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Sexual Enrichment Aids (SEAs), or "sex toys" like dildos or vibrators, are used to enrich sexual experiences, either alone or with sexual partners. Although SEA use has become increasingly prevalent in recent decades, there remain significant gaps in knowledge regarding sexual behaviors and hygiene surrounding their use. In this study, we use mixed methods approaches (cross-sectional survey of n = 800 women and qualitative semi-structured interviews of n = 24 women) to better understand sexual behavior, potential risks, and hygiene practices of women who self-identify as having sex with men, with women, or with women and men when using SEAs. We identified SEA use is common, with 79.9% of women using an SEA. Among these women, 31.8% of women indicated that they share SEAs with sexual partners. Further, condom use is rare while sharing SEAs, with only 14% of women utilizing condoms regularly. The majority (81.8%) of women wash their SEAs, primarily with soap and water. Yet, there is no consensus among women interviewed regarding the perceived risk associated with SEA use. Together, our findings support the need for increased evidence-based education for women to increase safety and hygiene of SEA use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Subspecies B1 human adenoviruses (HAdV-B1) are prevalent respiratory pathogens. Compared to their species C (HAdV-C) counterparts, relatively little work has been devoted to the characterization of their unique molecular biology. The early region 3 (E3) transcription unit is an interesting target for future efforts because of its species-specific diversity in genetic content among adenoviruses. This diversity is particularly significant for the subset of E3-encoded products that are membrane glycoproteins and may account for the distinct pathobiology of the different human adenovirus species. In order to understand the role of HAdV-B-specific genes in viral pathogenesis, we initiated the characterization of unique E3 genes. As a continuation of our efforts to define the function encoded in the highly polymorphic ORF E3-10.9K and testing the hypothesis that the E3-10.9K protein orthologs with a hydrophobic domain contribute to the efficient release of viral progeny, we generated HAdV-3 mutant viruses unable to express E3-10.9K ortholog E3-9K and examined their ability to grow, disseminate, and egress in cell culture. Results No differences were observed in the kinetics of infected cell death, and virus progeny release or in the plaque size and dissemination phenotypes between cells infected with HAdV-3 E3-9K mutants or the parental virus. The ectopic expression of E3-10.9K orthologs with a hydrophobic domain did not compromise cell viability. Conclusions Our data show that despite the remarkable similarities with HAdV-C E3-11.6K, HAdV-B1 ORF E3-10.9K does not encode a product with a “death-like” biological activity.

Introduction: Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct), the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI), leads to pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy in women. In this Perspective, we discuss the successful human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as a case study to inform Ct vaccine efforts. Areas covered: The immunological basis of HPV vaccine-elicited protection is high-titer, long-lasting antibody responses in the genital tract which provides sterilizing immunity. These antibodies are elicited through parenteral administration of a subunit vaccine based on virus-like particles (VLPs) of HPV. We present three lessons learned from the successful HPV vaccine efforts: (1) antibodies alone can be sufficient to provide protection from STIs in the genital tract, (2) the successful generation of high antibody levels is due to the multivalent structure of HPV VLPs, (3) major challenges exist in designing vaccines that elicit appropriate effector T cells in the genital tract. We then discuss the possibility of antibody-based immunity for Ct. Expert commentary: In this Perspective, we present a case for developing antibody-eliciting vaccines, similar to the HPV vaccine, for Ct. Basic research into the mechanisms of Ct entry into host cells will reveal new vaccine targets, which may be antigens against which antibodies are not normally elicited during natural infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opioid overdoses and the growing rate of opioid use disorder (OUD) are major public health concerns, particularly in the United States. Current treatment approaches for OUD have failed to slow the growth of the opioid crisis. Opioid vaccines have shown pre-clinical success in targeting multiple different opioid drugs. However, the need for many immunizations can limit their clinical implementation. In this study, we investigate the development of novel opioid vaccines by independently targeting fentanyl and the active metabolites of heroin using a bacteriophage virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine platform. We establish the successful conjugation of haptens to bacteriophage Qβ VLPs and demonstrate immunogenicity of Qβ-fentanyl, Qβ-morphine, and Qβ-6-acetylmorphine in animal models after one or two immunizations. We show that in independently or in combination, these vaccines elicit high-titer, high-avidity, and durable antibody responses. Moreover, we reveal their protective capacities against heroin or fentanyl challenge after two immunizations. Overall, these findings establish Qβ-VLP conjugated vaccines for heroin and fentanyl as very promising opioid vaccine candidates.

Deep sequence-coupled biopanning (DSCB) is a powerful tool that couples affinity selection of a bacteriophage MS2 virus-like particle peptide display platform with deep sequencing. While this approach has been used successfully to investigate pathogen-specific antibody responses in human sera, data analysis is time-consuming and complicated. Here, we describe a streamlined data analysis method for DSCB using MATLAB, expanding the potential for this approach to be deployed rapidly and consistently., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Affinity selection using phage-display technologies is a powerful tool for identifying the peptide epitopes of monoclonal antibodies. Coupling affinity selection with deep sequencing technologies allows for the broad assessment of selectant populations. Here, we describe a method for using a phage-display platform to assess antibody specificity in human serum. We describe the method with reference to the bacteriophage MS2 virus-like particle (VLP) platform, but it can be adapted to other phage-display technologies as well.