Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease transmitted by female sand flies infected with Leishmania parasites. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is primarily caused by Leishmania major in the Old World and typically manifests as skin ulcers. The carbohydrate-rich molecules on the surface of Leishmania are crucial for the parasite's infectivity in the vertebrate host and vector. Among these, galactose moieties have been identified as promising targets for vaccines against leishmaniasis. This study investigates the potential of human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting α-Gal to prevent L major infection. Our results demonstrate that α-Gal-specific mAbs effectively bind to and agglutinate metacyclic and procyclic L major promastigotes. To assess the protective efficacy of these mAbs, we challenged α1,3-galactosyltransferase-deficient mice with L major. The mAb AG030 significantly delayed the onset of skin lesions and reduced the parasite burden. These findings provide proof of principle that α-Gal-targeting mAbs could serve as an intervention to prevent cutaneous leishmaniasis.
Catheterization and cardiovascular interventions : official journal of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions •
The aim of this study is to present the mid-term outcomes of Pulsta valve. The Pulsta valve is a Self-expandable knitted nitinol-wire stent mounted with a treated tri-leaflet α-Gal-free porcine pericardial valve for percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) in patients with native right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) lesions. A multi-center clinical trial using Pulsta valve® was designed for patients with severe pulmonary regurgitation (PR) in the native RVOT in multiple centers in South Korea and 25 patients were enrolled. Before PPVI, severe PR (mean PR fraction: 45.5 ± 6.9%) and enlarged RV volume (mean indexed RV end-diastolic volume; 169.7 ± 13.0 ml/m ) was present. The mean age was 21.6 ± 6.6 years old. All patients were successfully implanted with 26, 28, or 32 mm diameter of Pulsta valve loaded on the 18 or 20 French delivery catheters. At 6 months follow up, indexed RV end-diastolic volume was decreased to 126.9 ± 16.9 ml/m . At mean 33.1 ± 14.3 months follow-up, the mean value of mean pressure gradient in Pulsta valve was 6.5 ± 3.0 mmhg without significant PR. There was no serious device-related adverse event. A multi-center clinical trial was completed successfully with planned Pulsta valve implantation and demonstrated good mid-term effectiveness without device-related serious adverse events.