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Naidoo DB, Chuturgoon AA. The Potential of Nanobodies for COVID-19 Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Mol Diagn Ther 2023; 27:193-226. [PMID: 36656511 PMCID: PMC9850341 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-022-00634-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Globally, there have been millions of infections and fatalities. Unfortunately, the virus has been persistent and a contributing factor is the emergence of several variants. The urgency to combat COVID-19 led to the identification/development of various diagnosis (polymerase chain reaction and antigen tests) and treatment (repurposed drugs, convalescent plasma, antibodies and vaccines) options. These treatments may treat mild symptoms and decrease the risk of life-threatening disease. Although these options have been fairly beneficial, there are some challenges and limitations, such as cost of tests/drugs, specificity, large treatment dosages, intravenous administration, need for trained personal, lengthy production time, high manufacturing costs, and limited availability. Therefore, the development of more efficient COVID-19 diagnostic and therapeutic options are vital. Nanobodies (Nbs) are novel monomeric antigen-binding fragments derived from camelid antibodies. Advantages of Nbs include low immunogenicity, high specificity, stability and affinity. These characteristics allow for rapid Nb generation, inexpensive large-scale production, effective storage, and transportation, which is essential during pandemics. Additionally, the potential aerosolization and inhalation delivery of Nbs allows for targeted treatment delivery as well as patient self-administration. Therefore, Nbs are a viable option to target SARS-CoV-2 and overcome COVID-19. In this review we discuss (1) COVID-19; (2) SARS-CoV-2; (3) the present conventional COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics, including their challenges and limitations; (4) advantages of Nbs; and (5) the numerous Nbs generated against SARS-CoV-2 as well as their diagnostic and therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhaneshree Bestinee Naidoo
- Discipline of Medical Biochemistry and Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Howard College, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Durban, 4013, South Africa
| | - Anil Amichund Chuturgoon
- Discipline of Medical Biochemistry and Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Howard College, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Durban, 4013, South Africa.
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2
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Kianpour M, Akbarian M, Uversky VN. Nanoparticles for Coronavirus Control. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:1602. [PMID: 35564311 PMCID: PMC9104235 DOI: 10.3390/nano12091602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
More than 2 years have passed since the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak began, and many challenges that existed at the beginning of this pandemic have been solved. Some countries have been able to overcome this global challenge by relying on vaccines against the virus, and vaccination has begun in many countries. Many of the proposed vaccines have nanoparticles as carriers, and there are different nano-based diagnostic approaches for rapid detection of the virus. In this review article, we briefly examine the biology of SARS-CoV-2, including the structure of the virus and what makes it pathogenic, as well as describe biotechnological methods of vaccine production, and types of the available and published nano-based ideas for overcoming the virus pandemic. Among these issues, various physical and chemical properties of nanoparticles are discussed to evaluate the optimal conditions for the production of the nano-mediated vaccines. At the end, challenges facing the international community and biotechnological answers for future viral attacks are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Kianpour
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan;
| | - Mohsen Akbarian
- Department of Chemistry, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
| | - Vladimir N. Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Laboratory of New Methods in Biology, Institute for Biological Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center ‘‘Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences’’, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
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3
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Khazaneha M, Tajedini O, Esmaeili O, Abdi M, Khasseh AA, Sadatmoosavi A. Thematic evolution of coronavirus disease: a longitudinal co-word analysis. LIBRARY HI TECH 2022. [DOI: 10.1108/lht-10-2021-0370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PurposeUsing science mapping analysis approach and co-word analysis, the present study explores and visualizes research fields and thematic evolution of the coronavirus. Based on this method, one can get a picture of the real content of the themes in the mentioned thematic area and identify the main minor and emerging themes.Design/methodology/approachThis study was conducted based on co-word science mapping analysis under a longitudinal study (from 1988 to 2020). The collection of documents in this study was further divided into three subperiods: 1988–1998, 1999–2009 and 2010–2020. In order to perform science mapping analysis based on co-word bibliographic networks, SciMAT was utilized as a bibliometric tool. Moreover, WoS, PubMed and Scopus bibliographic databases were used to download all records.FindingsIn this study, strategic diagrams were demonstrated for the coronavirus research for a chronological period to assess the most relevant themes. Each diagram depended on the sum of documents linked to each research topic. In the first period (1988–1998), the most centralizations were on virology and evaluation of coronavirus structure and its structural and nonstructural proteins. In the second period (1999–2009), with due attention to high population density in eastern Asia and the increasing number of people affected with the new generation of coronavirus (named severe acute respiratory syndrome virus or SARS virus), publications have been concentrated on “antiviral activity.” In the third period (2010–2020), there was a tendency to investigate clinical syndromes, and most of the publications and citations were about hot topics like “severe acute respiratory syndrome,” “coronavirus” and “respiratory tract disease.” Scientometric analysis of the field of coronavirus can be regarded as a roadmap for future research and policymaking in this important area.Originality/valueThe originality of this research can be considered in two ways. First, the strategic diagrams of coronavirus are drawn in four thematic areas including motor cluster, basic and transversal cluster, highly developed cluster and emerging and declining cluster. Second, COVID-19 is mentioned as a hot topic of research.
