Transgenic Mouse Models for Studying HLA-B57:01 and HLA-B15:02 Linked Immune Responses and Hypersensitivity Reactions

Transgenic mouse models expressing human HLA-B57:01 and HLA-B15:02 molecules have emerged as invaluable tools for unraveling the intricacies of immune responses and hypersensitivity reactions. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) encoded proteins play a pivotal role in the immune system by presenting peptide fragments to T lymphocytes, and HLA-B57:01 has been associated with severe hypersensitivity reactions triggered by abacavir, a widely used anti-retroviral drug.

Meningitis Vaccine Designed for Use in sSb-Saharan Africa

Meningitis A is a devastating disease afflicting 26 countries in Africa’s meningitis belt across sub-Saharan Africa.  Thousands of people would die or be disabled each year, such as the 1996-97 epidemic when 25,000 were killed and a quarter million afflicted.  The disease primarily afflicts young adults and children, leaving many wage earners with permanent brain damage.  The Meningitis Vaccine Program (MVP) was formed by the health non-profit PATH, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Health Organization to combat this epidemic.