Search Results (7)

Self-assembling protein nanocages (SAPNs) are distinct natural structures formed by the self-assembly of identical subunits, providing a highly efficient platform and a novel strategy for vaccine development and RNAi therapy. Their internal cavity allows for precise cargo encapsulation, while the externally modifiable surface supports multivalent antigen presentation, thereby enhancing stability, targeted delivery, and immune activation. In addition to serving as stable subunit vaccines with multivalent antigen display, SAPNs can be incorporated into mRNA vaccines (SAPN-RNA vaccines) by pre-fusing with the antigen. This strategy stabilizes secreted antigenic proteins with prolonged presentation to the immune system, and improves vaccine efficacy while reducing off-target effects and minimizing required doses. Additionally, SAPNs can overcome cellular uptake barriers, enhance DNA vaccine efficacy, and enable the co-delivery of antigens and adjuvants. Functionalization with adjuvants or targeting ligands further improves their immunostimulatory properties and specificity. The SAPN-RNAi strategy optimizes siRNA delivery by promoting lysosomal escape, enhancing targeted uptake, and protecting siRNA from degradation through SAPN encapsulation. This review examines the structural and functional properties of protein nanocages and their applications in vaccine design and RNAi delivery, emphasizing their synergistic effects, and exploring current progress, challenges, and future directions. In conclusion, SAPNs represent a versatile multifunctional platform with broad applicability across subunit, mRNA and DNA vaccines, adjuvant co-delivery, and RNAi therapeutics, with significant potential against viral infections. Full article

T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are a specialized subset of CD4+ T lymphocytes that are essential for the development of long-lasting humoral immunity. Tfh cells facilitate B lymphocyte maturation, promote germinal center formation, and drive high-affinity antibody production. Our current knowledge of Tfh interactions with the humoral immune system effectors suggests that they have a critical role in supporting the immune response against viral infections. This review discusses the mechanisms through which Tfh cells influence anti-viral immunity, highlighting their interactions with B cells and their impact on antibody quality and quantity. We explore the role of Tfh cells in viral infections and examine how vaccine design can be improved to enhance Tfh cell responses. Innovative vaccine platforms, such as mRNA vaccines and self-assembling protein nanoplatforms (SAPNs), are promising strategies to enhance Tfh cell activation. Their integration and synergistic combination could further enhance immunity and Tfh responses (SAPN-RNA vaccines). In summary, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current insights into Tfh cells’ role during viral infections, emphasizing their potential as strategic targets for innovative vaccine development. Full article

Emerging vision transformers (ViTs) are more powerful in modeling long-range dependences of features than conventional deep convolution neural networks (CNNs). Thus, they outperform CNNs in several computer vision tasks. However, existing ViTs fail to encounter the multi-scale characteristics of ground objects with various spatial sizes when they are applied to remote sensing (RS) scene images. Therefore, in this paper, a Swin transformer with multi-scale fusion (STMSF) is proposed to alleviate such an issue. Specifically, a multi-scale feature fusion module is proposed, so that features of ground objects at different scales in the RS scene can be well considered by merging multi-scale features. Moreover, a spatial attention pyramid network (SAPN) is designed to enhance the context of coarse features extracted with the transformer and further improve the network’s representation ability of multi-scale features. Experimental results over three benchmark RS scene datasets demonstrate that the proposed network obviously outperforms several state-of-the-art CNN-based and transformer-based approaches. Full article