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Gasmi A, Srinath S, Dadar M, Pivina L, Menzel A, Benahmed AG, Chirumbolo S, Bjørklund G. A global survey in the developmental landscape of possible vaccination strategies for COVID-19. Clin Immunol 2022; 237:108958. [PMID: 35218966 PMCID: PMC8865932 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2022.108958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The development of COVID-19 vaccines was promptly regulated to ensure the best possible approach. By January 2022, 75 candidates reached preclinical evaluation in various animal models, 114 vaccines were in clinical trials on humans, and 48 were in the final testing stages. Vaccine platforms range from whole virus vaccines to nucleic acid vaccines, which are the most promising in prompt availability and safety. The USA and Europe have approved vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) and Moderna (mRNa1273). So far, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca-University of Oxford, Sinopharm, Sinovac Biotech Gamaleya, Bharat Biotech, and Novavax have documented effective vaccines. Even with technological advances and a fast-paced development approach, many limitations and problems need to be overcome before a large-scale production of new vaccines can start. The Key is to ensure equal and fair distribution globally through regulatory measures. Recent studies link Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination programs and lower disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Gasmi
- Société Francophone de Nutrithérapie et de Nutrigénétique Appliquée, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Shvetha Srinath
- Société Francophone de Nutrithérapie et de Nutrigénétique Appliquée, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Maryam Dadar
- Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Lyudmila Pivina
- Semey Medical University, Semey, Kazakhstan; CONEM Kazakhstan Environmental Health and Safety Research Group, Semey Medical University, Semey, Kazakhstan
| | | | - Asma Gasmi Benahmed
- Université Claude Bernard, Villeurbanne, France; Académie Internationale de Médecine Dentaire Intégrative, Paris, France
| | - Salvatore Chirumbolo
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; CONEM Scientific Secretary, Verona, Italy
| | - Geir Bjørklund
- Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (CONEM), Mo i Rana, Norway.
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5
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Reed DD, Strickland JC, Gelino BW, Hursh SR, Jarmolowicz DP, Kaplan BA, Amlung M. Applied Behavioral Economics and Public Health Policies: Historical Precedence and Translational Promise. Behav Processes 2022; 198:104640. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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6
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Jafari A, Danesh Pouya F, Niknam Z, Abdollahpour-Alitappeh M, Rezaei-Tavirani M, Rasmi Y. Current advances and challenges in COVID-19 vaccine development: from conventional vaccines to next-generation vaccine platforms. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:4943-4957. [PMID: 35235159 PMCID: PMC8890022 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07132-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The world is grappling with an unprecedented public health crisis COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Due to the high transmission/mortality rates and socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19, its control is crucial. In the absence of specific treatment, vaccines represent the most efficient way to control and stop the pandemic. Many companies around the world are currently making efforts to develop the vaccine to combat COVID-19. This review outlines key strategies for generating SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates, along with the mechanism of action, advantages, and potential limitations of each vaccine. The use of nanomaterials and nanotechnology for COVID-19 vaccines development will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameneh Jafari
- Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.,Proteomics Research Center, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fahima Danesh Pouya
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Zahra Niknam
- Proteomics Research Center, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Meghdad Abdollahpour-Alitappeh
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran.,Student Research Committee, Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran
| | - Mostafa Rezaei-Tavirani
- Proteomics Research Center, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Yousef Rasmi
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.,Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
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7
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Dhiman P, Bhatia M. Ethnological aspects of COVID-19. BRAZ J PHARM SCI 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/s2175-97902022e20975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Priya Dhiman
- Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, India
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8
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Jukič M, Kores K, Janežič D, Bren U. Repurposing of Drugs for SARS-CoV-2 Using Inverse Docking Fingerprints. Front Chem 2021; 9:757826. [PMID: 35028304 PMCID: PMC8748264 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.757826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that belongs to the Coronaviridae family. This group of viruses commonly causes colds but possesses a tremendous pathogenic potential. In humans, an outbreak of SARS caused by the SARS-CoV virus was first reported in 2003, followed by 2012 when the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) led to an outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Moreover, COVID-19 represents a serious socioeconomic and global health problem that has already claimed more than four million lives. To date, there are only a handful of therapeutic options to combat this disease, and only a single direct-acting antiviral, the conditionally approved remdesivir. Since there is an urgent need for active drugs against SARS-CoV-2, the strategy of drug repurposing represents one of the fastest ways to achieve this goal. An in silico drug repurposing study using two methods was conducted. A structure-based virtual screening of the FDA-approved drug database on SARS-CoV-2 main protease was performed, and the 11 highest-scoring compounds with known 3CLpro activity were identified while the methodology was used to report further 11 potential and completely novel 3CLpro inhibitors. Then, inverse molecular docking was performed on the entire viral protein database as well as on the Coronaviridae family protein subset to examine the hit compounds in detail. Instead of target fishing, inverse docking fingerprints were generated for each hit compound as well as for the five most frequently reported and direct-acting repurposed drugs that served as controls. In this way, the target-hitting space was examined and compared and we can support the further biological evaluation of all 11 newly reported hits on SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro as well as recommend further in-depth studies on antihelminthic class member compounds. The authors acknowledge the general usefulness of this approach for a full-fledged inverse docking fingerprint screening in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Jukič
