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Hora J, Rambhia N, Mani I. Drug repurposing for personalized medicine. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2024; 207:107-122. [PMID: 38942534 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2024.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Personalized medicine has emerged as a revolutionary approach to healthcare in the 21st century. By understanding a patient's unique genetic and biological characteristics, it aims to tailor treatments specifically to the individual. This approach takes into account factors such as an individual's lifestyle, genetic makeup, and environmental factors to provide targeted therapies that have the potential to be more effective and lower the risk of side reactions or ineffective treatments. It is a paradigm shift from the traditional "one size fits all" approach in medicine, where patients with similar symptoms or diagnoses receive the same standard treatments regardless of their differences. It leads to improved clinical outcomes and more efficient use of healthcare resources. Drug repurposing is a strategy that uses existing drugs for new indications and aims to take advantage of the known safety profiles, pharmacokinetics, and mechanisms of action of these drugs to accelerate the development process. Precision medicine may undergo a revolutionary change as a result, enabling the rapid development of novel treatment plans utilizing drugs that traditional methods would not otherwise link to. In this chapter, we have focused on a few strategies wherein drug repurposing has shown great success for precision medicine. The approach is particularly useful in oncology as there are many variations induced in the genetic material of cancer patients, so tailored treatment approaches go a long way. We have discussed the cases of breast cancer, glioblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. Other than that, we have also looked at drug repurposing approaches in anxiety disorders and COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jahnvi Hora
- Manipal School of Life Science, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Nishita Rambhia
- Manipal School of Life Science, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Indra Mani
- Department of Microbiology, Gargi College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.
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da Costa Miranda AL, da Paixão ART, Pedroso AO, do Espírito Santo Lima L, Parente AT, Botelho EP, Polaro SHI, de Oliveira E Silva AC, Reis RK, Ferreira GRON. Demographic, social, and clinical aspects associated with access to COVID-19 health care in Pará province, Brazilian Amazon. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8776. [PMID: 38627601 PMCID: PMC11021420 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59461-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Internal social disparities in the Brazilian Amazon became more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this work was to examine the demographic, social and clinical factors associated with access to COVID-19 health care in Pará Province in the Brazilian Amazon. This was an observational, cross-sectional, analytical study using a quantitative method through an online survey conducted from May to August 2023. People were eligible to participate if they were current residents of Pará, 18-years-old or older, with self-reported diagnoses of COVID-19 through rapid or laboratory tests. Participants completed an electronic survey was developed using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) software-The adapted questionnaire "COVID-19 Global Clinical Platform: Case Report Form for Post-COVID Condition". Questions focused on access to COVID-19 treatment, demographic characteristics, COVID-19 vaccine and clinical characteristics. Respondent-driven sampling was applied to recruit participants. Multiple logistic regression was utilized to identify the associated factors. Overall, a total of 638 participants were included. The average age was 31.1 years. Access to COVID-19 health care was 68.65% (438/638). The participants most likely to access health care were those with moderate or severe COVID-19 (p = 0.000; OR: 19.8) and females (p = 0.001; OR: 1.99). Moreover, participants who used homemade tea or herbal medicines were less likely to receive health care for COVID-19 in health services (p = 0.002; OR: 0.54). Ensuring access to healthcare is important in a pandemic scenario.
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Grants
- 12/2021 support from Emergency selection IV No. 12/2021 of the Postgraduate Development Program - Impacts of the Pandemic belonging to the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)
- 12/2021 support from Emergency selection IV No. 12/2021 of the Postgraduate Development Program - Impacts of the Pandemic belonging to the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)
- 12/2021 support from Emergency selection IV No. 12/2021 of the Postgraduate Development Program - Impacts of the Pandemic belonging to the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)
- 12/2021 support from Emergency selection IV No. 12/2021 of the Postgraduate Development Program - Impacts of the Pandemic belonging to the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)
- 12/2021 support from Emergency selection IV No. 12/2021 of the Postgraduate Development Program - Impacts of the Pandemic belonging to the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)
- 12/2021 support from Emergency selection IV No. 12/2021 of the Postgraduate Development Program - Impacts of the Pandemic belonging to the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)
- 12/2021 support from Emergency selection IV No. 12/2021 of the Postgraduate Development Program - Impacts of the Pandemic belonging to the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)
- PAPQ/UFPA 2024 Pós- graduação of the Federal University of Para, Support Program for qualified production -2024 (PAPQ-2024, in Portuguese)
- PAPQ/UFPA 2024 Pós- graduação of the Federal University of Para, Support Program for qualified production -2024 (PAPQ-2024, in Portuguese)
- PAPQ/UFPA 2024 Pós- graduação of the Federal University of Para, Support Program for qualified production -2024 (PAPQ-2024, in Portuguese)
- PAPQ/UFPA 2024 Pós- graduação of the Federal University of Para, Support Program for qualified production -2024 (PAPQ-2024, in Portuguese)
- PAPQ/UFPA 2024 Pós- graduação of the Federal University of Para, Support Program for qualified production -2024 (PAPQ-2024, in Portuguese)
- PAPQ/UFPA 2024 Pós- graduação of the Federal University of Para, Support Program for qualified production -2024 (PAPQ-2024, in Portuguese)
- support from Emergency selection IV No. 12/2021 of the Postgraduate Development Program – Impacts of the Pandemic belonging to the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andrey Oeiras Pedroso
- Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-092, Brasil
| | | | | | - Eliã Pinheiro Botelho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Enfermagem, Universidade Federal Do Pará, Belém, 66075-110, Brasil
| | | | | | - Renata Karina Reis
- Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-092, Brasil
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Zaib S, Rana N, Ali HS, Hussain N, Areeba, Ogaly HA, Al-Zahrani FAM, Khan I. Discovery of druggable potent inhibitors of serine proteases and farnesoid X receptor by ligand-based virtual screening to obstruct SARS-CoV-2. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:127379. [PMID: 37838109 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus, a subfamily of the coronavirinae family, is an RNA virus with over 40 variations that can infect humans, non-human mammals and birds. There are seven types of human coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, is responsible for the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The current study is focused on the identification of drug molecules for the treatment of COVID-19 by targeting human proteases like transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), furin, cathepsin B, and a nuclear receptor named farnesoid X receptor (FXR). TMPRSS2 and furin help in cleaving the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, while cathepsin B plays a critical role in the entry and pathogenesis. FXR, on the other hand, regulates the expression of ACE2, and its inhibition can reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection. By inhibiting these four protein targets with non-toxic inhibitors, the entry of the infectious agent into host cells and its pathogenesis can be obstructed. We have used the BioSolveIT suite for pharmacophore-based computational drug designing. A total of 1611 ligands from the ligand library were docked with the target proteins to obtain potent inhibitors on the basis of pharmacophore. Following the ADMET analysis and protein ligand interactions, potent and druggable inhibitors of the target proteins were obtained. Additionally, toxic substructures and the less toxic route of administration of the most potent inhibitors in rodents were also determined computationally. Compounds namely N-(diaminomethylene)-2-((3-((1R,3R)-3-(2-(methoxy(methyl)amino)-2-oxoethyl)cyclopentyl)propyl)amino)-2-oxoethan-1-aminium (26), (1R,3R)-3-(((2-ammonioethyl)ammonio)methyl)-1-((4-propyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)methyl)piperidin-1-ium (29) and (1R,3R)-3-(((2-ammonioethyl)ammonio)methyl)-1-((1-propyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)methyl)piperidin-1-ium (30) were found as the potent inhibitors of TMPRSS2, whereas, 1-(1-(1-(1H-tetrazol-1-yl)cyclopropane-1‑carbonyl)piperidin-4-yl)azepan-2-one (6), (2R)-4-methyl-1-oxo-1-((7R,11S)-4-oxo-6,7,8,9,10,11-hexahydro-4H-7,11-methanopyrido[1,2-a]azocin-9-yl)pentan-2-aminium (12), 4-((1-(3-(3,5-dimethylisoxazol-4-yl)propanoyl)piperidin-4-yl)methyl)morpholin-4-ium (13), 1-(4,6-dimethylpyrimidin-2-yl)-N-(3-oxocyclohex-1-en-1-yl)piperidine-4-carboxamide (14), 1-(4-(1,5-dimethyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)piperidin-1-yl)-3-(3,5-dimethylisoxazol-4-yl)propan-1-one (25) and N,N-dimethyl-4-oxo-4-((1S,5R)-8-oxo-5,6-dihydro-1H-1,5-methanopyrido[1,2-a][1,5]diazocin-3(2H,4H,8H)-yl)butanamide (31) inhibited the FXR preferentially. In case of cathepsin B, N-((5-benzoylthiophen-2-yl)methyl)-2-hydrazineyl-2-oxoacetamide (2) and N-([2,2'-bifuran]-5-ylmethyl)-2-hydrazineyl-2-oxoacetamide (7) were identified as the most druggable inhibitors whereas 1-amino-2,7-diethyl-3,8-dioxo-6-(p-tolyl)-2,3,7,8-tetrahydro-2,7-naphthyridine-4‑carbonitrile (5) and (R)-6-amino-2-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-1H-benzo[de]isoquinoline-1,3(2H)-dione (20) were active against furin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumera Zaib
- Department of Basic and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan.
