Introduction and objective: The aim of the study was to analyze available literature on the development of biological warfare and combating the SARS CoV-2 pandemic. Against the background of contemporary threats from biological factors, the strengths and weaknesses of response in the event of a...

In a few months, the SARS-CoV-2 virus caused a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. In Poland, 6 million cases of the disease and 113,000 deaths from COVID-19 have been reported. Healthcare workers (HCWs) constitute one of the main COVID-19 risk groups. The Microblot-Array COVID-19 IgG assay was used to detect antibodies against three major SARS-CoV-2 antigens: nucleocapsid (NCP), RBD, and Spike 2 (S2). The aim of our study was to determine the seroprevalence and titer of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies—NCP, RBD, and S2—as markers of the humoral response in vaccinated and unvaccinated HCWs. The study included 203 persons who were divided into four groups: “COVID-19 Vaccinated”, “COVID-19 Unvaccinated”, “Non-COVID-19 Vaccinated”, and “Non-COVID-19 Unvaccinated”. The obtained results indicate that both seroprevalence and the antibody titer are the highest in the “COVID-19 Vaccinated” group. There is no so-called sterile vaccination, and after 6 months from the second dose of vaccine, most vaccinated people have a fairly high level of antibodies. We suggest that multiple vaccination and continuous testing are necessary. The Microblot-Array assay can distinguish between antibodies acquired after infection and/or vaccination.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus caused a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. So far, 6,120,834 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 116,773 deaths have been reported in Poland. According to WHO, a total of 54,662,485 vaccine doses have been administered. New variants emerge that become dominant. The aim of this study was a comparison of antibody level after infection caused by Delta and Omicron variants. The study included 203 persons who underwent mild COVID-19 despite two doses of vaccine. The obtained results indicate that a significantly lower titer was observed in patients with the Omicron variant infection. Therefore, these patients may be at risk of reinfection with new strains of the Omicron variant. Due to the possibility of reinfection, booster vaccinations are necessary. Further epidemiological and clinical studies are necessary to develop new prevention strategies.

Introduction and objective: COVID-19 is a human infectious disease manifested by acute respiratory syndrome. On 30 January, 2020, the Word Heath Organization (WHO) declared a COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this article is to review publications on the search for substances that show...

Introduction and objective: Recombinant vectors derived from adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) are the leading platform in human gene therapy applications, with high-profile examples targeting diseases of the central nervous system, eye and liver. The liver, quite likely a natural host organ for wild type AAV2, is a particularly attractive target for the development of AAV-mediated gene therapies. Despite large number of AAV variants current at various stages of development as carriers of liver therapeutics, thus far no liver-directed AAV-based therapy has obtained market authorization. Strong preclinical data is the cornerstone of any translational program, and while AAV bioengineering is commonly applied to try to develop novel human-tropic vectors for clinical applications, due to species-to-species differences, dedicated vectors to support preclinical work may need to be developed. Here we applied AAV directed evolution and in vitro selection to identify AAV capsids that target human liver cells in vitro.Material and methods: Using DNA shuffling technology, we have generated a capsid gene library based on natural parental serotypes (AAV1 through AAV12). Shuffled capsid library was selected in a preclinical model of human liver.Results: The AAV variants enriched based on their improved efficiency of transduction of a human hepatocyte cell line were vectorized and subsequently functionally characterized on human cell lines. This directed evolution method enabled us to select novel AAV variant, AAV-CH4.2. While the selected variant did not exceed the parental serotype in terms of transduction efficiency, it was substantially more efficient at packaging than its closest homolog, serotypes AAV6.Conclusions: Based on its strong transduction profile and manufacturability, we believe that AAV-CH4.2 is a strong candidate for further evaluation and as a potential novel gene therapy vector for preclinical studies in human liver applications.

Praca obejmuje podsumowanie działalności Ośrodka Diagnostyki i Zwalczania Zagrożeń Biologicznych od jego powstania do chwili obecnej. W szczególny sposób uwzględniono unikalny wkład ośrodka dla Sił Zbrojnych RP wynikający z synergii aktywności: badawczo-rozwojowej, doradczo-eksperckiej oraz diagnostyki klinicznej i środowiskowej w obszarze czynników biologicznych broni masowego rażenia. W ciągu 20 lat w ODiZZB skumulowano wysokiej klasy specjalistów dysponujących wiedzą, umiejętnościami, kompetencjami i doświadczeniem oraz unikalną infrastrukturę badawczą, co pozwoliło nie tylko być istotnym zapleczem dla wojskowej służby zdrowia czy obrony przed bronią masowego rażenia, ale także realizować istotne prace naukowe lub doradcze na rzecz partnerów krajowych lub zagranicznych.