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Thermodynamics, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Katarina Kores
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Thermodynamics, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Dušanka Janežič
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Urban Bren
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Thermodynamics, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
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9
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Gupta A, Anand A, Jain N, Goswami S, Anantharaj A, Patil S, Singh R, Kumar A, Shrivastava T, Bhatnagar S, Medigeshi GR, Sharma TK. A novel G-quadruplex aptamer-based spike trimeric antigen test for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2021; 26:321-332. [PMID: 34188971 PMCID: PMC8223116 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2021.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The recent SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has been declared a global health emergency. It will take years to vaccinate the whole population to protect them from this deadly virus, hence the management of SARS-CoV-2 largely depends on the widespread availability of an accurate diagnostic test. Toward addressing the unmet need of a reliable diagnostic test in the current work by utilizing the power of Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment, a 44-mer G-quadruplex-forming DNA aptamer against spike trimer antigen of SARS-CoV-2 was identified. The lead aptamer candidate (S14) was characterized thoroughly for its binding, selectivity, affinity, structure, and batch-to-batch variability by utilizing various biochemical, biophysical, and in silico techniques. S14 has demonstrated a low nanomolar KD, confirming its tight binding to a spike antigen of SARS-CoV-2. S14 can detect as low as 2 nM of antigen. The clinical evaluation of S14 aptamer on nasopharyngeal swab specimens (n = 232) has displayed a highly discriminatory response between SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals from the non-infected one with a sensitivity and specificity of ∼91% and 98%, respectively. Importantly, S14 aptamer-based test has evinced a comparable performance with that of RT-PCR-based assay. Altogether, this study established the utility of aptamer technology for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Gupta
- Aptamer Technology and Diagnostics Laboratory, Multidisciplinary Clinical and Translational Research, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Anjali Anand
- Aptamer Technology and Diagnostics Laboratory, Multidisciplinary Clinical and Translational Research, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Neha Jain
- Discipline of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Simrol, Madhya Pradesh 453552, India
| | - Sandeep Goswami
- Infection and Immunology, Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Anbalagan Anantharaj
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Sharanabasava Patil
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Rahul Singh
- Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 452013, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- Discipline of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Simrol, Madhya Pradesh 453552, India
| | - Tripti Shrivastava
- Infection and Immunology, Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Shinjini Bhatnagar
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | | | - Tarun Kumar Sharma
- Aptamer Technology and Diagnostics Laboratory, Multidisciplinary Clinical and Translational Research, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - DBT India Consortium for COVID-19 Research
- Aptamer Technology and Diagnostics Laboratory, Multidisciplinary Clinical and Translational Research, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
- Discipline of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Simrol, Madhya Pradesh 453552, India
- Infection and Immunology, Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
- Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 452013, India
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10
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Aparicio B, Casares N, Egea J, Ruiz M, Llopiz D, Maestro S, Olagüe C, González-Aseguinolaza G, Smerdou C, López-Díaz de Cerio A, Inogés S, Prósper F, Yuste JR, Carmona-Torre F, Reina G, Lasarte JJ, Sarobe P. Preclinical evaluation of a synthetic peptide vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 inducing multiepitopic and cross-reactive humoral neutralizing and cellular CD4 and CD8 responses. Emerg Microbes Infect 2021; 10:1931-1946. [PMID: 34538222 PMCID: PMC8480813 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2021.1978823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Identification of relevant epitopes is crucial for the development of subunit peptide vaccines inducing neutralizing and cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Our aim was the characterization of epitopes in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein to generate a peptide vaccine. Epitope mapping using a panel of 10 amino acid overlapped 15-mer peptides covering region 401-515 from RBD did not identify linear epitopes when tested with sera from infected individuals or from RBD-immunized mice. However, immunization of mice with these 15-mer peptides identified four peptides located at region 446-480 that induced antibodies recognizing the peptides and RBD/S1 proteins. Immunization with peptide 446-480 from S protein formulated with Freund's adjuvant or with CpG oligodeoxinucleotide/Alum induced polyepitopic antibody responses in BALB/c and C56BL/6J mice, recognizing RBD (titres of 3 × 104-3 × 105, depending on the adjuvant) and displaying neutralizing capacity (80-95% inhibition capacity; p < 0.05) against SARS-CoV-2. Murine CD4 and CD8T-cell epitopes were identified in region 446-480 and vaccination experiments using HLA transgenic mice suggested the presence of multiple human T-cell epitopes. Antibodies induced by peptide 446-480 showed broad recognition of S proteins and S-derived peptides belonging to SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Importantly, vaccination with peptide 446-480 or with a cyclic version of peptide 446-488 containing a disulphide bridge between cysteines 480 and 488, protected humanized K18-hACE2 mice from a lethal dose of SARS-CoV-2 (62.5 and 75% of protection; p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). This region could be the basis for a peptide vaccine or other vaccine platforms against Covid-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belén Aparicio
- Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Noelia Casares
- Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Josune Egea
- Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Marta Ruiz
- Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Diana Llopiz
- Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Sheila Maestro
- Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Cristina Olagüe
- Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Gloria González-Aseguinolaza
- Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Cristian Smerdou
- Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | | | | | - Felipe Prósper
- Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Pamplona, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Juan J Lasarte
- Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Pablo Sarobe
- Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
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11
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Rasouli M, Vakilian F, Ranjbari J. Therapeutic and protective potential of mesenchymal stem cells, pharmaceutical agents and current vaccines against covid-19. Curr Stem Cell Res Ther 2021; 17:166-185. [PMID: 34530719 DOI: 10.2174/1574888x16666201221151853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
It has been almost 18 months since the first outbreak of COVID-19 disease was reported in Wuhan, China. This unexpected devastating phenomenon, raised a great deal of concerns and anxiety among people around the world and imposed a huge economic burden on the nations' health care systems. Accordingly, clinical scientists, pharmacologists and physicians worldwide felt an urgent demand for a safe, effective therapeutic agent, treatment strategy or vaccine in order to prevent or cure the recently-emerged disease. Initially, due to lack of specific pharmacological agents and approved vaccines to combat the COVID-19, the disease control in the confirmed cases was limited to supportive care. Accordingly, repositioning or repurposing current drugs and examining their possible therapeutic efficacy received a great deal of attention. Despite revealing promising results in some clinical trials, the overall results are conflicting. For this reason, there is an urgent to seek and investigate other potential therapeutics. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) representing immunomodulatory and regenerative capacity to treat both curable and intractable diseases, have been investigated in COVID-19 clinical trials carried out in different parts of the world. Nevertheless, up to now, none of MSC-based approaches has been approved in controlling COVID-19 infection. Thanks to the fact that the final solution for defeating the pandemic is developing a safe, effective vaccine, enormous efforts and clinical research have been carried out. In this review, we will concisely discuss the safety and efficacy of the most relevant pharmacological agents, MSC-based approaches and candidate vaccines for treating and preventing COVID-19 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Rasouli
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran. Iran
| | | | - Javad Ranjbari
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran. Iran
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12
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Zibadi S, Samieefar N, Sodeifian F, Mosavari N, Rezaei N. COVID-19 Vaccination: What Challenges Are We Going to Face. ACTA BIO-MEDICA : ATENEI PARMENSIS 2021; 92:e2021379. [PMID: 34487064 PMCID: PMC8477080 DOI: 10.23750/abm.v92i4.11759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Zibadi
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; USERN Office, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Net-work of Interdisciplinarity in Neonates and Infants (NINI), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
| | - Noosha Samieefar
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; USERN Office, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Net-work of Interdisciplinarity in Neonates and Infants (NINI), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
| | - Fatemeh Sodeifian
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; USERN Office, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Net-work of Interdisciplinarity in Neonates and Infants (NINI), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
| | - Narjes Mosavari
- USERN Office, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Net-work of Interdisciplinarity in Neonates and Infants (NINI), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran; Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Net-work of Interdisciplinarity in Neonates and Infants (NINI), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran; Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Naveed M, Tehreem S, Arshad S, Bukhari SA, Shabbir MA, Essa R, Ali N, Zaib S, Khan A, Al-Harrasi A, Khan I. Design of a novel multiple epitope-based vaccine: An immunoinformatics approach to combat SARS-CoV-2 strains. J Infect Public Health 2021; 14:938-946. [PMID: 34119848 PMCID: PMC8093003 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, the virus has infected more than 153 million individuals across the world due to its human-to-human transmission. The USA is the most affected country having more than 32-million cases till date. Sudden high fever, pneumonia and organ failure have been observed in infected individuals. OBJECTIVES In the current situation of emerging viral disease, there is no specific vaccine, or any therapeutics available for SARS-CoV-2, thus there is a dire need to design a potential vaccine to combat the virus by developing immunity in the population. The purpose of present study was to develop a potential vaccine by targeting B and T-cell epitopes using bioinformatics approaches. METHODS B- and T-cell epitopes are predicted from novel M protein-SARS-CoV-2 for the development of a unique multiple epitope vaccine by applying bioinformatics approaches. These epitopes were analyzed and selected for their immunogenicity, antigenicity scores, and toxicity in correspondence to their ability to trigger immune response. In combination to epitopes, best multi-epitope of potential immunogenic property was constructed. The epitopes were joined using EAAAK, AAY and GPGPG linkers. RESULTS The constructed vaccine showed good results of worldwide population coverage and promising immune response. This constructed vaccine was subjected to in-silico immune simulations by C-ImmSim. Chimeric protein construct was cloned into PET28a (+) vector for expression study in Escherichia coli using snapgene. CONCLUSION This vaccine design proved effective in various computer-based immune response analysis as well as showed good population coverage. This study is solely dependent on developing M protein-based vaccine, and these in silico findings would be a breakthrough in the development of an effective vaccine to eradicate SARS-CoV-2 globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Naveed
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan.
| | - Sana Tehreem
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Sundas Arshad
- Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Syeda Aniqa Bukhari
- Research Center for Modeling and Simulation, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Aqib Shabbir
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
| | - Ramsha Essa
- Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Nouman Ali
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
| | - Sumera Zaib
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
| | - Ajmal Khan
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, P.O Box 33, Postal Code 616, Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Ahmed Al-Harrasi
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, P.O Box 33, Postal Code 616, Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa, Oman.
| | - Imtiaz Khan
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, United Kingdom.
