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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 March 2025) | Viewed by 41983

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Veerupaxagouda Patil

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Guest Editor

Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
Interests: immunology; vaccines; host-pathogen interactions; zoonotic infectious diseases

Dr. Dhruv Desai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Ryan Veterinary Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3900 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Interests: vaccines; diagnosis; drug resistance; emerging disease; one health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vaccines are one of the most important life-saving public health tools. This is truly exemplified in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has been a real wake-up call for researchers worldwide that they must be vigilant and prepared to mitigate the next pandemic, emerging or re-emerging infectious disease, or zoonotic infectious disease of food for animals/humans. Zoonotic infectious diseases of food for animals/humans caused by Swine influenza A viruses; avian influenza A viruses, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza in commercial and backyard flocks; or Salmonella in poultry are of significant public health and economic importance. According to an estimate by the centers for disease control and prevention (CDC), from 2009 to 2018, influenza A H1N1 pdm09 has caused at least 100.5 million illnesses, 936,000 hospitalizations, and 75,000 deaths in the United States.

Hence, novel vaccines against zoonotic infectious diseases of food for animals/humans are essential.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and literature or perspective reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following: novel vaccines based on a variety of platforms/delivery/mechanism of action (innate immunity-based, trained immunity-based, CRISPR-based, AI-based, immunoinformatics-based, multi-omics-based, nanotechnology-based, mucosal nanovaccines, nucleic acid-based, protein subunit-based, cytotoxic T-cell-based, peptide epitope-based vaccines, nanoemulsion-based, plant-based, dendritic cell-based, vector-based, mRNA-based) against zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases of food for animals and humans, caused by viruses, such as swine influenza A viruses, avian influenza A viruses, and multi drug-resistant zoonotic pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureaus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and carbapenem-resistant enterobacterales (CRE), all of which are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Veerupaxagouda Patil
Dr. Dhruv Desai
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

mucosal nanovaccines
zoonotic
infectious diseases
food animals
epitope based
trained immunity based
novel platform
multi-drug resistance

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 925 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Artificial Intelligence in Public Health: Revolutionizing Epidemiological Surveillance for Pandemic Preparedness and Equitable Vaccine Access

by Pranav Anjaria, Varun Asediya, Prakrutik Bhavsar, Abhishek Pathak, Dhruv Desai and Veerupaxagouda Patil

Vaccines 2023, 11(7), 1154; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11071154 - 26 Jun 2023

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5974

Abstract

Epidemiological surveillance involves systematic gathering, analysis, interpretation, and sharing of health data, with the goal of preventing and controlling diseases [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Vaccines for Infectious Pathogens)

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Research

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14 pages, 875 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Immunogenicity and Safety of the Recombinant Adjuvanted Herpes Zoster Vaccine in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Multiple Myeloma

by Panagiotis T. Diamantopoulos, Christina-Nefeli Kontandreopoulou, Christos Stafylidis, Dimitra Vlachopoulou, Stavroula Smilakou, Iraklis Patsialos, Stavroula Syriopoulou, Alexandros Gkikas, Eleftherios N. Athanasopoulos, Anastasios Vogiatzakis, Eleni Panousi, Georgios Kyriakakis, Amalia Anastasopoulou, Marina Mantzourani and Vassiliki Labropoulou

Vaccines 2024, 12(11), 1216; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12111216 - 25 Oct 2024

Viewed by 1582

Abstract

Background/objectives: Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and multiple myeloma (MM) are susceptible to viral infections, including varicella-zoster virus (VZV) reactivation due to both disease-related and treatment-induced immunosuppression. The recombinant adjuvanted herpes zoster vaccine (RZV) has shown high efficacy in immunocompetent adults, but immunogenicity data in CLL and MM patients are limited. This study evaluates the immunogenicity and safety of RZV in this population. Methods: Patients with CLL and MM vaccinated with RZV (administered in two doses at least one month apart) were included in the study. Pre- and post-vaccination anti-VZV IgM and IgG antibody levels were measured to assess immunogenicity, and adverse events (AEs) were captured for safety evaluation. Results: Seventy-eight patients received both vaccine doses, and 71 had post-vaccination samples. Most of the patients were IgM seronegative and IgG seropositive before vaccination. Pre-vaccination IgG levels were higher in CLL patients compared to MM patients (p = 0.001), while post-vaccination IgG levels significantly increased in both CLL (p < 0.0001) and MM (p < 0.0001) patients. In actively treated CLL patients, pre-vaccination IgG levels were significantly lower than in not actively treated patients (p = 0.002). Post-vaccination IgG levels were lower in MM patients receiving antiviral prophylaxis concurrently with the vaccination (p = 0.013). AEs were reported in 49.4% of patients after the first dose and 48.7% after the second dose, mostly mild (local or low-grade systemic). One case of immune thrombocytopenia was noted. Conclusions: RZV demonstrated strong immunogenicity and acceptable safety in CLL and MM patients, significantly boosting IgG levels, even in actively treated or heavily pretreated patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Vaccines for Infectious Pathogens)

