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Hao Z, Hu S, Huang J, Hu J, Zhang Z, Li H, Yan W. Confounding amplifies the effect of environmental factors on COVID-19. Infect Dis Model 2024; 9:1163-1174. [PMID: 39035783 PMCID: PMC11260012 DOI: 10.1016/j.idm.2024.06.005] [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: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The global COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted human health and socioeconomic development, posing an enormous public health challenge. Extensive research has been conducted into the relationship between environmental factors and the transmission of COVID-19. However, numerous factors influence the development of pandemic outbreaks, and the presence of confounding effects on the mechanism of action complicates the assessment of the role of environmental factors in the spread of COVID-19. Direct estimation of the role of environmental factors without removing the confounding effects will be biased. To overcome this critical problem, we developed a Double Machine Learning (DML) causal model to estimate the debiased causal effects of the influencing factors in the COVID-19 outbreaks in Chinese cities. Comparative experiments revealed that the traditional multiple linear regression model overestimated the impact of environmental factors. Environmental factors are not the dominant cause of widespread outbreaks in China in 2022. In addition, by further analyzing the causal effects of environmental factors, it was verified that there is significant heterogeneity in the role of environmental factors. The causal effect of environmental factors on COVID-19 changes with the regional environment. It is therefore recommended that when exploring the mechanisms by which environmental factors influence the spread of epidemics, confounding factors must be handled carefully in order to obtain clean quantitative results. This study offers a more precise representation of the impact of environmental factors on the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a framework for more accurately quantifying the factors influencing the outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihan Hao
- College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhoum, 730000, China
| | - Shujuan Hu
- College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhoum, 730000, China
| | - Jianping Huang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Western Ecological Safety, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Jiaxuan Hu
- College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhoum, 730000, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhoum, 730000, China
| | - Han Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Western Ecological Safety, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Wei Yan
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Western Ecological Safety, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
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Zhou Z, Mukundan N, Zhang JA, Wu YT, Zhang Q, Wang D, Fang RH, Gao W, Zhang L. Macrophage-Mimicking Cellular Nanoparticles Scavenge Proinflammatory Cytokines in Specimens of Patients with Inflammatory Disorders. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2401423. [PMID: 38884169 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202401423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Effectively neutralizing inflammatory cytokines is crucial for managing a variety of inflammatory disorders. Current techniques that target only a subset of cytokines often fall short due to the intricate nature of redundant and compensatory cytokine networks. A promising solution to this challenge is using cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (CNPs). These nanoparticles replicate the complex interactions between cells and cytokines observed in disease pathology, providing a potential avenue for multiplex cytokine scavenging. While the development of CNPs using experimental animal models has shown great promise, their effectiveness in scavenging multiple cytokines in human diseases has yet to be demonstrated. To bridge this gap, this study selected macrophage membrane-coated CNPs (MФ-CNPs) and assessed their ability to scavenge inflammatory cytokines in serum samples from patients with COVID-19, sepsis, acute pancreatitis, or type-1 diabetes, along with synovial fluid samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The results show that MФ-CNPs effectively scavenge critical inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, interferon (IFN)-γ, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, in a dose-dependent manner. Overall, this study demonstrates MФ-CNPs as a multiplex cytokine scavenging formulation with promising applications in clinical settings to treat a range of inflammatory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhidong Zhou
- Department of Nanoengineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Nilesh Mukundan
- Department of Nanoengineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Jiayuan Alex Zhang
- Department of Nanoengineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - You-Ting Wu
- Department of Nanoengineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Qiangzhe Zhang
- Department of Nanoengineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Dan Wang
- Department of Nanoengineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Ronnie H Fang
- Department of Nanoengineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Weiwei Gao
- Department of Nanoengineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Liangfang Zhang
- Department of Nanoengineering and Chemical Engineering Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
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Shojaee A, Rafiee R, Hosseinzadeh M, Saboori M. Prognostic value of interleukin-6 serum levels in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: A case-control study in Iran. Health Sci Rep 2024; 7:e2232. [PMID: 38978767 PMCID: PMC11228099 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.2232] [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: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is an infectious disease with a high mortality rate that is challenging to treat. Cytokine storm is a crucial factor leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome in COVID-19 patients. Identifying factors that predict the severity of the disease may be primarily prognostic to guide drug therapy. The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic role of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in the hospitalized patients infected with COVID-19. Methods This case-control study was conducted from October 2019 to April 2020 at Shahid Faqihi hospital in Iran. Fifty hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 50 healthy individuals were included while controlling demographics and comorbidities. IL-6 serum levels were measured and compared based on demographic characteristics (age, sex) and comorbidities in the case and control groups. Spearman rank correlation coefficient was also used to analyze the correlations between IL-6 levels and lung involvement in COVID-19 patients. Moreover, some laboratory parameters were compared based on the percentage of lung involvement. Results The level of IL-6 in the case group was significantly higher than the control (p ˂ 0.001). We observed a positive and significant correlation between the level of IL-6 and the severity of lung involvement (r = 0.0.79, p < 0.01). The median level of IL-6 in patients who showed more than 75% lung involvement was 573 (IQR = 320-850). Conclusion Available evidence suggests that high levels of IL-6 are associated with the severity of COVID-19. According to the results, it could be proposed that inhibition of IL-6 might be a target for therapeutic managements to reduce mortality in the patients with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asiyeh Shojaee
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Amol University of Special Modern Technologies Amol Iran
| | - Reza Rafiee
- Department of Pathology Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Shiraz Iran
| | | | - Mohamad Saboori
- Department of Pathology Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Shiraz Iran
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Dick JK, Hicks D, Krishna VD, Sangala JA, Zandstra BT, Baehr C, Verbeek JS, Cragg MS, Cheeran MCJ, Pravetoni M, Hart GT. ACE2 decoy Fc-fusions and bi-specific killer engager (BiKEs) require Fc engagement for in vivo efficacy against SARS-CoV-2. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.20.599956. [PMID: 38948747 PMCID: PMC11212978 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.20.599956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 virus has continued to evolve over time necessitating the adaptation of vaccines to maintain efficacy. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 were a key line of defense for unvaccinated or immunocompromised individuals. However, these mAbs are now ineffective against current SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we tested three aspects of αSARS-CoV-2 therapeutics. First, we tested whether Fc engagement is necessary for in vivo clearance of SARS-CoV-2. Secondly, we tested bi-specific killer engagers (BiKEs) that simultaneously engage SARS-CoV-2 and a specific Fc receptor. Benefits of these engagers include the ease of manufacturing, stability, more cell-specific targeting, and high affinity binding to Fc receptors. Using both mAbs and BiKEs, we found that both neutralization and Fc receptor engagement were necessary for effective SARS-CoV-2 clearance. Thirdly, due to ACE2 being necessary for viral entry, ACE2 will maintain binding to SARS-CoV-2 despite viral evolution. Therefore, we used an ACE2 decoy Fc-fusion or BiKE, instead of an anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody sequence, as a potential therapeutic that would withstand viral evolution. We found that the ACE2 decoy approach also required Fc receptor engagement and, unlike traditional neutralizing antibodies against specific variants, enabled the clearance of two distinct SARS-CoV-2 variants. These data show the importance of Fc engagement for mAbs, the utility of BiKEs as therapies for infectious disease, and the in vivo effectiveness of the ACE2 decoy approach. With further studies, we predict combining neutralization, the cellular response, and this ACE2 decoy approach will benefit individuals with ineffective antibody levels. Abbreviations ACE2, scFv, mAb, BiKE, COVID-19, Fc, CD16, CD32b, CD64, d.p.i. Key points With equal dosing, both neutralization and Fc engagement are necessary for the optimal efficacy of in vivo antibodies and bi-specific killer engagers (BiKEs) against SARS-CoV-2. BiKEs can clear SARS-CoV-2 virus and protect against severe infection in the hACE2-K18 mouse model. ACE2 decoys as part of Fc-fusions or BiKEs provide in vivo clearance of two disparate SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Hynes KC, Russell BS, Tambling RR, Park CL, Fendrich M. Subjective Stress Appraisals Over Time: the Evolving Structure of the COVID-19 Stressor Scale. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2024:10.1007/s11121-024-01694-7. [PMID: 38862829 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-024-01694-7] [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] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 Stressors Scale measures individuals' appraisals of stressors related to the pandemic. Measurement of perceptions of stressors is necessary to understand the socioemotional impacts of not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but other disasters. The study examined the factor structure of the scale among adults in the U.S. over six time points. A shortened version was used, and the fit was examined over time. The results of the study show contextual appraisals change over time and offer important implications for the measurement of stressfulness of disasters, a critical step in designing and assessing impacts of social programs aimed to reduce the deleterious effects of disasters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin C Hynes
- Counseling, Rehabilitation, and Human Services, University of Wisconsin-Stout, 221 10th Avenue E, Menomonie, WI, 54751, USA.
