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Immunology

La Jolla Institute for Immunology professor receives $500 000 for COVID-19 research – COVID-19 patients around the world are experiencing lasting…

La Jolla Institute for Immunology professor receives $500,000 for COVID-19 research

San Diego Community News Group

Colorized scanning electron micropgraph of an apoptotic cell heavily infected with SARS-CoV-2. Photo Credit: NIAID.

COVID-19 patients around the world are experiencing lasting cardiovascular issues, even after they've recovered from other symptoms. In fact, one in four COVID-19 patients suffers from damage to the heart muscles, and problems with blood clotting and inflammation have been reported even in elite athletes.

"We're concerned that there could be permanent or long-term changes in these patients," says Catherine "Lynn" Hedrick, Ph.D., professor at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI).

Hedrick recently received $523,914 in funding from the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to study how immune cells may contribute to cardiovascular problems in COVID-19 patients. Hedrick's work will focus on how the SARS-CoV-2 virus may affect monocytes, a type of immune cell in the bloodstream.

"We know that even people with mild COVID-19 cases have changes in their monocytes," says Hedrick. "We want to know why."

Monocytes are part of the body's first line of defense against viral invaders. As COVID-19 has spread, more and more studies suggest SARS-CoV-2 affects monocytes in an unexpected way. In fact, COVID-19 symptoms like abnormal blood clotting, heart damage, and even lung inflammation can be tied to problems with monocytes.

For the new study, Hedrick's lab will measure a protein that monocytes makecalled tissue factorin blood plasma from COVID-19 patients. This work will depend on LJI's new IDEA Facility, a biosafety-level 3 laboratory designed for safe studies of highly infectious pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2.

Hedrick is also collaborating with Pandurangan Vijayanand, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor at LJI, and Christian H. Ottensmeier, M.D., Ph.D., FRCP, professor at the University of Liverpool and adjunct professor at LJI, to study gene expression in monocytes from COVID-19 patients. The team will track gene expression over several months to see how the virus may affect different subtypes of monocytes.

Hedrick also plans to work with a new mouse model, developed by the lab of LJI Professor Sujan Shresta, Ph.D., to better understand how changes in monocytes may affect cells in the cardiovascular system and lungs.

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La Jolla Institute for Immunology professor receives $500 000 for COVID-19 research - COVID-19 patients around the world are experiencing lasting...

Immunology

The lymphatic system 2: structure and function of the lymphoid organs – Nursing Times

The lymphoid organs purpose is to provide immunity for the body. This second article in a six-part series explains the primary and secondary lymphoid organs and their clinical significance and structure. It comes with a self-assessment enabling you to test your knowledge after reading it

This article is the second in a six-part series about the lymphatic system. It discusses the role of the lymphoid organs, which is to develop and provide immunity for the body. The primary lymphoid organs are the red bone marrow, in which blood and immune cells are produced, and the thymus, where T-lymphocytes mature. The lymph nodes and spleen are the major secondary lymphoid organs; they filter out pathogens and maintain the population of mature lymphocytes.

Citation: Nigam Y, Knight J (2020) The lymphatic system 2: structure and function of the lymphoid organs. Nursing Times [online]; 116: 11, 44-48.

Authors: Yamni Nigam is professor in biomedical science; John Knight is associate professor in biomedical science; both at the College of Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University.

This article discusses the major lymphoid organs and their role in developing and providing immunity for the body. The lymphoid organs include the red bone marrow, thymus, spleen and clusters of lymph nodes (Fig 1). They have many functional roles in the body, most notably:

The red bone marrow and thymus are considered to be primary lymphoid organs, because the majority of immune cells originate in them.

Bone marrow is a soft, gelatinous tissue present in the central cavity of long bones such as the femur and humerus. Blood cells and immune cells arise from the bone marrow; they develop from immature stem cells (haemocytoblasts), which follow distinct developmental pathways to become either erythrocytes, leucocytes or platelets. Stem cells rapidly multiply to make billions of blood cells each day; this process is known as haematopoiesis and is outlined in Fig 2.

To ensure there is a continuous production and differentiation of blood cells to replace those lost to function or age, haematopoietic stem cells are present through adulthood. In the embryo, blood cells are initially made in the yolk sac but, as development of the embryo proceeds, this function is taken over by the spleen, lymph nodes and liver. Later in gestation, the bone marrow takes over most haematopoietic functions so that, at birth, the whole skeleton is filled with red bone marrow.

Red bone marrow produces all erythrocytes, leucocytes and platelets. Haematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow follow either the myeloid or lymphoid lineages to create distinct blood cells (Fig2); these include myeloid progenitor cells (monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, erythrocytes, dendritic cells and platelets), and lymphoid progenitor cells (T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes and natural killer cells).

Some lymphoid cells (lymphocytes) begin life in the red bone marrow and become fully formed in the lymphatic organs, including the thymus, spleen and lymph nodes. As puberty is reached and growth slows down, physiological conversion occurs, changing red bone marrow to yellow bone marrow. This entire process is completed by the age of 25years, when red bone marrow distribution shows its adult pattern in the bones.

The pattern is characterised by:

However, under particular conditions, such as severe blood loss or fever, the yellow marrow may revert back to red marrow (Malkiewicz and Dziedzic 2012).

Any disease or disorder that poses a threat to the bone marrow can affect many body systems, especially if it prevents stem cells from turning into essential cells. Those known to damage the marrows productive ability and destroy stem cells include:

A growing number of diseases can be treated with a bone marrow transplant or haematopoietic stem cell transfer; this is often achieved by harvesting suitable donor stem cells from the posterior iliac crests of the hip bone, where the concentration of red bone marrow is highest.

The thymus gland is a bi-lobed, pinkish-grey organ located just above the heart in the mediastinum, where it rests below the sternum (breastbone). Structurally, the thymus resembles a small bow tie, which gradually atrophies (shrinks) with age. In pre-pubescents, the thymus is a relatively large and very active organ that, typically, weighs around 40g, but in a middle-aged adult it may have shrunk sufficiently to be difficult to locate. By 20 years of age, the thymus is 50% smaller than it was at birth, and by 60years of age it has shrunk to a sixth of its original size (Bilder, 2016); this is called thymic involution

Each of the two lobes of the thymus is surrounded by a capsule, within which are numerous small lobules typically measuring 2-3mm in width which are held together by loose connective tissue. Each lobule consists of follicles that are composed of a framework of thyomsin-secreting epithelial cells and a population of T-lymphocytes; these cells are commonly referred to as T-cells (the T denotes their origin as mature cells from the thymus). Lobules have two distinct areas:

In addition to being a major lymphoid organ, the thymus is also recognised as part of the endocrine system because it secretes a family of hormones collectively referred to as thymosin; this is a group of several structurally related hormones secreted by the thymic epithelial cells. These hormones are essential for normal immune function and many members of the thymosin family are used therapeutically to treat cancers, infections and diseases such as multiple sclerosis (Severa et al, 2019).

T-cells originate as haematopoietic stem cells from the red bone marrow (Fig2). A population of these haematopoietic stem cells infiltrate the thymus, dividing further within the cortical regions of the lobules then migrating into the medullary regions to mature into active T-cells; this process of T-cell maturation is controlled by the hormone thymosin. A proportion of these mature T-cells continually migrate from the thymus into the blood and other lymphoid organs (spleen and lymph nodes), where they play a major role in the bodys specific immune responses (which will be discussed in detail in part 3 of this series). The importance of these cells is apparent in patients who have depleted T-cell populations, such as those infected with HIV.