| | - Nehal Rana
- Department of Basic and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
| | - Hafiz Saqib Ali
- INEOS Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research and Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Nadia Hussain
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Al Ain, P.O. Box 64141, United Arab Emirates; AAU Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, P.O. Box 144534, United Arab Emirates
| | - Areeba
- Department of Basic and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
| | - Hanan A Ogaly
- Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fatimah A M Al-Zahrani
- Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Imtiaz Khan
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, United Kingdom.
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Sahin E, Dag A, Eren F. The pleiotropic approach to coronavirus disease-19 pathogenesis: The impact of liver diseases associated host genetic variants. HEPATOLOGY FORUM 2023; 5:93-96. [PMID: 38487739 PMCID: PMC10936119 DOI: 10.14744/hf.2023.2023.0018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a novel multisystemic viral disease caused pandemic. The disease impact involves liver and associated systems. Undoubtedly, host genetic background influences the predisposition and prediction of infection. Variants among human populations might increase susceptibility or protect against severe outcomes. In this manner, rs738409 variant of patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 gene appears to be protective in some populations in spite of its aggravating effect on non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLDs) and steatohepatitis. DRB1*15:01 allele of human leukocyte antigen is associated with protective effect in European and Japanese populations. DRB1*03:01 contrarily increases the susceptibility of severe COVID-19 infection in European populations. rs1260326 in glucokinase regulatory protein gene, rs112875651 in tribbles homolog 1 gene, rs429358 in apolipoprotein 1, and rs58542926 in transmembrane 6 superfamily 2 alleles are found related with NAFLD and obesity; thus, hypercoagulability and severe COVID-19 outcomes. In chronic or acute liver diseases, comorbid syndromes are the key factors to explain increased severity. There might not be a direct association between the variant and severe COVID-19 infection. As it is concluded, there are genes and variants known and unknown yet to be studied to reveal the association with disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eren Sahin
- Marmara University School of Medicine, 3 year Pre-Clinical Student, Istanbul, Turkiye
| | - Ali Dag
- Marmara University School of Medicine, 3 year Pre-Clinical Student, Istanbul, Turkiye
| | - Fatih Eren
- Department of Medical Biology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkiye
- Department of Medical Biology, Eastern Mediterranean University School of Medicine, Famagusta, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
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Ghach W, Safwan J, Kerek R, Alwan N. Evaluation of awareness and performance towards COVID-related disinfectant use among the university communities in Lebanon. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1582. [PMID: 37596576 PMCID: PMC10439643 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16515-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The fast spread of COVID-19 reinforced the daily use of disinfectants around the world. However, the awareness gap of disinfectant use could lead to health risks during the prevention of the pandemic. This study aims to assess the level of awareness and performance towards COVID-related disinfectant use among various university communities (student, staff, and faculty) in Lebanon. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2021 and June 2022 among 925 participants (males and females aged between 18 and 64 years old) from academic settings in Lebanese universities using convenience sampling. An online validated survey (score-based questionnaire) of personal disinfectants' utilization was conducted to evaluate the awareness and performance levels using SPSS (version 21). Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to check significant differences in awareness and performance levels among gender, age, provinces, educational level, university status, and field of study. Friedman test was used to test for significant differences in performance level questions pre-and post-COVID-19. The Spearman correlation test was used to determine the correlation between the awareness and performance of the respondents regarding the use of disinfectants. RESULTS It was found that the majority of the respondents showed a weak level of awareness (70.8%) while their performance (61.9%) was moderate. Spearman's correlation analysis concluded a weak correlation between the awareness and performance levels (p < 0.01). The Mann-Whitney test indicated that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in awareness and performance levels between males and females. Another notable variable was the educational level of the respondents (p < 0.05) with postgraduate degrees holders recording higher mean scores of awareness than the ones with undergraduate and high school degrees as per Kruskal-Wallis test. Significant differences were shown in awareness scores among the age groups and in performance scores among the field of study (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The study findings highlighted the necessity of awareness campaigns and training programs addressing the technical handling of disinfectants among the communities in Lebanon. Lebanese governmental authorities (Ministry of Public Health, MoPH, and Ministry of Education and Higher Education, MEHE), and the healthcare professionals and public health researchers in Lebanon may utilize this new evidence to initiate public health interventions as a part of the United Nations (UN) sustainability goal of wellbeing (Sustainable Development Goal 3, SDG 3).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wissam Ghach
- Faculty of Communication, Arts and Sciences, Canadian University Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- School of Health Sciences, Modern University for Business and Science, Beirut, Lebanon.
