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Sapoznikov A, Evgy Y, Ben-Shmuel A, Schwartz A, Alcalay R, Aftalion M, Ben David A, Erez N, Falach R. Short- and long-term outcomes of pulmonary exposure to a sublethal dose of ricin in mice. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11637. [PMID: 38773158 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62222-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Ricin, an extremely potent toxin produced from the seeds of castor plant, Ricinus communis, is ribosome-inactivating protein that blocks cell-protein synthesis. It is considered a biological threat due to worldwide availability of castor beans, massive quantities as a by-product of castor oil production, high stability and ease of production. The consequence of exposure to lethal dose of ricin was extensively described in various animal models. However, it is assumed that in case of aerosolized ricin bioterror attack, the majority of individuals would be exposed to sublethal doses rather than to lethal ones. Therefore, the purpose of current study was to assess short- and long-term effects on physiological parameters and function following sublethal pulmonary exposure. We show that in the short-term, sublethal exposure of mice to ricin resulted in acute lung injury, including interstitial pneumonia, cytokine storm, neutrophil influx, edema and cellular death. This damage was manifested in reduced lung performance and physiological function. Interestingly, although in the long-term, mice recovered from acute lung damage and restored pulmonary and physiological functionality, the reparative process was associated with lasting fibrotic lesions. Therefore, restriction of short-term acute phase of the disease and management of long-term pulmonary fibrosis by medical countermeasures is expected to facilitate the quality of life of exposed survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Sapoznikov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Yentl Evgy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Amir Ben-Shmuel
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Arieh Schwartz
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Moshe Aftalion
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Alon Ben David
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Noam Erez
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel.
| | - Reut Falach
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel.
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Cohen N, Simon I, Hazan O, Tal A, Tzadok H, Levin L, Girshengorn M, Mimran LC, Natan N, Baruhi T, David AB, Rosen O, Shmaya S, Borni S, Cohen N, Lupu E, Kedmi A, Zilberman O, Jayson A, Monash A, Dor E, Diamant E, Goldvaser M, Cohen-Gihon I, Israeli O, Lazar S, Shifman O, Beth-Din A, Zvi A, Oren Z, Makovitzki A, Lerer E, Mimran A, Toister E, Zichel R, Adar Y, Epstein E. Enhanced production yields of rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine using Fibra-Cel ® macrocarriers. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1333548. [PMID: 38449674 PMCID: PMC10915211 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1333548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to high global demand for vaccines to safeguard public health. To that end, our institute has developed a recombinant viral vector vaccine utilizing a modified vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) construct, wherein the G protein of VSV is replaced with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 (rVSV-ΔG-spike). Previous studies have demonstrated the production of a VSV-based vaccine in Vero cells adsorbed on Cytodex 1 microcarriers or in suspension. However, the titers were limited by both the carrier surface area and shear forces. Here, we describe the development of a bioprocess for rVSV-ΔG-spike production in serum-free Vero cells using porous Fibra-Cel® macrocarriers in fixed-bed BioBLU®320 5p bioreactors, leading to high-end titers. We identified core factors that significantly improved virus production, such as the kinetics of virus production, the use of macrospargers for oxygen supply, and medium replenishment. Implementing these parameters, among others, in a series of GMP production processes improved the titer yields by at least two orders of magnitude (2e9 PFU/mL) over previously reported values. The developed process was highly effective, repeatable, and robust, creating potent and genetically stable vaccine viruses and introducing new opportunities for application in other viral vaccine platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noam Cohen
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Irit Simon
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ophir Hazan
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Arnon Tal
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Hanan Tzadok
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Lilach Levin
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Meni Girshengorn
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Lilach Cherry Mimran
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Niva Natan
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Tzadok Baruhi
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Alon Ben David
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Osnat Rosen
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Shlomo Shmaya
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Sarah Borni
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Noa Cohen
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Edith Lupu
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Adi Kedmi
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Orian Zilberman
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Avital Jayson
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Arik Monash
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Dor
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Eran Diamant