One of the most important functions of the thymus is programming T-cells to recognise self antigens through a process called thymic education. This process allows mature T-cells to distinguish foreign, and therefore potentially pathogenic, material from antigens that belong to the body. It has been demonstrated that removal of the thymus may lead to an increase in autoimmune diseases, as this ability to recognise self is diminished (Sherer et al, 1999).

Diseases of the thymus include thymic cancer and myasthenia gravis (MG). MG occurs when the thymus produces antibodies that block or destroy the muscle-receptor sites, causing the muscles to become weak and easily tired. It most commonly affects muscles that control the eyes and eyelids, resulting in droopy eyelids and difficulty making facial expressions; chewing, swallowing and speaking also become difficult. MG can affect people of any age, but typically starts in women aged <40years and men aged >60years.

In most cases of either MG or thymic cancer, thymectomy is recommended. Patients who have had a thymectomy may develop an immunodeficiency known as Good syndrome, which increases their susceptibility to bacterial, fungal and viral opportunistic pathogens; this condition is, however, relatively rare.

The spleen and lymph nodes are two major secondary lymphoid organs that play key roles in:

When foreign antigens reach these organs, they initiate lymphocyte activation and subsequent clonal expansion and maturation of these important white blood cells. Mature lymphocytes can then leave the secondary organs to enter the circulation, or travel to other areas, and target foreign antigens.

The spleen is the largest lymphoid organ. Situated in the upper left hypochondriac region of the abdominal cavity, between the diaphragm and the fundus of the stomach, it primarily functions as a filter for the blood, bringing it into close contact with scavenging phagocytes (white blood cells in the spleen that will seek out and eat any pathogens in the blood) and lymphocytes.

Due to its extensive vascularisation, the spleen is a dark-purplish oval-shaped organ; in adults it is approximately 12cm long, 7cm wide and weighs around 150g. However, the size of the spleen can vary with circumstance: it diminishes in starvation, after heavy exercise and following severe haemorrhage (Gujar et al, 2017), and recent investigations indicate an increase in size in well-fed individuals and during the ingestion of food (Garnitschnig et al, 2020).

The spleen (Fig3) is enclosed in a dense, fibro-elastic capsule that protrudes into the organ as trabeculae; these trabeculae constitute the organs framework. Blood enters the spleen from the splenic artery and leaves via the splenic vein, both of which are at the hilum; the splenic vein eventually becomes a tributary of the hepatic portal vein.

The spleen is made up of two regions:

White pulp is a mass of germinal centres of dividing B-lymphocytes (B-cells), surrounded by T-cells and accessory cells, including macrophages and dendritic cells; these cells are arranged as lymphatic nodules around branches of the splenic artery. As blood flows into the spleen via the splenic artery, it enters smaller, central arteries of the white pulp, eventually reaching the red pulp. The red pulp is a spongy tissue, accounting for 75% of the splenic volume (Pivkin et al, 2016); it consists of blood-filled venous sinuses and splenic cords.

Splenic cords are made up of red and white blood cells and plasma cells (antibody-producing B-cells); therefore, the red pulp primarily functions as a filtration system for the blood, whereas the white pulp is where adaptive T- and B-cell responses are mounted. The colour of the white pulp is derived from the closely packed lymphocytes and the red pulps colour is due to high numbers of erythrocytes (Stewart and McKenzie, 2002).

The spleen has three major functions:

The spleens main immunological function is to remove micro-organisms from circulation. The lymphatic nodules are arranged as sleeves around the blood vessels, bringing blood into the spleen. Within the white pulp are splenic nodules called Malpighian corpuscles, which are rich in B-cells, so this portion of lymphoid tissue is quick to respond to foreign antigenic stimulation by producing antibodies. The walls of the meshwork of sinuses in the red pulp also contain phagocytes that engulf foreign particles and cell debris, effectively filtering and removing them from circulation.

In the spleens destruction of old and senescent red blood cells, they are digested by phagocytic macrophages in the red pulp. The haemoglobin is then split apart into haem and globin. The globin is broken down into its constituent amino acids, which can be utilised in the synthesis of a new protein. Haem consists of an iron atom surrounded four non-iron (pyrrole) rings.

The iron is removed and transported to be stored as ferritin, then reused to make new haemoglobin in the red bone marrow; macrophages convert the pyrrole rings into the green pigment biliverdin and then into the yellow pigment bilirubin. Both are transported to the liver bound to plasma albumin. Bilirubin, the more toxic pigment, is conjugated in the liver to form a less toxic compound, which is excreted in bile.

The red pulp partly serves to store a large reserve of the bodys platelets up to a third of the total platelet supply. In some animals particularly athletic mammals such as horses, greyhounds and foxes the spleen is also an important reservoir of blood, which is released into circulation during times of stress to improve aerobic performance. In humans, however, the spleen contributes only a small percentage of blood cells into active circulation under physiological stress; the total stored blood volume is believed to be only 200-250ml (Bakovic et al, 2005). The capsule of the spleen may contract following haemorrhage, releasing this reserve into circulation in the body.

The spleen also plays a minor role in haematopoiesis: usually occuring in foetuses of up to five months gestation, erythrocytes, along with the bone marrow, are produced by the spleen.

As the spleen is the largest collection of lymphoid tissue in the body, infections that cause white blood cell proliferation and antigenic stimulation may cause germinal centres in the organ to expand, resulting in its enlargement (splenomegaly). This happens in many diseases for example, malaria, cirrhosis and leukaemia. The spleen is not usually palpable, but an enlarged spleen is palpable during deep inspiration. Enlargement may also be caused by any obstruction in blood flow, for example in the hepatic portal vein.

The anatomical position of the spleen coincides with the left tenth rib. Given its proximity to the abdominal wall, it is one of the most commonly injured organs in blunt abdominal trauma. The spleen is a fragile organ and, due to its highly vascularised nature, any injury causing rupture will rapidly lead to severe intraperitoneal haemorrhage; death may result due to massive blood loss and shock.

A moderate splenic injury may be managed conservatively, but an extensively burst or ruptured spleen may be treated by complete and prompt removal (splenectomy). However, current data supports successful non-operative management of many traumatic splenic injuries, with the intention of reducing the need for complete removal (Armstrong et al, 2019).

Patients being treated for certain malignant diseases may also require a partial or total splenectomy and, although other structures such as the bone marrow and liver can take over some of the functions that are usually carried out by the spleen, such patients may be at increased risk of infection. With an overwhelming post-splenectomy infection, there is also an increased risk of sepsis, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Infection is usually with encapsulated pathogens, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Neisseria meningitidis. Clinical guidelines to help reduce the risk of infection advocate education about infection prevention, vaccination and antibiotic prophylaxis (Arnott et al, 2018).

Swollen lymph nodes and a fever are sure signs that the body is mounting an effective immune response against an offending pathogen

Lymph nodes vary in size and shape, but are typically bean-shaped structures found clustered at specific locations throughout the body. Although their size varies, each node has a characteristic internal structure (Fig4).

