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William C. Blackwelder

Bio: William C. Blackwelder is an academic researcher from University of Maryland, Baltimore. The author has contributed to research in topics: Vaccination & Population. The author has an hindex of 32, co-authored 66 publications receiving 6529 citations. Previous affiliations of William C. Blackwelder include University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Interventions targeting five pathogens can substantially reduce the burden of moderate-to-severe diarrhoea and suggest new methods and accelerated implementation of existing interventions (rotavirus vaccine and zinc) are needed to prevent disease and improve outcomes.

2,766 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A quantitative molecular diagnostic approach improved population-level and case-level characterisation of the causes of diarrhoea and indicated a high burden of disease associated with six pathogens, for which targeted treatment should be prioritised.

579 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
08 Feb 2001-Vaccine
TL;DR: It is suggested that baculovirus-expressed H5 HA can induce functional antibody in individuals who have not had prior exposure to H5 viruses, but that further studies to improve the immunogenicity of the vaccine are needed.

351 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A neutralization assay based on the neutralization of pseudotyped murine retrovirus constructs bearing HCV envelope glycoproteins on their surface was applied to well characterized clinical samples from HCV-infected patients and chimpanzees, confirmed the existence of neutralizing Ab to HCV, and validated most previously reported neutralizations of the virus.
Abstract: Our understanding of the humoral immune response to hepatitis C virus (HCV) is limited because the virus can be studied only in humans and chimpanzees and because previously described neutralization assays have not been robust or simple to perform. Nevertheless, epidemiologic and laboratory studies suggested that neutralizing Ab to HCV might be important in preventing infection. We have recently described a neutralization assay based on the neutralization of pseudotyped murine retrovirus constructs bearing HCV envelope glycoproteins on their surface. We have applied the assay to well characterized clinical samples from HCV-infected patients and chimpanzees, confirmed the existence of neutralizing Ab to HCV, and validated most previously reported neutralizations of the virus. We did not find neutralizing anti-HCV in resolving infections but did find relatively high titers (>1:320) of such Ab in chronic infections. Neutralizing Ab was directed not only to epitope(s) in the hypervariable region of the E2 envelope protein but also to one or more epitopes elsewhere in the envelope of the virus. Neutralizing Ab was broadly reactive and could neutralize pseudotype particles bearing the envelope glycoproteins of two different subgenotypes (1a and 1b). The ability to assay neutralizing anti-HCV should permit an assessment of the prospects for successful Ab-mediated passive and active immunoprophylaxis against hepatitis C.

344 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Combination immunotherapy consisting of a single early post-transplant infusion of in vivo vaccine-primed and ex vivo costimulated autologous T cells followed by post-Transplant booster immunizations improved the severe immunodeficiency associated with high-dose chemotherapy and led to the induction of clinically relevant immunity in adults within a month after transplantation.
Abstract: Immunodeficiency is a barrier to successful vaccination in individuals with cancer and chronic infection. We performed a randomized phase 1/2 study in lymphopenic individuals after high-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for myeloma. Combination immunotherapy consisting of a single early post-transplant infusion of in vivo vaccine-primed and ex vivo costimulated autologous T cells followed by post-transplant booster immunizations improved the severe immunodeficiency associated with high-dose chemotherapy and led to the induction of clinically relevant immunity in adults within a month after transplantation. Immune assays showed accelerated restoration of CD4 T-cell numbers and function. Early T-cell infusions also resulted in significantly improved T-cell proliferation in response to antigens that were not contained in the vaccine, as assessed by responses to staphylococcal enterotoxin B and cytomegalovirus antigens (P < 0.05). In the setting of lymphopenia, combined vaccine therapy and adoptive T-cell transfer fosters the development of enhanced memory T-cell responses.

322 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016) provides a comprehensive assessment of prevalence, incidence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) for 328 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2016.

10,401 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: All-cause age-standardised YLD rates decreased by 3·9% from 1990 to 2017; however, the all-age YLD rate increased by 7·2% while the total sum of global YLDs increased from 562 million (421–723) to 853 million (642–1100).

7,419 citations

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Mohsen Naghavi1, Haidong Wang1, Rafael Lozano1, Adrian Davis2  +728 moreInstitutions (294)
TL;DR: In the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD 2013) as discussed by the authors, the authors used the GBD 2010 methods with some refinements to improve accuracy applied to an updated database of vital registration, survey, and census data.

5,792 citations

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Gregory A. Roth1, Gregory A. Roth2, Degu Abate3, Kalkidan Hassen Abate4  +1025 moreInstitutions (333)
TL;DR: Non-communicable diseases comprised the greatest fraction of deaths, contributing to 73·4% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 72·5–74·1) of total deaths in 2017, while communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional causes accounted for 18·6% (17·9–19·6), and injuries 8·0% (7·7–8·2).

5,211 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Haidong Wang1, Mohsen Naghavi1, Christine Allen1, Ryan M Barber1  +841 moreInstitutions (293)
TL;DR: The Global Burden of Disease 2015 Study provides a comprehensive assessment of all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1980 to 2015, finding several countries in sub-Saharan Africa had very large gains in life expectancy, rebounding from an era of exceedingly high loss of life due to HIV/AIDS.

4,804 citations