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This book reviews successes and (remaining) challenges in vaccine development for the selected Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) of Leprosy, Leishmaniasis, Meliodoisis and Tuberculosis, which are a continuous burden for millions of people in affected areas worldwide. Written by frontline researchers, the volume deep-dives into different vaccine strategies, provides biotechnological background information and also tackles animal models in NTD therapeutics research. By bringing together state-of-the-art expert knowledge, the book contributes to the aim of ultimately ending the epidemics of neglected tropical diseases, complying with UN Sustainable Development Goal 3, Health and Well-Being. The volume highlights the activities of the research network VALIDATE (VAccine deveLopment for complex Intracellular neglecteD pAThogEns), funded by the Medical Research Council in the UK. The four NTDs discussed in the book were selected as these are in the focus of VALIDATE’s research. The book targets scientists and clinicians working on NTDs, as well as all readers with a background in biomedicine and interest in vaccine development. This is an open access book.
Examining meningitis mainly from a bacterial perspective, but also including an overview of viral, fungal and chronic meningitis, this book describes the anatomy of the meninges and clinical signs and symptoms of meningitis. Individual organisms that cause meningitis worldwide are dealt with in specific chapters, describing in detail how these pathogens interact with the human host at both a molecular and cellular level, providing a thorough understanding of bacterial virulence factors and host cell response.
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the obligate human pathogen“Neisseria gonorrhoeae”. This Gram-negative diplococcus is highly infective due to its virulence factors: pili, Por proteins, Opa proteins, Rmp proteins, lipooligosaccharides and IgA protease. Despite existing guidelines for its treatment, the incidence of the disease follows an increasing trend worldwide. This is mainly due to the appearance of antibiotic-resistant strains, inefficient diagnostic methods and poor sexual education. Without an effective vaccine available, the key priorities for the control of the disease include sexual education, contact notification, epidemiological surveillance, diagnosis and effective antibiotic treatment. This Special Issue focuses on some of these important issuesm such as the molecular mechanisms of the disease, diagnostic tests and different treatment strategies used to combat gonorrhea.
Since the first recognition of outbreaks of cerebrospinal or spotted fever at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries, the menace of the meningococcus has been high on the list of public health prio- ties. Few if any pathogens surpass the meningococcus in the rapidity and sev- ity with which it devastates previously healthy individuals. The challenge of understanding the biology of this fascinating microbe is immense, but few will doubt that successful control of meningococcal meningitis and septicemia will only transpire through the application of a body of extraordinary detailed inf- mation, including key minutiae of its molecular biology. In the first of two companion volumes, Meningococcal Vaccines, the team of experts gathered by Andy Pollard and Martin Maiden converge to p- vide an impressive accumulation of molecular tools with which to lay bare the secrets of the meningococcus. The results of this ambitious and welcome v- ume represent an exciting and much needed resource for all of us in the field.
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria; as such, they have many potential uses for promoting health and combating disease. This book covers the many facets of phage-bacterial-human interaction in three sections: the role and impact of phages on natural bacterial communities, the potential to develop phage-based therapeutics and other aspects in which phages can be used to combat disease, including bacterial detection, bacterial epidemiology, the tracing of fecal contamination of water and decontamination of foods.
This volume provides a practical guide providing step-by-step protocol to design and develop vaccines for human diseases. Divided into three volumes, Volume 1: Vaccines for Human Diseases guides readers through an introductory section on future challenges for vaccinologists and the immunological mechanism of vaccines. Chapters focus on design of human vaccines for viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic diseases as well as tumor vaccines. Written in the format of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, each chapter includes an introduction to the topic, lists necessary materials and reagents, includes tips on troubleshooting and known pitfalls, and step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols. Authoritative and practical, Vaccine Design: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition, Volume 1: Vaccines for Human Diseases aims to be a useful practical guide to researchers to help further their study in this field.
Tuberculosis is a global health threat and the unique features of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and emergence of drug-resistant strains highlight the challenge it presents. Covering a wealth of state-of-the-art knowledge from active international experts, this book captures the latest developments in the advent of bacteriological, immunological and molecular tools for diagnosis and the development of new drugs. It shows how the challenge of tuberculosis is currently being met, providing insight into the evidence base underlying new developments in diagnosis, drug development and treatment.
TLR4 is one of the most important innate immunity receptors, its function mainly consisting in the activation of inflammatory pathways in response to stimulation by Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs) and Damage Associated Molecular Pattern molecules (DAMPs). This volume critically reviews the different types of TLR4 activators and inhibitors, discusses the role of molecular aggregates in agonism/antagonism as well as the pivotal role of the CD14 receptor in the modulation of TLR4 signal and the molecular details and actors of the intracellular cascade. The book presents the role of TLR4 in several pathologies, such as sepsis and septic shock caused by receptor activation by gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), in neurodegenerative and neurological diseases such as Parkinson and Alzheimer’s diseases, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). It reviews the role of TLR4 in neural stem cell-mediated neurogenesis and neuroinflammation and in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Cerebral Organoids and discusses the emerging role of micro-RNA (miRNA) regulation by TLR4.
Thousands of different microbial species colonize the human body, and are essential for our survival. This book presents a review of the current understanding of human microbiomes, the functions that they bring to the host, how we can model them, their role in health and disease and the methods used to explore them. Current research into areas such as the long-term effect of antibiotics makes this a subject of considerable interest. This title is essential reading for researchers and students of microbiology.
Bacterial pili play important roles as environmental sensors, in host colonization and in biofilm formation, enabling bacteria to interact with the environment, with surfaces and with other bacteria and host cells. Most bacteria, both Gram positive and Gram negative, and almost all bacterial pathogens, are piliated. This book discusses the synthesis, structure, evolution, function and role in pathogenesis of these complex structures, and their basis for vaccine development and therapeutics for Streptococcus pathogens. It is an invaluable resource for researchers and students of medical microbiology.