Valuable Biological Material Research Articles

Umbilical cord blood stem cells: transplantation prospects in neurological practice

Umbilical cord blood has evolved from being considered a mere cellular/tissue waste product after childbirth to a valuable biological material with a wide regenerative potential. Today, hematopoietic cord blood stem cells are used in the same way as bone marrow and mobilised peripheral blood as part of the standard medical treatment for haemoblastoses and hereditary blood diseases. There is an increasing amount of experimental data showing possibility of umbilical cord blood cell fractions using for treatment of non-hematological diseases and, in particular, diseases of the central nervous system. One of the key challenges in cell therapy for central nervous system diseases is the choice of cellular material for neurotransplantation. This is particularly relevant for ischemic and traumatic injuries, as well as neurodegenerative diseases. Stem or mature somatic cells prepared for neurotransplantation should have predictable and reproducible characteristics thataccording therapeutic purposes, exactly: trophic and/or neuroprotective action to increase neurons viability in damaged area; axon growth stimulation and myelination; cell matrix restoration or predictable differentiation direction to replace amount of lost brain or spinal cord cells. The fact that umbilical cord blood contains not only hematopoietic, but also various non-hematopoietic stem cells with a wide regenerative potential has become the basis for active use of these cells for neurotransplantation. The proposed review provides historical information about umbilical cord blood introduction into practical medicine, its cellular composition and clinical applications of stem cells various types for children central nervous system diseases treatment, such as ischemic encephalopathy, stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral palsy, autism, and in adults — for stroke treatment, spinal cord injury and neurodegenerative diseases.

Roles of extracellular vesicles derived from healthy and obese adipose tissue in inter-organ crosstalk and potential clinical implication.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanovesicles containing bioactive molecules including proteins, nucleic acids and lipids that mediate intercellular and inter-organ communications, holding promise as potential therapeutics for multiple diseases. Adipose tissue (AT) serves as a dynamically distributed energy storage organ throughout the body, whose accumulation leads to obesity, a condition characterized by infiltration with abundant immune cells. Emerging evidence has illustrated that EVs secreted by AT are the novel class of adipokines that regulate the homeostasis between AT and peripheral organs. However, most of the studies focused on the investigations of EVs derived from adipocytes or adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), the summarization of functions in cellular and inter-organ crosstalk of EVs directly derived from adipose tissue (AT-EVs) are still limited. Here, we provide a systemic summary on the key components and functions of EVs derived from healthy adipose tissue, showing their significance on the tissue recovery and metabolic homeostasis regulation. Also, we discuss the harmful influences of EVs derived from obese adipose tissue on the distal organs. Furthermore, we elucidate the potential applications and constraints of EVs from healthy patients lipoaspirates as therapeutic agents, highlighting the potential of AT-EVs as a valuable biological material with broad prospects for future clinical use.

Creation of a Forensic Pathology Biobank in Switzerland: which issues and research opportunities?

A biobank is a collection of biological material associated with health database. The field of biobanking has significantly developed over the past 30years. Research based on biobank material gives access to data of a large number of people and can often significantly accelerate the understanding of disease and improve the quality of care. In the University Center of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, samples collected during autopsies are used for forensic investigations. The legal and ethical framework to use these samples for research is often complex and confused, which is unfortunate given the potential of these biospecimens. Indeed, forensic samples are valuable for research because they originate in part from young (including pediatrics cases) and healthy people who are poorly represented in worldwide institutional biobanks. In this context at the beginning of the year 2019, the Forensic Pathology Biobank was created. Creation of a forensic pathology biobank is the best way to standardize local conservation practices and improve personal data management, thus providing a very valuable biological material for scientific projects. Its development gives rise to many questions about technical standards, ethical and legal issues but also many research opportunities.

Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Turner Syndrome (45XO) Fetal Cells for Downstream Modelling of Neurological Deficits Associated with the Syndrome.

