Osong Medical Innovation Foundation

Recurrent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5Nx viruses in birds pose a threat to human health due to their zoonotic potential. This underscores the urgent need for effective vaccines to mitigate the pandemic risk from evolving H5Nx viruses. We developed a DNA vaccine encoding a consensus hemagglutinin (HA) from clade 2.3.4.4 H5Nx viruses [pGX-27/HA (2.3.4.4)] and evaluated its immunogenicity and protective efficacy in mice and ferrets. Vaccination elicited strong neutralizing antibody and T cell responses, protecting mice against lethal challenge with homologous viruses. Unlike formalin-inactivated vaccines, the DNA vaccine conferred CD8⁺ T cell-mediated cross-protection against divergent clades 2.2.1.2 and 2.3.2.1. In ferrets, the vaccine induced neutralizing antibodies and conferred protective immunity, indicating translational potential. These results suggest that the HA (2.3.4.4) DNA vaccine provides broad immunity against multiple H5Nx clades and offers insights for developing next-generation vaccines against potential zoonotic influenza threats.

Endotracheal tube intubation is required for surgery under inhalation anesthesia. In the present study, after inhalation anesthesia in dogs, the tracheal tube was extubated without deflating the endotracheal tube cuff, resulting in thoracic tracheal rupture, subcutaneous emphysema, and pneumomediastinum. The ruptured thoracic trachea was reconstructed using an endotracheal stent to treat intrathoracic emphysema.

A double-wire woven nitinol stent was handmade using a cross-and-hook knitting method. The fabricated endotracheal stent was 2-3 mm larger than the internal diameter of the ruptured trachea. The clinical signs and respiratory pattern, image diagnoses (radiography and computed tomography), and tracheoscopy results after endotracheal stenting were assessed for six months.

The lateral cervical radiographs showed that the intratracheal stent was properly placed without migration or stent fracture at the insertion site. After two to three weeks of tracheal stenting, the coughing and dyspnea signs revolved, and the normal activities in all dogs were resumed.

The double-wire braided nitinol stent showed no migration or deformation in the canine trachea. These results suggest that the nitinol stent is compatible with the canine tracheal structure and has flexibility with an adequate radial force.

Lead (Pb) exposure in children and adolescents poses a significant public health risk due to its potential neurotoxic effects. While high-level Pb exposure is known to impair learning and cognition, the behavioral and molecular consequences of low-level Pb exposure during developmental periods remain poorly understood. This study examined behavioral and neurochemical changes in mice exposed to Pb acetate exposure via drinking water from 4 to 8 weeks of age, corresponding to the juvenile through early adult developmental stages in mice. Mice exposed to 30 mg/L resulting in blood lead levels (BLLs) of 1.26 ± 0.089 µg/dL, while the 300 mg/L group, included as a neurotoxic reference, displayed BLLs exceeding 10 μg/dL. Behaviorally, exposure to 30 mg/L Pb did not affect locomotor activity, however, mice exposed to 300 mg/L exhibited hyperactivity and impaired nesting. Notably, impulsive and compulsive behaviors were significantly altered even at 30 mg/L. Neurochemically, qPCR and Western blotting analysis revealed downregulation of DOPA decarboxylase (Ddc), an enzyme crucial for dopamine synthesis, alongside decreased dopamine levels in the striatum. Pb exposure also disrupted striatal dopaminergic signals, including tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine D2 receptors (D2R). These findings suggest that even low-level Pb exposure can lead to behavioral dysfunctions by disrupting striatal dopaminergic signaling, highlighting a previously underexplored mechanism of Pb neurotoxicity.