| | - Beth S Russell
- Department of Human Development & Family Sciences, University of Connecticut, 348 Mansfield Rd. U-1058, Storrs, CT, 06269-1058, USA
| | - Rachel R Tambling
- Department of Human Development & Family Sciences, University of Connecticut, 348 Mansfield Rd. U-1058, Storrs, CT, 06269-1058, USA
| | - Crystal L Park
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Rd, U-1020, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA
| | - Michael Fendrich
- School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, 38 Prospect Street, Hartford, CT, 06103, USA
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Luo S, Xie J, Chen J, Li H, Zhang S. Survey of public knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding personal protection against COVID-19 in the post-pandemic era. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1411055. [PMID: 38915426 PMCID: PMC11195805 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1411055] [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: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In the emerging post-pandemic era (the 'wavelet' era), humans must coexist with viruses for the foreseeable future, and personal protective behaviors will largely replace national-level preventive measures. In this new normal, encouraging the public to implement proper personal protective behaviors against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is vital to the sustainable development of cities and communities. This knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) survey conducted in Chengdu (N = 900) narrowed the knowledge gap regarding post-pandemic public practices of protective behavior. Findings show that:(1) approximately 1/3 of the respondents are currently not concerned about COVID-19 at all; (2) respondents with different demographics and individual COVID-19-related factors showed significant differences in practice behaviors indoors and outdoors; (3) vulnerable groups performed better in practice behavior indoors/outdoors; (4) because the public may relax their vigilance outdoors, public places may become a transmission threat in the next outbreak; (5) attitudes are important, but limited incentives for practice; and (6) when knowledge increases beyond a threshold (68.75-75% in this study), protective behaviors decrease. Our results suggest that authorities must continue to educate and motivate the public, extending measures to cover personal protective practices, and have targeted policies for specific demographics to ensure equity in healthcare in the event of another pandemic (COVID-19 and alike crisis). Besides, comparing the results of the current study with similar studies conducted in other parts of the world can provide insights into how different populations respond to and adopt COVID-19 protective behaviors. The epidemiologists can use the data collected by this and other KAP surveys to refine epidemiologic models, which can help predict the spread of the virus and the impact of interventions in different settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shixian Luo
- School of Architecture, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jing Xie
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Jie Chen
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hongyu Li
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Sining Zhang
- School of Architecture, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
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Khawaja T, Kajova M, Levonen I, Pietilä JP, Välimaa H, Paajanen J, Pakkanen SH, Patjas A, Montonen R, Miettinen S, Virtanen J, Smura T, Sironen T, Fagerlund R, Ugurlu H, Iheozor-Ejiofor R, Saksela K, Vahlberg T, Ranki A, Vierikko A, Ihalainen J, Vapalahti O, Kantele A. Double-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of convalescent plasma for COVID-19: analyses by neutralising antibodies homologous to recipients' variants. Infect Dis (Lond) 2024; 56:423-433. [PMID: 38513074 DOI: 10.1080/23744235.2024.2329957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Convalescent plasma (CP) emerged as potential treatment for COVID-19 early in the pandemic. While efficacy in hospitalised patients has been lacklustre, CP may be beneficial at the first stages of disease. Despite multiple new variants emerging, no trials have involved analyses on variant-specific antibody titres of CP. METHODS We recruited hospitalised COVID-19 patients within 10 days of symptom onset and, employing a double-blinded approach, randomised them to receive 200 ml convalescent plasma with high (HCP) or low (LCP) neutralising antibody (NAb) titre against the ancestral strain (Wuhan-like variant) or placebo in 1:1:1 ratio. Primary endpoints comprised intubation, corticosteroids for symptom aggravation, and safety assessed as serious adverse events. For a preplanned ad hoc analysis, the patients were regrouped by infused CP's NAb titers to variants infecting the recipients i.e. by titres of homologous HCP (hHCP) or LCP (hLCP). RESULTS Of the 57 patients, 18 received HCP, 19 LCP and 20 placebo, all groups smaller than planned. No significant differences were found for primary endpoints. In ad hoc analysis, hHCPrecipients needed significantly less respiratory support, and appeared to be given corticosteroids less frequently (1/14; 7.1%) than those receiving hLCP (9/23; 39.1%) or placebo (8/20; 40%), (p = 0.077). DISCUSSION Our double-blinded, placebo-controlled CP therapy trial remained underpowered and does not allow any firm conclusions for early-stage hospitalised COVID-19 patients. Interestingly, however, regrouping by homologous - recipients' variant-specific - CP titres suggested benefits for hHCP. We encourage similar re-analysis of ongoing/previous larger CP studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinTrials.gov identifier: NCT0473040.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Khawaja
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- FIMAR, Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - M Kajova
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- FIMAR, Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - I Levonen
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - J P Pietilä
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- FIMAR, Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - H Välimaa
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - J Paajanen
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Heart and Lung Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - S H Pakkanen
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- FIMAR, Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - A Patjas
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- FIMAR, Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - R Montonen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - S Miettinen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - J Virtanen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Smura
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Sironen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - R Fagerlund
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - H Ugurlu
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - R Iheozor-Ejiofor
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - K Saksela
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- HUS Diagnostic Centre, HUSLAB, Clinical Microbiology, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Vahlberg
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - A Ranki
- Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venereology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - A Vierikko
- Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Helsinki, Finland
| | - J Ihalainen
- Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Helsinki, Finland
| | - O Vapalahti
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- HUS Diagnostic Centre, HUSLAB, Clinical Microbiology, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - A Kantele
- Meilahti Vaccine Research Center, MeVac, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- FIMAR, Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Duarte Filho LAMDS, Yanaguibashi Leal CE, Bodet PE, Beserra de Alencar Filho E, Almeida JRGDS, Porta Zapata M, Achour O, Groult H, Gouveia Veloso CA, Viegas Júnior C, Bourgougnon N, Picot L. The Identification of Peptide Inhibitors of the Coronavirus 3CL Protease from a Fucus ceranoides L. Hydroalcoholic Extract Using a Ligand-Fishing Strategy. Mar Drugs 2024; 22:244. [PMID: 38921555 PMCID: PMC11205194 DOI: 10.3390/md22060244] [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: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Brown seaweeds of the Fucus genus represent a rich source of natural antiviral products. In this study, a Fucus ceranoides hydroalcoholic extract (FCHE) was found to inhibit 74.2 ± 1.3% of the proteolytic activity of the free SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease (3CLpro), an enzyme that plays a pivotal role in polyprotein processing during coronavirus replication and has been identified as a relevant drug discovery target for SARS- and MERS-CoVs infections. To purify and identify 3CLpro ligands with potential inhibitory activity using a one-step approach, we immobilized the enzyme onto magnetic microbeads (3CLpro-MPs), checked that the enzymatic activity was maintained after grafting, and used this bait for a ligand-fishing strategy followed by a high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis of the fished-out molecules. Proof of concept for the ligand-fishing capacity of the 3CLpro-MPs was demonstrated by doping the FCHE extract with the substrate peptide TSAVLQ-pNA, resulting in the preferential capture of this high-affinity peptide within the macroalgal complex matrix. Ligand fishing in the FCHE alone led to the purification and identification via high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) of seven hepta-, octa-, and decapeptides in an eluate mix that significantly inhibited the free 3CLpro more than the starting FCHE (82.7 ± 2.2% inhibition). Molecular docking simulations of the interaction between each of the seven peptides and the 3CLpro demonstrated a high affinity for the enzyme's proteolytic active site surpassing that of the most affine peptide ligand identified so far (a co-crystallographic peptide). Testing of the corresponding synthetic peptides demonstrated that four out of seven significantly inhibited the free 3CLpro (from 46.9 ± 6.4 to 76.8 ± 3.6% inhibition at 10 µM). This study is the first report identifying peptides from Fucus ceranoides with high inhibitory activity against the SARS-CoV-2 3CLprotease which bind with high affinity to the protease's active site. It also confirms the effectiveness of the ligand-fishing strategy for the single-step purification of enzyme inhibitors from complex seaweed matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cintia Emi Yanaguibashi Leal
- Unité de Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire, UMR CNRS 7025, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 80039 Amiens, France;
| | - Pierre-Edouard Bodet
- Plateforme D’analyse Haute Résolution des Biomolécules, UMR CNRS 7266 LIENSs, La Rochelle Université, 17042 La Rochelle, France;
| | | | | | - Manon Porta Zapata
- Littoral Environnement et Societés (LIENSs), UMRi CNRS 7266, La Rochelle Université, 17042 La Rochelle, France; (L.A.M.d.S.D.F.); (M.P.Z.); (O.A.); (H.G.)
| | - Oussama Achour
- Littoral Environnement et Societés (LIENSs), UMRi CNRS 7266, La Rochelle Université, 17042 La Rochelle, France; (L.A.M.d.S.D.F.); (M.P.Z.); (O.A.); (H.G.)
| | - Hugo Groult
- Littoral Environnement et Societés (LIENSs), UMRi CNRS 7266, La Rochelle Université, 17042 La Rochelle, France; (L.A.M.d.S.D.F.); (M.P.Z.); (O.A.); (H.G.)
| | - Carlos Arthur Gouveia Veloso
- Littoral Environnement et Societés (LIENSs), UMRi CNRS 7266, La Rochelle Université, 17042 La Rochelle, France; (L.A.M.d.S.D.F.); (M.P.Z.); (O.A.); (H.G.)
| | - Claudio Viegas Júnior
- Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas 37130-000, MG, Brazil;
| | - Nathalie Bourgougnon
- Laboratoire de Biotechnologie et Chimie Marines, LBCM, Université Bretagne Sud, EMR CNRS 6076, IUEM, 56000 Vannes, France;
| | - Laurent Picot
- Littoral Environnement et Societés (LIENSs), UMRi CNRS 7266, La Rochelle Université, 17042 La Rochelle, France; (L.A.M.d.S.D.F.); (M.P.Z.); (O.A.); (H.G.)
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Uchida Y, Arakawa T, Higo A, Ishizaka Y. Silicon Microring Resonator Biosensor for Detection of Nucleocapsid Protein of SARS-CoV-2. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:3250. [PMID: 38794104 PMCID: PMC11125905 DOI: 10.3390/s24103250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
A high-sensitivity silicon microring (Si MRR) optical biosensor for detecting the nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 is proposed and demonstrated. In the proposed biosensor, the surface of a Si MRR waveguide is modified with antibodies, and the target protein is detected by measuring a resonant wavelength shift of the MRR caused by the selective adsorption of the protein to the surface of the waveguide. A Si MRR is fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator substrate using a CMOS-compatible fabrication process. The quality factor of the MRR is approximately 20,000. The resonant wavelength shift of the MRR and the detection limit for the environmental refractive index change are evaluated to be 89 nm/refractive index unit (RIU) and 10-4 RIU, respectively. The sensing characteristics are examined using a polydimethylsiloxane flow channel after the surface of the Si MRR waveguide is modified with the IgG antibodies through the Si-tagged protein. First, the selective detection of the protein by the MRR sensor is experimentally demonstrated by the detection of bovine serum albumin and human serum albumin. Next, various concentrations of nucleocapsid protein solutions are measured by the MRR, in which the waveguide surface is modified with the IgG antibodies through the Si-tagged protein. Although the experimental results are very preliminary, they show that the proposed sensor has a potential nucleocapsid sensitivity in the order of 10 pg/mL, which is comparable to the sensitivity of current antigen tests. The detection time is less than 10 min, which is much shorter than those of other antigen tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Uchida
- Graduate School of Engineering, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwada, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Taro Arakawa
- Graduate School of Engineering, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwada, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Akio Higo
- System Design Lab, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 2-11-16, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan;
| | - Yuhei Ishizaka
- Department of Science and Engineering, Kanto Gakuin University, 1-50-1 Mutsuura-higashi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-8501, Japan
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10
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Hồ NT, Hughes SG, Ta VT, Phan LT, Đỗ Q, Nguyễn TV, Phạm ATV, Thị Ngọc Đặng M, Nguyễn LV, Trịnh QV, Phạm HN, Chử MV, Nguyễn TT, Lương QC, Tường Lê VT, Nguyễn TV, Trần LTL, Thi Van Luu A, Nguyen AN, Nguyen NTH, Vu HS, Edelman JM, Parker S, Sullivan B, Sullivan S, Ruan Q, Clemente B, Luk B, Lindert K, Berdieva D, Murphy K, Sekulovich R, Greener B, Smolenov I, Chivukula P, Nguyễn VT, Nguyen XH. Safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of the self-amplifying mRNA ARCT-154 COVID-19 vaccine: pooled phase 1, 2, 3a and 3b randomized, controlled trials. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4081. [PMID: 38744844 PMCID: PMC11094049 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47905-1] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Combination of waning immunity and lower effectiveness against new SARS-CoV-2 variants of approved COVID-19 vaccines necessitates new vaccines. We evaluated two doses, 28 days apart, of ARCT-154, a self-amplifying mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, compared with saline placebo in an integrated phase 1/2/3a/3b controlled, observer-blind trial in Vietnamese adults (ClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT05012943). Primary safety and reactogenicity outcomes were unsolicited adverse events (AE) 28 days after each dose, solicited local and systemic AE 7 days after each dose, and serious AEs throughout the study. Primary immunogenicity outcome was the immune response as neutralizing antibodies 28 days after the second dose. Efficacy against COVID-19 was assessed as primary and secondary outcomes in phase 3b. ARCT-154 was well tolerated with generally mild-moderate transient AEs. Four weeks after the second dose 94.1% (95% CI: 92.1-95.8) of vaccinees seroconverted for neutralizing antibodies, with a geometric mean-fold rise from baseline of 14.5 (95% CI: 13.6-15.5). Of 640 cases of confirmed COVID-19 eligible for efficacy analysis most were due to the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant. Efficacy of ARCT-154 was 56.6% (95% CI: 48.7- 63.3) against any COVID-19, and 95.3% (80.5-98.9) against severe COVID-19. ARCT-154 vaccination is well tolerated, immunogenic and efficacious, particularly against severe COVID-19 disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nhân Thị Hồ
- Vinmec-VinUni Institute of Immunology, Vinmec Healthcare System, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | | | | | | | - Quyết Đỗ
- Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mến Văn Chử
- Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | | | | | | | | | - Lý-Thi-Lê Trần
- Hi-tech Center, Vinmec Healthcare System, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Vietnam Biocare Biotechnology Jointstock Company, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Anh Thi Van Luu
- Vietnam Biocare Biotechnology Jointstock Company, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Anh Ngoc Nguyen
- Vietnam Biocare Biotechnology Jointstock Company, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | | | - Hai-Son Vu
- Vinmec-VinUni Institute of Immunology, Vinmec Healthcare System, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | | | | | | | | | - Qian Ruan
- Arcturus Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Brian Luk
- Arcturus Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Kat Murphy
- Arcturus Therapeutics, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Vân Thu Nguyễn
- Vietnam Biocare Biotechnology Jointstock Company, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Xuan-Hung Nguyen
- Vinmec-VinUni Institute of Immunology, Vinmec Healthcare System, Hanoi, Vietnam.