Chromosomal aneuploidies cause severe congenital malformations including central nervous system malformations and fetal death. Prenatal genetic screening is purely diagnostic and does not elucidate disease mechanism. Although cells from aneuploid fetuses are valuable biological material bearing the chromosomal aneuploidy, these cells are short lived, limiting their use for downstream research experiments. Generation of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models is an effective method of cell preparation for perpetual conservation of aneuploid traits. They are self-renewing and differentiate into specialized cells reminiscent of embryonic development. Thus, iPSCs serve as excellent tools to study early developmental events. Turner syndrome (TS) is a rare condition associated with a completely or partially missing X chromosome. The syndrome is characterized by infertility, short stature, endocrine, metabolic, autoimmune and cardiovascular disorders and neurocognitive defects. The following protocol describes isolation and culturing of fibroblasts from TS (45XO) fetal tissue, generation of integration free TSiPSCs through delivery of episomal reprogramming plasmids by nucleofection followed by characterization. The reprogramming TSiPSCs were initially screened by live cell alkaline phosphatase staining followed by extensive probing for pluripotency biomarkers. Selected colonies were mechanically dissected, passaged several times and stable self-renewing cells were used for further experiments. The cells expressed pluripotency transcription factors OCT4, NANOG, SOX2, cell surface markers SSEA 4 and TRA1-81 typical of pluripotent stem cells. The original 45XO karyotype was retained post reprogramming. The TSiPSCs were able to form embryoid bodies and differentiate into cells of endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm expressing lineage specific biomarkers ((SRY BOX17), (MYOSIN VENTRICULAR HEAVY CHAINα/β), (βIII TUBULIN)). The exogenous episomal plasmids were lost spontaneously and not detected after passage 15 in cells. These TSiPSCs are a valuable cellular resource for modelling defective molecular and cellular neurodevelopment causing neurocognitive deficits associated with Turner syndrome.

Exploring the polyurethanolytic activity and microbial composition of landfill microbial communities.

The microbial composition of polyurethane degrading communities has been barely addressed, and it is unknown if microenvironmental conditions modify its composition, affecting its biodegradative capacity. The polyurethanolytic activity and taxonomic composition of five microbial communities, selected by enrichment in the polyether-polyurethane-acrylic (PE-PU-A) coating PolyLack®, from deteriorated PU foams collected at different microenvironments in a municipal landfill (El Bordo Poniente, BP) were explored. All BP communities grew similarly in PolyLack® as the sole carbon source, although BP1, BP4, and BP5 showed better performance than BP2 and BP7. FTIR spectroscopy showed that ester, urethane, ether, aromatic and aliphatic groups, and the acrylate component were targets of the biodegradative activity. Extracellular esterase activity was higher at 5days of cultivation and decreased at 21days, while urease activity showed the opposite. Microbial composition analysis, assessed by 16S rDNA V3 region PCR-DGGE, revealed a preponderance of Rhizobiales and Micrococcales. The reported PU-degrading genera Paracoccus, Acinetobacter, and Pseudomonas were identified. In contrast, Advenella, Bordetella, Microbacterium, Castellaniella, and Populibacterium, some of them xenobiotics degraders, can be considered potentially PU-degrading genera. Correspondence analysis identified independent groups for all communities, except the BP4 and BP5. Although partial taxonomic redundancy was detected, unique OTUs were identified, e.g., three members of the Weeksellaceae family were present only in the BP4/BP5 group. These results suggest that the microenvironmental conditions where the landfill microbial communities were collected shaped their taxonomical composition, impacting their PE-PU biodegradative capacities. These BP communities represent valuable biological material for the treatment of PU waste and other xenobiotics. KEY POINTS: • Landfill microbial communities display slightly different capacities for growing in polyether-polyurethane-acrylic. • Ester, urethane, ether, aromatic, aliphatic, and acrylate groups were attacked. • Esterase activity was more significant at early culture times while urease activity at latter. • Landfill microenvironments shape partial taxonomical redundancy in the communities. • Best communities' performance seems to be related to unique members' composition.

Genetic connectivity between Atlantic bluefin tuna larvae spawned in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Mediterranean Sea.

The highly migratory Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT) is currently managed as two distinct stocks, in accordance with natal homing behavior and population structuring despite the absence of barriers to gene flow. Larval fish are valuable biological material for tuna molecular ecology. However, they have hardly been used to decipher the ABFT population structure, although providing the genetic signal from successful breeders. For the first time, cooperative field collection of tuna larvae during 2014 in the main spawning area for each stock, the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and the Mediterranean Sea (MED), enabled us to assess the ABFT genetic structure in a precise temporal and spatial frame exclusively through larvae. Partitioning of genetic diversity at nuclear microsatellite loci and in the mitochondrial control region in larvae spawned contemporarily resulted in low significant fixation indices supporting connectivity between spawners in the main reproduction area for each population. No structuring was detected within the GOM after segregating nuclear diversity in larvae spawned in two hydrographically distinct regions, the eastern GOM (eGOM) and the western GOM (wGOM), with the larvae from eGOM being more similar to those collected in the MED than the larvae from wGOM. We performed clustering of genetically characterized ABFT larvae through Bayesian analysis and by Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC) supporting the existence of favorable areas for mixing of ABFT spawners from Western and Eastern stocks, leading to gene flow and apparent connectivity between weakly structured populations. Our findings suggest that the eastern GOM is more prone for the mixing of breeders from the two ABFT populations. Conservation of this valuable resource exploited for centuries calls for intensification of tuna ichthyoplankton research and standardization of genetic tools for monitoring population dynamics.

