Data suggest that the O-specific polysaccharide (O-SP) domain of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) ofShigella species is both an essential virulence factor and a protective antigen and that a critical level of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) to this antigen will confer immunity to shigellosis. Because covalent attachment of polysaccharides to proteins increases their immunogenicity, especially in infants and in young children, the O-SP of Shigella species were bound to medically useful proteins, and the safety and immunogenicity of the resultant conjugates were confirmed in adults and 4-to 7-year-old children. Succinylation of the carrier protein improved the immunogenicity of Shigella conjugates in mice and increased their yield. Based on these results, a clinical trial of O-SP conjugates of Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri 2a bound to succinylated mutant Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (rEPA succ ) or native or succinylated Corynebacterium diphtheriae toxin mutant (CRM9 or CRM9 succ ) was conducted in healthy adults. The conjugates were safe and immunogenic. S. sonnei-CRM9, S. sonnei-CRM9 succ , and S. sonnei-rEPA succ elicited significant rises of geometric mean (GM) IgG anti-LPS within 1 week of injection (P < 0.001). At 26 weeks, the GM anti-LPS levels elicited by these three conjugates were similar and higher than their prevaccination levels (P < 0.0001). GM IgG anti-LPS levels elicited by S. flexneri 2a-rEPA succ were significantly higher than those elicited by S. flexneri 2a-rCRM9 succ at all intervals after injection. At 26 weeks, the levels of IgG anti-LPS in vaccinees were higher than their prevaccination levels (P < 0.0001). The serum antibody responses were specific, as there was no significant rise of anti-LPS to the heterologous O-SP in any vaccinee. Both conjugates elicited statistically significant rises of serum antibodies to the injected carrier protein. At 6 months, these five Shigella conjugates elicited higher fold rises than similar conjugates (D. N. Taylor et al., Infect. Immun. 61:3678-3687, 1993). Based on these data, we chose S. sonnei-CRM9 and S. flexneri 2a-rEPA succ for evaluation in children.

Objective To estimate whether prenatal treatment with neuroprotective peptides prevent the developmental delay and the glial deficit in the Ts65Dn mouse model for Down syndrome, and to explore the peptides effects on achievement of normal development. Methods Pregnant Ts65Dn females were randomly assigned to NAPVSIPQ+ SALLRSIPA or control and were treated by investigators blinded to treatment and genotype on gestational days 8–12. Offspring were tested from postnatal day (P) 5 to 21 for motor and sensory milestones with standardized tests by operators blinded to the pup’s treatment and genotype. The pup’s genotype was determined after completion of all tests. Activity-dependent-neurotrophic-factor, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and vasoactive intestinal peptide expression were determined using real time polymerase chain reaction. Results Trisomic (Ts) mice achieved milestones with a significant delay in 4 of 5 motor and sensory milestones. Ts mice that were prenatally exposed to NAPVSIPQ+SALLRSIPA achieved developmental milestones at the same time as the controls in 3 of 4 motor and 1 of 4 sensory milestones (p<0.01). Euploid pups prenatally treated with NAPVSIPQ+SALLRSIPA achieved developmental milestones significantly earlier than the euploid pups prenatally treated with placebo. Activity-dependent-neurotrophic-factor, expression was significantly downregulated in the Ts65Dn brains versus the controls, prenatal treatment with NAPVSIPQ+SALLRSIPA prevented the activity-dependent-neurotrophic-factor, decrease in the Ts65Dn brains, and the expression was not different from the controls. The glial marker glial fibrillary acidic protein demonstrated the known glial deficit in the Ts65Dn mice, and treatment with NAPVSIPQ+SALLRSIPA prevented its downregulation. Lastly, vasoactive intestinal peptide levels were increased in the Ts brains, while treatment with NAPVSIPQ+SALLRSIPA did not prevent its upregulation. Conclusions Prenatal treatment with NAPVSIPQ and SALLRSIPA prevented developmental delay and the glial deficit in Down syndrome. These findings highlight a possibility for the prevention of developmental sequelae in Down syndrome and suggest a potential intervention during pregnancy that may improve the outcome.

We previously reported children homozygous for two MC3R sequence variants (C17A+G241A) have greater fat mass than controls. Here we show, using homozygous knock-in mouse models in which we replace murine Mc3r with wild-type human (MC3RhWT/hWT) and double-mutant (C17A+G241A) human (MC3RhDM/hDM) MC3R, that MC3RhDM/hDM have greater weight and fat mass, increased energy intake and feeding efficiency, but reduced length and fat-free mass compared with MC3RhWT/hWT. MC3RhDM/hDM mice do not have increased adipose tissue inflammatory cell infiltration or greater expression of inflammatory markers despite their greater fat mass. Serum adiponectin levels are increased in MC3RhDM/hDM mice and MC3RhDM/hDM human subjects. MC3RhDM/hDM bone- and adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiate into adipocytes that accumulate more triglyceride than MC3RhWT/hWT MSCs. MC3RhDM/hDM impacts nutrient partitioning to generate increased adipose tissue that appears metabolically healthy. These data confirm the importance of MC3R signalling in human metabolism and suggest a previously-unrecognized role for the MC3R in adipose tissue development.

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