- Hi-tech Center, Vinmec Healthcare System, Hanoi, Vietnam.
- College of Health Sciences, Vin University, Hanoi, Vietnam.
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11
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Hwang S, Lee NY, Nam E, Kim YK, Kim SW, Chang HH, Kim Y, Bae S, Jeong J, Shin JH, Jang G, Lee C, Kwon KT. Effect of Regdanvimab on Mortality in Patients Infected with SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variants: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study. Infect Dis Ther 2024; 13:1037-1050. [PMID: 38607524 PMCID: PMC11098974 DOI: 10.1007/s40121-024-00971-w] [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: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Regdanvimab, a monoclonal antibody pharmaceutical, is the first Korean drug approved for treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We analyzed the therapeutic efficacy of regdanvimab in patients with the COVID-19 delta variant infection. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of patients hospitalized at two Korean tertiary COVID-19 hospitals with COVID-19 delta variant infection between May 26, 2021, and January 30, 2022. To analyze the therapeutic efficacy of regdanvimab, the patients were divided into regdanvimab and non-regdanvimab groups and were 1:1 propensity-score (PS)-matched on age, severity at admission, and COVID-19 vaccination history. RESULTS Of 492 patients, 262 (53.3%) and 230 (46.7%) were in the regdanvimab and non-regdanvimab groups, respectively. After PS matching the groups on age, severity at admission, and COVID-19 vaccination history, each group comprised 189 patients. The 30-day hospital mortality rates (0.0% vs. 1.6%, p = 0.030), proportions of patients with exacerbated conditions to severe/critical/died (9.5% vs. 16.4%, p = 0.047), proportions who received oxygen therapy because of pneumonia exacerbation (7.4% vs. 16.4%, p = 0.007), and proportions with a daily National Early Warning Score ≥ 5 from hospital day 2 were significantly lower in the regdanvimab group. CONCLUSIONS We showed that regdanvimab reduced the exacerbation rates of conditions and mortality in patients with the COVID-19 delta variant infection. Thus, it is recommended to streamline the drug approval system during epidemics of new variant viruses to improve the availability and usage of therapeutics for patients. To facilitate this, relevant institutional support is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyoon Hwang
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, 807, Hoguk-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Nan Young Lee
- Department of Clinical Pathology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunkyung Nam
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, 807, Hoguk-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu Kyung Kim
- Department of Clinical Pathology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Shin-Woo Kim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Ha Chang
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonjung Kim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Sohyun Bae
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Juhwan Jeong
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Ho Shin
- KNU NGS Core Facility, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Guehwan Jang
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Virus Vaccine Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, 501, Jinju-daero, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Changhee Lee
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Virus Vaccine Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, 501, Jinju-daero, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ki Tae Kwon
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, 807, Hoguk-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
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12
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Lipsitch M, Grad Y. Diagnostics for Public Health - Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control. NEJM EVIDENCE 2024; 3:EVIDra2300271. [PMID: 38815175 DOI: 10.1056/evidra2300271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
AbstractAccurate diagnostics are critical in public health to ensure successful disease tracking, prevention, and control. Many of the same characteristics are desirable for diagnostic procedures in both medicine and public health: for example, low cost, high speed, low invasiveness, ease of use and interpretation, day-to-day consistency, and high accuracy. This review lays out five principles that are salient when the goal of diagnosis is to improve the overall health of a population rather than that of a particular patient, and it applies them in two important use cases: pandemic infectious disease and antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Lipsitch
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston
| | - Yonatan Grad
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston
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13
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Echeverri Tribin F, Williams E, Testamarck V, Carreño JM, Bielak D, Yellin T, Krammer F, Hoffer M, Pallikkuth S, Pahwa S. Determinants of health as predictors for differential antibody responses following SARS-CoV-2 primary and booster vaccination in an at-risk, longitudinal cohort. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0292566. [PMID: 38564600 PMCID: PMC10987003 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Post vaccine immunity following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination may be driven by extrinsic, or controllable and intrinsic, or inherent health factors. Thus, we investigated the effects of extrinsic and intrinsic on the peak antibody response following COVID-19 primary vaccination and on the trajectory of peak antibody magnitude and durability over time. Participants in a longitudinal cohort attended visits every 3 months for up to 2 years following enrollment. At baseline, participants provided information on their demographics, recreational behaviors, and comorbid health conditions which guided our model selection process. Blood samples were collected for serum processing and spike antibody testing at each visit. Cross-sectional and longitudinal models (linear-mixed effects models) were generated to assess the relationship between selected intrinsic and extrinsic health factors on peak antibody following vaccination and to determine the influence of these predictors on antibody over time. Following cross-sectional analysis, we observed higher peak antibody titers after primary vaccination in females, those who reported recreational drug use, younger age, and prior COVID-19 history. Following booster vaccination, females and Hispanics had higher peak titers after the 3rd and 4th doses, respectively. Longitudinal models demonstrated that Moderna mRNA-1273 recipients, females, and those previously vaccinated had increased peak titers over time. Moreover, drug users and half-dose Moderna mRNA-1273 recipients had higher peak antibody titers over time following the first booster, while no predictive factors significantly affected post-second booster antibody responses. Overall, both intrinsic and extrinsic health factors play a significant role in shaping humoral immunogenicity after initial vaccination and the first booster. The absence of predictive factors for second booster immunogenicity suggests a more robust and consistent immune response after the second booster vaccine administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Echeverri Tribin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Erin Williams
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Valeska Testamarck
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Juan Manuel Carreño
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Vaccine Research and Pandemic Preparedness (C-VaRPP), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Dominika Bielak
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Temima Yellin
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Florian Krammer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Vaccine Research and Pandemic Preparedness (C-VaRPP), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Michael Hoffer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Suresh Pallikkuth
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Savita Pahwa
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America
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14
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Arevalo-Romero JA, Chingaté-López SM, Camacho BA, Alméciga-Díaz CJ, Ramirez-Segura CA. Next-generation treatments: Immunotherapy and advanced therapies for COVID-19. Heliyon 2024; 10:e26423. [PMID: 38434363 PMCID: PMC10907543 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26423] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in 2019 following prior outbreaks of coronaviruses like SARS and MERS in recent decades, underscoring their high potential of infectivity in humans. Insights from previous outbreaks of SARS and MERS have played a significant role in developing effective strategies to mitigate the global impact of SARS-CoV-2. As of January 7, 2024, there have been 774,075,242 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide. To date, 13.59 billion vaccine doses have been administered, and there have been 7,012,986 documented fatalities (https://www.who.int/) Despite significant progress in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 challenges human defenses, presenting ongoing global challenges. The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 lineages, shaped by mutation and recombination processes, has led to successive waves of infections. This scenario reveals the need for next-generation vaccines as a crucial requirement for ensuring ongoing protection against SARS-CoV-2. This demand calls for formulations that trigger a robust adaptive immune response without leading the acute inflammation linked with the infection. Key mutations detected in the Spike protein, a critical target for neutralizing antibodies and vaccine design -specifically within the Receptor Binding Domain region of Omicron variant lineages (B.1.1.529), currently dominant worldwide, have intensified concerns due to their association with immunity evasion from prior vaccinations and infections. As the world deals with this evolving threat, the narrative extends to the realm of emerging variants, each displaying new mutations with implications that remain largely misunderstood. Notably, the JN.1 Omicron lineage is gaining global prevalence, and early findings suggest it stands among the immune-evading variants, a characteristic attributed to its mutation L455S. Moreover, the detrimental consequences of the novel emergence of SARS-CoV-2 lineages bear a particularly critical impact on immunocompromised individuals and older adults. Immunocompromised individuals face challenges such as suboptimal responses to COVID-19 vaccines, rendering them more susceptible to severe disease. Similarly, older adults have an increased risk of severe disease and the presence of comorbid conditions, find themselves at a heightened vulnerability to develop COVID-19 disease. Thus, recognizing these intricate factors is crucial for effectively tailoring public health strategies to protect these vulnerable populations. In this context, this review aims to describe, analyze, and discuss the current progress of the next-generation treatments encompassing immunotherapeutic approaches and advanced therapies emerging as complements that will offer solutions to counter the disadvantages of the existing options. Preliminary outcomes show that these strategies target the virus and address the immunomodulatory responses associated with COVID-19. Furthermore, the capacity to promote tissue repair has been demonstrated, which can be particularly noteworthy for immunocompromised individuals who stand as vulnerable actors in the global landscape of coronavirus infections. The emerging next-generation treatments possess broader potential, offering protection against a wide range of variants and enhancing the ability to counter the impact of the constant evolution of the virus. Furthermore, advanced therapies are projected as potential treatment alternatives for managing Chronic Post-COVID-19 syndromeand addressing its associated long-term complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Andrea Arevalo-Romero
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Ingeniería Celular y Molecular, Instituto Distrital de Ciencia, Biotecnología e Innovación en Salud, IDCBIS, 111611, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
- Instituto de Errores Innatos del Metabolismo, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, 110231, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Sandra M. Chingaté-López
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Ingeniería Celular y Molecular, Instituto Distrital de Ciencia, Biotecnología e Innovación en Salud, IDCBIS, 111611, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
| | - Bernardo Armando Camacho
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Ingeniería Celular y Molecular, Instituto Distrital de Ciencia, Biotecnología e Innovación en Salud, IDCBIS, 111611, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
| | - Carlos Javier Alméciga-Díaz
- Instituto de Errores Innatos del Metabolismo, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, 110231, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Cesar A. Ramirez-Segura
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Ingeniería Celular y Molecular, Instituto Distrital de Ciencia, Biotecnología e Innovación en Salud, IDCBIS, 111611, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
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15