| | - Jihan Safwan
- School of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon
- INSPECT-LB, Institut National de Santé Publique d'Épidémiologie Clinique et de Toxicologie-Liban, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Racha Kerek
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
- Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Nisreen Alwan
- College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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Aujla UI, Syed IA, Khalid A, Hanif MF, Malik AK. Clinical Characteristics of Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Pakistan. Cureus 2023; 15:e44405. [PMID: 37791149 PMCID: PMC10542652 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.44405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused a global pandemic of severe upper respiratory tract infections known as COVID-19. This single-center study aimed to investigate the demographics, comorbidities, symptoms, and disease severity of COVID-19 patients in Pakistan. METHODS A retrospective descriptive study was conducted at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center from April 2020 to August 2020. A total of 430 PCR-positive COVID-19 patients were categorized into symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. The symptomatic group was further classified into severe and non-severe subgroups. Patients' demographics, comorbid conditions, presenting symptoms, laboratory parameters, and clinical outcomes were assessed in these two subgroups. Statistical tests were applied to determine significant differences. RESULTS A total of 430 patients with COVID-19 presented in our center, of whom 334 (78%) were symptomatic and included in the study. Severe disease was observed in 83 (24.8%) symptomatic patients, with a male predominance (75.9%) and higher mean age (61.7 ± 13.2). Travel to high-risk destinations (p < 0.002) and close contact with COVID-19 patients (p < 0.001) were significant risk factors. Major comorbid conditions included diabetes mellitus (30.5%) and hypertension (39.8%). Frequent symptoms included fever (71.8%), cough (68.8%), dyspnea (53.8%), and myalgias (35.9%). Higher C-reactive protein (median = 12.76 vs. 1.45, p = 0.001), ferritin (median = 996.70 vs. 628, p = 0.004), and D-dimers (median = 1121 vs. 439.50, p = 0.009) were noted in severe vs non-severe disease. Lymphopenia was more prevalent in severe vs. non-severe disease (83.1% vs. 14.3% p-value = 0.033). More deaths (28.9%) and ICU admissions (53%) with a prolonged hospital stay (median = 25 days, IQR = 16.0-31.0) were noted in the severe group. CONCLUSION This retrospective study provides insights into the clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients. Age, male gender, comorbidities, and specific symptoms were associated with disease severity. Inflammatory markers, including D-dimers, ferritin, and CRP, were elevated in severe cases. These findings contribute to a better understanding of COVID-19 and may aid in clinical management and decision-making for patients affected by the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usman I Aujla
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center, Lahore, PAK
| | - Imran A Syed
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center, Lahore, PAK
| | - Abdullah Khalid
- Surgery, Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center, Lahore, PAK
| | - Muhammad Farooq Hanif
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center, Lahore, PAK
| | - Ahmad K Malik
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center, Lahore, PAK
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Siddiqi MH, Idris M, Alruwaili M. FAIR Health Informatics: A Health Informatics Framework for Verifiable and Explainable Data Analysis. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:1713. [PMID: 37372831 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11121713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has hit humanity very hard in ways rarely observed before. In this digitally connected world, the health informatics and investigation domains (both public and private) lack a robust framework to enable rapid investigation and cures. Since the data in the healthcare domain are highly confidential, any framework in the healthcare domain must work on real data, be verifiable, and support reproducibility for evidence purposes. In this paper, we propose a health informatics framework that supports data acquisition from various sources in real-time, correlates these data from various sources among each other and to the domain-specific terminologies, and supports querying and analyses. Various sources include sensory data from wearable sensors, clinical investigation (for trials and devices) data from private/public agencies, personnel health records, academic publications in the healthcare domain, and semantic information such as clinical ontologies and the Medical Subject Heading ontology. The linking and correlation of various sources include mapping personnel wearable data to health records, clinical oncology terms to clinical trials, and so on. The framework is designed such that the data are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable with proper Identity and Access Mechanisms. This practically means to tracing and linking each step in the data management lifecycle through discovery, ease of access and exchange, and data reuse. We present a practical use case to correlate a variety of aspects of data relating to a certain medical subject heading from the Medical Subject Headings ontology and academic publications with clinical investigation data. The proposed architecture supports streaming data acquisition and servicing and processing changes throughout the lifecycle of the data management. This is necessary in certain events, such as when the status of a certain clinical or other health-related investigation needs to be updated. In such cases, it is required to track and view the outline of those events for the analysis and traceability of the clinical investigation and to define interventions if necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Madallah Alruwaili
- College of Computer and Information Sciences, Jouf University, Sakaka 73211, Saudi Arabia
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Li Y, Yu Q, Huang R, Chen H, Ren H, Ma L, He Y, Li W. SARS-CoV-2 SUD2 and Nsp5 Conspire to Boost Apoptosis of Respiratory Epithelial Cells via an Augmented Interaction with the G-Quadruplex of BclII. mBio 2023; 14:e0335922. [PMID: 36853058 PMCID: PMC10127692 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03359-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms underlying how SUD2 recruits other proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to exert its G-quadruplex (G4)-dependent pathogenic function is unknown. Herein, Nsp5 was singled out as a binding partner of the SUD2-N+M domains (SUD2core) with high affinity, through the surface located crossing these two domains. Biochemical and fluorescent assays demonstrated that this complex also formed in the nucleus of living host cells. Moreover, the SUD2core-Nsp5 complex displayed significantly enhanced selective binding affinity for the G4 structure in the BclII promoter than did SUD2core alone. This increased stability exhibited by the tertiary complex was rationalized by AlphaFold2 and molecular dynamics analysis. In line with these molecular interactions, downregulation of BclII and subsequent augmented apoptosis of respiratory cells were both observed. These results provide novel information and a new avenue to explore therapeutic strategies targeting SARS-CoV-2. IMPORTANCE SUD2, a unique protein domain closely related to the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2, has been reported to bind with the G-quadruplex (G4), a special noncanonical DNA structure endowed with important functions in regulating gene expression. However, the interacting partner of SUD2, among other SARS-CoV-2 Nsps, and the resulting functional consequences remain unknown. Here, a stable complex formed between SUD2 and Nsp5 was fully characterized both in vitro and in host cells. Moreover, this complex had a significantly enhanced binding affinity specifically targeting the Bcl2G4 in the promoter region of the antiapoptotic gene BclII, compared with SUD2 alone. In respiratory epithelial cells, the SUD2-Nsp5 complex promoted BclII-mediated apoptosis in a G4-dependent manner. These results reveal fresh information about matched multicomponent interactions, which can be parlayed to develop new therapeutics for future relevant viral disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Quanwei Yu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ridong Huang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hai Chen
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hequan Ren
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lingling Ma
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yang He
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Weimin Li
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Mannino RG, Nehl EJ, Farmer S, Peagler AF, Parsell MC, Claveria V, Ku D, Gottfried DS, Chen H, Lam WA, Brand O. The critical role of engineering in the rapid development of COVID-19 diagnostics: Lessons from the RADx Tech Test Verification Core. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade4962. [PMID: 37027461 PMCID: PMC10081837 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade4962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Engineering plays a critical role in the development of medical devices, and this has been magnified since 2020 as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 swept over the globe. In response to the coronavirus disease 2019, the National Institutes of Health launched the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative to help meet the testing needs of the United States and effectively manage the pandemic. As the Engineering and Human Factors team for the RADx Tech Test Verification Core, we directly assessed more than 30 technologies that ultimately contributed to an increase of the country's total testing capacity by 1.7 billion tests to date. In this review, we present central lessons learned from this "apples-to-apples" comparison of novel, rapidly developed diagnostic devices. Overall, the evaluation framework and lessons learned presented in this review may serve as a blueprint for engineers developing point-of-care diagnostics, leaving us better prepared to respond to the next global public health crisis rapidly and effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert G. Mannino
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Eric J. Nehl
- Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Sarah Farmer
- Center for Advanced Communications Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Amanda Foster Peagler
- Center for Advanced Communications Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Maren C. Parsell
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Viviana Claveria
