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Interferons (IFNs) are cytokines involved in the immune response that act on innate and adaptive immunity. These proteins are natural cell-signaling glycoproteins expressed in response to viral infections, tumors, and biological inducers and constitute the first line of defense of vertebrates against infectious agents. They have been marketed for more than 30 years with considerable impact on the global therapeutic protein market thanks to their diversity in terms of biological activities. They have been used as single agents or with combination treatment regimens, demonstrating promising clinical results, resulting in 22 different formulations approved by regulatory agencies. The 163 clinical trials with currently active IFNs reinforce their importance as therapeutics for human health. However, their application has presented difficulties due to the molecules’ size, sensitivity to degradation, and rapid elimination from the bloodstream. For some years now, work has been underway to obtain new drug delivery systems to provide adequate therapeutic concentrations for these cytokines, decrease their toxicity and prolong their half-life in the circulation. Although different research groups have presented various formulations that encapsulate IFNs, to date, there is no formulation approved for use in humans. The current review exhibits an updated summary of all encapsulation forms presented in the scientific literature for IFN-α, IFN-ß, and IFN-γ, from the year 1996 to the year 2021, considering parameters such as: encapsulating matrix, route of administration, target, advantages, and disadvantages of each formulation.

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Erythropoietin is a glycoproteic hormone that regulates hematopoiesis by acting on its specific receptor (EpoR). The expression of EpoR in the central nervous system (CNS) suggests a role for this hormone in the brain. Recently, we developed a new Epo variant without hematopoietic activity called EpoL, which showed marked neuroprotective effects against oxidative stress in brain ischemia related models. In this study, we have evaluated the neuroprotective effects of EpoL against oxidative stress induced by chronic treatment with A β . Our results show that EpoL was neuroprotective against A β -induced toxicity by a mechanism that implicates EpoR, reduction in reactive oxygen species, and reduction in astrogliosis. Furthermore, EpoL treatment improved calcium handling and SV2 levels. Interestingly, the neuroprotective effect of EpoL against oxidative stress induced by chronic A β treatment was achieved at a concentration 10 times lower than that of Epo. In conclusion, EpoL, a new variant of Epo without hematopoietic activity, is of potential interest for the treatment of diseases related to oxidative stress in the CNS such as Alzheimer disease.

e Subunit recombinant vaccines against classical swine fever virus (CSFV) are a promising alternative to overcome practical and biosafety issues with inactivated vaccines. One of the strategies in evaluation under field conditions is the use of a new marker E2-based vaccine produced in the milk of adenovirally transduced goats. Previously we had demonstrated the efficacy of this antigen, which conferred early protection and long-lasting immunity in swine against CSFV infection. Here, we have used a simpler downstream process to obtain and formulate the recombinant E2 glycoprotein expressed in the mammary gland. The expression levels reached approximately 1.7 mg/ml, and instead of chromatographic separation of the antigen, we utilized a clarification process that eliminates the fat content, retains a minor amount of caseins, and includes an adenoviral inactivation step that improves the biosafety of the final formulation. In a vaccination and challenge experiment in swine, different doses of the E2 antigen contained within the clarified whey generated an effective immune response of neutralizing antibodies that protected all of the animals against a lethal challenge with CSFV. During the immunization and after challenge, the swine were monitored for adverse reactions related to the vaccine or symptoms of CSF, respectively. No adverse reactions or clinical signs of disease were observed in vaccinated animals, in which no replication of CSFV could be detected after challenge. Overall, we consider that the simplicity of the procedures proposed here is a further step toward the introduction and implementation of a commercial subunit vaccine against CSF.