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Willett JDS, Gravel A, Dubuc I, Gudimard L, Dos Santos Pereira Andrade AC, Lacasse É, Fortin P, Liu JL, Cervantes JA, Galvez JH, Djambazian HHV, Zwaig M, Roy AM, Lee S, Chen SH, Ragoussis J, Flamand L. SARS-CoV-2 rapidly evolves lineage-specific phenotypic differences when passaged repeatedly in immune-naïve mice. Commun Biol 2024; 7:191. [PMID: 38365933 PMCID: PMC10873417 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05878-3] [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: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The persistence of SARS-CoV-2 despite the development of vaccines and a degree of herd immunity is partly due to viral evolution reducing vaccine and treatment efficacy. Serial infections of wild-type (WT) SARS-CoV-2 in Balb/c mice yield mouse-adapted strains with greater infectivity and mortality. We investigate if passaging unmodified B.1.351 (Beta) and B.1.617.2 (Delta) 20 times in K18-ACE2 mice, expressing the human ACE2 receptor, in a BSL-3 laboratory without selective pressures, drives human health-relevant evolution and if evolution is lineage-dependent. Late-passage virus causes more severe disease, at organism and lung tissue scales, with late-passage Delta demonstrating antibody resistance and interferon suppression. This resistance co-occurs with a de novo spike S371F mutation, linked with both traits. S371F, an Omicron-characteristic mutation, is co-inherited at times with spike E1182G per Nanopore sequencing, existing in different within-sample viral variants at others. Both S371F and E1182G are linked to mammalian GOLGA7 and ZDHHC5 interactions, which mediate viral-cell entry and antiviral response. This study demonstrates SARS-CoV-2's tendency to evolve with phenotypic consequences, its evolution varying by lineage, and suggests non-dominant quasi-species contribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Daniel Sunday Willett
- Quantitative Life Sciences Ph.D. Program, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Annie Gravel
- Axe maladies infectieuses et immunitaires, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec- Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Isabelle Dubuc
- Axe maladies infectieuses et immunitaires, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec- Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Leslie Gudimard
- Axe maladies infectieuses et immunitaires, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec- Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Émile Lacasse
- Axe maladies infectieuses et immunitaires, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec- Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Paul Fortin
- Axe maladies infectieuses et immunitaires, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec- Université Laval, Québec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche ARThrite-Arthrite, Recherche et Traitements, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Ju-Ling Liu
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jose Avila Cervantes
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jose Hector Galvez
- Canadian Centre for Computational Genomics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Haig Hugo Vrej Djambazian
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Melissa Zwaig
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Anne-Marie Roy
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sally Lee
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Shu-Huang Chen
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jiannis Ragoussis
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Louis Flamand
- Axe maladies infectieuses et immunitaires, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec- Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
- Département de microbiologie-infectiologie et d'immunologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
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16
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Höft MA, Burgers WA, Riou C. The immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in people with HIV. Cell Mol Immunol 2024; 21:184-196. [PMID: 37821620 PMCID: PMC10806256 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-023-01087-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
This review examines the intersection of the HIV and SARS-CoV-2 pandemics. People with HIV (PWH) are a heterogeneous group that differ in their degree of immune suppression, immune reconstitution, and viral control. While COVID-19 in those with well-controlled HIV infection poses no greater risk than that for HIV-uninfected individuals, people with advanced HIV disease are more vulnerable to poor COVID-19 outcomes. COVID-19 vaccines are effective and well tolerated in the majority of PWH, though reduced vaccine efficacy, breakthrough infections and faster waning of vaccine effectiveness have been demonstrated in PWH. This is likely a result of suboptimal humoral and cellular immune responses after vaccination. People with advanced HIV may also experience prolonged infection that may give rise to new epidemiologically significant variants, but initiation or resumption of antiretroviral therapy (ART) can effectively clear persistent infection. COVID-19 vaccine guidelines reflect these increased risks and recommend prioritization for vaccination and additional booster doses for PWH who are moderately to severely immunocompromised. We recommend continued research and monitoring of PWH with SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially in areas with a high HIV burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxine A Höft
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Wendy A Burgers
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
- Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Catherine Riou
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
- Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
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17
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Abdelnabi R, Lassaunière R, Maes P, Weynand B, Neyts J. Comparing the Infectivity of Recent SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Sub-Variants in Syrian Hamsters. Viruses 2024; 16:122. [PMID: 38257822 PMCID: PMC10819014 DOI: 10.3390/v16010122] [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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the emergence of the first omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant at the end of 2021, several sub-variants have evolved and become predominant in the human population, showing enhanced transmissibility and ability to (partly) escape the adaptive immune response. The XBB sub-variants (e.g., EG.5.1) have become globally dominant. Besides the XBB sub-variants, a phylogenetically distinct variant, i.e., BA.2.86, is also circulating; it carries several mutations in the spike protein as compared to its parental BA.2 variant. Here, we explored the infectivity of the BA.2.86 and EG.5.1 sub-variants compared to the preceding BA.5 sub-variant in Syrian hamsters. Such preclinical models are important for the evaluation of updated vaccine candidates and novel therapeutic modalities. Following intranasal infection with either variant, throat swabs and lung samples were collected on days 3 and 4 post infection. No significant differences in viral RNA loads in throat swabs were observed between these sub-variants. However, the infectious virus titers in the lungs of EG.5.1- and BA.2.86-infected animals were significantly lower compared to the BA.5-infected ones. The lung pathology scores of animals infected with EG.5.1 and BA.2.86 were also markedly lower than that of BA.5 sub-variant. Together, we show that EG.5.1 and BA.2.86 sub-variants exhibit an attenuated replication in hamsters' lungs as compared to the BA.5 sub-variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Abdelnabi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, VirusBank Platform, KU Leuven, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Piet Maes
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Birgit Weynand
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational Cell and Tissue Research, Division of Translational Cell and Tissue Research, KU Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Johan Neyts
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, VirusBank Platform, KU Leuven, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
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18
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Rocho FR, Snipas SJ, Shamim A, Rut W, Drag M, Montanari CA, Salvesen GS. Differential specificity of SARS-CoV-2 main protease variants on peptide versus protein-based substrates. FEBS J 2024; 291:61-69. [PMID: 37843490 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16970] [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: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro ) holds significant importance as a biological target in combating coronaviruses due to its importance in virus replication. Considering the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants and the mutations observed in the Mpro sequence, we hypothesized that these mutations may have a potential impact on the protease's specificity. To test this, we expressed Mpro corresponding to the original strain and variants Beta1, Beta2, and Omicron and analyzed their activity on protein-based and peptide substrates. Although we observed differential activity on the protein-based substrate, there was very little difference when analyzed on the peptide substrate. We conclude that mutations on the Mpro sequence, despite having a minor effect on a peptide substrate cleavage, did not change the catalytic site environment enough to build resistance to inhibition. Therefore, we propose that inhibitors initially designed for the Mpro of the original strain will be effective in all the variants. Thus, Mpro is likely to continue to be a target of therapeutic interest as mutations in its sequence are rare and, as we show here, have a minor effect on the protease's recognition of peptide-based molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda R Rocho
- Cell and Molecular Biology of Cancer Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Medicinal and Biological Chemistry Group of the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Physics, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Scott J Snipas
- Cell and Molecular Biology of Cancer Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anwar Shamim
- Medicinal and Biological Chemistry Group of the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Physics, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Wioletta Rut
- Department of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland
| | - Marcin Drag
- Department of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland
| | - Carlos A Montanari
- Medicinal and Biological Chemistry Group of the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Physics, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Guy S Salvesen
- Cell and Molecular Biology of Cancer Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
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19
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Harhala MA, Gembara K, Baniecki K, Pikies A, Nahorecki A, Jędruchniewicz N, Kaźmierczak Z, Rybicka I, Klimek T, Witkiewicz W, Barczyk K, Kłak M, Dąbrowska K. Experimental Identification of Cross-Reacting IgG Hotspots to Predict Existing Immunity Evasion of SARS-CoV-2 Variants by a New Biotechnological Application of Phage Display. Viruses 2023; 16:58. [PMID: 38257758 PMCID: PMC10820762 DOI: 10.3390/v16010058] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiple pathogens are competing against the human immune response, leading to outbreaks that are increasingly difficult to control. For example, the SARS-CoV-2 virus continually evolves, giving rise to new variants. The ability to evade the immune system is a crucial factor contributing to the spread of these variants within the human population. With the continuous emergence of new variants, it is challenging to comprehend all the possible combinations of previous infections, various vaccination types, and potential exposure to new variants in an individual patient. Rather than conducting variant-to-variant comparisons, an efficient approach could involve identifying key protein regions associated with the immune evasion of existing immunity against the virus. In this study, we propose a new biotechnological application of bacteriophages, the phage display platform for experimental identification of regions (linear epitopes) that may function as cross-reacting IgG hotspots in SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins. A total of 34,949 epitopes derived from genomes of all SARS-CoV-2 variants deposited prior to our library design were tested in a single assay. Cross-reacting IgG hotspots are protein regions frequently recognized by cross-reacting antibodies in many variants. The assay facilitated the one-step identification of immunogenic regions of proteins that effectively induced specific IgG in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. We identified four regions demonstrating both significant immunogenicity and the activity of a cross-reacting IgG hotspot in protein S (located at NTD, RBD, HR1, and HR2/TM domains) and two such regions in protein N (at 197-280 and 358-419 aa positions). This novel method for identifying cross-reacting IgG hotspots holds promise for informing vaccine design and serological diagnostics for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Adam Harhala
- Research and Development Center, Regional Specialist Hospital in Wrocław, Kamieńskiego 73a St., 51-124 Wrocław, Poland; (M.A.H.); (K.G.); (N.J.); (Z.K.); (T.K.); (W.W.); (M.K.)
- Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Weigla 12 St., 53-114 Wrocław, Poland;
| | - Katarzyna Gembara
- Research and Development Center, Regional Specialist Hospital in Wrocław, Kamieńskiego 73a St., 51-124 Wrocław, Poland; (M.A.H.); (K.G.); (N.J.); (Z.K.); (T.K.); (W.W.); (M.K.)
- Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Weigla 12 St., 53-114 Wrocław, Poland;
| | - Krzysztof Baniecki
- Healthcare Centre in Bolesławiec, Jeleniogórska 4, 59-700 Bolesławiec, Poland; (K.B.); (A.P.); (A.N.); (K.B.)
| | - Aleksandra Pikies
- Healthcare Centre in Bolesławiec, Jeleniogórska 4, 59-700 Bolesławiec, Poland; (K.B.); (A.P.); (A.N.); (K.B.)
| | - Artur Nahorecki
- Healthcare Centre in Bolesławiec, Jeleniogórska 4, 59-700 Bolesławiec, Poland; (K.B.); (A.P.); (A.N.); (K.B.)
| | - Natalia Jędruchniewicz
- Research and Development Center, Regional Specialist Hospital in Wrocław, Kamieńskiego 73a St., 51-124 Wrocław, Poland; (M.A.H.); (K.G.); (N.J.); (Z.K.); (T.K.); (W.W.); (M.K.)
| | - Zuzanna Kaźmierczak
- Research and Development Center, Regional Specialist Hospital in Wrocław, Kamieńskiego 73a St., 51-124 Wrocław, Poland; (M.A.H.); (K.G.); (N.J.); (Z.K.); (T.K.); (W.W.); (M.K.)
- Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Weigla 12 St., 53-114 Wrocław, Poland;
| | - Izabela Rybicka
- Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Weigla 12 St., 53-114 Wrocław, Poland;
| | - Tomasz Klimek
- Research and Development Center, Regional Specialist Hospital in Wrocław, Kamieńskiego 73a St., 51-124 Wrocław, Poland; (M.A.H.); (K.G.); (N.J.); (Z.K.); (T.K.); (W.W.); (M.K.)
| | - Wojciech Witkiewicz
- Research and Development Center, Regional Specialist Hospital in Wrocław, Kamieńskiego 73a St., 51-124 Wrocław, Poland; (M.A.H.); (K.G.); (N.J.); (Z.K.); (T.K.); (W.W.); (M.K.)
| | - Kamil Barczyk
- Healthcare Centre in Bolesławiec, Jeleniogórska 4, 59-700 Bolesławiec, Poland; (K.B.); (A.P.); (A.N.); (K.B.)
| | - Marlena Kłak
- Research and Development Center, Regional Specialist Hospital in Wrocław, Kamieńskiego 73a St., 51-124 Wrocław, Poland; (M.A.H.); (K.G.); (N.J.); (Z.K.); (T.K.); (W.W.); (M.K.)
| | - Krystyna Dąbrowska
- Research and Development Center, Regional Specialist Hospital in Wrocław, Kamieńskiego 73a St., 51-124 Wrocław, Poland; (M.A.H.); (K.G.); (N.J.); (Z.K.); (T.K.); (W.W.); (M.K.)
- Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Weigla 12 St., 53-114 Wrocław, Poland;
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20
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Kaufmann SHE. Vaccine development against tuberculosis before and after Covid-19. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1273938. [PMID: 38035095 PMCID: PMC10684952 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1273938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has not only shaped awareness of the impact of infectious diseases on global health. It has also provided instructive lessons for better prevention strategies against new and current infectious diseases of major importance. Tuberculosis (TB) is a major current health threat caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) which has claimed more lives than any other pathogen over the last few centuries. Hence, better intervention measures, notably novel vaccines, are urgently needed to accomplish the goal of the World Health Organization to end TB by 2030. This article describes how the research and development of TB vaccines can benefit from recent developments in the Covid-19 vaccine pipeline from research to clinical development and outlines how the field of TB research can pursue its own approaches. It begins with a brief discussion of major vaccine platforms in general terms followed by a short description of the most widely applied Covid-19 vaccines. Next, different vaccination regimes and particular hurdles for TB vaccine research and development are described. This specifically considers the complex immune mechanisms underlying protection and pathology in TB which involve innate as well as acquired immune mechanisms and strongly depend on fine tuning the response. A brief description of the TB vaccine candidates that have entered clinical trials follows. Finally, it discusses how experiences from Covid-19 vaccine research, development, and rollout can and have been applied to the TB vaccine pipeline, emphasizing similarities and dissimilarities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan H. E. Kaufmann
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
- Systems Immunology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Hagler Institute for Advanced Study, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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21
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Wang HC, Lin TY, Yao YC, Hsu CY, Yang CJ, Chen THH, Yeh YP. Community-Based Digital Contact Tracing of Emerging Infectious Diseases: Design and Implementation Study With Empirical COVID-19 Cases. J Med Internet Res 2023; 25:e47219. [PMID: 37938887 PMCID: PMC10666017 DOI: 10.2196/47219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Contact tracing for containing emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19 is resource intensive and requires digital transformation to enable timely decision-making. OBJECTIVE This study demonstrates the design and implementation of digital contact tracing using multimodal health informatics to efficiently collect personal information and contain community outbreaks. The implementation of digital contact tracing was further illustrated by 3 empirical SARS-CoV-2 infection clusters. METHODS The implementation in Changhua, Taiwan, served as a demonstration of the multisectoral informatics and connectivity between electronic health systems needed for digital contact tracing. The framework incorporates traditional travel, occupation, contact, and cluster approaches and a dynamic contact process enabled by digital technology. A centralized registry system, accessible only to authorized health personnel, ensures privacy and data security. The efficiency of the digital contact tracing system was evaluated through a field study in Changhua. RESULTS The digital contact tracing system integrates the immigration registry, communicable disease report system, and national health records to provide real-time information about travel, occupation, contact, and clusters for potential contacts and to facilitate a timely assessment of the risk of COVID-19 transmission. The digitalized system allows for informed decision-making regarding quarantine, isolation, and treatment, with a focus on personal privacy. In the first cluster infection, the system monitored 665 contacts and isolated 4 (0.6%) cases; none of the contacts (0/665, 0%) were infected during quarantine. The estimated reproduction number of 0.92 suggests an effective containment strategy for preventing community-acquired outbreak. The system was also used in a cluster investigation involving foreign workers, where none of the 462 contacts (0/462, 0%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. CONCLUSIONS By integrating the multisectoral database, the contact tracing process can be digitalized to provide the information required for risk assessment and decision-making in a timely manner to contain a community-acquired outbreak when facing the outbreak of emerging infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Chi Wang
- Changhua County Public Health Bureau, Changhua County, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Yu Lin
- Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chin Yao
- Changhua County Public Health Bureau, Changhua County, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Yang Hsu
- Master of Public Health Program, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chang-Jung Yang
- Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tony Hsiu-Hsi Chen
- Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Po Yeh
- Changhua County Public Health Bureau, Changhua County, Taiwan
- Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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22
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Malvankar S, Singh A, Ravi Kumar YS, Sahu S, Shah M, Murghai Y, Seervi M, Srivastava RK, Verma B. Modulation of various host cellular machinery during COVID-19 infection. Rev Med Virol 2023; 33:e2481. [PMID: 37758688 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2481] [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: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) emerged in December 2019, causing a range of respiratory infections from mild to severe. This resulted in the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a significant impact on public health. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic in March 2020. Viruses are intracellular pathogens that rely on the host's machinery to establish a successful infection. They exploit the gene expression machinery of host cells to facilitate their own replication. Gaining a better understanding of gene expression modulation in SARS-CoV2 is crucial for designing and developing effective antiviral strategies. Efforts are currently underway to understand the molecular-level interaction between the host and the pathogen. In this review, we describe how SARS-CoV2 infection modulates gene expression by interfering with cellular processes, including transcription, post-transcription, translation, post-translation, epigenetic modifications as well as processing and degradation pathways. Additionally, we emphasise the therapeutic implications of these findings in the development of new therapies to treat SARS-CoV2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Malvankar
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Anjali Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Y S Ravi Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, M. S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, India
| | - Swetangini Sahu
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Megha Shah
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Yamini Murghai
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Mahendra Seervi
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Rupesh K Srivastava
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Bhupendra Verma
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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23
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Mohammad Faizal NDF, Ramli NA, Mat Rani NNI, Shaibie NA, Aarti, Poonsawas P, Sharma SK, Mohd Amin MCI. Leveraging immunoliposomes as nanocarriers against SARS-CoV-2 and its emerging variants. Asian J Pharm Sci 2023; 18:100855. [PMID: 38125653 PMCID: PMC10730353 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajps.2023.100855] [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: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The global COVID-19 pandemic arising from SARS-CoV-2 has impacted many lives, gaining interest worldwide ever since it was first identified in December 2019. Till 2023, 752 million cumulative cases and 6.8 million deaths were documented globally. COVID-19 has been rapidly evolving, affecting virus transmissibility and properties and contributing to increased disease severity. The Omicron is the most circulating variant of concern. Although success in its treatment has indicated progress in tackling the virus, limitations in delivering the current antiviral agents in battling emerging variants remain remarkable. With the latest advancements in nanotechnology for controlling infectious diseases, liposomes have the potential to counteract SARS-CoV-2 because of their ability to employ different targeting strategies, incorporating monoclonal antibodies for the active and passive targeting of infected patients. This review will present a concise summary of the possible strategies for utilizing immunoliposomes to improve current treatment against the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Dini Fatini Mohammad Faizal
- Centre for Drug Delivery Technology and Vaccine (CENTRIC), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Nurul Afina Ramli
- Centre for Drug Delivery Technology and Vaccine (CENTRIC), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Nur Najihah Izzati Mat Rani
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University Royal College of Medicine Perak (UniKL RCMP) No.3, Jalan Greentown, Ipoh 30450, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Nur Adania Shaibie
- Centre for Drug Delivery Technology and Vaccine (CENTRIC), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Aarti
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | | | - Sunil K. Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Mohd Cairul Iqbal Mohd Amin
- Centre for Drug Delivery Technology and Vaccine (CENTRIC), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
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24
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Sun CP, Chiu CW, Wu PY, Tsung SI, Lee IJ, Hu CW, Hsu MF, Kuo TJ, Lan YH, Chen LY, Ng HY, Chung MJ, Liao HN, Tseng SC, Lo CH, Chen YJ, Liao CC, Chang CS, Liang JJ, Draczkowski P, Puri S, Chang YC, Huang JS, Chen CC, Kau JH, Chen YH, Liu WC, Wu HC, Danny Hsu ST, Wang IH, Tao MH. Development of AAV-delivered broadly neutralizing anti-human ACE2 antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Mol Ther 2023; 31:3322-3336. [PMID: 37689971 PMCID: PMC10638075 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), resulting in the emergence of new variants that are resistant to existing vaccines and therapeutic antibodies, has raised the need for novel strategies to combat the persistent global COVID-19 epidemic. In this study, a monoclonal anti-human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) antibody, ch2H2, was isolated and humanized to block the viral receptor-binding domain (RBD) binding to hACE2, the major entry receptor of SARS-CoV-2. This antibody targets the RBD-binding site on the N terminus of hACE2 and has a high binding affinity to outcompete the RBD. In vitro, ch2H2 antibody showed potent inhibitory activity against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the most antigenically drifted and immune-evading variant Omicron. In vivo, adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated delivery enabled a sustained expression of monoclonal antibody (mAb) ch2H2, generating a high concentration of antibodies in mice. A single administration of AAV-delivered mAb ch2H2 significantly reduced viral RNA load and infectious virions and mitigated pulmonary pathological changes in mice challenged with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.5 subvariant. Collectively, the results suggest that AAV-delivered hACE2-blocking antibody provides a promising approach for developing broad-spectrum antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 and potentially other hACE2-dependent pathogens that may emerge in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Pu Sun