BBMRI-ERIC\u2019s contributions to research and knowledge exchange on COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the European biobanking infrastructure is in a unique position to preserve valuable biological material complemented with detailed data for future research purposes. Biobanks can be either integrated into healthcare, where preservation of the biological material is a fork in clinical routine diagnostics and medical treatment processes or they can also host prospective cohorts or material related to clinical trials. The paper discussed objectives of BBMRI-ERIC, the European research infrastructure established to facilitate access to quality-defined biological materials and data for research purposes, with respect to the COVID-19 crisis: (a) to collect information on available European as well as non-European COVID-19-relevant biobanking resources in BBMRI-ERIC Directory and to facilitate access to these via BBMRI-ERIC Negotiator platform; (b) to help harmonizing guidelines on how data and biological material is to be collected to maximize utility for future research, including large-scale data processing in artificial intelligence, by participating in activities such as COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative; (c) to minimize risks for all involved parties dealing with (potentially) infectious material by developing recommendations and guidelines; (d) to provide a European-wide platform of exchange in relation to ethical, legal, and societal issues (ELSI) specific to the collection of biological material and data during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Building Capacity for Cyberbiosecurity Training

Cyberbiosecurity lies at the intersection of cybersecurity and biosecurity and addresses the protection of valuable biological material and associated information. As an emerging concept, cyberbiosecurity requires the integration of training strategies targeted to both current and future professionals; as well as an increased awareness in the wider stakeholder community. As the discrete discipline of cyberbiosecurity continues to develop, initial training efforts are likely to include workshops and specialized training that bridge the disciplines of information technology (IT) and life sciences. Potential threats, risks, and vulnerabilities will be defined, cooperative relationships formed, and collaborative solutions developed. As the scope of the training framework for assessing potential threats is adapted to various audiences, in-service trainings will ensure awareness and understanding of threats relevant to specific industries. This framework may also be incorporated into existing curricula across IT and science fields. The scope of potential threats is vast, and eventual specialization will likely fall within the realm of IT professionals, who carry the capability for action. In this paper, we identify stakeholders in the development of cyberbiosecurity training; discuss current training methods, educational requirements, and credentialing for professionals in cybersecurity, biosecurity, and life sciences; suggest mechanisms for integration of cyberbiosecurity training into existing training approaches; and discuss potential for future development of specialized professionals.

Ecologically conditioned imprinting of miRNA-based profiles of Ginkgo biloba L. growing in Slovakia

Abstract Ginkgo biloba L. is characterized by its high level of resistance to climatic conditions, diseases, and pests. In Slovakia, there is a rich collection of genetic resources of ginkgo consisting of 288 trees growing in 103 locations and providing valuable biological material for scientific research. There have been documented 45 trees of ginkgo older than 100 years (ranging from 112 to 242 years of age). Their dendrometrical parameters were recorded. For genomic imprinting, three types of microRNA-based markers were selected; highly conserved gb-miR160, moderately conserved gb-miR482 and the species-specific gb-miR75. The most efficient one can be considered the marker gb-miR482 with its genotype-unique miRNA profiles probably related to this marker functioning in the defence mechanisms of the ginkgo species. Unique miRNA loci were recorded in genomes of young ginkgo trees. We found that, by selecting the appropriate microRNA-based markers, it is possible to characterize the ginkgo genome in the context of microclimatic conditions.

Effect of Cross-Linking Density on the Structures and Properties of Carbodiimide-Treated Gelatin Matrices as Limbal Stem Cell Niches.