The central portions of the lymph node are essential to its function; here, there are large numbers of fixed macrophages, which phagocytose foreign material such as bacteria on contact, and populations of B- and T-cells. Lymph nodes are crucial to most antibody-mediated immune responses: when the phagocytic macrophages trap pathogenic material, that material is presented to the lymphocytes so antibodies can be generated.

Each lymph node is supplied by one or more afferent lymphatic vessels, which deliver crude, unmodified lymph directly from neighbouring tissues. A healthy, fully functioning node removes the majority of pathogens from the lymph before the fluid leaves via one or more efferent lymphatic vessels. In addition to its lymphatic supply, each lymph node is supplied with blood via a small artery; the artery delivers a variety of leucocytes, which populate the inner regions of the node.

When infection is present, the lymph nodes become increasingly metabolically active and their oxygen requirements increase. A small vein carries deoxygenated blood away from each node and returns it to the major veins. In times of infection, this venous blood may carry a variety of chemical messengers (cytokines) that are produced by the resident leucocytes in the nodes. These cytokines act as general warning signals, alerting the body to the potential threat and activating a variety of specific immune reactions.

The structure of a lymph node is not unlike that of the spleen. Each lymph node is divided into several regions:

During infection, antibody-producing B-cells begin to proliferate in the germinal centres, causing the affected lymph nodes to enlarge and become palpable and tender. Some of the cytokines released are pyrogenic (meaning they cause fever) and act directly on the thermoregulatory centre in the hypothalamus to increase body temperature. As the majority of human pathogens divide optimally at around 37C, this increase in body temperature serves to slow down bacterial replication, allowing the infection to be dealt with more efficiently by the immune system. Swollen lymph nodes and a fever are both sure signs that the body is mounting an effective immune response against the offending pathogen; this will be discussed in more detail in part 3 of this series.

Other types of lymphatic tissue also exist. Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) is positioned to protect the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts from invasion by microbes. The following are made up of MALT:

The tonsils are aggregates of lymphatic tissue strategically located to prevent foreign material and pathogens from entering the body. The palatine tonsils are in the pharynx, the lingual tonsils in the oral cavity and the pharyngeal tonsils (adenoids) are at the back of the nasal cavity; as a result of this, the tonsils themselves are at high risk of infection and inflammation (tonsillitis). This will also be discussed further in part 3.

Armstrong RA et al (2019) Successful non-operative management of haemodynamically unstable traumatic splenic injuries: 4-year case series in a UK major trauma centre. European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery; 45: 5, 933-938.

Arnott A et al (2018) A registry for patients with asplenia/hyposplenism reduces the risk of infections with encapsulated organisms. Clinical Infectious Diseases; 67: 4, 557-561.

Bakovi D et al (2005) Effect of human splenic contraction on variation in circulating blood cell counts. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology; 32: 11, 944-951.

Bilder G (2016) Human Biological Aggin: From Macromolecules to Organ Systems. Wiley.

Garnitschnig L et al (2020) Postprandial dynamics of splenic volume in healthy volunteers. Physiological Reports; 8: 2, e14319.

Gujar S et al (2017) A cadaveric study of human spleen and its clinical significance. National Journal of Clinical Anatomy; 6: 1, 35-41.

Makiewicz A, Dziedzic M (2012) Bone marrow reconversion: imaging of physiological changes in bone marrow. Polish Journal of Radiology; 77: 4, 45-50.

Pivkin IV et al (2016) Biomechanics of red blood cells in human spleen and consequences for physiology and disease. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; 113: 28, 7804-7809.

Severa M et al (2019) Thymosins in multiple sclerosis and its experimental models: moving from basic to clinical application. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders; 27: 52-60.

Sherer Y et al (1999) The dual relationship between thymectomy and autoimmunity: the kaleidoscope of autoimmune disease. In: Paul S (ed) Autoimmune Reactions. Contemporary Immunology. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press.

Stewart IB, McKenzie DC (2002) The human spleen during physiological stress. Sports Medicine; 32: 6, 361-369.

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The lymphatic system 2: structure and function of the lymphoid organs - Nursing Times

Immunology

Comprehending contagion: 5 things to know about vaccines | News – The College of New Jersey News

Amanda Norvell, TCNJs resident immunology expert.

With the race to a COVID-19 vaccine well underway, TCNJs resident immunology expert helps break down what it all means.

Amanda Norvell, biology professor and interim dean of TCNJs School of Science teaches courses in molecular immunology, and the biology of human disease and prevention.

Here are five things she says we should know about what vaccines are, how immunization works, and how we should approach a potential COVID-19 vaccine.

Norvell explains that a vaccine is something thats introduced into the body to induce an immune response. A vaccine shouldnt make you sick, but it will trigger your body to mount an immune response to fight off the disease-causing agent, and remember it so youll be able to efficiently and effectively attack the pathogen if it is ever introduced into your body again.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccines are usually administered through needle injections, but can also be administered by mouth or sprayed into the nose.

A good vaccine should induce long-lived, specific immunity to a particular pathogen, she says.

Norvell explains that within any population, there will be individuals with immune systems that, for a variety of reasons, arent capable of mounting the desired immune response to a particular pathogen.

Good immunizations should induce protective immunity in most people, but vaccines likely do not induce protective immunity in every member of the population.

When most of the people in a population are immune to a specific disease-causing agent, person-to-person spread of that pathogen becomes much less likely. As a result, members of that population will be less likely to encounter the disease and should therefore be protected even those who arent immune or those who havent been vaccinated.

This phenomenon is called herd immunity.

Norvell says that to provide optimal protection of everyone in the population, a threshold of individuals needs to be immune.

For highly contagious diseases like measles, estimates are that greater than 90 percent of a population needs to be immune to achieve herd immunity, she says.

The major goal of vaccination is to prevent illness, so the gold standard for effectiveness is that an immunized individual does not get sick, Norvell says.

But protection could be more nuanced. For example, a vaccine may not prevent individuals from getting sick, but it may decrease the severity of their symptoms.

Perhaps a new vaccine may not decrease the absolute number of infected individuals, but it might decrease the fatality rate or the number of individuals who need to be placed on ventilators, Norvell says. If such a vaccine conferred enough protection to limit the severe effects of the disease, then it could be considered effective.

As the trials forge ahead and vaccines make their way to market, Novells best advice is to educate yourself, and ask questions.

Everyone should try to use reliable sources about our current understanding of the benefits and potential risks of each therapeutic candidate, Norvell says. Seek input from your physician and dont be afraid to speak up.

Emily W. Dodd 03

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Comprehending contagion: 5 things to know about vaccines | News - The College of New Jersey News

Immunology

The Immunology Drug market to witness non-linear transition from 2017 to 2025 – TechnoWeekly

The immune system is an assembly of structures and processes inside the body to protect against possibly damaging foreign bodies and diseases. It identifies various threats like bacteria, viruses, and parasites and distinguishes them from bodys healthy tissues. When the immune system weakness and lose the capability to detect and destroy the abnormal cells or body attacks and damages its tissues lead to diseases like cancer and autoimmune diseases. Immunotherapy is a process which includes the treatment by inducing, enhancing or suppressing an immune system to fight against the diseases.