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Biomedical Translation Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Wen Chiu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Clinical Laboratory Science and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ping-Yi Wu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Szu-I Tsung
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Microbiology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - I-Jung Lee
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Microbiology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Wei Hu
- Institute of Preventive Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Min-Feng Hsu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Jiun Kuo
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hua Lan
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Li-Yao Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Yee Ng
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Jhe Chung
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Ni Liao
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Che Tseng
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hui Lo
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Jiun Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Che Liao
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Biomedical Translation Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Shin Chang
- Biomedical Translation Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jian-Jong Liang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Sarita Puri
- Department of Bioscience, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Yuan-Chih Chang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jing-Siou Huang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Cheung Chen
- Institute of Preventive Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jyh-Hwa Kau
- Institute of Preventive Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Hui Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Chun Liu
- Biomedical Translation Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Han-Chung Wu
- Biomedical Translation Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shang-Te Danny Hsu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Japan
| | - I-Hsuan Wang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Mi-Hua Tao
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Biomedical Translation Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Clinical Laboratory Science and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Microbiology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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25
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Lee YT, Wang PH, Chen CC, Chen SC. Prognostic factors for COVID-19 infected inpatients with chronic diseases. QJM 2023; 116:886. [PMID: 37335852 DOI: 10.1093/qjmed/hcad129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Ti Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 402306, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402306, Taiwan
| | - Po-Hui Wang
- Department of Medical Research, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 402306, Taiwan
- Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402306, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Chieh Chen
- School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402306, Taiwan
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 402306, Taiwan
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 402306, Taiwan
| | - Shiuan-Chih Chen
- School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402306, Taiwan
- Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402306, Taiwan
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 402306, Taiwan
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 402306, Taiwan
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26
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Naik R, Avula S, Palleti SK, Gummadi J, Ramachandran R, Chandramohan D, Dhillon G, Gill AS, Paiwal K, Shaik B, Balachandran M, Patel B, Gurugubelli S, Mariswamy Arun Kumar AK, Nanjundappa A, Bellamkonda M, Rathi K, Sakhamuri PL, Nassar M, Bali A. From Emergence to Endemicity: A Comprehensive Review of COVID-19. Cureus 2023; 15:e48046. [PMID: 37916248 PMCID: PMC10617653 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.48046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), later renamed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), was first identified in Wuhan, China, in early December 2019. Initially, the China office of the World Health Organization was informed of numerous cases of pneumonia of unidentified etiology in Wuhan, Hubei Province at the end of 2019. This would subsequently result in a global pandemic with millions of confirmed cases of COVID-19 and millions of deaths reported to the WHO. We have analyzed most of the data published since the beginning of the pandemic to compile this comprehensive review of SARS-CoV-2. We looked at the core ideas, such as the etiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical symptoms, diagnostics, histopathologic findings, consequences, therapies, and vaccines. We have also included the long-term effects and myths associated with some therapeutics of COVID-19. This study presents a comprehensive assessment of the SARS-CoV-2 virology, vaccines, medicines, and significant variants identified during the course of the pandemic. Our review article is intended to provide medical practitioners with a better understanding of the fundamental sciences, clinical treatment, and prevention of COVID-19. As of May 2023, this paper contains the most recent data made accessible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roopa Naik
- Medicine, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, USA
- Internal Medicine/Hospital Medicine, Geisinger Health System, Wilkes Barre, USA
| | - Sreekant Avula
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Sujith K Palleti
- Nephrology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
| | - Jyotsna Gummadi
- Internal Medicine, MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, Baltimore, USA
| | | | | | - Gagandeep Dhillon
- Physician Executive MBA, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA
- Internal Medicine, University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center, Glen Burnie, USA
| | | | - Kapil Paiwal
- Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, Daswani Dental College & Research Center, Kota, IND
| | - Bushra Shaik
- Internal Medicine, Onslow Memorial Hospital, Jacksonville, USA
| | | | - Bhumika Patel
- Oral Medicine and Radiology, Howard University, Washington, D.C., USA
| | | | | | | | - Mahita Bellamkonda
- Hospital Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, USA
| | - Kanika Rathi
- Internal Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
| | | | - Mahmoud Nassar
- Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, USA
| | - Atul Bali
- Internal Medicine/Nephrology, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, USA
- Internal Medicine/Nephrology, Geisinger Health System, Wilkes-Barre, USA
- Medicine, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, USA
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27
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Stincarelli MA, Quagliata M, Di Santo A, Pacini L, Fernandez FR, Arvia R, Rinaldi S, Papini AM, Rovero P, Giannecchini S. SARS-CoV-2 inhibitory activity of a short peptide derived from internal fusion peptide of S2 subunit of spike glycoprotein. Virus Res 2023; 334:199170. [PMID: 37422270 PMCID: PMC10384657 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199170] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has posed a great concern in human population. To fight coronavirus emergence, we have dissected the conserved amino acid region of the internal fusion peptide in the S2 subunit of Spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 to design new inhibitory peptides. Among the 11 overlapping peptides (9-23-mer), PN19, a 19-mer peptide, exhibited a powerful inhibitory activity against different SARS-CoV-2 clinical isolate variants in absence of cytotoxicity. The PN19 inhibitory activity was found to be dependent on conservation of the central Phe and C-terminal Tyr residues in the peptide sequence. Circular dichroism spectra of the active peptide exhibited an alpha-helix propensity, confirmed by secondary structure prediction analysis. The PN19 inhibitory activity, exerted in the first step of virus infection, was reduced after peptide adsorption treatment with virus-cell substrate during fusion interaction. Additionally, PN19 inhibitory activity was reduced by adding S2 membrane-proximal region derived peptides. PN19 showed binding ability to the S2 membrane proximal region derived peptides, confirmed by molecular modelling, playing a role in the mechanism of action. Collectively, these results confirm that the internal fusion peptide region is a good candidate on which develop peptidomimetic anti SARS-CoV-2 antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Alfreda Stincarelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, Florence 50134, Italy
| | - Michael Quagliata
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Santo
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of NeuroFarBa, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Pacini
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Feliciana Real Fernandez
- CNR - Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici (CNR-ICCOM), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino I-50019, Italy
| | - Rosaria Arvia
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, Florence 50134, Italy
| | - Silvia Rinaldi
- CNR - Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici (CNR-ICCOM), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino I-50019, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Papini
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Paolo Rovero
- Interdepartmental Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department of NeuroFarBa, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 48, Florence 50134, Italy.
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28
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Ram JL, Shuster W, Gable L, Turner CL, Hartrick J, Vasquez AA, West NW, Bahmani A, David RE. Wastewater Monitoring for Infectious Disease: Intentional Relationships between Academia, the Private Sector, and Local Health Departments for Public Health Preparedness. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6651. [PMID: 37681792 PMCID: PMC10487196 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20176651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
The public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic stimulated stakeholders from diverse disciplines and institutions to establish new collaborations to produce informed public health responses to the disease. Wastewater-based epidemiology for COVID-19 grew quickly during the pandemic and required the rapid implementation of such collaborations. The objective of this article is to describe the challenges and results of new relationships developed in Detroit, MI, USA among a medical school and an engineering college at an academic institution (Wayne State University), the local health department (Detroit Health Department), and an environmental services company (LimnoTech) to utilize markers of the COVID-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2, in wastewater for the goal of managing COVID-19 outbreaks. Our collaborative team resolved questions related to sewershed selection, communication of results, and public health responses and addressed technical challenges that included ground-truthing the sewer maps, overcoming supply chain issues, improving the speed and sensitivity of measurements, and training new personnel to deal with a new disease under pandemic conditions. Recognition of our complementary roles and clear communication among the partners enabled city-wide wastewater data to inform public health responses within a few months of the availability of funding in 2020, and to make improvements in sensitivity and understanding to be made as the pandemic progressed and evolved. As a result, the outbreaks of COVID-19 in Detroit in fall and winter 2021-2022 (corresponding to Delta and Omicron variant outbreaks) were tracked in 20 sewersheds. Data comparing community- and hospital-associated sewersheds indicate a one- to two-week advance warning in the community of subsequent peaks in viral markers in hospital sewersheds. The new institutional relationships impelled by the pandemic provide a good basis for continuing collaborations to utilize wastewater-based human and pathogen data for improving the public health in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey L. Ram
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; (A.A.V.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - William Shuster
- College of Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA;
| | - Lance Gable
- Law School, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | | | | | - Adrian A. Vasquez
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; (A.A.V.)
| | - Nicholas W. West
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; (A.A.V.)
| | - Azadeh Bahmani
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; (A.A.V.)