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14
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Shapiro RS. COVID-19 vaccines and nanomedicine. Int J Dermatol 2021; 60:1047-1052. [PMID: 34089534 PMCID: PMC8239562 DOI: 10.1111/ijd.15673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Background The COVID‐19 virus‐induced pandemic has been the deadliest pandemic to have occurred in two generations, besides HIV/AIDS. Epidemiologists predicted that the SARS‐Cov 2 pandemic would not be able to be brought under control until a majority of the world’s population had been inoculated with safe and effective vaccines. A world‐wide effort to expedite vaccine development was successful. Previous research for vaccines to prevent SARS and MERS, also coronaviruses, was vital to this success. Nanotechnology was essential to this vaccine development. Key elements are presented here to better understand the relationship between nanomedicine and the COVID‐19 vaccine development. Methods NLM PubMed searches for COVID‐19 vaccines, nanotechnology and nanomedicine were done. There were 6911 articles screened, 235 of which were deemed appropriate to this subject and utilized here, together with two landmark nanomedicine texts used to expand understanding of the basic science of nanotechnology. Results SARS‐Cov 2, caused by the COVID‐19 virus, was first recognized in China in December of 2019 and was declared as a pandemic in March of 2020. The RNA sequence was identified in January of 2020. Within 4 months of the viral genome being released, over 259 vaccines had been in development. The World Health Organization (WHO) anticipated a vaccine with a 50‐80% efficacy to be developed within 1‐2 years. Ahead of schedule, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the emergency authorization approval for two mRNA vaccines within 11 month’s time. Nanotechnology was the key to the success of these rapidly developed, safe and effective vaccines. A brief review of pertinent basic science principles of nanomedicine are presented. The development of COVID vaccines is reviewed. Future considerations are discussed. Conclusions Control of the COVID‐19 SARS‐Cov2 pandemic benefitted from nanomedicine principles used to develop highly effective, yet very safe and relatively inexpensive vaccines. These nanovaccines can be much more easily altered to adjust for viral variants than traditional live or inactivated legacy‐type whole virus vaccines.
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15
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Martínez-Rodríguez D, Gonzalez-Parra G, Villanueva RJ. Analysis of Key Factors of a SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Program: A Mathematical Modeling Approach. EPIDEMIOLOGIA 2021; 2:140-161. [PMID: 35141702 PMCID: PMC8824484 DOI: 10.3390/epidemiologia2020012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The administration of vaccines against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started in early December of 2020. Currently, there are only a few approved vaccines, each with different efficacies and mechanisms of action. Moreover, vaccination programs in different regions may vary due to differences in implementation, for instance, simply the availability of the vaccine. In this article, we study the impact of the pace of vaccination and the intrinsic efficacy of the vaccine on prevalence, hospitalizations, and deaths related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Then we study different potential scenarios regarding the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic in the near future. We construct a compartmental mathematical model and use computational methodologies to study these different scenarios. Thus, we are able to identify some key factors to reach the aims of the vaccination programs. We use some metrics related to the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to assess the impact of the efficacy of the vaccine and the pace of the vaccine inoculation. We found that both factors have a high impact on the outcomes. However, the rate of vaccine administration has a higher impact in reducing the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic. This result shows that health institutions need to focus on increasing the vaccine inoculation pace and create awareness in the population about the importance of COVID-19 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Martínez-Rodríguez
- Insituto Universitario de Matemática Multidisciplinar, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain; (D.M.-R.); (R.-J.V.)
| | | | - Rafael-J. Villanueva
- Insituto Universitario de Matemática Multidisciplinar, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain; (D.M.-R.); (R.-J.V.)
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16
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Campbell J, Hobbs M, O'Hara L, Ballantyne A, Heywood A, Gray L. Equity in vaccine trials for higher weight people? Protocol for a rapid review of inclusion and exclusion criteria for higher weight people in clinical trials for COVID-19. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e050114. [PMID: 34035111 PMCID: PMC8154291 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vaccination is a public health strategy that aims to reduce the burden of viral illness, especially important for populations known or likely to be at increased risk for inequitable outcomes due to the disease itself or disparities in care accessed and received. The role of weight status in COVID-19 susceptibility and disease burden remains unclear. Despite this, higher weight is frequently described as a definitive risk factor for both susceptibility and disease severity. Therefore, COVID-19 vaccine trials should recruit a study group representative of the full weight spectrum, and undertake appropriate subgroup analysis by weight status to evaluate response and titrate dose regimes where indicated to ensure equitable outcomes for higher weight people. METHODS AND ANALYSIS We aim to review inclusion and exclusion criteria of clinical trial protocols registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN Register, the WHO official vaccine trial register, and 'The COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker'. To determine the number of trials including higher weight (body mass index >30 kg/m2) individuals and the number of trials conducting efficacy subgroup analyses by weight status. Screening, data extraction and quality appraisal of trial protocols will be completed independently by a minimum of two reviewers. Clinical trials will be assessed for risk of bias using the Risk of Bias-2 tool. We will conduct a descriptive analysis of extracted data. The following subsets are proposed: participation of higher weight people in COVID-19 vaccine trials by trial phase, country and vaccine platform. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval was not required for this review. The results of this rapid review will be presented at appropriate conferences and published in a suitable peer reviewed journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42020226573.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Campbell
- Otago Medical School, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Matthew Hobbs
- College of Education, Health and Human Development, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Lily O'Hara