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Michael Goldvaser
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Israel Institute for Biological, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Inbar Cohen-Gihon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ofir Israeli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Shirley Lazar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ohad Shifman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Adi Beth-Din
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Anat Zvi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ziv Oren
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Arik Makovitzki
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Elad Lerer
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Avishai Mimran
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Einat Toister
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ran Zichel
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Yaakov Adar
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
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3
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Ben David A, Meyer R, Mazaki-Tovi S. Infectious morbidity among group B streptococcus carriers undergoing cervical ripening with transcervical foley catheter. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.11.741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Diamant E, Torgeman A, Epstein E, Mechaly A, David AB, Levin L, Schwartz A, Dor E, Girshengorn M, Barnea A, Mazor O, Zichel R. A cell-based alternative to the mouse potency assay for pharmaceutical type E botulinum antitoxins. ALTEX 2021; 39:113-122. [PMID: 34798660 DOI: 10.14573/altex.2105251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The pharmacopeia mouse neutralization assay (PMNA) is the standard method for determining the potency of pharmaceutical botulinum antitoxins. However, a PMNA requires a large number of mice, and thus, an alternative in vitro method to replace it is needed. Herein, we developed an in vitro SiMa cell line-based neutralization assay (SBNA), compatible with a PMNA design, for therapeutic antitoxins against type E botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT/E). The SBNA measures the residual cellular activity of BoNT/E following antitoxin neutralization using a specific quantitative sandwich ELISA for its cleaved cellular target protein, i.e., SNAP-25. The potencies of pharmaceutical antitoxin preparations were determined by applying two different quantification approaches: (1) a cutoff value, in accordance with the pharmacopeia concept, and (2) nonlinear regression of a standard curve generated by serial dilutions of a standard antitoxin. Both approaches achieved accurate potencies compared to the PMNA (average %RE of ~16%). Furthermore, the SBNA was able to determine in vitro, for the first time, the accurate neutralizing activity (%RE ≤20) of next-generation equine and nonequine therapeutic antitoxins. Collectively, a high correlation between SBNA and PMNA results was obtained for all antitoxin preparations (r = 0.99, P < 0.0001 for the standard curve approach, and r = 0.97, p < 0.0001 for the cutoff approach). In conclusion, the SBNA can potentially replace the PMNA and markedly reduce the need for laboratory animals for the approval of botulinum antitoxin preparations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eran Diamant
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Amram Torgeman
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Adva Mechaly
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Alon Ben David
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Lilach Levin
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Arieh Schwartz
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Dor
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Meni Girshengorn
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ada Barnea
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ran Zichel
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
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5
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Torgeman A, Diamant E, Dor E, Schwartz A, Baruchi T, Ben David A, Zichel R. A Rabbit Model for the Evaluation of Drugs for Treating the Chronic Phase of Botulism. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13100679. [PMID: 34678971 PMCID: PMC8537128 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13100679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Antitoxin, the only licensed drug therapy for botulism, neutralizes circulating botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT). However, antitoxin is no longer effective when a critical amount of BoNT has already entered its target nerve cells. The outcome is a chronic phase of botulism that is characterized by prolonged paralysis. In this stage, blocking toxin activity within cells by next-generation intraneuronal anti-botulinum drugs (INABDs) may shorten the chronic phase of the disease and accelerate recovery. However, there is a lack of adequate animal models that simulate the chronic phase of botulism for evaluating the efficacy of INABDs. Herein, we report the development of a rabbit model for the chronic phase of botulism, induced by intoxication with a sublethal dose of BoNT. Spirometry monitoring enabled us to detect deviations from normal respiration and to quantitatively define the time to symptom onset and disease duration. A 0.85 rabbit intramuscular median lethal dose of BoNT/A elicited the most consistent and prolonged disease duration (mean = 11.8 days, relative standard deviation = 27.9%) that still enabled spontaneous recovery. Post-exposure treatment with antitoxin at various time points significantly shortened the disease duration, providing a proof of concept that the new model is adequate for evaluating novel therapeutics for botulism.