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - David Ku
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - David S. Gottfried
- Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Hang Chen
- Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Wilbur A. Lam
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Oliver Brand
- Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
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10
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Bai H, He LY, Gao FZ, Wu DL, Yao KS, Zhang M, Jia WL, He LX, Zou HY, Yao MS, Ying GG. Airborne antibiotic resistome and human health risk in railway stations during COVID-19 pandemic. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 172:107784. [PMID: 36731187 PMCID: PMC9884615 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is recognized as one of the greatest public health concerns. It is becoming an increasingly threat during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increasing usage of antimicrobials, such as antibiotics and disinfectants, in healthcare facilities or public spaces. To explore the characteristics of airborne antibiotic resistome in public transport systems, we assessed distribution and health risks of airborne antibiotic resistome and microbiome in railway stations before and after the pandemic outbreak by culture-independent and culture-dependent metagenomic analysis. Results showed that the diversity of airborne antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) decreased following the pandemic, while the relative abundance of core ARGs increased. A total of 159 horizontally acquired ARGs, predominantly confering resistance to macrolides and aminoglycosides, were identified in the airborne bacteria and dust samples. Meanwhile, the abundance of horizontally acquired ARGs hosted by pathogens increased during the pandemic. A bloom of clinically important antibiotic (tigecycline and meropenem) resistant bacteria was found following the pandemic outbreak. 251 high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) were recovered from 27 metagenomes, and 86 genera and 125 species were classified. Relative abundance of ARG-carrying MAGs, taxonomically assigned to genus of Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and Staphylococcus, was found increased during the pandemic. Bayesian source tracking estimated that human skin and anthropogenic activities were presumptive resistome sources for the public transit air. Moreover, risk assessment based on resistome and microbiome data revealed elevated airborne health risks during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Bai
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Liang-Ying He
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Fang-Zhou Gao
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Dai-Ling Wu
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China; Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Kai-Sheng Yao
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China; Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Min Zhang
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Wei-Li Jia
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Lu-Xi He
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Hai-Yan Zou
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Mao-Sheng Yao
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Guang-Guo Ying
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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11
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Stylianou T, Ntelas K. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Socioeconomic Aspects in Greece. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1843. [PMID: 36767206 PMCID: PMC9914756 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has spread worldwide, affecting almost all countries and territories. COVID-19 continues to impact various spheres of our life, such as the economy, industries, global market, agriculture, human health, health care, and many others. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-lockdowns on people's mental health in Greece. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in several urban, semi-urban and rural areas. The survey of 252 Greek people was conducted in spring 2022, and 46.8% of them were female and the other 53.2% were male. Ages were between 19 and 60 years old. Some of the main findings were that most of the participants feel their mental health got worse than before (about 80%), participants with kids were more affected than those who did not have any kids because they had bigger responsibilities and the pandemic might have caused them a lot of problems to deal with. The higher the income, the less they are affected, and people whose jobs did not change dramatically were also less likely to not be much mentally affected. Moreover, the percentage of smokers whose mental health became worse was greater than that among those who did not smoke. The same happened with those who consumed alcohol. Finally, we used the GBM algorithm to find three important predictors and we applied k-means to have a clear picture of the different clusters and how a number of participants are connected according to their answers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tasos Stylianou
- Business Administration, School of Social Sciences, Hellenic Open University, 26335 Patra, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Ntelas
- Big Data Analytics, School of Computing, Mediterranean College of Thessaloniki, 54625 Thessaloniki, Greece
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12
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Coordinated Loss and Acquisition of NK Cell Surface Markers Accompanied by Generalized Cytokine Dysregulation in COVID-19. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24031996. [PMID: 36768315 PMCID: PMC9917026 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is accompanied by a dysregulated immune response. In particular, NK cells, involved in the antiviral response, are affected by the infection. This study aimed to investigate circulating NK cells with a focus on their activation, depletion, changes in the surface expression of key receptors, and functional activity during COVID-19, among intensive care unit (ICU) patients, moderately ill patients, and convalescents (CCP). Our data confirmed that NK cell activation in patients with COVID-19 is accompanied by changes in circulating cytokines. The progression of COVID-19 was associated with a coordinated decrease in the proportion of NKG2D+ and CD16+ NK cells, and an increase in PD-1, which indicated their exhaustion. A higher content of NKG2D+ NK cells distinguished surviving patients from non-survivors in the ICU group. NK cell exhaustion in ICU patients was additionally confirmed by a strong negative correlation of PD-1 and natural cytotoxicity levels. In moderately ill patients and convalescents, correlations were found between the levels of CD57, NKG2C, and NKp30, which may indicate the formation of adaptive NK cells. A reduced NKp30 level was observed in patients with a lethal outcome. Altogether, the phenotypic changes in circulating NK cells of COVID-19 patients suggest that the intense activation of NK cells during SARS-CoV-2 infection, most likely induced by cytokines, is accompanied by NK cell exhaustion, the extent of which may be critical for the disease outcome.
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13
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Evaluation of Bi-Lateral Co-Infections and Antibiotic Resistance Rates among COVID-19 Patients in Lahore, Pakistan. Medicina (B Aires) 2022; 58:medicina58070904. [PMID: 35888623 PMCID: PMC9322062 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58070904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objective: Bacterial infections are among the major complications of many viral respiratory tract illnesses, such as influenza and coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). These bacterial co-infections are associated with an increase in morbidity and mortality rates. The current observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Lahore, Pakistan among COVID-19 patients with the status of oxygen dependency to see the prevalence of bacterial co-infections and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Materials and Methods: A total of 1251 clinical samples were collected from already diagnosed COVID-19 patients and tested for bacterial identification (cultures) and susceptibility testing (disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration) using gold standard diagnostic methods. Results: From the total collected samples, 234 were found positive for different bacterial isolates. The most common isolated bacteria were Escherichia coli (E. coli) (n = 62) and Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) (n = 47). The E. coli isolates have shown the highest resistance to amoxicillin and ampicillin, while in the case of A. baumannii, the highest resistance was noted against tetracycline. The prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was 14.9%, carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) was 4.5%, and vancomycin resistant Enterococcus (VRE) was 3.96%. Conclusions: The results of the current study conclude that empiric antimicrobial treatment in critically ill COVID-19 patients may be considered if properly managed within institutional or national level antibiotic stewardship programs, because it may play a protective role in the case of bacterial co-infections, especially when a patient has other AMR risk factors, such as hospital admission within the previous six months.
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14
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Do Vaccination Attitudes Mediate the Link between Critical Consciousness and COVID-19 Vaccination Behaviour? A Cross-Sectional Study. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14137623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Critical consciousness development represents a building block in the formation of health-related attitudes and behaviours. One of the most studied health-related behaviours in the previous year is COVID-19 vaccination behaviour. The present study examines critical consciousness, COVID-19 vaccination attitudes and vaccination behaviour in a consistent sample of young adults (N = 1185). Participants were residents of Romania, aged 18 to 41 years. The Critical Consciousness Scale—Short Form (CCS-S) and the Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX) Scale were used. The results demonstrate the mediating role of two types of vaccination attitude—lack of confidence in the promoted vaccine benefits and worries about unforeseen effects—in the relationship between critical reflection and vaccination behaviour. Communication is fundamental in an initiative aimed at changing behaviour. When shaping a health-related campaign, communication and dialogue must be horizontal and characterised by empathy and mutual recognition to determine favourable health-related behaviour.
