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The Influence Of Immunization Route On The Adjuvant Effect Of Alpha-Galactosylceramide, Ameerah M. Wishahy
The Influence Of Immunization Route On The Adjuvant Effect Of Alpha-Galactosylceramide, Ameerah M. Wishahy
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
Potent vaccine formulations ideally include adjuvants to activate innate immune responses and enhance antigen-specific adaptive immunity. The synthetic glycolipid alpha-Galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) effectively activates the innate immune mediating NKT cells to produce cytokines and activate downstream immune cells, resulting in development of humoral and cell mediated immune responses to co-administered antigens. While a single intravenous immunization of α-GalCer strongly activates NKT cells, multiple doses by this route are well documented to induce anergy in NKT cells. Anergy is defined as the deficiency in NKT proliferation and cytokine production, including IL-4 and IFNγ. However, our studies have shown that two doses of …
Interaction Of Bacillus Anthracis Exosporium Protein Bcla With Complement Factor H And Spore Persistence In The Lung, Sarah A. Jenkins
Interaction Of Bacillus Anthracis Exosporium Protein Bcla With Complement Factor H And Spore Persistence In The Lung, Sarah A. Jenkins
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
Anthrax outbreaks in the United States and Europe and its potential use as a bioweapon have made Bacillus anthracis an interest of study. Anthrax infections are caused by the entry of B. anthracis spores into the host via the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal tract, cuts or wounds in the skin, and injection. Among these four forms, inhalational anthrax has the highest lethality rate and persistence of spores in the lungs of animals following pulmonary exposure has been noted for decades. However, details or mechanisms of spore persistence were not known. In this study, we investigated spore persistence in a mouse …