 1∶5 0 0稀释度。