Given that human amniotic membrane is a valuable biological material not readily available for corneal epithelial tissue engineering, gelatin is considered as a potential alternative to construct a cellular microenvironment. This study investigates, for the first time, the influence of cross-linking density of carbodiimide-treated gelatin matrices on the structures and properties of artificial limbal stem cell niches. Our results showed that an increase in the carbodiimide concentration from 1.5 to 15 mM leads to an upward trend in the structural and suture strength of biopolymers. Furthermore, increasing number of cross-linking bridges capable of linking protein molecules together may reduce their crystallinity. For the samples treated with 50 mM of cross-linker (i.e., the presence of excess N-substituted carbodiimide), abundant N-acylurea was detected, which was detrimental to the in vitro and in vivo ocular biocompatibility of gelatin matrices. Surface roughness and stiffness of biopolymer substrates were found to be positively correlated with carbodiimide-induced cross-link formation. Significant increases of integrin β1 expression, metabolic activity, and ABCG2 expression were noted as the cross-linker concentration increased, suggesting that the bulk crystalline structure and surface roughness/stiffness of niche attributed to the number of cross-linking bridges may have profound effects on a variety of limbal epithelial cell behaviors, including adhesion, proliferation, and stemness maintenance. In summary, taking the advantages of carbodiimide cross-linking-mediated development of gelatin matrices, new niches with tunable cross-linking densities can provide a significant boost to maintain the limbal stem cells during ex vivo expansion.

Hybridization between char species (Salvelinus alpinus and Salvelinus fontinalis): a fast track for novel allometric trajectories

ABSTRACTHybridization between closely related species can generate genetic and phenotypic variation, providing valuable biological material to assess the physiological impact of the structural or functional variability of different organs. In the present study, we examined growth rates of various organs and whole body in brook char, Arctic char and their reciprocal hybrids over a period of 281 days. Parental species achieved significantly higher body mass than their hybrids. Hybridization significantly reduced the relative size of the heart, liver and spleen. The relative size of pyloric caeca did not differ among the four groups. The observed lower growth performance of the hybrids compared to parental species strongly suggests that divergence in the relative size of digestive organs, liver and heart partly dictate growth capacity. Our results also suggest that the increased variability achieved through hybridization may prove useful in a genetic selection program.

Successful lichen translocation on disturbed gypsum areas: A test with adhesives to promote the recovery of biological soil crusts

The loss of biological soil crusts represents a challenge for the restoration of disturbed environments, specifically in particular substrates hosting unique lichen communities. However, the recovery of lichen species affected by mining is rarely addressed in restoration projects. Here, we evaluate the translocation of Diploschistes diacapsis, a representative species of gypsum lichen communities affected by quarrying. We tested how a selection of adhesives could improve thallus attachment to the substrate and affect lichen vitality (as CO2 exchange and fluorescence) in rainfall-simulation and field experiments. Treatments included: white glue, water, hydroseeding stabiliser, gum arabic, synthetic resin, and a control with no adhesive. Attachment differed only in the field, where white glue and water performed best. Adhesives altered CO2 exchange and fluorescence yield. Notably, wet spoils allowed thalli to bind to the substrate after drying, revealing as the most suitable option for translocation. The satisfactory results applying water on gypsum spoils are encouraging to test this methodology with other lichen species. Implementing these measures in restoration projects would be relatively easy and cost-effective. It would help not only to recover lichen species in the disturbed areas but also to take advantage of an extremely valuable biological material that otherwise would be lost.

The spectrum of sporomorphs collected from the surface of the skin and clothes of some people in Włodawa County during the summer.

Due to their microscopic size, ubiquity, and resistance to destruction, pollen grains are an especially valuable biological material that can be used in forensic investigations. Determination of the species composition of pollen grains deposited on the clothing and skin of the people walking in Włodawa County during the summer. Pollen grains deposited on the surface of the skin and garments of individuals walking in four villages of Włodawa County were analysed. The material was sampled using two-sided adhesive tape. The qualitative and quantitative composition of pollen grains was evaluated after analysis of microscopic slides at 400-x magnification. In the present investigations, we identified pollen grains of plants flowering in summer, i.e. in the experimental period. The palynological analyses indicate that the surface of clothes on the shoulders and the surface of the forearm skin are the most suitable areas for deposition of pollen grains, whereas the lowest amounts of pollen were noted on the calves. The statistical analysis shows that the differences in the number of sporomorphs deposited on the different surfaces are not statistically significant. Palynological material collected from suspects or victims should be taken from various parts of clothing and skin, because it does not attach to them in the same way.

