The second generation COVID-19 vaccines should produce the long-term protective immune response to the existing and novel strains of SARS-CoV-2. The Convacell® vaccine was designed to produce such immune response by using N protein as an antigen. N-protein is not susceptible to fast accumulation of mutations and is highly homologous to nucleocapsid proteins of other β-coronaviruses. The study was aimed to perform in vitro assessment of the Convacell® vaccine ability to produce immune response to the Wuhan, Delta, and Omicron strains. Mononuclear cells of vaccinated volunteers and survivors were subjected to N protein stimulation. After that specific activation of the cells was assessed by flow cytometry. The results showed that a sibstantial percentage of CD4 and CD8 cells produced IFNγ and IL2 in response to stimulation. No significant reduction of the response to strains Delta and Omicron compared to the Wuhan strain was revealed. The findings support the direction of the N protein based vaccine design towards creation of the universal vaccine.

Background. Premature infants have high risk of developing of neutropenia and infections in the early neonatal period. The correlation of these events requires further studies.Objective. The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency of absolute neutropenia and infectious complications cases in premature infants in the early neonatal period with estimation of phenotypical and functional features of cord blood neutrophils.Methods. The study included premature infants (gestational age 25–36 weeks) with APGAR score < 8 on the 1st and 5th minutes of life. The frequency of absolute neutropenia (at least once < 1.5109/l) and infectious complications (localized infections of bacterial etiology, early neonatal sepsis) cases in the first 14 day of life was analysed. Additionally, we have determined the expression of CD64, CD16, CD32 by cord blood neutrophils in premature (n = 102) and mature infants (n = 30) via method of flow cytofluorometry. We have used FITC labeled Escherichia coli to estimate their phagocytic activity, and stimulation of E. coli neutrophils in the presence of 5 mM of dihydrorhodamine 123 to estimate their stimulation index (ratio of mean fluorescent intensity (MFI) of activated neutrophils in stimulated samples and in negative controls, E. coli free samples).Results. The episodes of absolute neutropenia in the first 14 days of life were recorded in 17 cases, infectious complications — in 87 children (in 24 cases — sepsis) in the group of premature infants. The frequency of infectious complications in premature children did not correlate with the frequency of absolute neutropenia episodes. Cord blood neutrophils in premature infants had higher CD64 expression and, on the contrary, lower CD16 expression, as well as low phagocytic activity and stimulation index value (in all cases p < 0.001).Conclusion. Absolute neutropenia in premature infants in early neonatal period does not correlate with high risk of bacterial infections. However, cord blood neutrophils in premature infants had lower functional activity.

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Purpose: to study the role of cellular immunity in the development of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).Material and methods. 87 children were tested, including 60 with III — V stage ROP and posterior aggressive retinopathy that had gestational age from 25 to 32 weeks at birth, aged 1 month to 1 year (study group) and 27 healthy children of the same age (control group).Results. No statistically significant differences of immunological parameters were revealed within the groups of children aged 1 to 3 months, 3.5 to 6 months, and 6.5 to 12 months. The gestational age at birth had no effect on the parameters studied. With increasing severity of ROP amid reduced indicators of T-regulatory cells, the number of B-cells (CD19 +) grew, T-natural killer cells (CD3 -/CD16 +CD56 +) reduced significantly (p < 0.05), and the number of CD4+ T-cells reduced showing the significance of (p < 0.01–0.05).Conclusion. The obtained data testify to the emergence of autoimmune reactions and a decrease in the level of regulatory T-cells in a premature child, more pronounced in severe stages of ROP.

Primary liver tumors are one of the most common types of malignant neoplasms. Surgical excision is still the most effective treatment in the early stages of the disease, however in most cases early diagnosis is difficult. Moreover, even if the treatment is carried out according to a radical program, the risk of relapse remains extremely high. In this regard, the search for new strategies for the treatment of liver malignancies that differ from traditional methods of treatment is not terminated. One of such promising approaches is immunotherapy. The present review is devoted to the current understanding of the mechanisms of action and the available clinical experience in the use of immunotherapy approaches in the treatment of liver malignancies. Combining different types of immunotherapy or combining immunotherapy with traditional therapeutic approaches can facilitate a synergistic effect and contribute to the development of personalized medicine.