| | - Randy E. David
- Detroit Health Department, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
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29
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Lu M, Yao W, Li Y, Ma D, Zhang Z, Wang H, Tang X, Wang Y, Li C, Cheng D, Lin H, Yin Y, Zhao J, Zhong G. Broadly Effective ACE2 Decoy Proteins Protect Mice from Lethal SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0110023. [PMID: 37395664 PMCID: PMC10434153 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01100-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
As severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants have been causing increasingly serious drug resistance problem, development of broadly effective and hard-to-escape anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents is an urgent need. Here, we describe further development and characterization of two SARS-CoV-2 receptor decoy proteins, ACE2-Ig-95 and ACE2-Ig-105/106. We found that both proteins had potent and robust in vitro neutralization activities against diverse SARS-CoV-2 variants, including BQ.1 and XBB.1, that are resistant to most clinically used monoclonal antibodies. In a stringent lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection mouse model, both proteins lowered the lung viral load by up to ~1,000-fold, prevented the emergence of clinical signs in >75% animals, and increased the animal survival rate from 0% (untreated) to >87.5% (treated). These results demonstrate that both proteins are good drug candidates for protecting animals from severe COVID-19. In a head-to-head comparison of these two proteins with five previously described ACE2-Ig constructs, we found that two constructs, each carrying five surface mutations in the ACE2 region, had partial loss of neutralization potency against three SARS-CoV-2 variants. These data suggest that extensively mutating ACE2 residues near the receptor binding domain (RBD)-binding interface should be avoided or performed with extra caution. Furthermore, we found that both ACE2-Ig-95 and ACE2-Ig-105/106 could be produced to the level of grams per liter, demonstrating the developability of them as biologic drug candidates. Stress condition stability testing of them further suggests that more studies are required in the future to improve the stability of these proteins. These studies provide useful insight into critical factors for engineering and preclinical development of ACE2 decoys as broadly effective therapeutics against diverse ACE2-utilizing coronaviruses. IMPORTANCE Engineering soluble ACE2 proteins that function as a receptor decoy to block SARS-CoV-2 infection is a very attractive approach to creating broadly effective and hard-to-escape anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents. This article describes development of two antibody-like soluble ACE2 proteins that broadly block diverse SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Omicron. In a stringent COVID-19 mouse model, both proteins successfully protected >87.5% animals from lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, a head-to-head comparison of the two constructs developed in this study with five previously described ACE2 decoy constructs was performed here. Two previously described constructs with relatively more ACE2 surface mutations were found with less robust neutralization activities against diverse SARS-CoV-2 variants. Furthermore, the developability of the two proteins as biologic drug candidates was also assessed here. This study provides two broad anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug candidates and useful insight into critical factors for engineering and preclinical development of ACE2 decoys as broadly effective therapeutics against diverse ACE2-utilizing coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjia Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Weitong Yao
- Hubei JiangXia Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yujun Li
- Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Danting Ma
- Tianjin Medical University Chu Hsien-I Memorial Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhaoyong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Haimin Wang
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaojuan Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanqun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chao Li
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Dechun Cheng
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Hua Lin
- Biomedical Research Center of South China, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yandong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jincun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Guocai Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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30
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Jacobs JL, Haidar G, Naqvi A, McCormick KD, Sobolewski M, Treat BR, Heaps AL, Simpson J, Kramer KH, McCreary E, Bariola JR, Klamar-Blain C, Macatangay BJC, Dimitrov D, Li W, Marino CC, Raptis A, Sethi R, Chandran U, Barratt-Boyes S, Parikh UM, Mellors JW. Rapid Emergence of Potentially Transmissible Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 With Resistance to Combination Monoclonal Antibody Therapy. Open Forum Infect Dis 2023; 10:ofad278. [PMID: 37265667 PMCID: PMC10230564 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Prolonged coronavirus disease 2019 may generate new viral variants. We report an immunocompromised patient treated with monoclonal antibodies who experienced rebound of viral RNA and emergence of an antibody-resistant (>1000-fold) variant containing 5 mutations in the spike gene. The mutant virus was isolated from respiratory secretions, suggesting the potential for secondary transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana L Jacobs
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ghady Haidar
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Asma Naqvi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kevin D McCormick
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michele Sobolewski
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Benjamin R Treat
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Amy L Heaps
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jordan Simpson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kailey Hughes Kramer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Erin McCreary
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - J Ryan Bariola
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cynthia Klamar-Blain
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Bernard J C Macatangay
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Dimiter Dimitrov
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Christopher C Marino
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Anastasios Raptis
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rahil Sethi
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Uma Chandran
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Simon Barratt-Boyes
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Urvi M Parikh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John W Mellors
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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31
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Poumbourios P, Langer C, Boo I, Zakir T, Center RJ, Akerman A, Milogiannakis V, Aggarwal A, Johnstone BA, Ha J, Coulibaly F, Turville SG, Drummer HE. Enhanced stability of the SARS CoV-2 spike glycoprotein following modification of an alanine cavity in the protein core. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1010981. [PMID: 37200378 PMCID: PMC10231827 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The spike (S) glycoprotein of SARS CoV-2 is the target of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) that are crucial for vaccine effectiveness. The S1 subunit binds ACE2 while the S2 subunit mediates virus-cell membrane fusion. S2 is a class I fusion glycoprotein subunit and contains a central coiled coil that acts as a scaffold for the conformational changes associated with fusion function. The coiled coil of S2 is unusual in that the 3-4 repeat of inward-facing positions are mostly occupied by polar residues that mediate few inter-helical contacts in the prefusion trimer. We examined how insertion of bulkier hydrophobic residues (Val, Leu, Ile, Phe) to fill a cavity next to Ala1016 and Ala1020 in the 3-4 repeat affects the stability and antigenicity of S trimers. Substitution of Ala1016 with bulkier hydrophobic residues in the context of a prefusion-stabilized S trimer, S2P-FHA, was associated with increased thermal stability. S glycoprotein membrane fusion function was retained with Ala1016/Ala1020 cavity-filling mutations associated with improved recombinant S2P-FHA thermostability, however 2 mutants, A1016L and A1016V/A1020I, lacked ability to mediate entry of S-HIV-1 pseudoparticles into 293-ACE2 cells. When assessed as immunogens, two thermostable S2P-FHA mutants derived from the ancestral isolate, A1016L (16L) and A1016V/A1020I (VI) elicited neutralizing antibody with 50%-inhibitory dilutions (ID50s) in the range 2,700-5,110 for ancestral and Delta-derived viruses, and 210-1,744 for Omicron BA.1. The antigens elicited antibody specificities directed to the receptor-binding domain (RBD), N-terminal domain (NTD), fusion peptide and stem region of S2. The VI mutation enabled the production of intrinsically stable Omicron BA.1 and Omicron BA.4/5 S2P-FHA-like ectodomain oligomers in the absence of an external trimerization motif (T4 foldon), thus representing an alternative approach for stabilizing oligomeric S glycoprotein vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pantelis Poumbourios
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | | | - Irene Boo
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Rob J. Center
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Microbiology at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Anouschka Akerman
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | | | - Anupriya Aggarwal
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Bronte A. Johnstone
- Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Jungmin Ha
- Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Fasséli Coulibaly
- Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | | | - Heidi E. Drummer
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Department of Microbiology at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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32
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da Silva Santos Y, Gamon THM, de Azevedo MSP, Telezynski BL, de Souza EE, de Oliveira DBL, Dombrowski JG, Rosa-Fernandes L, Palmisano G, de Moura Carvalho LJ, Luvizotto MCR, Wrenger C, Covas DT, Curi R, Marinho CRF, Durigon EL, Epiphanio S. Virulence Profiles of Wild-Type, P.1 and Delta SARS-CoV-2 Variants in K18-hACE2 Transgenic Mice. Viruses 2023; 15:v15040999. [PMID: 37112979 PMCID: PMC10146242 DOI: 10.3390/v15040999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Since December 2019, the world has been experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and we now face the emergence of several variants. We aimed to assess the differences between the wild-type (Wt) (Wuhan) strain and the P.1 (Gamma) and Delta variants using infected K18-hACE2 mice. The clinical manifestations, behavior, virus load, pulmonary capacity, and histopathological alterations were analyzed. The P.1-infected mice showed weight loss and more severe clinical manifestations of COVID-19 than the Wt and Delta-infected mice. The respiratory capacity was reduced in the P.1-infected mice compared to the other groups. Pulmonary histological findings demonstrated that a more aggressive disease was generated by the P.1 and Delta variants compared to the Wt strain of the virus. The quantification of the SARS-CoV-2 viral copies varied greatly among the infected mice although it was higher in P.1-infected mice on the day of death. Our data revealed that K18-hACE2 mice infected with the P.1 variant develop a more severe infectious disease than those infected with the other variants, despite the significant heterogeneity among the mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin da Silva Santos
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunopathology of Malaria, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
- Laboratory of Malaria Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Thais Helena Martins Gamon
- Laboratory of Clinical and Molecular Virology, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Marcela Santiago Pacheco de Azevedo
- Laboratory of Clinical and Molecular Virology, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunoparasitology, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Bruna Larotonda Telezynski
- Laboratory of Clinical and Molecular Virology, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Edmarcia Elisa de Souza
- Unit for Drug Discovery, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Danielle Bruna Leal de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Clinical and Molecular Virology, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo 05652-900, Brazil
| | - Jamille Gregório Dombrowski
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunoparasitology, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Livia Rosa-Fernandes
- Laboratory of Clinical and Molecular Virology, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
- GlycoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, ICB, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Giuseppe Palmisano
- GlycoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, ICB, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, Australia
| | | | | | - Carsten Wrenger
- Unit for Drug Discovery, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Dimas Tadeu Covas
- Butantan Institute, São Paulo 05508-040, Brazil
- Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Rui Curi
- Interdisciplinary Program of Health Sciences, Cruzeiro do Sul University, São Paulo 08060-070, Brazil
- Immunobiological Production Section, Bioindustrial Center, Butantan Institute, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Claudio Romero Farias Marinho
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunoparasitology, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Edison Luiz Durigon
- Laboratory of Clinical and Molecular Virology, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
- Scientific Plataform Pasteur/USP, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-020, Brazil
| | - Sabrina Epiphanio
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunopathology of Malaria, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
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COVID-19 Prevention in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: Current State of the Evidence. Infect Dis Clin North Am 2023:S0891-5520(23)00023-5. [PMID: 37217369 PMCID: PMC10030334 DOI: 10.1016/j.idc.2023.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Although COVID-19 vaccines are safe, most organ transplant recipients fail to mount an antibody response after two mRNA vaccines. Thus, three mRNA vaccines constitute a primary vaccine series after solid organ transplant. However, neutralizing antibodies after three or greater mRNA vaccines are lower against Omicron versus older variants. Predictors of attenuated responses include age, vaccination within 1 year from transplant, mycophenolate, and BNT162b2. Some seronegative transplant recipients exhibit durable T-cell responses. Vaccine effectiveness in transplants is lower than in the general population. Immunosuppression reduction around revaccination warrants further study. Monoclonal antibody pre-exposure prophylaxis may be protective against susceptible variants.
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Interaction of Laurusides 1 and 2 with the 3C-like Protease (Mpro) from Wild-Type and Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2: A Molecular Dynamics Study. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065511. [PMID: 36982585 PMCID: PMC10054487 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Laurus nobilis (bay laurel) is a natural source of biological compounds, and some of its extracts and phytocompounds are also endowed with antiviral activity toward the family of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated β-coronaviruses. Some glycosidic laurel compounds such as laurusides were proposed as inhibitors of important protein targets of SARS-CoV-2, which clearly recalls their potential as anti-COVID-19 drugs. Due to the frequent genomic variations of the β-coronaviruses and the consequent importance of evaluating a new drug candidate with respect to the variants of the target β-coronavirus, we decided to investigate at an atomistic level the molecular interactions of the potential laurel-derived drugs laurusides 1 and 2 (L01 and L02, respectively) toward a well-conserved and crucial target, the 3C-like protease (Mpro), using the enzymes of both the wild-type of SARS-CoV-2 and of the more recent Omicron variant. Thus, we performed molecular dynamic (MD) simulations of laurusides—SARS-CoV-2 protease complexes to deepen the knowledge on the stability of the interaction and compare the effects of the targeting among the two genomic variants. We found that the Omicron mutation does not significantly impact the lauruside binding and that L02 connects more stably with respect to L01 in the complexes from both variants, even though both compounds prevalently interact within the same binding pocket. Although purely in silico, the current study highlights the potential role of bay laurel phytocompounds in the antiviral and specifically anti-coronavirus research and shows their potential binding toward Mpro, corroborating the important commitment of bay laurel as functional food and disclosing novel scenarios of lauruside-based antiviral therapies.