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15
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Kwon YH, Han HJ, Park E. Nursing Experience of New Nurses Caring for COVID-19 Patients in Military Hospitals: A Qualitative Study. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10040744. [PMID: 35455921 PMCID: PMC9027116 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10040744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
This qualitative study explored the experiences of new nurses with less than one year of clinical experience in caring for COVID-19 patients in a military hospital. In-depth interviews were conducted with six new nurses working in a negative-pressure isolation unit of the Armed Forces Capital Hospital. Data were analyzed using the phenomenological method proposed by Colaizzi, and 12 themes were derived and classified into four clusters: burden of nursing in isolation units; hardship of nursing critically ill patients; efforts to perform nursing tasks; positive changes through patient care. The participants were anxious while caring for COVID-19 patients with severe illness due to a lack of clinical experience. Furthermore, the wearing of heavy personal protective equipment impeded communication with patients, leading to physical and psychological exhaustion. However, they tried to utilize their own know-how and provide the best nursing care, resulting in them gaining confidence. Participants were able to think critically and took pride in being military nursing professionals. This study is meaningful as it provides insight into the experiences of new military nurses who were rapidly dispatched during a national medical crisis. The results can be applied to develop future strategies aimed at improving new nurses’ competency in military hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Hoon Kwon
- College of Nursing, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 35015, Korea;
- Nursing Department, Armed Forces Capital Hospital, Seongnam 13574, Korea;
| | - Hye-Ju Han
- Nursing Department, Armed Forces Capital Hospital, Seongnam 13574, Korea;
| | - Eunyoung Park
- College of Nursing, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 35015, Korea;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-42-580-8323; Fax: +82-42-580-8309
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16
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Chaturvedi S, Khan S, Bhunia RK, Kaur K, Tiwari S. Metabolic engineering in food crops to enhance ascorbic acid production: crop biofortification perspectives for human health. PHYSIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PLANTS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 28:871-884. [PMID: 35464783 PMCID: PMC9016690 DOI: 10.1007/s12298-022-01172-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ascorbic acid (AsA) also known as vitamin C is considered as an essential micronutrient in the diet of humans. The human body is unable to synthesize AsA, thus solely dependent on exogenous sources to accomplish the nutritional requirement. AsA plays a crucial role in different physiological aspects of human health like bone formation, iron absorption, maintenance and development of connective tissues, conversion of cholesterol to bile acid and production of serotonin. It carries antioxidant properties and is involved in curing various clinical disorders such as scurvy, viral infection, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, anemia, and diabetes. It also plays a significant role in COVID-19 prevention and recovery by improving the oxygen index and enhancing the production of natural killer cells and T-lymphocytes. In plants, AsA plays important role in floral induction, seed germination, senescence, ROS regulation and photosynthesis. AsA is an essential counterpart of the antioxidant system and helps to defend the plants against abiotic and biotic stresses. Surprisingly, the deficiencies of AsA are spreading in both developed and developing countries. The amount of AsA in the major food crops such as wheat, rice, maize, and other raw natural plant foods is inadequate to fulfill its dietary requirements. Hence, the biofortification of AsA in staple crops would be feasible and cost-effective means of delivering AsA to populations that may have limited access to diverse diets and other interventions. In this review, we endeavor to provide information on the role of AsA in plants and human health, and also perused various biotechnological and agronomical approaches for elevating AsA content in food crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhant Chaturvedi
- Plant Tissue Culture and Genetic Engineering Lab, National Agri-
Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology (Government of India), Sector-81, Knowledge City, S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, 140306 India
- Department of Biotechnology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014 India
| | - Shahirina Khan
- Plant Tissue Culture and Genetic Engineering Lab, National Agri-
Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology (Government of India), Sector-81, Knowledge City, S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, 140306 India
- Department of Botany, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, 151001 India
| | - Rupam Kumar Bhunia
- Plant Tissue Culture and Genetic Engineering Lab, National Agri-
Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology (Government of India), Sector-81, Knowledge City, S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, 140306 India
| | - Karambir Kaur
- Plant Tissue Culture and Genetic Engineering Lab, National Agri-
Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology (Government of India), Sector-81, Knowledge City, S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, 140306 India
| | - Siddharth Tiwari
- Plant Tissue Culture and Genetic Engineering Lab, National Agri-
Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology (Government of India), Sector-81, Knowledge City, S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, 140306 India
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17
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Bell T. Do solar cycles explain the emergence of COVID-19? Neutron count comparison between the solar minima of 2008-2009 and 2019-2020. CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & HEALTH 2022; 26:100333. [PMID: 35194566 PMCID: PMC8855047 DOI: 10.1016/j.coesh.2022.100333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cosmic rays are believed to be mutagenic and can stimulate virus mutation through point mutations. Neutron count on Earth ground stations is a reliable proxy to quantify cosmic ray flux. A previous study reported that the maximum flux of cosmic rays in November 2019 could be related to the emergence of COVID-19 (late November to early December). Using the latest neutron count data, this study investigated if the data from 2019 to 2020 could specifically explain the emergence of pandemic (COVID-19). The results indicate that there is no significant difference between the previous two last solar minima datasets (2008-2009 and 2019-2020; n = 24, p = 0.60). This suggests that the solar minima of 2019-2020 did not experience an increase in cosmic rays and the emergence of COVID-19 could not be solely explained by cosmic ray flux caused by solar cycles (space weather change).
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Bell
- Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific, University of Guam, UOG Station Mangilao, GU 96923, Guam
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18
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Seow HC, Liao Q, Lau ATY, Leung SWS, Yuan S, Lam JKW. Dual targeting powder formulation of antiviral agent for customizable nasal and lung deposition profile through single intranasal administration. Int J Pharm 2022; 619:121704. [PMID: 35358643 PMCID: PMC8958263 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.121704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Unpredictable outbreaks due to respiratory viral infections emphasize the need for new drug delivery strategies to the entire respiratory tract. As viral attack is not limited to a specific anatomic region, antiviral therapy that targets both the upper and lower respiratory tract would be most effective. This study aimed to formulate tamibarotene, a retinoid derivative previously reported to display broad-spectrum antiviral activity against influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), as a novel dual particle size powder formulation that targets both the nasal cavity and the lung by a single route of intranasal administration. Spray freeze drying (SFD) and spray drying (SD) techniques were employed to prepare tamibarotene powder formulations, and cyclodextrin was used as the sole excipient to enhance drug solubility. With the employment of appropriate atomizing nozzles, particles of size above 10 μm and below 5 μm could be produced for nasal and lung deposition, respectively. The aerosol performance of the powder was evaluated using Next Generation Impactor (NGI) coupled with a glass expansion chamber and the powder was dispersed with a nasal powder device. By blending powder of two different particle sizes, a single powder formulation with dual aerosol deposition characteristic in both the nasal and pulmonary regions was produced. The aerosol deposition fractions in the nasal cavity and pulmonary region could be modulated by varying the powder mixing ratio. All dry powder formulations exhibited spherical structures, amorphous characteristics and improved dissolution profile as compared to the unformulated tamibarotene. Overall, a novel dual targeting powder formulation of tamibarotene exhibiting customizable aerosol deposition profile was developed. This exceptional formulation strategy can be adopted to deliver other antimicrobial agents to the upper and lower airways for the prevention and treatment of human respiratory infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Cong Seow
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Qiuying Liao
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Andy T Y Lau
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Susan W S Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Shuofeng Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Caro Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR; Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science Park, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Jenny K W Lam
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR; Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR.
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19
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Santos CJ, Nuradin N, Joplin C, Leigh AE, Burke RV, Rome R, McCall J, Raines AM. Risk factors for delirium among SARS-CoV-2 positive veterans. Psychiatry Res 2022; 309:114375. [PMID: 35030378 PMCID: PMC8716145 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
There have been increasing reports of atypical neuropsychological symptoms among patients hospitalized with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although numerous pathophysiological mechanisms have been proposed to account for the association between COVID-19 and delirium, few studies have examined factors associated with its development and none have done so in the context of a veteran sample. The current study exploratorily examined demographic and medical variables that might be associated with delirium among a cohort of SARS-CoV-2 positive veterans. Demographic and medical data were extracted from the computerized patient records of 162 veterans who were admitted to a large southeastern Veterans Affairs hospital for COVID-19 complications between March 1, 2020 and April 20, 2020. At the zero-order level, age, a history of cardiovascular illness, length of stay, intensive care unit admission, initiation of new dialysis, and the development of new thromboembolic or cardiac findings were associated with delirium. However, when simultaneously examining the impact of these predictor variables in a logistic regression, only length of stay and new cardiac findings increased the odds of delirium. Findings highlight the importance of continued investigation into factors that may account for neuropsychiatric dysfunction among COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles J. Santos
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, USA,Departments of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA,South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), New Orleans, LA, USA,Corresponding author at: Tulane University School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112 USA
| | - Nebil Nuradin
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, USA,Department of Internal Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Christopher Joplin
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, USA,Department of Internal Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Alexandra E. Leigh
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, USA,Department of Internal Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Rebecca V. Burke
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, USA,Department of Internal Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Robin Rome
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Jonathan McCall
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Amanda M. Raines
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, USA,South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), New Orleans, LA, USA,School of Medicine, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA, USA