A transparent smart window made of recycled polycarbonate plastic (PCP) waste was prepared and immobilized with strontium aluminate phosphor nanoparticles (SAPN). It has afterglow emission, super-hydrophobicity, durability, photostability, good mechanical properties, ultraviolet protection, and high optical transmittance. To create an afterglow emission polycarbonate smart window (SAPN@PCP), recycled polycarbonate waste was integrated with various concentrations of SAPN (15–52 nm). SAP micro-scale powder was made using the solid-state high temperature method. The SAP nanoparticles were produced using the top-down method. To create a colorless plastic bulk, recycled polycarbonate waste was inserted into a hot bath. This colorless plastic was thoroughly combined with SAPN and cast to create an afterglow luminous smart window. To investigate its photoluminescence properties, spectrum profiles of excitation and emission were measured. According to the luminescence parameters, the phosphorescent colorless polycarbonate plates displayed a change in color to strong green under UV illumination and greenish-yellow in a dark box. The afterglow polycarbonate smart window displayed two emission peaks at 496 and 526 nm, and an absorption wavelength of 373 nm. Upon increasing the SAPN ratio, the hydrophobic activity, hardness, photostability, and UV protection were improved. Luminescent polycarbonate substrates with lower SAPN ratio demonstrated rapid and reversible fluorescence under UV light, while the higher SAPN content in the luminous polycarbonate substrates showed afterglow. Full article

Vaccines constitute a pillar in the prevention of infectious diseases. The unprecedented emergence of novel immunization strategies due to the COVID-19 pandemic has again positioned vaccination as a pivotal measure to protect humankind and reduce the clinical impact and socioeconomic burden worldwide. Vaccination pursues the ultimate goal of eliciting a protective response in immunized individuals. To achieve this, immunogens must be efficiently delivered to prime the immune system and produce robust protection. Given their safety, immunogenicity, and flexibility to display varied and native epitopes, self-assembling protein nanoparticles represent one of the most promising immunogen delivery platforms. Currently marketed vaccines against the human papillomavirus, for instance, illustrate the potential of these nanoassemblies. This review is intended to provide novelties, since 2015, on the ground of vaccine design and self-assembling protein nanoparticles, as well as a comparison with the current emergence of mRNA-based vaccines. Full article

Self-assembling protein nanoparticles (SAPN) serve as a repetitive antigen delivery platform with high-density epitope display; however, antigen characteristics such as size and epitope presentation can influence the immunogenicity of the assembled particle and are aspects to consider for a rationally designed effective vaccine. Here, we characterize the folding and immunogenicity of heterogeneous antigen display by integrating (a) dual-stage antigen SAPN presenting the P. falciparum (Pf) merozoite surface protein 1 subunit, PfMSP1₁₉, and Pf cell-traversal protein for ookinetes and sporozoites, PfCelTOS, in addition to (b) a homogenous antigen SAPN displaying two copies of PfCelTOS. Mice and rabbits were utilized to evaluate antigen-specific humoral and cellular induction as well as functional antibodies via growth inhibition of the blood-stage parasite. We demonstrate that antigen orientation and folding influence the elicited immune response, and when appropriately designed, SAPN can serve as an adaptable platform for an effective multi-antigen display. Full article

Injury to peripheral nerves can occur as a result of various surgical procedures, including oral and maxillofacial surgery. In the case of nerve transaction, the gold standard treatment is the end-to-end reconnection of the two nerve stumps. When it cannot be performed, the actual strategies consist of the positioning of a nerve graft between the two stumps. Guided nerve regeneration using nano-structured scaffolds is a promising strategy to promote axon regeneration. Biodegradable electrospun conduits composed of aligned nanofibers is a new class of devices used to improve neurite extension and axon outgrowth. Self assembled peptide nanofibrous scaffolds (SAPNSs) demonstrated promising results in animal models for central nervous system injuries, and, more recently, for peripheral nerve injury. Aims of this work are (1) to review electrospun and self-assembled nanofibrous scaffolds use in vitro and in vivo for peripheral nerve regeneration; and (2) its application in peripheral nerve injuries treatment. The review focused on nanofibrous scaffolds with a diameter of less than approximately 250 nm. The conjugation in a nano scale of a natural bioactive factor with a resorbable synthetic or natural material may represent the best compromise providing both biological and mechanical cues for guided nerve regeneration. Injured peripheral nerves, such as trigeminal and facial, may benefit from these treatments. Full article