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A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Vaccines against Tropical and other Infectious Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2024) | Viewed by 27157

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yasir Waheed

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Guest Editor

Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC), Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Interests: clinical research; infectious diseases; drug resistance; vaccine response
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Khalid Muhammad

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Guest Editor

Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
Interests: vaccines; immune responses; B-cells; clinical research

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging infectious diseases are infections that have recently appeared within a population or those whose incidence or geographic range is rapidly increasing or threatens to increase in the near future. Emerging infections can be caused by previously unknown infectious agents, known agents that have spread to new geographic locations or new populations, or the re-emergence of agents whose incidence of disease had significantly declined in the past, but whose incidence has reappeared.

The world is continuously facing the threats of emerging infectious diseases. COVID-19 has affected over 200 countries of the world and severely affected the healthcare and financial systems of both developed and developing countries. Monkeypox infections are also being reported from different countries and there has been a recent increase in cases of Ebola virus in Uganda. There is a strong need to understand the threats of emerging infectious diseases and have an effective global plan to develop vaccines for these diseases.

This Special Issue will cover clinical research, in silico studies, commentaries, and detailed review articles on vaccine development for emerging infectious diseases of both bacterial and viral origin.

Prof. Dr. Yasir Waheed
Dr. Khalid Muhammad
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Ebola Virus
Monkey Pox virus
COVID-19
HIV
Dengue virus
HPV
HBV
E. coli
epitope based vaccine
clinical trials
narrative reviews

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 200 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Recent Developments in Vaccines for Viral Diseases

by Yasir Waheed, Ranjit Sah and Khalid Muhammad

Vaccines 2023, 11(2), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11020198 - 17 Jan 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2791

Abstract

The world is continuously facing the threat of emerging infectious diseases [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Vaccine Development for Emerging Infectious Diseases)

Research

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24 pages, 4190 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioinformatic, Biochemical, and Immunological Mining of MHC Class I Restricted T Cell Epitopes for a Marburg Nucleoprotein Microparticle Vaccine

by Paul E. Harris, Scott Burkholz, Charles V. Herst and Reid M. Rubsamen

Vaccines 2024, 12(3), 322; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12030322 - 18 Mar 2024

Viewed by 1682

Abstract

The Marburg virus (MARV), the virus responsible for Marburg hemorrhagic fever (MHF), is considered a top-priority pathogen for vaccine development. Recent outbreaks in Equatorial Africa have highlighted the urgency of MARV because of its high fatality rate and historical concerns about potential weaponization. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines for MARV. Existing vaccine candidates rely on attenuated recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus carrying MARV glycoprotein (VSVΔG) or the chimpanzee replication-defective adenovirus 3 vector ChAd3-MARV. Although these platforms provide significant protection in animal models, they face challenges because of their limited thermal stability and the need for cold storage during deployment in resource-poor areas. An alternative approach involves using adjuvanted poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles loaded with synthetic peptides representing MHC class I—restricted T cell epitopes. This vaccine platform has demonstrated effectiveness in protecting against SARS-CoV-2 and EBoV disease in animal models and has the advantage of not requiring cold storage and remaining stable at room temperature for over six months. This report outlines the design, manufacturing, and in vivo immunogenicity testing of PLGA microparticle human vaccines designed to prevent Marburg hemorrhagic fever. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Vaccine Development for Emerging Infectious Diseases)

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12 pages, 823 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Associated with Treatment Prescription to Pulmonary Tuberculosis Contacts in Catalonia (2019–2021): A Population-Based Epidemiological Study

by Ángela Domínguez, Núria Soldevila, Diana Toledo, Ignasi Parrón, Joan-Pau Millet, Irene Barrabeig, Pere Godoy and on behalf of Transmission of Tuberculosis in Catalonia (Spain) Working Group

Vaccines 2023, 11(12), 1800; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11121800 - 1 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1049