Salinity influences biosorption of heavy metals by the roots of the halophyte plant species Kosteletzkya pentacarpos

Dry powder of the roots from the wetland halophyte species Kosteletzkya pentacarpos grown in the presence or in the absence of 50mM NaCl was used for biosorption of Cd and Zn. Experiments were performed in batch conditions using 100mg of root powder and 10mL of contaminated solution. Optimal temperature was found to be 25°C and contact time of 15min was sufficient for maximal adsorption. Sorption efficiency was higher for Cd (88.8%) than for Zn (56.9%). The maximal adsorption value qm was 10.6μmolesg−1 DW for Cd and 7.98μmolesg−1 DW for Zn. The use of roots collected from plants grown for 16 weeks in the presence of NaCl improved sorption process, especially for Zn. This positive impact could be related to the salt-induced increase in mucilage pectic compounds and hemicellulose involved in heavy metal binding. In contrast, the presence of NaCl during the biosorption incubation reduced sorption efficiency as a result of a competition between Na+ and divalent cations for binding sites. Removal of the majority of pollutant was obtained by 0.2M (Cd) or 0.3M (Zn) HCl. It is concluded that roots of K. pentacarpos provide a valuable biological material for heavy metal retention.

Using cumulative sums of martingale residuals for model checking in nested case-control studies.

Standard use of Cox regression requires collection of covariate information for all individuals in a cohort even when only a small fraction of them experiences the event of interest (fail). This may be very expensive for large cohorts. Further in biomarker studies, it will imply a waste of valuable biological material that one may want to save for future studies. A nested case-control study offers a useful alternative. For this design, covariate information is only needed for the failing individuals (cases) and a sample of controls selected from the cases' at-risk sets. Methods based on martingale residuals are useful for checking the fit of Cox's regression model for cohort data. But similar methods have so far not been developed for nested case-control data. In this article, it is described how one may define martingale residuals for nested case-control data, and it is shown how plots and tests based on cumulative sums of martingale residuals may be used to check model fit. The plots and tests may be obtained using available software.

Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Flaxseed Hydroalcoholic Extract and its Antimicrobial Activity

Agriculture industrial waste or byproducts could be a valuable biological material for synthesis of metal nanoparticles. Deoiled flaxseed meal is a byproduct of flaxseed oil industry. In present study its hydroalcoholic extract (70%) was assessed for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. Synthesis of silver nanoparticles was confirmed and characterized by using UV-Vis spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR). The antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles was evaluated against gram-negative (E. coli), gram-positive (S. aureus) bacteria, and mycotoxin producing fungi A. flavus and A. parasiticus. The results of XRD, SEM analysis confirmed the face centered cubic structure of colloidal silver nanoparticles having particle size 9.22 nm. FT-IR analysis showed phenolic components of flaxseed hydroalcoholic extract could be responsible for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The resultant potent antimicrobial activity of synthesized silver nanoparticles could corroborate its usefulness in food and health product industry including flaxseed oil.

Expression patterns of epithelial–mesenchymal transition markers in localized prostate cancer: significance in clinicopathological outcomes following radical prostatectomy