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20
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Castelán-Sánchez HG, Martínez-Castilla LP, Sganzerla-Martínez G, Torres-Flores J, López-Leal G. Genome Evolution and Early Introductions of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in Mexico. Virus Evol 2022; 8:veac109. [PMID: 36582501 PMCID: PMC9793848 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veac109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
A new variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), named Omicron (Pango lineage designation B.1.1.529), was first reported to the World Health Organization by South African health authorities on 24 November 2021. The Omicron variant possesses numerous mutations associated with increased transmissibility and immune escape properties. In November 2021, Mexican authorities reported Omicron's presence in the country. In this study, we infer the first introductory events of Omicron and the impact that human mobility has had on the spread of the virus. We also evaluated the adaptive evolutionary processes in Mexican SARS-CoV-2 genomes during the first month of the circulation of Omicron. We inferred 160 introduction events of Omicron in Mexico since its first detection in South Africa; subsequently, after the first introductions there was an evident increase in the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 during January. This higher prevalence of the novel variant resulted in a peak of reported cases; on average 6 weeks after, a higher mobility trend was reported. During the peak of cases in the country from January to February 2022, the Omicron BA.1.1 sub-lineage dominated, followed by the BA.1 and BA.15 sub-lineages. Additionally, we identified the presence of diversifying natural selection in the genomes of Omicron and found six non-synonymous mutations in the receptor binding domain of the spike protein, all of them related to evasion of the immune response. In contrast, the other proteins in the genome are highly conserved; however, we identified homoplasic mutations in non-structural proteins, indicating a parallel evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - León P Martínez-Castilla
- Programa de Investigadoras e Investigadores por México, Grupo de Genómica y Dinámica Evolutiva de Microorganismos Emergentes, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Av. Insurgentes Sur 1582, Crédito Constructor, Benito Juárez, Ciudad de México C.P. 03940, México
| | - Gustavo Sganzerla-Martínez
- Laboratory of Immunity, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, People’s Republic of China, No. 22 Xinling Road Shantou, Guangdong Province 515041, China
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, 5850 College street, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jesús Torres-Flores
- Programa de Investigadoras e Investigadores por México, Grupo de Genómica y Dinámica Evolutiva de Microorganismos Emergentes, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Av. Insurgentes Sur 1582, Crédito Constructor, Benito Juárez, Ciudad de México C.P. 03940, México
- Laboratorio Nacional de Vacunología y Virus Tropicales, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas-IPN, Prolongación de Carpio y Plan de Ayala s/n, Col. Santo Tómas, Alcaldía Miguel Hidalgo CDMX C.P. 11340, México
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21
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Banerjee I, Robinson J, Banerjee I, Sathian B. Omicron: The pandemic propagator and lockdown instigator - what can be learnt from South Africa and such discoveries in future. Nepal J Epidemiol 2021; 11:1126-1129. [PMID: 35070471 PMCID: PMC8730344 DOI: 10.3126/nje.v11i4.41569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes the disease termed COVID-19 ripped through the globe in the latter part of 2019 and has left a state of fear, death and destruction in its wake. The Omicron variant was officially announced by the South African authorities on the 24th of November 2021, with the first confirmed sample of the infection being collected on the 9th of November 2021. The initial cases were flagged as a possible new variant due to the stark differences in the presentation and clinical features of the patients. At the time of Omicron's discovery, the predominant variant circulating within South Africa was the Delta variant B.1.617.2 which typically presented with more severe and distinct symptoms. Omicron spread rapidly within the Southern Africa and abroad, principally South Africa, Botswana, Hongkong and Israel were among the first countries to record cases of the new variant. The first European case of the Omicron variant was confirmed on the 26th of November 2021 in Belgium. Towards the end of November 2021 cases of the new variant had been confirmed and recorded in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal and Scotland. Additional cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed in Canada, Australia, India and United States. At this current point in the development of the Omicron upsurge in cases the international community should aim for further vaccinations among their fellow countrymen, but more so vaccine equality should be ensured. Such equality should be ensured in the developing nations as the virus does not respect any boundaries or territories and thus a higher level of vaccination worldwide will confer greater protection to the global community as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jared Robinson
- Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Medical College, Belle Rive, Mauritius
| | - Indraneel Banerjee
- Consultant Uro oncologist and Robotic Surgeon, Apollo multi speciality Hospitals, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Brijesh Sathian
- Geriatric and long term care Department, Rumailah Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
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22
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Sant’Anna FH, Muterle Varela AP, Prichula J, Comerlato J, Comerlato CB, Roglio VS, Mendes Pereira GF, Moreno F, Seixas A, Wendland EM. Emergence of the novel SARS-CoV-2 lineage VUI-NP13L and massive spread of P.2 in South Brazil. Emerg Microbes Infect 2021; 10:1431-1440. [PMID: 34184973 PMCID: PMC8284128 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2021.1949948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we analyzed 340 whole genomes of SARS-CoV-2, which were sampled between April and November 2020 in 33 cities of Rio Grande do Sul, South Brazil. We demonstrated the circulation of two novel emergent lineages, VUI-NP13L and VUI-NP13L-like, and five major lineages that had already been assigned (B.1.1.33, B.1.1.28, P.2, B.1.91, B.1.195). P.2 and VUI-NP13L demonstrated a massive spread in October 2020. Constant and consistent genomic surveillance is crucial to identify newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 lineages in Brazil and to guide decision making in the Brazilian Public Healthcare System.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ana Paula Muterle Varela
- Graduate Program in Biosciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Janira Prichula
- Graduate Program in Biosciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Flávia Moreno
- Department of Chronic Conditions and Sexually Transmitted Infections, Ministry of Health, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Adriana Seixas
- Graduate Program in Biosciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Eliana Márcia Wendland
- Hospital Moinhos de Vento, PROADI – SUS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Community Health, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil
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23
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Varela APM, Prichula J, Mayer FQ, Salvato RS, Sant'Anna FH, Gregianini TS, Martins LG, Seixas A, Veiga ABGD. SARS-CoV-2 introduction and lineage dynamics across three epidemic peaks in Southern Brazil: massive spread of P.1. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2021; 96:105144. [PMID: 34798321 PMCID: PMC8595253 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.105144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 is paramount for understanding viral dynamics, contributing to disease control. This study analyzed SARS-CoV-2 genomic diversity in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, including the first reported case in each Regional Health Coordination and cases from three epidemic peaks. Ninety SARS-CoV-2 genomes from RS were sequenced and analyzed through comparison with SARS-CoV-2 datasets available in GISAID for phylogenetic inference and mutation analysis. Among the first reported cases, we found the following lineages: B.1 (33.3%), B.1.1.28 (26.7%), B.1.1 (13.3%), B.1.1.33 (10.0%), and A (6.7%), evidencing SARS-CoV-2 introduction by both international origin and community-driven transmission. We found predominance of B.1.1.33 (50.0%) and B.1.1.28 (35.0%) during the first epidemic peak (July-August 2020), emergence of P.2 (55.6%) in the second peak (November-December 2020), and massive spread of P.1 and related sequences (78.4%), such as P.1-like-II, P.1.1 and P.1.2 in the third peak (February-April, 2021). Eighteen novel mutation combinations were found among P.1 genomes, and 22 different spike mutations and/or deletions among P.1 and related sequences. This study shows the dispersion of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in Southern Brazil and describes SARS-CoV-2 diversity during three epidemic peaks, highlighting the spread of P.1 and the high genetic diversity of currently circulating lineages. Genomic monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 is essential to guide health authorities' decisions to control COVID-19 in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Muterle Varela
- Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Rua Sarmento Leite, 245, 90050-170 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Janira Prichula
- Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Rua Sarmento Leite, 245, 90050-170 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Fabiana Quoos Mayer
- Centro de Pesquisa Em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor, Departamento de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa Agropecuária, Secretaria da Agricultura, Pecuária e Desenvolvimento Rural, Estrada Do Conde, 6000, Sans Souci, 92990-000 Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Richard Steiner Salvato
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública, Centro Estadual de Vigilância em Saúde da Secretaria de Saúde do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (LACEN/CEVS/SES-RS). Av. Ipiranga, 5400, 90610-000 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Fernando Hayashi Sant'Anna
- Hospital Moinhos de Vento, PROADI - SUS, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 910 - Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Schäffer Gregianini
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública, Centro Estadual de Vigilância em Saúde da Secretaria de Saúde do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (LACEN/CEVS/SES-RS). Av. Ipiranga, 5400, 90610-000 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Letícia Garay Martins
- Centro Estadual de Vigilância em Saúde da Secretaria de Saúde do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul - CEVS/SES-RS. Av. Ipiranga, 5400, 90610-000 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Adriana Seixas
- Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Rua Sarmento Leite, 245, 90050-170 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Ana Beatriz Gorini da Veiga
- Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Rua Sarmento Leite, 245, 90050-170 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
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24
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Navalpakam A, Secord E, Pansare M. The Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on Pediatric Asthma in the United States. Pediatr Clin North Am 2021; 68:1119-1131. [PMID: 34538303 PMCID: PMC8139266 DOI: 10.1016/j.pcl.2021.05.012] [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] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused severe economic and health impacts in the United States, and the impact is disproportionately more in socially disadvantages areas. The available data, albeit limited in children, suggest that the initial concerns of the potential of serious impact of COVID-19 illness in children with asthma are unproven so far. The reduction in asthma morbidities is due to improved adherence, COVID-19 control measures, school closures, and decreased exposure to allergens and viral infections in children. During the pandemic, asthma guidelines were updated to guide physicians in asthma care. In the face of unprecedented time, it is important to be vigilant, adhere to treatment guidelines, and implement preventive measures to eradicate the virus and improve outcomes in children with asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aishwarya Navalpakam
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Specialty Center, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, 4th Floor, 3950 Beaubien Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48236, USA
| | - Elizabeth Secord
- Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Milind Pansare
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Pediatric Specialty Center, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Central Michigan University, Suite # 4018, 4th Floor, 3950 Beaubien Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48236, USA.