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Dor E, David T, Dekel Jaoui H, Schwartz A, Baruchi T, Torgeman A, Ben David A, Rosen O, Tal A, Rosner A, Zichel R, Diamant E. A Rabbit Model for Prolonged Continuous Intravenous Infusion Via a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:637792. [PMID: 33897426 PMCID: PMC8061032 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.637792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Medical treatment may require the continuous intravenous (IV) infusion of drugs to sustain the therapeutic blood concentration and to minimize dosing errors. Animal disease models that ultimately mimic the intended use of new potential drugs via a continuous IV infusion in unrestrained, free roaming animals are required. While peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) and other central line techniques for prolonged IV infusion of drugs are prevalent in the clinic, continuous IV infusion methods in an animal model are challenging and limited. In most cases, continuous IV infusion methods require surgical knowledge as well as expensive and complicated equipment. In the current work, we established a novel rabbit model for prolonged continuous IV infusion by inserting a PICC line from the marginal ear vein to the superior vena cava and connecting it to an externally carried ambulatory infusion pump. Either saline or a clinically relevant formulation could be steadily and continuously infused at 3–6 ml/h for 11 consecutive days into freely moving rabbits while maintaining normal body temperature, weight, and respiration physiology, as determined by daily spirometry. This new model is simple to execute and can advance the ability to administer and test new drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Dor
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Tseela David
- Veterinary Center for Pre-clinical Research, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Hani Dekel Jaoui
- Veterinary Center for Pre-clinical Research, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Arieh Schwartz
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Tzadok Baruchi
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Amram Torgeman
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Alon Ben David
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Osnat Rosen
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Arnon Tal
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Amir Rosner
- Veterinary Center for Pre-clinical Research, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ran Zichel
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Eran Diamant
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
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7
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Falach R, Sapoznikov A, Evgy Y, Aftalion M, Makovitzki A, Agami A, Mimran A, Lerer E, Ben David A, Zichel R, Katalan S, Rosner A, Sabo T, Kronman C, Gal Y. Post-Exposure Anti-Ricin Treatment Protects Swine Against Lethal Systemic and Pulmonary Exposures. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12060354. [PMID: 32481526 PMCID: PMC7354453 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12060354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Ricin, a plant-derived toxin originating from the seeds of Ricinus communis (castor bean plant), is one of the most lethal toxins known. To date, there is no approved post-exposure therapy for ricin exposures. This work demonstrates for the first time the therapeutic efficacy of equine-derived anti-ricin F(ab’)2 antibodies against lethal pulmonary and systemic ricin exposures in swine. While administration of the antitoxin at 18 h post-exposure protected more than 80% of both intratracheally and intramuscularly ricin-intoxicated swine, treatment at 24 h post-exposure protected 58% of the intramuscular-exposed swine, as opposed to 26% of the intratracheally exposed animals. Quantitation of the anti-ricin neutralizing units in the anti-toxin preparations confirmed that the disparate protection conferred to swine subjected to the two routes of exposure stems from variance between the two models. Furthermore, dose response experiments showed that approximately 3 times lesser amounts of antibody are needed for high-level protection of the intramuscularly compared to the intratracheally intoxicated swine. This study, which demonstrates the high-level post-exposure efficacy of anti-ricin antitoxin at clinically relevant time-points in a large animal model, can serve as the basis for the formulation of post-exposure countermeasures against ricin poisoning in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reut Falach
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (R.F.); (A.S.); (Y.E.); (M.A.); (T.S.)
| | - Anita Sapoznikov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (R.F.); (A.S.); (Y.E.); (M.A.); (T.S.)
| | - Yentl Evgy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (R.F.); (A.S.); (Y.E.); (M.A.); (T.S.)
| | - Moshe Aftalion
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (R.F.); (A.S.); (Y.E.); (M.A.); (T.S.)
| | - Arik Makovitzki
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (A.M.); (A.A.); (A.M.); (E.L.); (A.B.D.); (R.Z.)
| | - Avi Agami
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (A.M.); (A.A.); (A.M.); (E.L.); (A.B.D.); (R.Z.)
| | - Avishai Mimran
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (A.M.); (A.A.); (A.M.); (E.L.); (A.B.D.); (R.Z.)
| | - Elad Lerer
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (A.M.); (A.A.); (A.M.); (E.L.); (A.B.D.); (R.Z.)
| | - Alon Ben David
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (A.M.); (A.A.); (A.M.); (E.L.); (A.B.D.); (R.Z.)
| | - Ran Zichel
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (A.M.); (A.A.); (A.M.); (E.L.); (A.B.D.); (R.Z.)
| | - Shahaf Katalan
- Department of Pharmacology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel;
| | - Amir Rosner
- Veterinary Center for Preclinical Research, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel;
| | - Tamar Sabo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (R.F.); (A.S.); (Y.E.); (M.A.); (T.S.)
| | - Chanoch Kronman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (R.F.); (A.S.); (Y.E.); (M.A.); (T.S.)