Abstract

In countries with low tuberculosis (TB) incidence, the systematic testing and treatment of latent TB infection (LTBI) in contacts of pulmonary TB index cases is the standard of care. The objective of this study, conducted in Catalonia over 2019–2021, was to assess the factors associated with LTBI treatment prescription to close contacts of pulmonary TB index cases. In this population-based epidemiological study of LTBI prevalence among pulmonary TB contacts between 2019 and 2021, multiple logistic backward stepwise regression was used to identify the factors associated with treatment prescription, for which the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. A total of 1487 LTBI contacts of 542 pulmonary TB index cases were studied, 80.6% of whom received a prescription. The factors associated with LTBI treatment prescription were exposure ≥6 h/day (aOR 14.20; 95% CI 5.22–38.66) and exposure <6 h/day (aOR 7.32, 95% CI 2.48–21.64), whereas the factors associated with no LTBI treatment prescription were age ≥55 years (aOR 0.22, 95% CI 0.08–0.64) and bacillus Calmette–Guerin vaccination (aOR 0.38, 95% CI 0.16–0.90). Crucial to LTBI treatment prescription is information on the contact’s duration of exposure to pulmonary TB, not only for contacts exposed for ≥6 h/day, but also for contacts with lower daily exposure levels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Vaccine Development for Emerging Infectious Diseases)

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12 pages, 807 KiB

Open AccessArticle

COVID-19 Antibody Seroconversion in Cancer Patients: Impact of Therapy Cessation—A Single-Center Study

by Lina Souan, Hikmat Abdel-Razeq, Sura Nashwan, Sara Al Badr, Kamal Alrabi and Maher A. Sughayer

Vaccines 2023, 11(11), 1659; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11111659 - 30 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1628

Abstract

Background: The effective development of COVID-19 vaccination has mitigated its harm. Using two laboratory methods, we investigated the efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA and BBIBP-CorV COVID-19 vaccines on seroconversion rates in cancer patients undergoing active cancer treatment. Methods: SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were scheduled for 134 individuals. The consenting participants submitted three venous blood samples. Three samples: T0, T1, and T2. The ABBOTT-SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant and Elecsys^® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 assays were used to evaluate the samples and convert the antibody titers to WHO (BAU)/mL units. Results: Cancer patients exhibited a higher seroconversion rate at T2, regardless of vaccination type, and the mean antibody titers at T1 and T2 were higher than those at T0. BBIBP-CorV patients required a booster because BNT162b2 showed a higher seroconversion rate between T0 and T1. Statistics indicate that comparing Abbott and Roche quantitative antibody results without considering the sample collection time is inaccurate. Conclusions: COVID-19 vaccines can still induce a humoral immune response in patients undergoing cancer-targeted therapy. The strength of this study is the long-term monitoring of antibody levels after vaccination in cancer patients on active therapy using two different immunoassays. Further multicenter studies with a larger number of patients are required to validate these findings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Vaccine Development for Emerging Infectious Diseases)

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16 pages, 3292 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In Vivo Validation of Novel Synthetic tbp1 Peptide-Based Vaccine Candidates against Haemophilus influenzae Strains in BALB/c Mice

by Naseeha Bibi, Amtul Wadood Wajeeha, Mamuna Mukhtar, Muhammad Tahir and Najam us Sahar Sadaf Zaidi

Vaccines 2023, 11(11), 1651; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11111651 - 27 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1711

Abstract

Haemophilus influenzae is a Gram-negative bacterium characterized as a small, nonmotile, facultative anaerobic coccobacillus. It is a common cause of a variety of invasive and non-invasive infections. Among six serotypes (a–f), H. influenzae type b (Hib) is the most familiar and predominant mostly in children and immunocompromised individuals. Following Hib vaccination, infections due to other serotypes have increased in number, and currently, there is no suitable effective vaccine to induce cross-strain protective antibody responses. The current study was aimed to validate the capability of two 20-mer highly conserved synthetic tbp1 (transferrin-binding protein 1) peptide-based vaccine candidates (tbp1-E₁ and tbp1-E₂) predicted using in silico approaches to induce immune responses against H. influenzae strains. Cytokine induction ability, immune simulations, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to confirm the candidacy of epitopic docked complexes. Synthetic peptide vaccine formulations in combination with two different adjuvants, BGs (Bacterial Ghosts) and CFA/IFA (complete/incomplete Freund’s adjuvant), were used in BALB/c mouse groups in three booster shots at two-week intervals. An indirect ELISA was performed to determine endpoint antibody titers using the Student’s t-distribution method. The results revealed that the synergistic use of both peptides in combination with BG adjuvants produced better results. Significant differences in absorbance values were observed in comparison to the rest of the peptide–adjuvant combinations. The findings of this study indicate that these tbp1 peptide-based vaccine candidates may present a preliminary set of peptides for the development of an effective cross-strain vaccine against H. influenzae in the future due to their highly conserved nature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Vaccine Development for Emerging Infectious Diseases)