For more insights into the Market, request a sample of this report @https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/15259

According to American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, autoimmune disease affects up to 50 million Americans. Autoimmune diseases are of 80 types out of which most prevalent are rheumatoid arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematous (Lupus),Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis,inflammatory bowel arthritis, Psoriatic arthritis and affects different body organs like joints, muscles, skin, red blood cells, blood vessels, connective tissues and endocrine glands. Immunology drug is becoming the choice of several oncologists as they provide long-lasting affect by activating the immune system to identify cancerous cell and kill them through the natural process as well as improve the quality of survival. Some of the cancer treatment vaccines approved by FDA are bacillus Calmette-Gurin (BCG), Sipuleucel-T which propel the growth of the Immunology Drug market.

For Information On The Research Methodology request here @https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/15259

Immunology Drug Market: Drivers and Restraints

The increase in the prevalence rate of the different type of cancer and rheumatoid cancer, rising government initiatives, increasing funding from the various government and non-government organization is driving the immunology drug market. Patients with poor prognosis are expected to drive the growth of the immunology drugtrial evidence reveals that after preparing the immune system to fight against cancer immunology, drug effects last for a long time even after the reduction of the tumor. High costs of immunology drug and lack of awareness could be the possible restraints for the immunology drug market. Also, the introduction of generic drugs in some regions and slower pipeline development are the challenges for the immunology drug market.

To receive extensive list of important regions, Request TOC here @https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/15259

Immunology Drug Market: Segmentation

Immunology drug market is segmented by drug class and the end users.

To the date most clinically and effective drugs in monoclonal antibodies are Humira (adalimumab) and Remicade (infliximab).

Immunology Drug Market: Overview

Development of some new drugs with success rate is expected to offer the good opportunity for immunology drug market. Wide-ranging scope of Immuno-oncology agents in different cancer treatments would provide the maximum share to immunology drug market in the forecast period. pharmaceutical companies and R&D are showing increased interest in this field and is expected to offer better potential for immunology drug market. Companies involved in partnership and R&D for efficient technologies are some of the latest trends that have been observed in immunology drug market. Currently, most of the immunology drugs are in clinical trial and are expected to rise the immunology market after clearance or success of these products from clinical trials.

Immunology Drug Market: Region-wise Outlook

North America has the largest share globally in immunology drug market because of the availability of better reimbursement policies, high potential to invest the huge amount of money in the development of immunology drug and the advancement in the technologies. Europe is the second largest region regarding value because of the easy accessibility to the immunology drug, and also the affordability for the cost of treatment is high. Increase in awareness, rising economy, increasing government initiatives and large patient pool in Asia-Pacific regions also demonstrates the higher growth in Immunology Drug Market.

Immunology Drug Market: Key Market Participants

Some of the major players in Immunology drug market are Abbott Laboratories, Active Biotech, Eli Lilly and Company, Autoimmune Inc., Pfizer, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Seattle Genetics, Inc., Genentech, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Eisai Co., Bayer AG and Sanofi Aventis LLC.

The immune system is an assembly of structures and processes inside the body to protect against possibly damaging foreign bodies and diseases. It identifies various threats like bacteria, viruses, and parasites and distinguishes them from bodys healthy tissues. When the immune system weakness and lose the capability to detect and destroy the abnormal cells or body attacks and damages its tissues lead to diseases like cancer and autoimmune diseases. Immunotherapy is a process which includes the treatment by inducing, enhancing or suppressing an immune system to fight against the diseases.

According to American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, autoimmune disease affects up to 50 million Americans. Autoimmune diseases are of 80 types out of which most prevalent are rheumatoid arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematous (Lupus),Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis,inflammatory bowel arthritis, Psoriatic arthritis and affects different body organs like joints, muscles, skin, red blood cells, blood vessels, connective tissues and endocrine glands. Immunology drug is becoming the choice of several oncologists as they provide long-lasting affect by activating the immune system to identify cancerous cell and kill them through the natural process as well as improve the quality of survival. Some of the cancer treatment vaccines approved by FDA are bacillus Calmette-Gurin (BCG), Sipuleucel-T which propel the growth of the Immunology Drug market.

Immunology Drug Market: Drivers and Restraints

The increase in the prevalence rate of the different type of cancer and rheumatoid cancer, rising government initiatives, increasing funding from the various government and non-government organization is driving the immunology drug market. Patients with poor prognosis are expected to drive the growth of the immunology drugtrial evidence reveals that after preparing the immune system to fight against cancer immunology, drug effects last for a long time even after the reduction of the tumor. High costs of immunology drug and lack of awareness could be the possible restraints for the immunology drug market. Also, the introduction of generic drugs in some regions and slower pipeline development are the challenges for the immunology drug market.

Immunology Drug Market: Segmentation

Immunology drug market is segmented by drug class and the end users.

To the date most clinically and effective drugs in monoclonal antibodies are Humira (adalimumab) and Remicade (infliximab).

Immunology Drug Market: Overview

Development of some new drugs with success rate is expected to offer the good opportunity for immunology drug market. Wide-ranging scope of Immuno-oncology agents in different cancer treatments would provide the maximum share to immunology drug market in the forecast period. pharmaceutical companies and R&D are showing increased interest in this field and is expected to offer better potential for immunology drug market. Companies involved in partnership and R&D for efficient technologies are some of the latest trends that have been observed in immunology drug market. Currently, most of the immunology drugs are in clinical trial and are expected to rise the immunology market after clearance or success of these products from clinical trials.

Immunology Drug Market: Region-wise Outlook

North America has the largest share globally in immunology drug market because of the availability of better reimbursement policies, high potential to invest the huge amount of money in the development of immunology drug and the advancement in the technologies. Europe is the second largest region regarding value because of the easy accessibility to the immunology drug, and also the affordability for the cost of treatment is high. Increase in awareness, rising economy, increasing government initiatives and large patient pool in Asia-Pacific regions also demonstrates the higher growth in Immunology Drug Market.

Immunology Drug Market: Key Market Participants

Some of the major players in Immunology drug market are Abbott Laboratories, Active Biotech, Eli Lilly and Company, Autoimmune Inc., Pfizer, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Seattle Genetics, Inc., Genentech, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Eisai Co., Bayer AG and Sanofi Aventis LLC.

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The Immunology Drug market to witness non-linear transition from 2017 to 2025 - TechnoWeekly

Immunology

Harnessing the Microbiome to Understand Rheumatic Diseases – Rheumatology Advisor

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There is growing evidence both in animal models and humans to suggest the significant role of the microbiome in the etiology of rheumatic diseases. Over the years, multiple microbial agents and changes in the composition of the microbiota have been associated with specific autoimmune diseases, only emphasizing the importance of the microbiome in rheumatology research today.

To give us further insight, we are joined in this episode by Maximilian Konig, MD, Division of Rheumatology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Veena Taneja, PhD, associate professor of immunology in the Department of Immunology and Rheumatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Maximilian Konig, MD, is a rheumatologist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and a postdoctoral fellow at the Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics & Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. He received his medical degree from Charit Universittsmedizin Berlin and completed his residency training in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston, before pursuing a fellowship in rheumatology at Johns Hopkins.

Dr Konig has a long-standing interest in mechanisms underlying the initiation of autoimmunity in rheumatic diseases. As a postdoctoral fellow working with Felipe Andrade, MD, PhD, he studied mechanisms by which microbial species associated with periodontitis induce protein citrullination. His work proposed a role for the periodontal pathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in the immunopathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Dr Konigs current research is focused on adoptive cell therapy and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy in autoimmune rheumatic disease and cancer.