- Correspondence: (C.K.); (Y.G.); Tel.: +972–8–9381522 (C.K.); +972–8–9381479 (Y.G.)
| | - Yoav Gal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100, Israel; (R.F.); (A.S.); (Y.E.); (M.A.); (T.S.)
- Correspondence: (C.K.); (Y.G.); Tel.: +972–8–9381522 (C.K.); +972–8–9381479 (Y.G.)
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Torgeman A, Schwartz A, Diamant E, Baruchi T, Dor E, Ben David A, Pass A, Barnea A, Tal A, Rosner A, Rosen O, Zichel R. Studying the differential efficacy of postsymptom antitoxin treatment in type A versus type B botulism using a rabbit spirometry model. Dis Model Mech 2018; 11:dmm.035089. [PMID: 30115749 PMCID: PMC6177009 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.035089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) serotypes A, B and E are responsible for most cases of human botulism. The only approved therapy for botulism is antitoxin treatment administered to patients after symptom onset. However, a recent meta-analysis of antitoxin efficacy in human botulism cases over the past century concluded that a statistically significant reduction in mortality is associated with the use of type E and type A antitoxin, but not with type B antitoxin. Animal models could be highly valuable in studying postsymptom antitoxin efficacy (PSAE). However, the few attempts to evaluate PSAE in animals relied on subjective observations and showed ∼50% protection. Recently, we developed a novel spirometry model for the quantitative evaluation of PSAE in rabbits and used it to demonstrate full protection against BoNT/E. In the current study, a comparative evaluation of PSAE in botulism types A and B was conducted using this quantitative respiratory model. A lethal dose of each toxin induced a comparable course of disease both in terms of time to symptoms (TTS, 41.9±1.3 and 40.6±1.1 h, respectively) and of time to death (TTD, 71.3±3.1 and 66.3±1.7 h, respectively). However, in accordance with the differential serotypic PSAE observed in humans, postsymptom antitoxin treatment was fully effective only in BoNT/A-intoxicated rabbits. This serotypic divergence was reflected by a positive and statistically significant correlation between TTS and TTD in BoNT/A-intoxicated rabbits (r=0.91, P=0.0006), but not in those intoxicated with BoNT/B (r=0.06, P=0.88). The rabbit spirometry system might be useful in the evaluation toolkit of botulism therapeutics, including those under development and intended to act when antitoxin is no longer effective. Summary: Here, we used a quantitative rabbit respiratory model to study the human-related, differential antitoxin efficacy observed in type A and type B botulism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amram Torgeman
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Arieh Schwartz
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Eran Diamant
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Tzadok Baruchi
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Eyal Dor
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Alon Ben David
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Avi Pass
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Ada Barnea
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Arnon Tal
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Amir Rosner
- The Veterinary Center for Pre-clinical Research, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Osnat Rosen
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
| | - Ran Zichel
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel
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9
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Torgeman A, Ozeri E, Ben David A, Diamant E, Rosen O, Schwartz A, Barnea A, Makovitzki A, Mimran A, Zichel R. Role of Homologous Fc Fragment in the Potency and Efficacy of Anti-Botulinum Antibody Preparations. Toxins (Basel) 2017; 9:toxins9060180. [PMID: 28555060 PMCID: PMC5488030 DOI: 10.3390/toxins9060180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The only approved treatment for botulism relies on passive immunity which is mostly based on antibody preparations collected from hyper-immune horses. The IgG Fc fragment is commonly removed from these heterologous preparations to reduce the incidence of hyper-sensitivity reactions. New-generation therapies entering the pipeline are based on a combination of humanized monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), which exhibit improved safety and pharmacokinetics. In the current study, a systematic and quantitative approach was applied to measure the direct contribution of homologous Fc to the potency of monoclonal and polyclonal antitoxin preparations in mice. Homologous Fc increased the potency of three individual anti-botulinum toxin MAbs by up to one order of magnitude. Moreover, Fc fragment removal almost completely abolished the synergistic potency obtained from a combined preparation of these three MAbs. The MAb mixture neutralized a 400-mouse median lethal dose (MsLD50) of botulinum toxin, whereas the F(ab′)2 combination failed to neutralize 10 MsLD50 of botulinum toxin. Notably, increased avidity did not compensate for this phenomenon, as a polyclonal, hyper-immune, homologous preparation lost 90% of its potency as well upon Fc removal. Finally, the addition of homologous Fc arms to a heterologous pharmaceutical anti-botulinum toxin polyclonal horse F(ab′)2 preparation improved its efficacy when administered to intoxicated symptomatic mice. Our study extends the aspects by which switching from animal-based to human-based antitoxins will improve not only the safety but also the potency and efficacy of passive immunity against toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amram Torgeman
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel.