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16 pages, 2522 KiB

Open AccessArticle

KD-409, a Respiratory Syncytial Virus FG Chimeric Protein without the CX3C Chemokine Motif, Is an Efficient Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine Preparation for Passive and Active Immunization in Mice

by Ryo Yamaue, Masaharu Torikai, Madoka Terashima and Hiroaki Mori

Vaccines 2024, 12(7), 753; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12070753 - 8 Jul 2024

Viewed by 1901

Abstract

Although respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine development initiatives have existed for half a century, no candidate has been approved for application at all ages from neonates to children. Developing an effective and safe RSV vaccine for pediatric use is challenging owing to RSV-associated disease and vaccine-enhanced disease (VED). We aimed to design an RSV vaccine, KD-409, by structurally incorporating the F ectodomain and G protein central conserved domain without the CX3C chemokine motif and test its efficacy and safety. KD-409 formed rosette particles or trimmers. KD-409 immunization of mice mainly induced anti-RSV F protein IgG. The induced anti-F antibodies had a higher IgG2a/IgG1 ratio than pre-fusion F, suggesting that they induced Th1-dominant immunity. Active and passive immunities were assessed by analyzing the viral titers in BALB/c mice intranasally challenged with RSV after intramuscular KD-409 immunization and pups derived from mothers who were intramuscularly vaccinated with KD-409 twice, respectively. KD-409 was more effective than post-fusion F and had a lower minimum effective dose than pre-fusion F. Thus, KD-409 demonstrated great potential as a novel RSV vaccine candidate, outperforming existing RSV F-based candidates. Our findings provide a promising strategy to overcome RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infections without the risk of VED associated with traditional approaches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Vaccines for Infectious Pathogens)

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16 pages, 4341 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development and Evaluation of an Immunoinformatics-Based Multi-Peptide Vaccine against Acinetobacter baumannii Infection

by Sean Jeffreys, Megan P. Tompkins, Jadelynn Aki, Sara B. Papp, James P. Chambers, M. Neal Guentzel, Chiung-Yu Hung, Jieh-Juen Yu and Bernard P. Arulanandam

Vaccines 2024, 12(4), 358; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12040358 - 27 Mar 2024

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2734

Abstract

Multi-drug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen associated with hospital-acquired infections. Due to its environmental persistence, virulence, and limited treatment options, this organism causes both increased patient mortality and incurred healthcare costs. Thus, prophylactic vaccination could be ideal for intervention against MDR Acinetobacter infection in susceptible populations. In this study, we employed immunoinformatics to identify peptides containing both putative B- and T-cell epitopes from proteins associated with A. baumannii pathogenesis. A novel Acinetobacter Multi-Epitope Vaccine (AMEV2) was constructed using an A. baumannii thioredoxin A (TrxA) leading protein sequence followed by five identified peptide antigens. Antisera from A. baumannii infected mice demonstrated reactivity to rAMEV2, and subcutaneous immunization of mice with rAMEV2 produced high antibody titer against the construct as well as peptide components. Immunization results in increased frequency of IL-4-secreting splenocytes indicative of a Th2 response. AMEV2-immunized mice were protected against intranasal challenge with a hypervirulent strain of A. baumannii and demonstrated reduced bacterial burden at 48 h. In contrast, all mock vaccinated mice succumbed to infection within 3 days. Results presented here provide insight into the effectiveness of immunoinformatic-based vaccine design and its potential as an effective strategy to combat the rise of MDR pathogens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Vaccines for Infectious Pathogens)

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Review

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24 pages, 805 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recombinant Live-Attenuated Salmonella Vaccine for Veterinary Use

by Domitila Brzoskowski Chagas, Francisco Denis Souza Santos, Natasha Rodrigues de Oliveira, Thaís Larré Oliveira Bohn and Odir Antônio Dellagostin

Vaccines 2024, 12(12), 1319; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12121319 - 26 Nov 2024

Viewed by 1627

Abstract

Vaccination is essential for maintaining animal health, with priority placed on safety and cost effectiveness in veterinary use. The development of recombinant live-attenuated Salmonella vaccines (RASVs) has enabled the construction of balanced lethal systems, ensuring the stability of plasmid vectors encoding protective antigens post-immunization. These vaccines are particularly suitable for production animals, providing long-term immunity against a range of bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens. This review summarizes the progress made in this field, with a focus on clinical trials demonstrating the efficacy and commercial potential of RASVs in veterinary medicine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Vaccines for Infectious Pathogens)