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13 pages, 2700 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Clinical and Experimental Determination of Protection Afforded by BCG Vaccination against Infection with Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria: A Role in Cystic Fibrosis?

by Sherridan Warner, Anneliese Blaxland, Claudio Counoupas, Janine Verstraete, Marco Zampoli, Ben J. Marais, Dominic A. Fitzgerald, Paul D. Robinson and James A. Triccas

Vaccines 2023, 11(8), 1313; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11081313 - 1 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2217

Abstract

Mycobacterium abscessus is a nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) of particular concern in individuals with obstructive lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis (CF). Treatment requires multiple drugs and is characterised by high rates of relapse; thus, new strategies to limit infection are urgently required. This study sought to determine how Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination may impact NTM infection, using a murine model of Mycobacterium abscessus infection and observational data from a non-BCG vaccinated CF cohort in Sydney, Australia and a BCG-vaccinated CF cohort in Cape Town, South Africa. In mice, BCG vaccination induced multifunctional antigen-specific CD4⁺ T cells circulating in the blood and was protective against dissemination of bacteria to the spleen. Prior infection with M. abscessus afforded the highest level of protection against M. abscessus challenge in the lung, and immunity was characterised by a greater frequency of pulmonary cytokine-secreting CD4⁺ T cells compared to BCG vaccination. In the clinical CF cohorts, the overall rates of NTM sampling during a three-year period were equivalent; however, rates of NTM colonisation were significantly lower in the BCG-vaccinated (Cape Town) cohort, which was most apparent for M. abscessus. This study provides evidence that routine BCG vaccination may reduce M. abscessus colonisation in individuals with CF, which correlates with the ability of BCG to induce multifunctional CD4⁺ T cells recognising M. abscessus in a murine model. Further research is needed to determine the optimal strategies for limiting NTM infections in individuals with CF. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Vaccine Development for Emerging Infectious Diseases)

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11 pages, 2248 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Activates the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Mediated Signaling

by Abdul Rasheed Palakkott, Aysha Alneyadi, Khalid Muhammad, Ali Hussein Eid, Khaled M. A. Amiri, Mohammed Akli Ayoub and Rabah Iratni

Vaccines 2023, 11(4), 768; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11040768 - 30 Mar 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4742

Abstract

The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). At the molecular and cellular levels, the SARS-CoV-2 uses its envelope glycoprotein, the spike S protein, to infect the target cells in the lungs via binding with their transmembrane receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Here, we wanted to investigate if other molecular targets and pathways may be used by SARS-CoV-2. We investigated the possibility of the spike 1 S protein and its receptor-binding domain (RBD) to target the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its downstream signaling pathway in vitro using the lung cancer cell line (A549 cells). Protein expression and phosphorylation were examined upon cell treatment with the recombinant full spike 1 S protein or RBD. We demonstrate for the first time the activation of EGFR by the Spike 1 protein associated with the phosphorylation of the canonical Extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) and AKT kinases and an increase in survivin expression controlling the survival pathway. Our study suggests the putative implication of EGFR and its related signaling pathways in SARS-CoV-2 infectivity and COVID-19 pathology. This may open new perspectives in the treatment of COVID-19 patients by targeting EGFR. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Vaccine Development for Emerging Infectious Diseases)

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14 pages, 36791 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Efficacy of VLP-Based Vaccine against Epstein-Barr Virus Using a Rabbit Model

by Narendran Reguraman, Asma Hassani, Pretty S. Philip, Dagmar Pich, Wolfgang Hammerschmidt and Gulfaraz Khan

Vaccines 2023, 11(3), 540; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11030540 - 24 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2852