| | - Eyal Ozeri
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel.
| | - Alon Ben David
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel.
| | - Eran Diamant
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel.
| | - Osnat Rosen
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel.
| | - Arieh Schwartz
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel.
| | - Ada Barnea
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel.
| | - Arik Makovitzki
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel.
| | - Avishai Mimran
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel.
| | - Ran Zichel
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona 7410001, Israel.
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Rosen O, Feldberg L, Gura S, Brosh-Nissimov T, Guri A, Zimhony O, Shapiro E, Beth-Din A, Stein D, Ozeri E, Barnea A, Turgeman A, Ben David A, Schwartz A, Elhanany E, Diamant E, Yitzhaki S, Zichel R. Early, Real-Time Medical Diagnosis of Botulism by Endopeptidase-Mass Spectrometry. Clin Infect Dis 2015; 61:e58-61. [PMID: 26420800 DOI: 10.1093/cid/civ861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Botulinum toxin was detected in patient serum using Endopeptidase-mass-spectrometry assay, although all conventional tests provided negative results. Antitoxin was administered, resulting in patient improvement. Implementing this highly sensitive and rapid assay will improve preparedness for foodborne botulism and deliberate exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tal Brosh-Nissimov
- CBRN Medicine Branch, Medical Corps HQ, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona
| | | | | | - Eli Shapiro
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot
| | - Adi Beth-Din
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
| | - Dana Stein
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Shmuel Yitzhaki
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
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11
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Ben David A, Torgeman A, Barnea A, Zichel R. Expression, purification and characterization of the receptor-binding domain of botulinum neurotoxin serotype B as a vaccine candidate. Protein Expr Purif 2015; 110:122-9. [PMID: 25727047 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2015.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The receptor-binding domain of botulinum neurotoxins (the HC fragment) is a promising vaccine candidate. Among the HC fragments of the seven BoNT serotypes, the expression of HC/B in Escherichia coli is considered especially challenging due to its accumulation as a non-soluble protein aggregate. In this study, the effects of different parameters on the expression of soluble HC/B were evaluated using a screening assay that included growing the bacterium at a small scale, a chemical cell lysis step, and a specific ELISA. The highest soluble HC/B expression levels were obtained when the bacterium E. coli BL21(DE3)+pET-9a-HC/B was grown in terrific broth media at 18°C without induction. Under these conditions, the yield was an order of magnitude higher than previously reported. Standard purification of the protein using a nickel column resulted in a low purity of HC/B. However, the addition of an acidic wash step prior to protein elution released a major protein contaminant and significantly increased the purity level. Mass spectrometry analysis identified the contaminant as ArnA, an E. coli protein that often contaminates recombinant His-tagged protein preparations. The purified HC/B was highly immunogenic, protecting mice from a 10(6) LD50 challenge after a single vaccination and generating a neutralizing titer of 50IU/ml after three immunizations. Moreover, the functionality of the protein was preserved, as it inhibited BoNT/B intoxication in vivo, presumably due to blockade of the neurotoxin protein receptor synaptotagmin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alon Ben David
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Amram Torgeman
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ada Barnea
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ran Zichel
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel.