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25
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Souza LAB, Neves HCC, Aredes NDA, Medeiros ICLJ, Silva GO, Ribeiro LCM. Nursing supervised curricular internship in the Covid-19 pandemic: experience in the program Brasil Conta Comigo. Rev Esc Enferm USP 2021; 55:e20210003. [PMID: 34515724 DOI: 10.1590/1980-220x-reeusp-2021-0003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To report the experience of the nursing supervised curricular internship in the program "O Brasil Conta Comigo" carried out in the Covid-19 pandemic. METHOD Experience report of activities developed in Primary Health Care in a municipality in the southern region of the state of Goiás during the Covid-19 pandemic, from April to November 2020. RESULTS The inclusion in the government program allowed the strengthening of the student's active role in the teaching-learning process and teaching-service approximation, with the student as the point of connection, which resulted in the implementation of actions for the fight against the pandemic in the municipality, such as elaboration, implementation, and evaluation of the service flowchart for people with suspected Covid-19. CONCLUSION The experience was successful, as it consolidated knowledge regarding leadership and autonomy, integration between theory and practice, critical thinking, and evidence-based problem solving. The participation in the program allowed for contributions to assistance and management in the actions to combat the new coronavirus in the scope of primary care, as well as for the contribution to the training of the student tutored by nurses in the field and supervised by professors from the federal university of origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Arcipreti Boel Souza
- Hospital Sírio Libanês, Gestão dos Serviços em Saúde e Redes de Atenção à Saúde, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - George Oliveira Silva
- Universidade Federal de Goiás, Faculdade de Enfermagem, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.,Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Goiânia. Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Luana Cássia Miranda Ribeiro
- Universidade Federal de Goiás, Faculdade de Enfermagem, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.,Secretária Executiva da Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Goiânia. Goiânia, GO, Brazil
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26
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Esparza-Ibarra EL, Ayala-Luján JL, Mendoza-Almanza B, González-Curiel I, Godina-González S, Hernández-Barrales M, Mendoza-Almanza G. The Platelet Role in Severe and Fatal Forms of COVID-19. Curr Mol Med 2021; 22:572-583. [PMID: 34514997 DOI: 10.2174/1566524021666210910112404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization received a report of several pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China. The causative agent was later confirmed as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since then, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread throughout the world, giving rise in 2020 to the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which, according to the world map of the World Health Organization, has, until May 18, 2021, infected 163,312,429 people and caused 3,386,825 deaths throughout the world. Most critical patients progress rapidly to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and, in underlying form, to septic shock, irreversible metabolic acidosis, blood coagulation dysfunction, or hemostatic and thrombotic anomalies have been reported as the leading causes of death due to COVID-19. The main findings in severe and fatal COVID-19 patients make it clear that platelets play a crucial role in developing severe disease cases. Platelets are the enucleated cells responsible for hemostasis and thrombi formation; thus, platelet hyperreactivity induced by pro-inflammatory microenvironments contributes to the "cytokine storm" that characterizes the more aggressive course of COVID- 19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar L Esparza-Ibarra
- Unidad Academica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas. Mexico
| | - Jorge L Ayala-Luján
- Unidad Academica de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas. Mexico
| | - Brenda Mendoza-Almanza
- Unidad Academica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas. Mexico
| | - Irma González-Curiel
- Unidad Academica de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas. Mexico
| | - Susana Godina-González
- Unidad Academica de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas. Mexico
| | | | - Gretel Mendoza-Almanza
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas. Mexico
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27
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Robotto A, Civra A, Quaglino P, Polato D, Brizio E, Lembo D. SARS-CoV-2 airborne transmission: A validated sampling and analytical method. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 200:111783. [PMID: 34324848 PMCID: PMC8313792 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The airborne transmission path for SARS-CoV-2 is of primary scientific and health-related interest as it could actually involve management, accessibility, use and functionality of many activities, including hospitals), schools, workplaces, factories, transport, sport venues and outdoor environment. It is necessary to develop a sampling and analytical method for virus-laden bioaerosol that could be considered reliable and validated according to ISO/IEC 17025 requirements. The present paper defines sample pretreatments aiming at recover SARS-CoV-2 from glass-fiber and PTFE filters employed by low and high-volume air samplers. Recovery test results focused on the sample concentration step carried out by means of ultracentrifugation are reported as well. Human coronavirus strain OC43 (a surrogate β-coronavirus with the same SARS-CoV-2 particle structure) was used to validate each step of the recovery tests. We found that the elution efficiency of coronavirus OC43 from glass-fiber and quartz filters could be strongly enhanced by using an elution buffer containing up to 40% of fetal calf serum. Moreover, the recovery from PTFE filters is much higher and easier than from glass-fiber filters: for glass-fiber filters a 3 h-shaking phase, followed by a 30 s-vortexing step, are necessary to elute viral infective particles; for PTFE, 60 min-shaking is enough. The effect of suction time on filters could be resumed as follows: sampling durations up to 20 min at a flow rate of 500 L/min do not affect recovery efficiencies from 10 cm glass-fiber filters, whereas the recovery efficiency of infectious virions from 4.7 cm PTFE filters decreases of a factor 2 after 3 h of sampling at a flow rate of 20 L/min. The recovery efficiency of ultracentrifugation turns out to be around 57%. The effect of storage temperature of filters immersed in a transport medium on coronavirus infectivity is assessed as well. Based on the sampling techniques and the analytical methods developed as described in the present study, many field tests were carried out reporting virus concentrations up to 50 genomic copies per cubic meter of air in domestic environment with poor ventilation condition, whereas in hospital wards the detectable concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 were generally lower than 10 genomic copies per cubic meter of air.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Robotto
- Environmental Protection Agency of Piedmont (Arpa Piemonte), Via Pio VII 9, 10135, Torino, Italy
| | - Andrea Civra
- Dept. of Clinical and Biological Science, University of Torino, Regione Gonzole 10, 10043, Orbassano, Torino, Italy.
| | - Paola Quaglino
- Environmental Protection Agency of Piedmont (Arpa Piemonte), Via Pio VII 9, 10135, Torino, Italy
| | - Denis Polato
- Environmental Protection Agency of Piedmont (Arpa Piemonte), Via Pio VII 9, 10135, Torino, Italy
| | - Enrico Brizio
- Environmental Protection Agency of Piedmont (Arpa Piemonte), Via Pio VII 9, 10135, Torino, Italy
| | - David Lembo
- Dept. of Clinical and Biological Science, University of Torino, Regione Gonzole 10, 10043, Orbassano, Torino, Italy
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SARS-CoV-2 N501Y variants of concern and their potential transmission by mouse. Cell Death Differ 2021; 28:2840-2842. [PMID: 34389814 PMCID: PMC8362871 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-021-00846-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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29
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Thromboembolism after COVID-19 vaccine in patients with preexisting thrombocytopenia. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:762. [PMID: 34344867 PMCID: PMC8328816 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04058-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
While vaccination is the single most effective intervention to drastically reduce severe disease and death following SARS-CoV-2 infection, as shown in UK and Israel, some serious concerns have been raised for an unusual adverse drug reaction (ADR), including vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) with concurrent low platelets as well as capillary leak syndrome. In fact, the overall safety of the vaccine is highlighted by the low frequency of ADR considering that in UK, by the early June, 40 million first doses and 29 million second doses have been injected; nonetheless, 390 thrombotic events, including 71 fatal events have been reported. Interestingly, the cases reported low platelet counts with the presence of anti-platelet factor-4 (PF4) antibodies, indicating an abnormal clotting reaction. Here, out of three referred cases, we report a post-vaccine clinical case of fatal thrombosis with postmortem examination and whole exome sequencing (WES) analysis, whose pathogenesis appeared associated to a preexisting condition of thrombocytopenia due to myelodysplasia.
