Main Menu

CDC researchers have developed a potent immunogenic enhancer polypeptide useful for improving flavivirus vaccines. Flaviviruses such as dengue virus (1, 2, 3 and 4), Japanese encephalitis virus, Murray Valley encephalitis virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, yellow fever virus and tick-borne encephalitis virus are a great burden on public health. This technology describes an identified CD4+ T cell epitope occurring within the E-glycoprotein of West Nile virus and methods of using this polypeptide to increase vaccine immunogenicity in monovalent vaccines.

This CDC-developed technology entails a nucleic acid-based HIV-2 in vitro diagnostic assay that is well-suited for use in mobile testing units/vehicles or resource-limited settings, for example, many areas of West Africa. Because HIV-2 requires unique treatment regimens, accurate, early diagnosis is crucial for effective care and directing treatment. Recently, new HIV testing recommendations have been proposed for laboratory settings, which include the use of a HIV-1/HIV-2 discriminatory assay.

CDC researchers have developed improved Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assays for the nucleic acid-based diagnosis of malaria in field settings. The approach employs Plasmodium genus-specific LAMP primers and a portable tube scanner to run the LAMP reaction and measure fluorescence signal (e.g., SYBR green) as a measure of DNA amplification in real time. Using this platform, the researchers were able to detect several different species of the human malaria parasites.

CDC scientists have developed a device for simultaneous rapid diagnosis of HIV infection and for identification of recent HIV-1 infection. The device utilizes immunochromatographic or flow-through principles to detect HIV antibodies within clinical samples. This device may be used for diagnosis of HIV infection, as well as to distinguish between recent infection (6 months) and long-term infection (>1 year).

CDC researchers have identified and characterized discrete flavivirus cross-reactive epitopes useful for improving serodiagnosis and vaccination of flaviviruses, such as dengue virus, yellow fever virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus and the tick-borne encephalitis viruses.

CDC researchers have developed a bead-based nucleic acid assay for serotyping members of the Salmonella genus; this assay will identify serotypes for approximately 95% of all human-obtained Salmonella isolates in the United States.

This CDC-developed technology entails novel compositions and methods related to the diagnosis of Lyme disease. Lyme disease, caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium, is the most common tick-borne infectious disease in the US and Europe. Diagnosis of Lyme disease is particularly challenging as symptoms often appear long after exposure. At present, the only FDA-approved diagnostic for Lyme disease involves patient blood tests for particular antibodies; these include an ELISA to measure patient antibody levels and a Western blot assay to detect antibodies specific to B.

This CDC-developed invention relates to dengue vaccines that have been specifically developed for improved efficacy and directed immune response to avoid antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) safety issues that, theoretically, may be associated with dengue vaccines and vaccinations. Dengue viral infection typically causes a debilitating but non-lethal illness in hosts.

This CDC-developed invention pertains to multivalent antigenic peptides (MAPs) that can be used in a variety of HIV/AIDS diagnostics. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is subdivided into groups M, N, and O, while HIV-2 is subdivided into subtypes A and B. Within HIV -1 group M, several different subtypes and numerous forms of recombinant viruses exist. To detect all types, groups, and subtypes of HIV by serological methods, a mixture of antigens derived from different viral strains representing different HIV types and subtypes is needed.

CDC researchers have developed an in vitro model system designed to simulate early-stage Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and induced granuloma formation. This modeling platform can be used for studying tuberculosis pathogenicity, identifying phenotypically-interesting clinical isolates, studying early-stage host cytokine/chemokine responses, and in vitro candidate-drug screening.