Expert review of vaccines
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Ebola virus infection causes hemorrhagic fever with high mortality rates in humans and nonhuman primates. Currently, there are no vaccines or therapies approved for human use. ⋯ However, heightened awareness of bioterrorism advanced by the events surrounding September 11, 2001, concomitant with knowledge that the former Soviet Union was evaluating Ebola virus as a weapon, has dramatically changed perspectives regarding the need for a vaccine against Ebola virus. This review takes a brief historic look at attempts to develop an efficacious vaccine, provides an overview of current vaccine candidates and highlights strategies that have the greatest potential for commercial development.
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Expert review of vaccines · Aug 2003
ReviewNeisseria meningitidis serogroup A vaccines: an overview.
A recent report by the Weekly Epidemiological Record of an outbreak of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A in the Great Lakes region shows that meningococcal epidemics are an unsolved problem in resource-poor countries, particularly in Africa [1]. During the last epidemic wave in the 1990s, about 350,000 people developed meningitis and 1000 people died [101]. An effective polysaccharide vaccine has been available since the early 1970s. ⋯ This article describes the epidemiology of N. meningitidis serogroup A, the available polysaccharide vaccines, their advantages and limitations. The current vaccination policies and their economic implications are discussed, to clarify why the use of an effective vaccine has, to date, been disappointing. The recent exciting developments with respect to conjugate vaccines are described.
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Expert review of vaccines · Jun 2003
ReviewMelacine: an allogeneic melanoma tumor cell lysate vaccine.
Cancer vaccines have represented the holy grail of tumor immunology to many. In 2003, there are innumerable approaches to active specific immunotherapy for cancer. The identification of tumor antigens recognized by and able to activate human T-lymphocytes has heightened the enthusiasm for this approach. ⋯ Pioneered by Malcolm Mitchell, it has rare but confirmed antitumor activity in metastatic melanoma (5-10%). However, previous analysis of responses in advanced disease and a recent analysis in early-stage adjuvant trials suggest that Melacine may have its greatest benefit in a large subset of melanoma patients who express either the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I antigens A2 and/or HLA-C3. This finding must now be confirmed in a large perspective observation-controlled clinical trial to solidify the role of Melacine as an effective cancer vaccine in melanoma.