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Kord Z, Fereidouni Z, Mirzaee MS, Alizadeh Z, Behnammoghadam M, Rezaei M, Abdi N, Delfani F, Zaj P. Telenursing home care and COVID-19: a qualitative study. BMJ Support Palliat Care 2021:bmjspcare-2021-003001. [PMID: 34187878 PMCID: PMC8245287 DOI: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2021-003001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many challenges such as increased number of patients and the risk of the disease progress in the world's healthcare systems, especially nursing. The capacity of technology can help nursing in such conditions. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of patients with COVID-19 with home care by using telenursing. METHODS The present study is a qualitative research conducted using the descriptive phenomenological method. The participants were selected using purposive sampling method and considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. After obtaining ethical approval, data were collected through semistructured interviews. Open-ended questions and follow-up were used in the interviews. The interviews were conducted using Skype application and telephone. All data were recorded, and MAXQDA software was used to manage the data. Data analysis was performed using Colaizzi's seven-step method. Lincoln and Guba's criteria were used to evaluate the trustworthiness of the data. RESULTS The main themes and their subthemes included 'facilitators' (improvement of relationships, adequate education and counselling, adequate care and support, improvement and promotion of health) and 'barriers' (lack of previous knowledge and experience, infrastructure problems, confusion in hospital programmes and the pressure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic). CONCLUSION Given the potential capacity of telenursing, strong field studies are recommended to be conducted in this area. The results of such studies can contribute to the rapid and serious use of telenursing in the area of care, education, support, follow-up and counselling of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeynab Kord
- Department of Anesthesiology, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran
| | - Zhila Fereidouni
- Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Nursing School, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Fars, Iran
| | - Mohammad Saeed Mirzaee
- Department of Medical Surgical Nursing,School of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zeinab Alizadeh
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
| | - Mohammad Behnammoghadam
- Department of Critical Care, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
- Critical Care Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Malihe Rezaei
- Department of Nuursing, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
| | - Naeem Abdi
- Department of Anesthsiology, School of Paramedicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Delfani
- Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parisa Zaj
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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Tang X, Cai L, Meng Y, Xu J, Lu C, Yang J. Indicator Regularized Non-Negative Matrix Factorization Method-Based Drug Repurposing for COVID-19. Front Immunol 2021; 11:603615. [PMID: 33584672 PMCID: PMC7878370 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.603615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel coronavirus, named COVID-19, has become one of the most prevalent and severe infectious diseases in human history. Currently, there are only very few vaccines and therapeutic drugs against COVID-19, and their efficacies are yet to be tested. Drug repurposing aims to explore new applications of approved drugs, which can significantly reduce time and cost compared with de novo drug discovery. In this study, we built a virus-drug dataset, which included 34 viruses, 210 drugs, and 437 confirmed related virus-drug pairs from existing literature. Besides, we developed an Indicator Regularized non-negative Matrix Factorization (IRNMF) method, which introduced the indicator matrix and Karush-Kuhn-Tucker condition into the non-negative matrix factorization algorithm. According to the 5-fold cross-validation on the virus-drug dataset, the performance of IRNMF was better than other methods, and its Area Under receiver operating characteristic Curve (AUC) value was 0.8127. Additionally, we analyzed the case on COVID-19 infection, and our results suggested that the IRNMF algorithm could prioritize unknown virus-drug associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianfang Tang
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, China
| | - Lijun Cai
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, China
| | - Yajie Meng
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, China
| | - JunLin Xu
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, China
| | - Changcheng Lu
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, China
| | - Jialiang Yang
- Department of Science, Geneis Beijing Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
- Academician Workstation, Changsha Medical University, Changsha, China
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No Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Circulation in Rome (Italy) during the Pre-Pandemic Period: Results of a Retrospective Surveillance. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17228461. [PMID: 33207548 PMCID: PMC7696939 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17228461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the COVID-19 outbreak recorded over the previous months could be characterized as a pandemic. The first known Italian SARS-CoV-2 positive case was reported on 21 February. In some countries, cases of suspected “COVID-19-like pneumonia” had been reported earlier than those officially accepted by health authorities. This has led many investigators to check preserved biological or environmental samples to see whether the virus was detectable on dates prior to those officially stated. With regard to Italy, the results of a microbiological screening in sewage samples collected between the end of February and the beginning of April 2020 from wastewaters in Milan (Northern Italy) and Rome (Central Italy) showed presence of SARS-CoV-2. In the present study, we evaluated, by means of a standardized diagnostic method, the SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence amongst patients affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARI) in an academic hospital located in Central Italy during the period of 1 November 2019–1 March 2020. Overall, the number of emergency room (ER) visits during the investigated period was 13,843. Of these, 1208 had an influenza-like syndrome, but only 166 matched the definition of SARI as stated in the study protocol. A total of 52 SARI cases were laboratory confirmed as influenza: 26 as a type B virus, 25 as a type A, and 1 as both viruses. Although about 17% of the total sample had laboratory or radiological data compatible with COVID-19, all the nasopharyngeal swabs stored underwent SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and tested negative. Based on our result, it is confirmed that the COVID-19 pandemic spread did not start prior to the “official” onset in central Italy. Routine monitoring of SARI causative agents at the local level is critical for reporting epidemiologic and etiologic trends that may differ from one country to another and also among different influenza seasons. This has a practical impact on prevention and control strategies.
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Platto S, Wang Y, Zhou J, Carafoli E. History of the COVID-19 pandemic: Origin, explosion, worldwide spreading. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 538:14-23. [PMID: 33199023 PMCID: PMC7834510 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.10.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 virus of the COVID-19 pandemic, that is presently devastating the entire world, had been active well before January of this year, when its pathogenic potential exploded full force in Wuhan. It had caused the onset of small disease outbreaks in China, and probably elsewhere as well, which failed to reach epidemic potential. The distant general origin of its zoonosis can be traced back to the ecosystem changes that have decreased biodiversity, greatly facilitating the contacts between humans and the animal reservoirs that carry pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. These reservoirs are the bats. The transition between the limited outbreaks that had occurred through 2019 and the epidemic explosion of December–January was made possible by the great amplification of the general negative conditions that had caused the preceding small outbreaks. In the light of what we have now learned, the explosion was predictable, and could have happened wherever the conditions that had allowed it, could be duplicated. What could not have been predicted was the second transition, from epidemic to pandemic. Research has now revealed that the globalization of the infection appears to have been caused by a mutation in the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2, that has dramatically increased its transmissibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Platto
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Jianghan University, Wuhan, China; China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, Beijing, China.
| | - Yanqing Wang
- China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, Beijing, China.
| | - Jinfeng Zhou
- China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, Beijing, China.
| | - Ernesto Carafoli
- Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Italy.
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