- Department of Public Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Angela Ballantyne
- Department of Primary Health Care & General Practice, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand
- Centre for Biomedical Ethics, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Anita Heywood
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lesley Gray
- Department of Primary Health Care & General Practice, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand
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Migliore A, Gigliucci G, Di Marzo R, Russo D, Mammucari M. Intradermal Vaccination: A Potential Tool in the Battle Against the COVID-19 Pandemic? Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2021; 14:2079-2087. [PMID: 34045909 PMCID: PMC8144901 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s309707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This narrative review is the final output of an initiative of the SIM (Italian Society of Mesotherapy). A narrative review of scientific literature on the efficacy of fractional intradermal vaccination in comparison with full doses has been conducted for the following pathogens: influenza virus, rabies virus, poliovirus (PV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis A virus (HAV), diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis bacterias (DTP), human papillomavirus (HPV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JE), meningococcus, varicella zoster virus (VZV) and yellow fever virus. The findings suggest that the use of the intradermal route represents a valid strategy in terms of efficacy and efficiency for influenza, rabies and HBV vaccines. Some systematic reviews on influenza vaccines suggest the absence of a substantial difference between immunogenicity induced by a fractional ID dose of up to 20% and the IM dose in healthy adults, elderly, immunocompromised patients and children. Clinical studies of remaining vaccines against other pathogens (HAV, DTP bacterias, JE, meningococcal disease, VZV, and yellow fever virus) are scarce, but promising. In the context of a COVID-19 vaccine shortage, countries should investigate if a fractional dosing scheme may help to save doses and achieve herd immunity quickly. SIM urges the scientific community and health authorities to investigate the potentiality of fractionate intradermal administration in anti-COVID-19 vaccination. ![]()
Point your SmartPhone at the code above. If you have a QR code reader the video abstract will appear. Or use: https://youtu.be/xyVoP0mH6sQ
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Migliore
- Department of Internal Medicine, Unit of Rheumatology, San Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Gigliucci
- Department of Internal Medicine, Unit of Rheumatology, San Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Rome, Italy
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18
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Kwok SWH, Vadde SK, Wang G. Tweet Topics and Sentiments Relating to COVID-19 Vaccination Among Australian Twitter Users: Machine Learning Analysis. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e26953. [PMID: 33886492 PMCID: PMC8136408 DOI: 10.2196/26953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 is one of the greatest threats to human beings in terms of health care, economy, and society in recent history. Up to this moment, there have been no signs of remission, and there is no proven effective cure. Vaccination is the primary biomedical preventive measure against the novel coronavirus. However, public bias or sentiments, as reflected on social media, may have a significant impact on the progression toward achieving herd immunity. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to use machine learning methods to extract topics and sentiments relating to COVID-19 vaccination on Twitter. METHODS We collected 31,100 English tweets containing COVID-19 vaccine-related keywords between January and October 2020 from Australian Twitter users. Specifically, we analyzed tweets by visualizing high-frequency word clouds and correlations between word tokens. We built a latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic model to identify commonly discussed topics in a large sample of tweets. We also performed sentiment analysis to understand the overall sentiments and emotions related to COVID-19 vaccination in Australia. RESULTS Our analysis identified 3 LDA topics: (1) attitudes toward COVID-19 and its vaccination, (2) advocating infection control measures against COVID-19, and (3) misconceptions and complaints about COVID-19 control. Nearly two-thirds of the sentiments of all tweets expressed a positive public opinion about the COVID-19 vaccine; around one-third were negative. Among the 8 basic emotions, trust and anticipation were the two prominent positive emotions observed in the tweets, while fear was the top negative emotion. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that some Twitter users in Australia supported infection control measures against COVID-19 and refuted misinformation. However, those who underestimated the risks and severity of COVID-19 may have rationalized their position on COVID-19 vaccination with conspiracy theories. We also noticed that the level of positive sentiment among the public may not be sufficient to increase vaccination coverage to a level high enough to achieve vaccination-induced herd immunity. Governments should explore public opinion and sentiments toward COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination, and implement an effective vaccination promotion scheme in addition to supporting the development and clinical administration of COVID-19 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sai Kumar Vadde
- Discipline of Information Technology, Media and Communications, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
| | - Guanjin Wang
- Discipline of Information Technology, Media and Communications, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
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19
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The Trend of Scientific Productivity of Chinese, European Union, and United States Universities and Private Companies: Does the Future Belong to E-Technology Companies? PUBLICATIONS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/publications9020018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose is to verify trends of scientific production from 2010 to 2020, considering the best universities of the United States, China, the European Union (EU), and private companies. The top 30 universities in 2020 in China, the EU, and the US and private companies were selected from the SCImago institutions ranking (SIR). The positions in 2020, 2015, and 2010 in SIR and three sub-indicators were analyzed by means of non-parametric statistics, taking into consideration the effect of time and group on rankings. American and European Union universities have lost positions to Chinese universities and even more to private companies, which have improved. In 2020, private companies have surpassed all other groups considering Innovation as a sub-indicator. The loss of leadership of European and partly American universities mainly concerns research linked to the production of patents. This can lead to future risks of monopoly that may elude public control and cause a possible loss of importance of research not linked to innovation.
