Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38713688›Full record

ArticlePloS one2024

A glucan-particle based tularemia subunit vaccine induces T-cell immunity and affords partial protection in an inhalation rat infection model.

Adam O Whelan, Helen C Flick-Smith, Nicola J Walker, Ambily Abraham, Stuart M Levitz, Gary R Ostroff, Petra C F Oyston

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Adam O WhelanCBR Division, Dstl Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-1027-9538
Helen C Flick-SmithCBR Division, Dstl Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom.
Nicola J WalkerCBR Division, Dstl Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom.
Ambily AbrahamUniversity of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Stuart M LevitzUniversity of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0002-3799-3064
Gary R OstroffUniversity of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Petra C F OystonCBR Division, Dstl Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom.

Funding

ROLE OF MACROPHAGES IN CRYPTOCOCCAL INFECTIONSR01AI025780 · NIAID · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · PI LEVITZ, STUART MICHAEL · 1987 to 2019
$7.1M
A subunit Cryptococcus vaccineR01AI172154 · NIAID · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · PI Stuart Michael Levitz · 2022 to 2026
$3.1M
NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI025780NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI172154
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Tularemia is a zoonotic disease caused by the facultative intracellular gram-negative bacterium Francisella tularensis. F. tularensis has a very low infection dose by the aerosol route which can result in an acute, and potentially lethal, infection in humans. Consequently, it is classified as a Category A bioterrorism agent by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and is a pathogen of concern for the International Biodefence community. There are currently no licenced tularemia vaccines. In this study we report on the continued assessment of a tularemia subunit vaccine utilising β-glucan particles (GPs) as a vaccine delivery platform for immunogenic F. tularensis antigens. Using a Fischer 344 rat infection model, we demonstrate that a GP based vaccine comprising the F. tularensis lipopolysaccharide antigen together with the protein antigen FTT0814 provided partial protection of F344 rats against an aerosol challenge with a high virulence strain of F. tularensis, SCHU S4. Inclusion of imiquimod as an adjuvant failed to enhance protective efficacy. Moreover, the level of protection afforded was dependant on the challenge dose. Immunological characterisation of this vaccine demonstrated that it induced strong antibody immunoglobulin responses to both polysaccharide and protein antigens. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the FTT0814 component of the GP vaccine primed CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells from immunised F344 rats to express interferon-γ, and CD4+ cells to express interleukin-17, in an antigen specific manner. These data demonstrate the development potential of this tularemia subunit vaccine and builds on a body of work highlighting GPs as a promising vaccine platform for difficult to treat pathogens including those of concern to the bio-defence community.

Indexed as

Bacterial VaccinesDisease Models, AnimalFrancisella tularensisRats, Inbred F344TularemiaVaccines, SubunitAnimalsAntigens, BacterialFemaleGlucansRatsT-LymphocytesAntigens, BacterialBacterial VaccinesGlucansVaccines, Subunit

Identifiers

PMID38713688
PMCPMC11075878

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.