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Rapid and effective host responses keep herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) at bay, preventing genital mucosa lesions. However, periodic shedding and frequent reactivation of the latent virus allow for silent transmission, posing a challenge to virus elimination. The rapid clearance of HSV-2 in the genital mucosa by resident and virus-specific immune cells that persist in the mucosa suggests new ways to harness the immune system to develop effective therapies.
Malaria's death toll has been reduced as a result of global efforts over the last decade. Yet the rise of drug resistance and the plateauing of funding are still obstacles to eradicating the disease and reducing malaria burden. This review brings up the goals and challenges faced by researchers and the public health workforce and a way forward to effectively control and eliminate malaria.
There is renewed enthusiasm in developing an HIV vaccine and in understanding the requirements to elicit broadly neutralizing HIV-specific antibodies. In May 2012, a workshop convened researchers to discuss the interplay of CD4+ T cell and antibody responses to help identify key questions and areas of research that can inform future vaccine development. This Perspective summarizes the discussion of three main topics on the role of CD4+ T cells in HIV vaccine design.
The term 'mesenchymal stem cells' is widely used, yet the capabilities and characteristics of these postnatal bone marrow stem cells still warrant further examination. A further understanding and clarification of the true potential of these mesenchymal stem cells is crucial for their appropriate exploitation in the clinic.
Large-scale sequencing has recently revealed the presence of highly complex, localized chromosomal rearrangements in cancer genomes. The authors discuss the evidence that such rearrangements can occur through at least two mechanisms: chromosomal shattering (chromothripsis) and template switching initiated by local defective DNA replication (chromoanasynthesis). They propose use of the term chromoanagenesis to describe this class of rearrangements, regardless of the initiating mechanism.