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Bezbaruah R, Borah P, Kakoti BB, Al-Shar’I NA, Chandrasekaran B, Jaradat DMM, Al-Zeer MA, Abu-Romman S. Developmental Landscape of Potential Vaccine Candidates Based on Viral Vector for Prophylaxis of COVID-19. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:635337. [PMID: 33937326 PMCID: PMC8082173 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.635337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2, arose at the end of 2019 as a zoonotic virus, which is the causative agent of the novel coronavirus outbreak COVID-19. Without any clear indications of abatement, the disease has become a major healthcare threat across the globe, owing to prolonged incubation period, high prevalence, and absence of existing drugs or vaccines. Development of COVID-19 vaccine is being considered as the most efficient strategy to curtail the ongoing pandemic. Following publication of genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2, globally extensive research and development work has been in progress to develop a vaccine against the disease. The use of genetic engineering, recombinant technologies, and other computational tools has led to the expansion of several promising vaccine candidates. The range of technology platforms being evaluated, including virus-like particles, peptides, nucleic acid (DNA and RNA), recombinant proteins, inactivated virus, live attenuated viruses, and viral vectors (replicating and non-replicating) approaches, are striking features of the vaccine development strategies. Viral vectors, the next-generation vaccine platforms, provide a convenient method for delivering vaccine antigens into the host cell to induce antigenic proteins which can be tailored to arouse an assortment of immune responses, as evident from the success of smallpox vaccine and Ervebo vaccine against Ebola virus. As per the World Health Organization, till January 22, 2021, 14 viral vector vaccine candidates are under clinical development including 10 nonreplicating and four replicating types. Moreover, another 39 candidates based on viral vector platform are under preclinical evaluation. This review will outline the current developmental landscape and discuss issues that remain critical to the success or failure of viral vector vaccine candidates against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajashri Bezbaruah
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, India
| | - Pobitra Borah
- School of Pharmacy, Graphic Era Hill University, Dehradun, India
| | - Bibhuti Bhushan Kakoti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, India
| | - Nizar A. Al-Shar’I
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | | | - Da’san M. M. Jaradat
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan
| | - Munir A. Al-Zeer
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Saeid Abu-Romman
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan
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21
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Lopes-Pacheco M, Silva PL, Cruz FF, Battaglini D, Robba C, Pelosi P, Morales MM, Caruso Neves C, Rocco PRM. Pathogenesis of Multiple Organ Injury in COVID-19 and Potential Therapeutic Strategies. Front Physiol 2021; 12:593223. [PMID: 33584343 PMCID: PMC7876335 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.593223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory disease coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, formerly 2019-nCoV) is a novel coronavirus that has rapidly disseminated worldwide, causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As of January 6th, 2021, there were over 86 million global confirmed cases, and the disease has claimed over 1.87 million lives (a ∼2.2% case fatality rate). SARS-CoV-2 is able to infect human cells by binding its spike (S) protein to angiotensin-conversing enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is expressed abundantly in several cell types and tissues. ACE2 has extensive biological activities as a component of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and plays a pivotal role as counter-regulator of angiotensin II (Ang II) activity by converting the latter to Ang (1-7). Virion binding to ACE2 for host cell entry leads to internalization of both via endocytosis, as well as activation of ADAM17/TACE, resulting in downregulation of ACE2 and loss of its protective actions in the lungs and other organs. Although COVID-19 was initially described as a purely respiratory disease, it is now known that infected individuals can rapidly progress to a multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. In fact, all human structures that express ACE2 are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or to the downstream effects of reduced ACE2 levels, namely systemic inflammation and injury. In this review, we aim to summarize the major features of SARS-CoV-2 biology and the current understanding of COVID-19 pathogenesis, as well as its clinical repercussions in the lung, heart, kidney, bowel, liver, and brain. We also highlight potential therapeutic targets and current global efforts to identify safe and effective therapies against this life-threatening condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquéias Lopes-Pacheco
- Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Pedro Leme Silva
- Laboratory of Pulmonary Investigation, Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology for Regenerative Medicine, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Innovation Network in Nanosystems for Health-NanoSAÚDE/FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- COVID-19 Virus Network, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Brasília, Brazil
- COVID-19 Virus Network, Brazilian Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Brasília, Brazil
- COVID-19 Virus Network, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Ferreira Cruz
- Laboratory of Pulmonary Investigation, Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology for Regenerative Medicine, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Innovation Network in Nanosystems for Health-NanoSAÚDE/FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- COVID-19 Virus Network, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Brasília, Brazil
- COVID-19 Virus Network, Brazilian Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Brasília, Brazil
- COVID-19 Virus Network, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Denise Battaglini
- Anesthesia and Intensive Care, San Martino Policlinico Hospital, IRCCS for Oncology and Neuroscience, Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Robba
- Anesthesia and Intensive Care, San Martino Policlinico Hospital, IRCCS for Oncology and Neuroscience, Genoa, Italy
| | - Paolo Pelosi
- Anesthesia and Intensive Care, San Martino Policlinico Hospital, IRCCS for Oncology and Neuroscience, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostic, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Marcelo Marcos Morales
- National Institute of Science and Technology for Regenerative Medicine, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Innovation Network in Nanosystems for Health-NanoSAÚDE/FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- COVID-19 Virus Network, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Brasília, Brazil
- COVID-19 Virus Network, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Celso Caruso Neves