Veena Taneja, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Immunology with a joint appointment in the Division of Rheumatology at Mayo Clinic. She is a member of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, and a member of the Clinical Immunology Committee of the American Association of Immunologists. Dr Taneja serves on various study sections for the National Institute of Health and Canadian Institute of Health Research and is also an academic editor for PLOS One and Autoimmune Diseases.

The focus of research in her laboratory is on investigating the immunopathology of aging-related chronic conditions, including RA and associated diseases, with her laboratory making seminal discoveries in these areas of research. To simulate human autoimmune diseases and sex bias, her laboratory has generated a mouse model that mimics human RA in sex bias and autoantibody profile. Her laboratory has been at the forefront of developing microbial markers for pathogenicity as well as therapy.

Dr Taneja and her colleagues have isolated the bacterium Prevotella histicola from a human gut biopsy and are directing their efforts toward investigating the basis for therapeutic potential of the gut microbiome. P histicola was found to be successful in phase 1 trials. In addition, her laboratory is exploring ways to use this research and technology for comorbidities like lung fibrosis and emphysema that are associated with rheumatic diseases to ensure healthy aging for patients.

Dr Taneja has received numerous awards and honors for her work. She recently received the Excellence in Research award from the Military Health Research for her work in delineating the use of gut microbiome for treating arthritis. Her research has been funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the Department of Defense, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the Regenerative Medicine Minnesota, and the Arthritis Foundation.

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Immunology

R&D Activities to Fast-track the Growth of the Immunology Drug Market Between 2017 2025 – Zenit News

In 2018, the market size of Immunology Drug Market is million US$ and it will reach million US$ in 2025, growing at a CAGR of from 2018; while in China, the market size is valued at xx million US$ and will increase to xx million US$ in 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during forecast period.

In this report, 2018 has been considered as the base year and 2018 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Immunology Drug .

This report studies the global market size of Immunology Drug , especially focuses on the key regions like United States, European Union, China, and other regions (Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia).

Request Sample Report @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.co/samples/15259

This study presents the Immunology Drug Market production, revenue, market share and growth rate for each key company, and also covers the breakdown data (production, consumption, revenue and market share) by regions, type and applications. Immunology Drug history breakdown data from 2014 to 2018, and forecast to 2025.

For top companies in United States, European Union and China, this report investigates and analyzes the production, value, price, market share and growth rate for the top manufacturers, key data from 2014 to 2018.

In global Immunology Drug market, the following companies are covered:

key players and products offered

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The content of the study subjects, includes a total of 15 chapters:

Chapter 1, to describe Immunology Drug product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market driving force and market risks.

Chapter 2, to profile the top manufacturers of Immunology Drug , with price, sales, revenue and global market share of Immunology Drug in 2017 and 2018.

Chapter 3, the Immunology Drug competitive situation, sales, revenue and global market share of top manufacturers are analyzed emphatically by landscape contrast.

Chapter 4, the Immunology Drug breakdown data are shown at the regional level, to show the sales, revenue and growth by regions, from 2014 to 2018.

Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to break the sales data at the country level, with sales, revenue and market share for key countries in the world, from 2014 to 2018.

For any queries get in touch with Industry Expert @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.co/ask-an-expert/15259

Chapter 10 and 11, to segment the sales by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2014 to 2018.

Chapter 12, Immunology Drug market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2018 to 2024.

Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Immunology Drug sales channel, distributors, customers, research findings and conclusion, appendix and data source.

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R&D Activities to Fast-track the Growth of the Immunology Drug Market Between 2017 2025 - Zenit News

Immunology

Nektar Therapeutics Announces Phase 1b Clinical Study to Evaluate Bempegaldesleukin for Treatment of Patients Diagnosed with Mild COVID-19 – BioSpace

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR) today announced that it has received FDA clearance for an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its investigational IL-2 pathway agent, bempegaldesleukin (BEMPEG, NKTR-214), to be evaluated in a Phase 1b clinical study in adult patients who have been diagnosed with mild COVID-19 infection. The study is designed to evaluate whether BEMPEG's ability to stimulate lymphocyte production could improve treatment regimens for COVID-19 patients. Enrollment in the Phase 1b, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is planned to start in early November.

The company will hold an analyst and investor conference call this morning, Tuesday, October 27, 2020, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The call will include Nektar COVID-19 Study Steering Committee Co-Chairs: Dr. Richard Bucala MD, PhD, Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Medicine, Pathology, and Epidemiology and Chief of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology at the Yale School of Medicine and Dr. Robert Gallo, co-founder and director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

BEMPEG is an investigational CD122-preferential IL-2 pathway agonist that stimulates the immune system through the proliferation of lymphocytes. It is currently being evaluated in six separate late-stage clinical studies in patients diagnosed with melanoma, renal cell carcinoma and bladder cancer.

"Decreased levels of lymphocytes have been associated with increased mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Providing these patients with an agent like BEMPEG that can drive anti-viral adaptive immunity has the potential to improve these outcomes," said Dr. Bucala. "We believe this development program is important to determine whether stimulating the adaptive immune response with BEMPEG improves patient outcomes, and to hopefully bring this treatment to patients afflicted with COVID-19."

The Phase 1b, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is designed to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic profile of BEMPEG in adult patients with mild COVID-19. Eligibility criteria include symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, malaise, headache, and muscle pain without evidence of severe dyspnea or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Patients who meet the eligibility criteria will be randomized and treated with either a single dose of BEMPEG or placebo in combination with current standard of care treatment for patients with mild COVID-19. Primary and secondary endpoints include change over time in absolute lymphocyte counts and measurements of clinical progression based upon the WHO Clinical Progression Scale. The trial will enroll up to three cohorts of ten patients each, who will receive increasing doses of BEMPEG with the aim of evaluating safety and tolerability and to identify the recommended dose for future studies. The clinical trial will be conducted at various investigator sites in the United States.

"After many months of evaluating the emerging body of data on the correlation of decreased lymphocyte levels and the severity of disease in patients with COVID-19, Nektar and our scientific and clinical advisors made the decision to proceed with this important study of our cytokine investigational therapy BEMPEG," said Dr. Jonathan Zalevsky, Ph.D., Chief Research & Development Officer at Nektar. "Recovery in hospitalized COVID-19 patients has been linked to a robust T cell response, and our objective with the introduction of BEMPEG investigational therapy is to help the patient mount a comprehensive cellular and humoral immune response to the virus. The study design allows us to evaluate whether early intervention with BEMPEG's adaptive immune-stimulating mechanism that promotes priming and proliferation of T cells and NK cells could be useful in the emerging treatment armamentarium for COVID-19. Following the successful completion of this initial Phase 1b study, our plan is to advance development into COVID-19 patients who present with lymphopenia. We are hopeful that this unique approach could ultimately lead to a reduction in the severity of disease and in long-term hospitalizations and mortality."

Analyst Call Details

Date and Time: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight TimeDial-in: (877) 881-2183 (toll-free) or (970) 315-0453 (Conference ID: 1418007)Investors and analysts can also view slides and listen to the live audio webcast of the presentation at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/tc46muyj. The event will also be available for replay for two weeks on the company's website, http://www.nektar.com.