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14 pages, 276 KiB

Open AccessReview

Immune Responses to Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections and Advances in the Development of Vaccines and Immunotherapies

by John Scully, Abu Salim Mustafa, Asma Hanif, Javed H. Tunio and Shumaila Nida Javed Tunio

Vaccines 2024, 12(10), 1106; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12101106 - 27 Sep 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2906

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is a major bacterial pathogen and causes a wide range of clinical infections in humans leading to severe outcomes including meningitis, endocarditis, and sepsis. This literature review examines studies on host immune responses after infections with SA and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and their immune evasion mechanisms. Furthermore, information about vaccines and immunotherapies against SA and MRSA is reviewed. We found promising toxoid vaccine approaches, which deserve further research. We also found support for antitoxin therapies and immunomodulating therapies as high-potential research areas. Although many promising vaccines and immunotherapy candidates have been studied in animal models, more human clinical studies are needed to confirm their long-term safety and efficacy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Vaccines for Infectious Pathogens)

32 pages, 24839 KiB

Open AccessReview

Live Attenuated Vaccines against Tuberculosis: Targeting the Disruption of Genes Encoding the Secretory Proteins of Mycobacteria

by Raja Veerapandian, Shrikanth S. Gadad, Chinnaswamy Jagannath and Subramanian Dhandayuthapani

Vaccines 2024, 12(5), 530; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12050530 - 12 May 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2834

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB), a chronic infectious disease affecting humans, causes over 1.3 million deaths per year throughout the world. The current preventive vaccine BCG provides protection against childhood TB, but it fails to protect against pulmonary TB. Multiple candidates have been evaluated to either replace or boost the efficacy of the BCG vaccine, including subunit protein, DNA, virus vector-based vaccines, etc., most of which provide only short-term immunity. Several live attenuated vaccines derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and BCG have also been developed to induce long-term immunity. Since Mtb mediates its virulence through multiple secreted proteins, these proteins have been targeted to produce attenuated but immunogenic vaccines. In this review, we discuss the characteristics and prospects of live attenuated vaccines generated by targeting the disruption of the genes encoding secretory mycobacterial proteins. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Vaccines for Infectious Pathogens)

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24 pages, 1528 KiB

Open AccessReview

Prevention and Control of Swine Enteric Coronaviruses in China: A Review of Vaccine Development and Application

by Fanzhi Kong, Huilin Jia, Qi Xiao, Liurong Fang and Qiuhong Wang

Vaccines 2024, 12(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12010011 - 21 Dec 2023

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3064

Abstract

Swine enteric coronaviruses (SECs) cause significant economic losses to the pig industry in China. Although many commercialized vaccines against transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) are available, viruses are still widespread. The recent emergence of porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) and swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV), for which no vaccines are available, increases the disease burden. In this review, we first introduced the genomic organization and epidemiology of SECs in China. Then, we discussed the current vaccine development and application in China, aiming to provide suggestions for better prevention and control of SECs in China and other countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Vaccines for Infectious Pathogens)

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21 pages, 738 KiB

Open AccessReview

Epitopes and Mimotopes Identification Using Phage Display for Vaccine Development against Infectious Pathogens

by Marco Palma

Vaccines 2023, 11(7), 1176; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11071176 - 29 Jun 2023

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5034

Abstract

Traditional vaccines use inactivated or weakened forms of pathogens which could have side effects and inadequate immune responses. To overcome these challenges, phage display has emerged as a valuable tool for identifying specific epitopes that could be used in vaccines. This review emphasizes the direct connection between epitope identification and vaccine development, filling a crucial gap in the field. This technique allows vaccines to be engineered to effectively stimulate the immune system by presenting carefully selected epitopes. Phage display involves screening libraries of random peptides or gene/genome fragments using serum samples from infected, convalescent, or vaccinated individuals. This method has been used to identify epitopes from various pathogens including SARS-CoV-2, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, hepatitis viruses, H5N1, HIV-1, Human T-lymphotropic virus 1, Plasmodium falciparum, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Dirofilaria repens. Bacteriophages offer advantages such as being immunogenic carriers, low production costs, and customization options, making them a promising alternative to traditional vaccines. The purpose of this study has been to highlight an approach that encompasses the entire process from epitope identification to vaccine production using a single technique, without requiring additional manipulation. Unlike conventional methods, phage display demonstrates exceptional efficiency and speed, which could provide significant advantages in critical scenarios such as pandemics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Vaccines for Infectious Pathogens)

