Lymphatic Filariasis Biomarkers for Detection and Surveillance

Lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis; LF) is a neglected tropical disease that affects over 120 million people throughout the tropics and sub­tropics of Asia, Africa, the Western Pacific, and parts of the Caribbean and South America. LF results from infection with the filarial parasites Wuchereria bancrofti or Brugia malayi. Current methods of confirming active infection by W. bancrofti or B. malayi include microscopy and immunoassays using serum/plasma extracted from the patient.

SARS-CoV-2 Iinfection of Human Lung Epithelial Cells Triggers a Cell-Mediated Acute Fibrin Fibrosis

Scientists at NIAID have developed a method of treatment for virus-induced lung fibrosis using nebulized thrombin inhibitors. Since March 2020, the WHO estimates that 564 million people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 world-wide. Lung fibrosis is a major factor associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections and can contribute to mortality. Additionally, severe SARS-CoV-2 cases can result in long-term pulmonary disease due to lung fibrosis. At present, attempts to treat lung fibrosis developed during a SARS-CoV-2 infection using intravenous heparin have been unsuccessful.

Human lgA Monoclonal Antibody that Targets a Conserved Site on the Plasmodium Falciparum Circumsporozoite Protein

Scientists at NIAID have isolated MAD2-6, an IgA antibody active against Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites, the infectious agent of malaria. In 2019, the majority of the 229 million cases resulted from P. falciparum infections. Because P. falciparum has a complex lifecycle during human infection, most advanced malaria vaccine candidates and current chemoprophylaxis drugs can confer only partial, short-term protection in malaria-endemic areas. Thus, the MAD2-6 antibody could be used alone or in combination with current technology.

The Use of Rabbits with Defined Immunoglobulin Light Chain Genes (C<sub>kappa</sub> b allotypes) to Optimize Production of Chimeric and Humanized Monoclonal Antibodies for Therapeutic, Imaging and Diagnostic Applications

Biological materials are important research tools that can be used for diagnostic as well as therapeutic purposes. Antibodies have become viable drugs in the market today and there is a general market need for systems that may facilitate production of efficient and effective antibodies. In recent years, monoclonal antibodies have gained significant importance in their use, both as diagnostics and therapeutics, to intervene and combat diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and infections.

Full-Length cDNA Clone Representing the Consensus Sequence of the RNA Genome of a Human Norovirus (strain MD145-12) That Encodes Biologically Active Proteins

The invention provides for a full-length cloned cDNA copy of the RNA genome of a predominant norovirus strain (Genogroup II.4) designated MD145-12 that was associated with human gastrointestinal illness. The noroviruses, which were formerly known as "Norwalk-like" viruses are estimated to cause 23 million cases of acute gastroenteritis in the USA each year. The virus has been designated into category B of the CDC biodefense-related priority pathogens because it can be used as an agent of bioterrorism.

Replicating RNA Vaccine For Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a deadly hemorrhagic fever having a high mortality rate. The disease results from infection of an individual by Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), which is a tick-borne bunyavirus endemic in Southern and Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Geographically, case distribution is consistent with the range of Hyalomma genus ticks, the main reservoir of CCHFV, and is likely to expand due to climate change. Humans may be infected from tick bites, through contact with infected animals or animal tissue.

Recombinant IgG Monoclonal Antibody-Based Detection of Taenia Antigen In Humans And Pigs

The pork tapeworm, Taenia solium, is endemic in most of Asia, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa. The risk of infection is increased in regions where pigs are raised in closed proximity to humans, with migration from endemic regions being directly proportional to the prevalence of infection in high-income countries. Human infection by T. solium occurs following oral ingestion of eggs passed in human feces from an infected carrier. The larvae can travel anywhere in the human body.

An Innovative Adapter for Expedited and Automated Thawing of viably Frozen Cells

This technology is a device and system for expediting the thawing frozen specimens (e.g., cryopreserved cells) contained in cryo-vials, offering a breakthrough solution for researchers seeking efficiency and precision in their workflows. The device is equipped with a small elongated tubular adaptor that suspends a cryo-vial of frozen cells over a centrifuge tube containing culture medium in an inverted position. With a focus on speed, efficiency and automation, the adaptor dramatically expedites the process of recovering viable cells from frozen specimens.

DeePlexing – Extending Imaging Multiplexity Using Machine Learning

Spatial proteomics and transcriptomics are fast-emerging fields with the potential to revolutionize various branches of biology. In the last five years, various multiplex immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry imaging methods have been developed to stain 5-60 different protein markers in a given tissue. Nonetheless, most of these techniques are iterative and can image a maximum of 3-8 markers in a single cycle, resulting in processing time of several hours to days.

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