Dr. Richard Bucala

Richard Bucala, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Medicine, Pathology, and Epidemiology & Public Health at the Yale School of Medicine. He studies the mechanisms by which protective immune responses lead to immunopathology, focusing on MIF-family cytokines and their genetics, which his group first cloned and characterized. Currently, his laboratory is leading multidisciplinary efforts to develop immunotherapies tailored to an individual's genetic makeup. An anti-MIF antibody developed by his group is undergoing clinical evaluation in oncology and additional MIF antagonists are in advanced clinical testing for different inflammatory indications. Dr. Bucala also is credited with the discovery of the fibrocyte, which is being targeted therapeutically in different fibrosing disorders. He is a co-founder of MIFCOR, a biotechnology startup begun as a student-advised project. Dr. Bucala was elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of Arthritis & Rheumatology and has served on numerous advisory boards for the NIH, the pharmaceutical industry, academia, and private foundations.

Dr. Robert Gallo

Robert C. Gallo, MD is the co-founder of The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He led the team that discovered IL-2 and identified the first retroviruses in humans. He became world famous in 1984 when he co-discovered HIV as the cause of AIDS, and his team developed the first blood test for HIV. Little was known then of the mysterious disease that was fast becoming the deadliest in medical history. Since then, Dr. Gallo has spent much of his career trying to put an end to this raging epidemic and other viral, chronic illnesses. Lifetime achievements in Dr. Gallo's legendary career include discoveries that have led to both diagnostic and therapeutic advances in cancer, AIDS and other viral disorders while his vision remains unprecedented in the field of virology.

About Bempegaldesleukin (BEMPEG; NKTR-214)

BEMPEG is an investigational, first-in-class, CD122-preferential IL-2 pathway agonist designed to provide rapid activation and proliferation of cytotoxic immune cells,known as CD8+ effector T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, without over activating the immune system. The agent is designed to stimulate these immune cells in the body by targeting CD122 specific receptors found on the surface of these immune cells. CD122, which is also known as the Interleukin-2 receptor beta subunit, is a key signaling receptor that is known to increase proliferation of these effector T cells.1In clinical and preclinical studies, treatment with BEMPEG resulted in expansion of these cells and mobilization into the tumor micro-environment.2,3 Bempegaldesleukin has an antibody-like dosing regimen similar to the existing checkpoint inhibitor class of approved medicines being used to treat a range of cancers.

About Nektar Therapeutics

Nektar Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company with a robust, wholly owned R&D pipeline of investigational medicines in oncology and immunology as well as a portfolio of approved partnered medicines. Nektar is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with additional operations in Huntsville, Alabama and Hyderabad, India. Further information about the company and its drug development programs and capabilities may be found online at http://www.nektar.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements which can be identified by words such as: "may," "design," "potential," "evaluate," "plan," "will," and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding the therapeutic potential of, and future development plans for, bempegaldesleukin, and the timing of the initiation of clinical studies for bempegaldesleukin. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others: (i) our statements regarding the therapeutic potential of bempegaldesleukin in patients who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 infection are based on data that is evolving and does not include clinical testing of bempegaldesleukin for this intended patient population, and there is no guarantee that the clinical evaluation of bempegaldesleukin in COVID-19 patients will support the use of bempegaldesleukin in this patient population; (ii) bempegaldesleukin is an investigational agent and continued research and development for this drug candidate is subject to substantial risks, including negative safety and efficacy findings in ongoing clinical studies (notwithstanding positive findings in earlier preclinical and clinical studies); (iii) as bempegaldesleukin is currently in clinical development, the risk of failure is high and failure can unexpectedly occur at any stage prior to regulatory approval; (iv) the timing of the commencement or end of clinical trials and the availability of clinical data may be delayed or unsuccessful due to regulatory delays, slower than anticipated patient enrollment, manufacturing challenges, changing standards of care, evolving regulatory requirements, clinical trial design, clinical outcomes, competitive factors, or delay or failure in ultimately obtaining regulatory approval in one or more important markets; (v) patents may not issue from our patent applications for our drug candidates, patents that have issued may not be enforceable, or additional intellectual property licenses from third parties may be required; and (vi) certain other important risks and uncertainties set forth in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 7, 2020. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

1. Boyman, J., et al., Nature Reviews Immunology, 2012, 12:180-90.

2. Charych, D., et al., Clin Can Res, 2016, 22(3):680-90.

3. Diab, A., et al., Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, 2016, 4(Suppl 1):P369

Contact:

For Investors:Jerry Isaacson of Nektar Therapeutics628-895-0634

Vivian Wu of Nektar Therapeutics628-895-0661

For Media:Dan Budwick of 1AB973-271-6085

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Nektar Therapeutics Announces Phase 1b Clinical Study to Evaluate Bempegaldesleukin for Treatment of Patients Diagnosed with Mild COVID-19 - BioSpace

Immunology

Covid-19: NIAID Halts Trial of Eli Lilly Antibody Cocktail After It Fails to Reduce Severe Disease – Physician’s Weekly

Meanwhile, two conflicting studies leave question of antibody response post-Covid infection up in the air

As Covid-19 cases continue to skyrocket across the U.S., a trial of Eli Lillys antibody cocktail in patients hospitalized with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection has fallen flat; meanwhile, the question of how long Covid-19 antibodies stick around in patients who previously contracted the disease and what those antibodies mean for immunity is still up in the air.

LY-CoV555 a No-Go for Severe Covid-19

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)-sponsored ACTIVE-3 trial testing Eli Lillys antibody drug in hospitalized Covid-19 patients is shutting down due to a lack of efficacy.

Enrollment in this trial of Eli Lillys antibody cocktail, LY-CoV555, was paused earlier this month due to a potential safety issue; however, NIAID clarified that this early end to the study has nothing to do with the drugs safety and everything to do with its seeming inability to help patients hospitalized with severe coronavirus infection, Associated Press reported.

While trials for the drug are being halted in this particular population, the manufacturer noted that other studies of LY-CoV555 are moving ahead, including a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored study of the drug in patients recently diagnosed with mild-to-moderate Covid-19 and Eli Lilly Chairman and CEO Dave Ricks holds out hope that the drug will still be beneficial for other populations with Covid-19, according to reporting from CNBC.

Its disappointing, of course, Ricks told CNBC when asked about the failed trial. We would have liked to have shown a benefit in the hospital. It doesnt appear that that benefit is there, so this chapter of that study will close.

Eli Lilly submitted a request for an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the drug earlier this month based on interim data displaying efficacy in recently diagnosed Covid patients with mild to moderate disease. Regeneron, which has been developing a similar antibody treatment for Covid-19, filed for an EUA of its own earlier this month, on the same day that President Donald Trump credited the antibody cocktail with curing his own bout with Covid-19, which landed him in Walter Reed Hospital at the start of October.

How Long Do Covid Antibodies Remain?

As pharmaceutical companies scramble to find effective therapies for Covid-19 and the race for a viable vaccine candidate continues, the question of whether Covid-19 herd immunity is even on the table continues to divide experts. For example, a recently published study from Science Immunology found that serum and saliva IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 were still present in the majority of Covid-19 patients for at least 3 months prior to symptom onset; meanwhile, preliminary findings from a study of more than 350,000 people by Imperial College London which has yet to be peer reviewed found that the number of patients with Covid-19 antibodies declined by more than 26% over a period of three months.