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31 pages, 4158 KiB

Open AccessReview

Emerging Trends in Lipid-Based Vaccine Delivery: A Special Focus on Developmental Strategies, Fabrication Methods, and Applications

by Bharathi Karunakaran, Raghav Gupta, Pranav Patel, Sagar Salave, Amit Sharma, Dhruv Desai, Derajram Benival and Nagavendra Kommineni

Vaccines 2023, 11(3), 661; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11030661 - 15 Mar 2023

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 6178

Abstract

Lipid-based vaccine delivery systems such as the conventional liposomes, virosomes, bilosomes, vesosomes, pH-fusogenic liposomes, transferosomes, immuno-liposomes, ethosomes, and lipid nanoparticles have gained a remarkable interest in vaccine delivery due to their ability to render antigens in vesicular structures, that in turn prevents its enzymatic degradation in vivo. The particulate form of lipid-based nanocarriers confers immunostimulatory potential, making them ideal antigen carriers. Facilitation in the uptake of antigen-loaded nanocarriers, by the antigen-presenting cells and its subsequent presentation through the major histocompatibility complex molecules, leads to the activation of a cascade of immune responses. Further, such nanocarriers can be tailored to achieve the desired characteristics such as charge, size, size distribution, entrapment, and site-specificity through modifications in the composition of lipids and the selection of the appropriate method of preparation. This ultimately adds to its versatility as an effective vaccine delivery carrier. The current review focuses on the various lipid-based carriers that have been investigated to date as potential vaccine delivery systems, the factors that affect their efficacy, and their various methods of preparation. The emerging trends in lipid-based mRNA vaccines and lipid-based DNA vaccines have also been summarized. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Vaccines for Infectious Pathogens)

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Other

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30 pages, 1100 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

by Sunita Panda, Puneet Kumar Singh, Snehasish Mishra, Sagnik Mitra, Priyabrata Pattnaik, Sanjib Das Adhikary and Ranjan K. Mohapatra

Vaccines 2023, 11(1), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11010110 - 2 Jan 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 6246

Abstract

Background: The global pharma sector is fast shifting from generics to biologics and biosimilars with the first approval in Europe in 2006 followed by US approval in 2015. In the form of Hepatitis B vaccine, India saw its first recombinant biologics approval in 2000. Around 20% of generic medications and 62% of vaccines are now supplied by the Indian pharmaceutical industry. It is this good position in biologics and biosimilars production that could potentially improve healthcare via decreased treatment cost. India has witnessed large investments in biosimilars over the years. Numerous India-bred new players, e.g., Enzene Biosciences Ltd., are keen on biosimilars and have joined the race alongside the emerging giants, e.g., Biocon and Dr. Reddy’s. A very positive sign was the remarkable disposition during the COVID-19 pandemic by Bharat Biotech and the Serum Institute of India. India’s biopharmaceutical industry has been instrumental in producing and supplying preventives and therapeutics to fight COVID-19. Despite a weak supply chain and workforce pressure, the production was augmented to provide reasonably priced high-quality medications to more than 133 nations. Biosimilars could cost-effectively treat chronic diseases involving expensive conventional therapies, including diabetes, respiratory ailments, cancer, and connective tissue diseases. Biologics and biosimilars have been and are being tested to treat and manage COVID-19 symptoms characterized by inflammation and respiratory distress. Purpose of review: Although India boasts many universities, research centers, and a relatively skilled workforce, its global University–Industry collaboration ranking is 24, IPR ranking remains 47 and innovation ranking 39. This reveals a wide industry-academia gap to bridge. There are gaps in effective translational research in India that must be promptly and appropriately addressed. Innovation demands strong and effective collaborations among universities, techno-incubators, and industries. Methodology: Many successful research findings in academia do not get translation opportunities supposedly due to low industrial collaboration, low IP knowledge, and publication pressure with stringent timelines. In light of this, a detailed review of literature, including policy papers, government initiatives, and corporate reviews, was carried out, and the compilation and synthesis of the secondary data were meticulously summarized for the easy comprehension of the facts and roadmap ahead. For easy comprehension, charts, figures, and compiled tables are presented. Results: This review assesses India’s situation in the biosimilar space, the gaps and areas to improve for Indian investment strategies, development, and innovation, addressing need for a more skilled workforce, industrial collaboration, and business models. Conclusions: This review also proposes forward an approach to empowering technopreneurs to develop MSMEs for large-scale operations to support India in taking innovative thoughts to the global level to ultimately realize a self-reliant India. The limitations of the compilation are also highlighted towards the end. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Vaccines for Infectious Pathogens)

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