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12
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Diamant E, Lachmi BE, Keren A, Barnea A, Marcus H, Cohen S, David AB, Zichel R. Evaluating the synergistic neutralizing effect of anti-botulinum oligoclonal antibody preparations. PLoS One 2014; 9:e87089. [PMID: 24475231 PMCID: PMC3903612 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) are considered some of the most lethal known substances. There are seven botulinum serotypes, of which types A, B and E cause most human botulism cases. Anti-botulinum polyclonal antibodies (PAbs) are currently used for both detection and treatment of the disease. However, significant improvements in immunoassay specificity and treatment safety may be made using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). In this study, we present an approach for the simultaneous generation of highly specific and neutralizing MAbs against botulinum serotypes A, B, and E in a single process. The approach relies on immunization of mice with a trivalent mixture of recombinant C-terminal fragment (Hc) of each of the three neurotoxins, followed by a parallel differential robotic hybridoma screening. This strategy enabled the cloning of seven to nine MAbs against each serotype. The majority of the MAbs possessed higher anti-botulinum ELISA titers than anti-botulinum PAbs and had up to five orders of magnitude greater specificity. When tested for their potency in mice, neutralizing MAbs were obtained for all three serotypes and protected against toxin doses of 10 MsLD50-500 MsLD50. A strong synergistic effect of up to 400-fold enhancement in the neutralizing activity was observed when serotype-specific MAbs were combined. Furthermore, the highly protective oligoclonal combinations were as potent as a horse-derived PAb pharmaceutical preparation. Interestingly, MAbs that failed to demonstrate individual neutralizing activity were observed to make a significant contribution to the synergistic effect in the oligoclonal preparation. Together, the trivalent immunization strategy and differential screening approach enabled us to generate highly specific MAbs against each of the A, B, and E BoNTs. These new MAbs may possess diagnostic and therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eran Diamant
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Bat-El Lachmi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Adi Keren
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ada Barnea
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Hadar Marcus
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Shoshana Cohen
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Alon Ben David
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ran Zichel
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
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13
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Czjzek M, Ben David A, Bravman T, Shoham G, Henrissat B, Shoham Y. Enzyme–Substrate Complex Structures of a GH39 β-Xylosidase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus. J Mol Biol 2005; 353:838-46. [PMID: 16212978 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2005.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2005] [Revised: 08/31/2005] [Accepted: 09/01/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Beta-D-Xylosidases are glycoside hydrolases that catalyse the release of xylose units from short xylooligosaccharides and are engaged in the final breakdown of plant cell-wall hemicelluloses. beta-D-Xylosidases are found in glycoside hydrolase families 3, 39, 43, 52 and 54. The first crystal structure of a GH39 beta-xylosidase revealed a multi-domain organization with the catalytic domain having the canonical (beta/alpha)8 barrel fold. Here, we report the crystal structure of the GH39 Geobacillus stearothermophilus beta-D-xylosidase, inactivated by a point mutation of the general acid-base residue E160A, in complex with the chromogenic substrate molecule 2,5-dinitrophenyl-beta-D-xyloside. Surprisingly, six of the eight active sites present in the crystallographic asymmetric unit contain the trapped covalent glycosyl-enzyme intermediate, while two of them still contain the uncleaved substrate. The structural characterization of these two critical species along the reaction coordinate of this enzyme identifies the residues forming its xyloside-binding pocket as well as those essential for its aglycone recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam Czjzek
- Station Biologique de Roscoff, Végétaux Marins et Biomolécules, UMR7139-CNRS-UPMC, Place George Teissier, BP74, 29682 Roscoff, France.
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14
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David AB. Confidentiality of medical records. Br Med J 1978; 2:56-7. [PMID: 678815 PMCID: PMC1605745 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.2.6129.56-c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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15
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Schwartz S, David AB. Responsibility and helping in an emergency: effects of blame, ability and denial of responsibility. Sociometry 1976; 39:406-15. [PMID: 1006361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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16
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Carifi VG, Ohanion ML, David AB, Greenlaw R, Rush BF. Results of high dose radiation and surgery in the treatment of advanced cancer of the head and neck. Am J Surg 1974; 128:580-2. [PMID: 4214076 DOI: 10.1016/0002-9610(74)90279-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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17
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Marcus ZH, Braf Z, David AB, Nebel L, Kalff M, van Leewen A, van den Tweel JC, van Hooff JP, van Rood JJ. Leucocyte migration test in human renal allograft. Immunol Commun 1974; 3:205-17. [PMID: 4606760 DOI: 10.3109/08820137409057318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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