In the study from Science Immunology, Jennifer L. Gommerman, PhD, of the Department of Immunology at the University of Toronto, and colleagues profiled by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) IgG, IgA and IgM responses to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (full length trimer) and its receptor-binding domain (RBD) in serum and saliva of acute and convalescent patients with laboratory-diagnosed Covid-19 ranging from 3115 days post-symptom onset (PSO), compared to negative controls, they explained.

We observed no drastic decline in levels of anti-spike, anti-RBD or anti-NP IgG levels over a 3-month period, the study authors wrote. The same was true for the antigen-specific measurements in saliva (anti-spike and anti-RBD IgG). On the other hand, similar to other findings (28, 29), IgA and IgM responses to SARS-CoV-2 antigens were found to decline in both serum and saliva. In summary, our data show that a durable IgG response against SARS-CoV-2 antigens is generated in both the saliva and serum in most patients with Covid-19.

This study suggests that if a vaccine is properly designed, it has the potential to induce a durable antibody response that can help protect the vaccinated person against the virus that causes Covid-19, Gommerman said in a statement to SciTechDaily.

Meanwhile, Helen Ward, FRCP, FFPH, and colleagues from Imperial College London conducted the REACT-2 study in England, U.K., in which 365,104 adult patients self-administered three rounds of lateral flow immunoassays (LFIA) to test for IgG.

There were 17,576 positive tests over the three rounds, Ward and colleagues found. Antibody prevalence, adjusted for test characteristics and weighted to the adult population of England, declined from 6.0% [5.8, 6.1], to 4.8% [4.7, 5.0] and 4.4% [4.3, 4.5], a fall of 26.5% [29.0, 23.8] over the three months of the study. There was a decline between rounds 1 and 3 in all age groups, with the highest prevalence of a positive result and smallest overall decline in positivity in the youngest age group (18-24 years: 14.9% [21.6, 8.1]), and lowest prevalence and largest decline in the oldest group (75+ years: 39.0% [50.8, 27.2]); there was no change in antibody positivity between rounds 1 and 3 in healthcare workers (+3.45% [5.7, +12.7]).

These findings suggest the possibility that population immunity decreases over time, leading to a potential for increased risk of reinfection, the study authors argued.

This very large study has shown that the proportion of people with detectable antibodies is falling over time, Ward said in a statement to CNBC. We dont yet know whether this will leave these people at risk of reinfection with the virus that causes Covid-19, but it is essential that everyone continues to follow guidance to reduce the risk to themselves and others.

And the question remains as to whether Covid-19 antibodies actually translate to immunity from the virus, noted Paul Elliott, FFPH, FRCP, FMedSci, coauthor of the study.

Testing positive for antibodies does not mean you are immune to Covid-19, he told CNBC. It remains unclear what level of immunity antibodies provide, or for how long this immunity lasts If someone tests positive for antibodies, they still need to follow national guidelines including social distancing measures, getting a swab test if they have symptoms and wearing face coverings where required.

Other Covid-19 News

Stay up-to-date on the latest Covid-19 developments with BreakingMED:

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Covid-19: NIAID Halts Trial of Eli Lilly Antibody Cocktail After It Fails to Reduce Severe Disease - Physician's Weekly

Immunology

Very naive to believe that Covid-19 vaccine will eliminate the virus, top immunology expert warns – The Irish Sun

A TOP immunology expert has said it is "very naive" to believe that a Covid-19 vaccine will eliminate the virus.

Paul Moynagh, Professor of Immunology at Maynooth University, also said that "we need to be very careful" in treating a coronavirus vaccine as if it is a silver bullet.

2

2

When asked if we should stop thinking of a vaccine as a solution to solve everything, he told Newstalk Breakfast: "Yes, I think we need to be very careful there.

"It depends on how widely available a vaccine is, what the uptake is, how effective it is.

"The bar required in order to get the vaccine to eliminate the virus is enormously high.

"I think the vaccine will be a really important contributor to dealing with Covid-19 and reducing its impact."

He added: "But thinking that the vaccine is going to be released and that this is going to be the panacea, this is going to eradicate the virus - I think that's a very naive one.

"In terms of strategy going forward, we need to move beyond the vaccine whilst accepting that it will be a very important help to us."

He also said that for a Covid-19 vaccine to be effective, it is very important to get a big uptake in people taking it.

His comments come as a new survey from the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association found that only 55 per cent of people would take a Covid-19 vaccine were one available.

Professor Moynagh said: "Obviously you'd like to get that figure as high as possible.

"Maybe some people are worried that the speed in which we're moving, because generally in terms of developing vaccines it's quite a long process taking a number of years.

"Prior to this, the fastest vaccine ever developed was for mumps, which was around four years.

"So maybe some people are worried in terms of the speed at which we're moving but certainly that shouldn't be a concern in terms of the process that is being followed.

"Obviously in terms of adhering to safety and measuring how safe the various vaccines are, that process is still intact."

He added: "We should know in the next four to five weeks and get some of the readouts from the phase three trials and then look at the data in terms of how effective, how safe these vaccines are.

"It's really important that we get a big uptake of these vaccines, and there probably will be more than one.

"The reason why I say that is agencies like the WHO, they've defined success as vaccines that would give at least 50 per cent protection.

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"But if we've only got half the population taking the vaccine that is 50 per cent effective, that essentially means we really only have 20/25 per cent of the population protected.

"So really, we need to get as high an uptake as possible.

"That will be a challenge to get half the population vaccinated, in terms of how widely distributed the vaccines will be."

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Very naive to believe that Covid-19 vaccine will eliminate the virus, top immunology expert warns - The Irish Sun

Immunology

Aviceda Therapeutics Announces Formation of Scientific Advisory Board – BioSpace

Oct. 27, 2020 12:00 UTC

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Aviceda Therapeutics, a late-stage, pre-clinical biotech company focused on developing the next generation of immuno-modulators by harnessing the power of glycobiology to manipulate the innate immune system and chronic, non-resolving inflammation, is announcing the members of its Scientific Advisory Board who will help shape ongoing development efforts.

The Aviceda Scientific Advisory Board includes Pamela Stanley, PhD; Ajit Varki, MD; Christopher Scott, PhD; Geert-Jan Boons, PhD; Salem Chouaib, PhD; and Peng Wu, PhD.

Aviceda has assembled an extraordinary multi-disciplinary team of world-class scientists and renowned researchers to join our efforts in developing the next generation of glyco-immune therapeutics for the treatment of immune-dysfunction conditions, said Mohamed A. Genead, MD, Founder, CEO & President of Aviceda Therapeutics. Each individual offers a fresh perspective and unique strategic acumen that complements and strengthens the insights of our in-house leadership development team.

Prof. Scott, Aviceda Scientific Co-Founder, is Director of the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology at Queens University Belfast. He is internationally renowned for his work in development of novel approaches in the field of antibody and nanomedicine-based therapies for the treatment of cancer and other conditions. Prof. Scott has a background in both the pharmaceutical industry and academia and was a founding scientist of Fusion Antibodies Plc. Research in his laboratory is funded by agencies such as Medical Research Council, UK charities and various industrial sources. He also held a Royal Society Industrial Fellowship with GSK from 2012 to 2015 and won the Vice Chancellors Prize for Innovation in 2015 with his groups work on developing a novel Siglec targeting nanomedicine for the treatment of sepsis and other inflammatory conditions.