Abstract

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is etiologically associated with a number of malignant and non-malignant conditions. Thus, a prophylactic vaccine against this virus could help to reduce the burden of many EBV-associated diseases. Previously, we reported that an EBV virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine was highly immunogenic and produced a strong humoral response in mice. However, since EBV does not infect mice, the efficacy of the VLP in preventing EBV infection could not be addressed. Here we examined, for the first time, the efficacy of the EBV-VLP vaccine using a novel rabbit model of EBV infection. Animals vaccinated with two doses of VLP elicited higher antibody responses to total EBV antigens compared to animals receiving one dose. Vaccinated animals also elicited both IgM and IgG to EBV-specific antigens, VCA and EBNA1. Analysis of peripheral blood and spleen for EBV copy number indicated that the viral load in both of these compartments was lower in animals receiving a 2-dose vaccine. However, the VLP vaccine was ineffective in preventing EBV infection. With several other EBV vaccine candidates currently at various stages of development and testing, we believe that the rabbit model of EBV infection could be a great platform for evaluating potential candidates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Vaccine Development for Emerging Infectious Diseases)

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Review

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15 pages, 3222 KiB

Open AccessReview

COVID-19: The Ethno-Geographic Perspective of Differential Immunity

by Usman Abdullah, Ned Saleh, Peter Shaw and Nasir Jalal

Vaccines 2023, 11(2), 319; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11020319 - 31 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2659

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the agent behind the worst global pandemic of the 21st century (COVID-19), is primarily a respiratory-disease-causing virus called SARS-CoV-2 that is responsible for millions of new cases (incidence) and deaths (mortalities) worldwide. Many factors have played a role in the differential morbidity and mortality experienced by nations and ethnicities against SARS-CoV-2, such as the quality of primary medical health facilities or enabling economies. At the same time, the most important variable, i.e., the subsequent ability of individuals to be immunologically sensitive or resistant to the infection, has not been properly discussed before. Despite having excellent medical facilities, an astounding issue arose when some developed countries experienced higher morbidity and mortality compared with their relatively underdeveloped counterparts. Hence, this investigative review attempts to analyze the issue from an angle of previously undiscussed genetic, epigenetic, and molecular immune resistance mechanisms in correlation with the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 and varied ethnicity-based immunological responses against it. The biological factors discussed here include the overall landscape of human microbiota, endogenous retroviral genes spliced into the human genome, and copy number variation, and how they could modulate the innate and adaptive immune systems that put a certain ethnic genetic architecture at a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection than others. Considering an array of these factors in their entirety may help explain the geographic disparity of disease incidence, severity, and subsequent mortality associated with the disease while at the same time encouraging scientists to design new experimental approaches to investigation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Vaccine Development for Emerging Infectious Diseases)

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19 pages, 1427 KiB

Open AccessReview

Quasispecies Nature of RNA Viruses: Lessons from the Past

by Kiran Singh, Deepa Mehta, Shaurya Dumka, Aditya Singh Chauhan and Sachin Kumar

Vaccines 2023, 11(2), 308; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11020308 - 30 Jan 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3729

Abstract

Viral quasispecies are distinct but closely related mutants formed by the disparity in viral genomes due to recombination, mutations, competition, and selection pressure. Theoretical derivation for the origin of a quasispecies is owed to the error-prone replication by polymerase and mutants of RNA replicators. Here, we briefly addressed the theoretical and mathematical origin of quasispecies and their dynamics. The impact of quasispecies for major salient human pathogens is reviewed. In the current global scenario, rapid changes in geographical landscapes favor the origin and selection of mutants. It comes as no surprise that a cauldron of mutants poses a significant risk to public health, capable of causing pandemics. Mutation rates in RNA viruses are magnitudes higher than in DNA organisms, explaining their enhanced virulence and evolvability. RNA viruses cause the most devastating pandemics; for example, members of the Orthomyxoviridae family caused the great influenza pandemic (1918 flu or Spanish flu), the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) outbreak, and the human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV), lentiviruses of the Retroviridae family, caused worldwide devastation. Rapidly evolving RNA virus populations are a daunting challenge for the designing of effective control measures like vaccines. Developing awareness of the evolutionary dispositions of RNA viral mutant spectra and what influences their adaptation and virulence will help curtail outbreaks of past and future pathogens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Vaccine Development for Emerging Infectious Diseases)

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