- National Institute of Science and Technology for Regenerative Medicine, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Innovation Network in Nanosystems for Health-NanoSAÚDE/FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- COVID-19 Virus Network, Brazilian Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Brasília, Brazil
- COVID-19 Virus Network, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Cell Signaling, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Patricia Rieken Macedo Rocco
- Laboratory of Pulmonary Investigation, Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology for Regenerative Medicine, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Innovation Network in Nanosystems for Health-NanoSAÚDE/FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- COVID-19 Virus Network, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Brasília, Brazil
- COVID-19 Virus Network, Brazilian Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Brasília, Brazil
- COVID-19 Virus Network, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Kangabam R, Sahoo S, Ghosh A, Roy R, Silla Y, Misra N, Suar M. Next-generation computational tools and resources for coronavirus research: From detection to vaccine discovery. Comput Biol Med 2021; 128:104158. [PMID: 33301953 PMCID: PMC7705366 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2020.104158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected 215 countries and territories around the world with 60,187,347 coronavirus cases and 17,125,719 currently infected patients confirmed as of the November 25, 2020. Currently, many countries are working on developing new vaccines and therapeutic drugs for this novel virus strain, and a few of them are in different phases of clinical trials. The advancement in high-throughput sequence technologies, along with the application of bioinformatics, offers invaluable knowledge on genomic characterization and molecular pathogenesis of coronaviruses. Recent multi-disciplinary studies using bioinformatics methods like sequence-similarity, phylogenomic, and computational structural biology have provided an in-depth understanding of the molecular and biochemical basis of infection, atomic-level recognition of the viral-host receptor interaction, functional annotation of important viral proteins, and evolutionary divergence across different strains. Additionally, various modern immunoinformatic approaches are also being used to target the most promiscuous antigenic epitopes from the SARS-CoV-2 proteome for accelerating the vaccine development process. In this review, we summarize various important computational tools and databases available for systematic sequence-structural study on coronaviruses. The features of these public resources have been comprehensively discussed, which may help experimental biologists with predictive insights useful for ongoing research efforts to find therapeutics against the infectious COVID-19 disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajiv Kangabam
- KIIT-Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Susrita Sahoo
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Arpan Ghosh
- KIIT-Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India; School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Riya Roy
- KIIT-Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Yumnam Silla
- Advanced Computation and Data Sciences Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology (CSIR-NEIST), Jorhat, 785006, India
| | - Namrata Misra
- KIIT-Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India; School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Mrutyunjay Suar
- KIIT-Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India; School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India.
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23
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Babaei F, Mirzababaei M, Nassiri-Asl M, Hosseinzadeh H. Review of registered clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19. Drug Dev Res 2020; 82:474-493. [PMID: 33251593 PMCID: PMC7753306 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is a viral disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). The disease was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, but now more than 200 countries have been affected and the coronavirus pandemic is still ongoing. The severity of COVID‐19 symptoms can range from mild to severe. FDA approved remdesivir as a treatment of COVID‐19 so far. Various clinical trials are underway to find an effective method to treat patients with COVID‐19. This review aimed at summarizing 219 registered clinical trials in the ClinicalTrials.gov database with possible mechanisms, and novel findings of them, and other recent publications related to COVID‐19. According to our analyses, various treatment approaches and drugs are being investigated to find an effective drug to cure COVID‐19 and among all strategies, three important mechanisms are suggested to be important against COVID‐19 including antiviral, anti‐inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. Our review can help future studies get on the way to finding an effective drug for COVID‐19 treatment by providing ideas for similar researches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Babaei
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Student Research Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammadreza Mirzababaei
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Marjan Nassiri-Asl
- Department of Pharmacology and Neurobiology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Hosseinzadeh
- Department of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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24
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Badgujar KC, Badgujar AB, Dhangar DV, Badgujar VC. Importance and use of pulse oximeter in COVID-19 pandemic: general factors affecting the sensitivity of pulse oximeter. Chem Ind 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/00194506.2020.1845988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Vivek C. Badgujar
- Department of Chemistry, Pratap College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Amalner, India
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25
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Epidemiología del autocuidado más allá de lo individual y lo sanitario. BIOMÉDICA 2020; 40:73-76. [PMID: 33152190 PMCID: PMC7676844 DOI: 10.7705/biomedica.5761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
En medio de la crisis pandémica a nivel global, la preocupación internacional ha girado en torno a la adopción de medidas de control y prevención orientadas a la reducción de la velocidad de propagación del virus en espera de que se disponga de una medida sanitaria radical como la vacuna. El esfuerzo gubernamental y social ha tenido un gran impacto en diversos sectores de la sociedad y las consecuencias han superado el ámbito sanitario. En este ensayo se discute su alcance en el sentido de la apropiación de las medidas de control del riesgo y se propone el método epidemiológico como una alternativa que va más allá de la cuantificación de los riesgos y la atribución de responsabilidades. Por último, se plantea la necesidad de fomentar procesos de socialización de la información que ayuden a la comprensión de las consecuencias de los actos individuales y favorezcan la superación de la expectativa de control pandémico únicamente basada en el uso de medidas coercitivas.
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