The novelty of Avicedas platform technology is its potential to affect immune responses associated with a wide range of disease states, many of which are currently unmet or underserved needs. I look forward to the continued development of Avicedas core technology and moving forward to clinical trials that will pave the way for truly disruptive therapeutic strategies to enter the clinic that will significantly impact and improve patients lives in the not-too-distant future, said Prof. Scott.

Avicedas Scientific advisory chairwoman, Prof. Stanley, is the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Chair; Professor, Department of Cell Biology; and Associate Director for Laboratory Research of the Albert Einstein Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York. She obtained a doctorate degree from the University of Melbourne, Australia, for studies of influenza virus, and was subsequently a postdoctoral fellow of the Medical Research Council of Canada in the laboratory of Louis Siminovitch, University of Toronto, where she studied somatic cell genetics. Prof. Stanleys laboratory is focused on identifying roles for mammalian glycans in development, cancer and Notch signaling. Among her many varied contributions, Prof. Stanleys laboratory has isolated a large panel of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) glycosylation mutants; characterized them at the biochemical, structural and genetic levels; and used them to identify new aspects of glycan synthesis and functions. She serves on the editorial boards of Scientific Reports, Glycobiology and FASEB Bio Advances; she is an editor of the textbook Essentials of Glycobiology; and her laboratory is the recipient of grants from the National Institutes of Health. Prof. Stanley has received numerous awards, including a MERIT award from the National Institutes of Health, an American Cancer Society Faculty Research Award, the Karl Meyer Award from the Society for Glycobiology (2003) and the International Glycoconjugate Organization (IGO) Award (2003).

Working with Aviceda represents a unique opportunity to contribute to science at the cutting edge. Its pipeline contains a broad range of candidates that represents numerous first-in-class opportunities, said Prof. Stanley.

Prof. Varki is currently a distinguished professor of medicine and cellular and molecular medicine, Co-director of the Glycobiology Research and Training Center and Executive Co-director for the UCSD/Salk Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny at the University of California, San Diego; and an Adjunct Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Dr. Varki is also the executive editor of the textbook Essentials of Glycobiology. He received basic training in physiology, medicine, biology and biochemistry at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, The University of Nebraska, and Washington University in St. Louis, as well as formal training and certification in internal medicine, hematology and oncology. Dr. Varki is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the US National Academy of Medicine, a MERIT award from the National Institutes of Health, an American Cancer Society Faculty Research Award, the Karl Meyer Award from the Society for Glycobiology and the International Glycoconjugate Organization (IGO) Award (2007).

The Aviceda team is already building on the foundational work in the emerging field of glycobiology to develop potential therapeutics and interventional strategies. Their work could be critically important for growing the understanding of how glycobiology and glycochemistry are applicable to immunology, and more broadly, to the field of drug and therapeutic development, said Prof. Varki.

Prof. Boons is a Distinguished Professor in Biochemical Sciences at the Department of Chemistry and the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center (CCRC) of the University of Georgia (USA) and Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry of Utrecht University (The Netherlands). Prof. Boons directs a research program focused on the synthesis and biological functions of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates. The diversity of topics to which his group has significantly contributed includes the development of new and better methods for synthesizing exceptionally complex carbohydrates and glycoconjugates. Highlights of his research include contributions to the understanding of immunological properties of complex oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates at the molecular level, which is being used in the development of three-component vaccine candidates for many types of epithelial cancer; development of convergent strategies for complex oligosaccharide assembly, which make it possible to synthesize large collections of compounds with a minimal effort for structure activity relationship studies; and creation of a next generation glycan microarray that can probe the importance of glycan complexity for biological recognition, which in turn led to identification of glycan ligands for various glycan binding proteins that are being further developed as glycomimetics for drug development for various diseases. Among others, Prof. Boons has received the Creativity in Carbohydrate Science Award by the European Carbohydrate Association (2003), the Horace Isbell Award by the American Chemical Society (ACS) (2004), the Roy L. Whistler International Award in Carbohydrate

Chemistry by the International Carbohydrate Organization (2014), the Hudson Award (2015) and the Cope Mid-Career Scholar Award from ACS (2016).

Aviceda is leading the field of glycoimmunology in exciting new directions. I look forward to working with the company as it pursues multiple lines of development efforts that will someday transform the way immune-inflammatory conditions are treated in the clinic, said Prof. Boons.

Prof. Chouaib is the Director of Research, Institute Gustave Roussy, Paris, where he is active in research in tumor biology. Previously, Prof. Chouaib worked at the French National Institute of Health and Biomedical Research (INSERM) where he led a research unit focused on the investigation of the functional cross talk between cytotoxic cells and tumor targets in the context of tumor microenvironment complexity and plasticity. His research was directed at the transfer of fundamental concepts in clinical application in the field of cancer vaccines and cancer immunotherapy. Prof. Chouaib is a member of the American Association of Immunologists, New York Academy of Sciences, French Society of Immunologists, International Cytokine Society, American Association for Cancer Research, International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer and American Association of Biological Chemistry. He was awarded the cancer research prize of the French ligue against cancer in 1992 and in 2004 the presidential prize in biotechnology. He was awarded for translational research and scientific excellency by INSERM. His research has resulted in more than 310 scientific articles and several reviews in the field of human immunology, tumor biology and cancer immunotherapy; he has also been an editor for several textbooks.

Dr. Wu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research. The current research in the Wu laboratory integrates synthetic chemistry with glycobiology to explore the relevance of protein glycosylation in human disease and cancer immunotherapy. In 2018, Dr. Wu developed a platform to construct antibody-cell conjugates for cancer immunotherapy, which does not require genetic engineering. Previously, while working as a postdoctoral fellow in the group of Professor Carolyn R. Bertozzi at the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Wu developed an aldehyde-tag (SMARTag) based technology for site-specific labeling of monoclonal antibodies, which served as the foundation for Redwood Biosciences Inc., a biotech company co-founded by Bertozzi. In 2014, Redwood Bioscience Inc. and the SMARTag Antibody-Drug Conjugate technology platform was acquired by Catalent Pharma Solutions.

About Aviceda Therapeutics

Founded in 2018 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Aviceda Therapeutics is a late-stage, pre-clinical biotechnology company with a mission to develop the next generation of glyco-immune therapeutics (GITs) utilizing a proprietary technology platform to modulate the innate immune system and chronic, non-resolving inflammation. Aviceda has assembled a world-class, cross-disciplinary team of recognized scientists, clinicians and drug developers to tackle devastating ocular and systemic degenerative, fibrotic, oncologic and immuno-inflammatory diseases. At Aviceda, we exploit a unique family of receptors found expressed on all innate immune cells and their associated glycobiological interactions to develop transformative medicines. Combining the power of our biology with our innovative cell-based high-throughput screening platform and proprietary nanoparticle technology, we can modulate the innate immune response specifically and profoundly. Aviceda is developing a pipeline of GITs that are delivered via biodegradable nanoparticles and which safely and effectively target numerous immune-inflammatory conditions. Avicedas lead ophthalmic optimized nanoparticle, as an intravitreal formulation, AVD-104, is being developed to target various immune system responses that contribute to pathology associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

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Aviceda Therapeutics Announces Formation of Scientific Advisory Board - BioSpace