Radical prostatectomy is among the most successful treatment modalities for patients exhibiting clinically localized prostate cancer. Despite this, roughly one-third of all radical prostatectomy patients will experience biochemical recurrence following prostatectomy. Curing prostate cancer requires a greater understanding of distinct biological events that differentiate prostate cancer from advanced life-threatening disease. Thus, a current challenge facing the clinical management of prostate cancer is the need for novel prognostic biomarkers capable of predicting biochemical recurrence to direct therapeutic interventions at earlier disease stages. The oncogenic epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a critical role in metastatic prostate cancer progression 1. EMTs engender coordinated molecular and genetic events which provoke phenotypic transformations that are indicative of the acquisition of mesenchymal characteristics which yield altered cellular behaviours 2. Such altered behaviours may include but are not limited to enhanced migratory capability, increased invasive capacity, heightened resistance to apoptosis and conferred stem-like properties 3, 4. Conversion of an epithelial-derived prostate cancer cell to a more mesenchymal-like state has recently been implicated in prostate tumourigenesis as a mechanism facilitating the progression to metastatic castration-resistant disease 5. While alterations in the expression profiles of numerous EMT-associated transcriptional regulators and their molecular targets have served as biomarkers for studying EMT programmes, less is known about the contributions of EMTs in the emergence of treatment failure and tumour recurrence. Recently, EMT has been suggested to be a programme involved in metastatic disease progression that may also profoundly influence therapeutic outcomes amongst patients. Thus, it may be advantageous to develop predictors for risk assessment among prostate cancer patients that include specific EMT-associated markers in clinical evaluations. Despite our current lack of knowledge regarding the clinicopathological significance of EMT, the potential value of an EMT marker signature as a prognostic indicator of biochemical recurrence among prostate cancer patients has emerged with some promise. Behnsawy et al. establish an initial path towards estimating the clinical value of assessing EMT marker levels in tandem with conventional clinicopathological prognostic factors in radical prostatectomy specimens from patients with organ confined prostate cancer, without any neoadjuvant therapy. Their evaluation follows a robust profile and results intriguingly reflect a pattern that may facilitate prediction of biochemical recurrence among patients. Using an exhaustive immunohistochemical analysis, the expression patterns of 13 EMT markers were evaluated in 197 radical prostatectomy specimens of which the expression levels of two EMT-associated markers, Twist and vimentin, were the most promising factors for such predictions. The novel aspect and translational significance of this study are both reflected in the homogeneity of the patient population, in terms of localized organ confined disease. It represents an initial step towards recognizing an expression signature for specific EMT-associated factors in the therapeutic outcome of localized prostate cancer, but not disease progression. While the clinical impact of the reported findings may not be fully apparent, one may begin to speculate the promise of incorporating EMT-associated biomarkers in a clinical setting to facilitate diagnosis, prognosis and/or directing treatment strategies among patients. Primary endpoints of acquisition of an EMT phenotype following androgen axis targeting treatment must be clearly defined in the design of future clinical trials for the treatment of prostate cancer patients, with caution being given to selection of biopsy specimens vs radical prostatectomy specimens at an ‘optimal’ EMT window and in order to mitigate bias in tissue sampling resulting from long duration of therapeutic intervention. Control groups will provide valuable biological material to identify alternative mechanisms of treatment resistance (MAPK signalling). The statistical power in the relatively large cohort analysed enhances our confidence in considering the EMT landscape as an attractive platform for prediction of therapeutic response in future clinical trials. The concern, however, of whether improved prediction of biochemical recurrence by EMT profiling in pretreatment biopsies justifies its integration in the clinicopathological parameters (Gleason score, PSA) remains. Thus high expectations and much promise surround the pathological exploitation of EMT biomarkers (as signatures) in identifying profiles of tumour aggressiveness and providing a significant contribution in our quest towards the development of personalized therapies in prostate cancer patients with advanced disease.

Prophylactic and Therapeutic Efficacy of Avian Antibodies Against Influenza Virus H5N1 and H1N1 in Mice

BackgroundPandemic influenza poses a serious threat to global health and the world economy. While vaccines are currently under development, passive immunization could offer an alternative strategy to prevent and treat influenza virus infection. Attempts to develop monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been made. However, passive immunization based on mAbs may require a cocktail of mAbs with broader specificity in order to provide full protection since mAbs are generally specific for single epitopes. Chicken immunoglobulins (IgY) found in egg yolk have been used mainly for treatment of infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Because the recent epidemic of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) strain H5N1 has resulted in serious economic losses to the poultry industry, many countries including Vietnam have introduced mass vaccination of poultry with H5N1 virus vaccines. We reasoned that IgY from consumable eggs available in supermarkets in Vietnam could provide protection against infections with HPAIV H5N1.Methods and FindingsWe found that H5N1-specific IgY that are prepared from eggs available in supermarkets in Vietnam by a rapid and simple water dilution method cross-protect against infections with HPAIV H5N1 and related H5N2 strains in mice. When administered intranasally before or after lethal infection, the IgY prevent the infection or significantly reduce viral replication resulting in complete recovery from the disease, respectively. We further generated H1N1 virus-specific IgY by immunization of hens with inactivated H1N1 A/PR/8/34 as a model virus for the current pandemic H1N1/09 and found that such H1N1-specific IgY protect mice from lethal influenza virus infection.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that readily available H5N1-specific IgY offer an enormous source of valuable biological material to combat a potential H5N1 pandemic. In addition, our study provides a proof-of-concept for the approach using virus-specific IgY as affordable, safe, and effective alternative for the control of influenza outbreaks, including the current H1N1 pandemic.

Heavy Mineral Oil as a Permanent Non-Volatile Preservative for Valuable Biological Material

Heavy Mineral Oil as a Permanent Non-Volatile Preservative for Valuable Biological Material