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Islam MA, Shahi S, Marzan AA, Amin MR, Hasan MN, Hoque MN, Ghosh A, Barua A, Khan A, Dhama K, Chakraborty C, Bhattacharya P, Wei DQ. Variant-specific deleterious mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome reveal immune responses and potentials for prophylactic vaccine development. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1090717. [PMID: 36825152 PMCID: PMC9941545 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1090717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, has had a disastrous effect worldwide during the previous three years due to widespread infections with SARS-CoV-2 and its emerging variations. More than 674 million confirmed cases and over 6.7 million deaths have been attributed to successive waves of SARS-CoV-2 infections as of 29th January 2023. Similar to other RNA viruses, SARS-CoV-2 is more susceptible to genetic evolution and spontaneous mutations over time, resulting in the continual emergence of variants with distinct characteristics. Spontaneous mutations of SARS-CoV-2 variants increase its transmissibility, virulence, and disease severity and diminish the efficacy of therapeutics and vaccines, resulting in vaccine-breakthrough infections and re-infection, leading to high mortality and morbidity rates. Materials and methods: In this study, we evaluated 10,531 whole genome sequences of all reported variants globally through a computational approach to assess the spread and emergence of the mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. The available data sources of NextCladeCLI 2.3.0 (https://clades.nextstrain.org/) and NextStrain (https://nextstrain.org/) were searched for tracking SARS-CoV-2 mutations, analysed using the PROVEAN, Polyphen-2, and Predict SNP mutational analysis tools and validated by Machine Learning models. Result: Compared to the Wuhan-Hu-1 reference strain NC 045512.2, genome-wide annotations showed 16,954 mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. We determined that the Omicron variant had 6,307 mutations (retrieved sequence:1947), including 67.8% unique mutations, more than any other variant evaluated in this study. The spike protein of the Omicron variant harboured 876 mutations, including 443 deleterious mutations. Among these deleterious mutations, 187 were common and 256 were unique non-synonymous mutations. In contrast, after analysing 1,884 sequences of the Delta variant, we discovered 4,468 mutations, of which 66% were unique, and not previously reported in other variants. Mutations affecting spike proteins are mostly found in RBD regions for Omicron, whereas most of the Delta variant mutations drawn to focus on amino acid regions ranging from 911 to 924 in the context of epitope prediction (B cell & T cell) and mutational stability impact analysis protruding that Omicron is more transmissible. Discussion: The pathogenesis of the Omicron variant could be prevented if the deleterious and persistent unique immunosuppressive mutations can be targeted for vaccination or small-molecule inhibitor designing. Thus, our findings will help researchers monitor and track the continuously evolving nature of SARS-CoV-2 strains, the associated genetic variants, and their implications for developing effective control and prophylaxis strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Aminul Islam
- Advanced Molecular Lab, Department of Microbiology, President Abdul Hamid Medical College, Karimganj, Bangladesh,COVID-19 Diagnostic lab, Department of Microbiology, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh,*Correspondence: Md. Aminul Islam, , ; Prosun Bhattacharya,
| | - Shatila Shahi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Abdullah Al Marzan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Ruhul Amin
- COVID-19 Diagnostic lab, Department of Microbiology, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Nayeem Hasan
- Department of Statistics, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - M. Nazmul Hoque
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh
| | - Ajit Ghosh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Abanti Barua
- COVID-19 Diagnostic lab, Department of Microbiology, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Abbas Khan
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biological Statistics, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China,Zhongjing Research and Industrialization Institute of Chinese Medicine, Zhongguancun Scientific Park, Nayang, Henan, China
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Chiranjib Chakraborty
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Adamas University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Prosun Bhattacharya
- COVID-19 Research @KTH, Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden,*Correspondence: Md. Aminul Islam, , ; Prosun Bhattacharya,
| | - Dong-Qing Wei
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biological Statistics, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China,Zhongjing Research and Industrialization Institute of Chinese Medicine, Zhongguancun Scientific Park, Nayang, Henan, China,Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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Promoting self‐healing power and balancing immune response: a holistic, effective strategy of traditional Chinese medicine in treating COVID‐19. PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH. MODERN CHINESE MEDICINE 2022; 5:100199. [PMCID: PMC9674391 DOI: 10.1016/j.prmcm.2022.100199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is a serious challenge to human medicines. Modern medicine (MM) has been excellent in identifying the virus, sequencing its mutants, and monitoring the pandemic progress. However, due to lack of effective antivirals in the first two years of the pandemic, MM treated COVID-19 mainly by conventional supportive care with limited efficacy. In China, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been actively participating the control of COVID-19, and the combination of TCM and conventional supportive care has shown better efficacies than the conventional care alone. Purpose: Clinical studies have shown that TCM treats COVID-19 through a holistic action, such as repairing organ injuries, anti-inflammation, immunoregulation and antiviral activities, etc. However, it is not clear how TCM is able to achieve these effects, and the scientific interpretation of TCM theories is lacking. This review aims to elucidate the scientific basis underlying TCM theories in the context of host-pathogen interaction and provide a working model for TCM in treating infectious diseases. Procedure: This review focuses on the essential components of host-pathogen interaction and performs an in-depth analysis of current literatures, including TCM theories and clinical studies as well as the most recent findings of tolerance (self-healing) mechanism in biomedical sciences. Conclusion: TCM treats COVID-19 through a holistic regulation of host responses, particularly by promoting patients’ self-healing power and balancing immune responses. Compared to the pathogen-centered MM, the host-centered TCM doesn't require specific antivirals and has less side-effects and drug resistance. This review provides a scientific insight into the mechanism of TCM and sheds a light on the prospective integration of TCM and MM for future challenges.
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Mostafa S, Mohammed SA, Elshennawy SI, Zakaria DM, Mahmoud SAK, Alsadek AM, Ahmad IH, Mohammed DS, Mohammed MA, Eltrawy HH. Clinical and Prognostic Significance of Baseline Serum Vitamin D Levels in Hospitalized Egyptian Covid-19 Patients. Int J Gen Med 2022; 15:8063-8070. [PMID: 36389016 PMCID: PMC9651079 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s386815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Vitamin D is a hormone with essential roles in both cellular metabolism and immunity. It controls calcium homeostasis and modulates innate and adaptive immune system responses. Many studies suggested an association between vitamin D deficiency and clinical outcomes of covid-19 infection, while others failed to document such a relation. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical and prognostic significance of baseline vitamin D levels in hospitalized Egyptian covid-19 patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS The present retrospective study included 300 hospitalized covid-19 patients. Patients were submitted to standard clinical, laboratory, and radiological assessment. According to vitamin D levels, patients were classified to have normal levels (≥30), insufficient levels (20-29) or deficient levels (<20). RESULTS According to their vitamin D levels, patients were classified into those with normal vitamin D (n=135), others with vitamin D insufficiency (n=114), and a third group with vitamin D deficiency (n=51). Patients with normal vitamin D levels and vitamin D insufficiency are significantly younger [median (IQR): 49.0 (39.0-57.0) versus 51.0 (40.0-61.0) and 55.0 (43.0-62.0) years, respectively, p=0.012] and had less frequency of severe disease (24.4% versus 40.4% and 51.0%, respectively) when compared with those with vitamin D deficiency. Moreover, they had significantly lower levels of D dimer [median (IQR): 1.5 (0.9-2.5) versus 1.8 (0.9-3.1) and 2.0 (1.0-3.2)], CRP [median (IQR): 58.0 (30.0-120.0) versus 76.0 (42.5-160.0) and 105.0 (74.0-208.0), respectively, p<0.001], ferritin [median (IQR): 458.0 (240.0-759.0) versus 606.0 (433.8-897.8) and 820.0 (552.0-1087.0), respectively, p<0.001], and procalcitonin [median (IQR): 290.0 (152.0-394.0) versus 372.5 (227.0-530.5) and 443.0 (272.0-575.0), respectively, p<0.001]. Only lower vitamin D levels were significant predictors of mortality in multivariate analysis [OR (95% CI): 0.88 (0.84-0.92), p<0.001]. CONCLUSION Low vitamin D levels are related to exaggerated inflammatory response, disease severity, and poor clinical outcome in hospitalized covid-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadek Mostafa
- Internal Medicine Department, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Inass Hassan Ahmad
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Department, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | | | - Heba H Eltrawy
- Chest Diseases Department, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
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Tang Y, Dias Martins LM, Wang SB, He QX, Huang HG. The impact of nurses' sense of security on turnover intention during the normalization of COVID-19 epidemic: The mediating role of work engagement. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1051895. [PMID: 36530650 PMCID: PMC9751979 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1051895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 pandemic has entered a normal stage in China. During this phase, nurses have an increased workload and mental health issues that threaten the sense of security. Poor sense of security may have a considerable impact on turnover intention through low work engagement. It was challenging to maintain the nurse workforce. Fewer studies have been conducted on the effect of nurses' sense of security on their turnover intention in that phase. This study aimed to investigate the interrelationship between nurses' sense of security, work engagement, and turnover intention during the normalization phase of the epidemic in China and to explore the impact of sense of security on turnover intention. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted from September 2020 to May 2021 in Guangdong Province, China. Data were collected online using Sense of Security Scale for Medical Staff (SSS-MS), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), and Turnover Intention Scale. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between sense of security, work engagement, and turnover intention. The hypothesis model used multiple linear regression models and the bootstrapping procedure to analyze the relationship between these variables. RESULTS Data were collected from 2,480 nurses who met the inclusion criteria. Over half(64.5%) of nurses had a high and very high turnover intention. After controlling the demographic and working variables, sense of security (β = 0.291, P < 0.001) had a direct positive effect on work engagement. Sense of security (β = -0.447, P < 0.001) and work engagement (β = -0.484, P < 0.001) had a direct negative effect on turnover intention. Sense of security and all of its components were associated with turnover intention through the partially mediating effects of work engagement. CONCLUSIONS Nurses' turnover intention was at a high level during the normalization phase of the epidemic. Sense of security and its components act as positive resources to reduce turnover intention by improving work engagement. Policy makers and managers may pay attention to the needs of nurses' sense of security, which may be a new perspective to help managers reduce their turnover intention and stabilize the nurse team.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Tang
- Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Nursing, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Luís M. Dias Martins
- BRU-Business Research Unit, ISCTE-IUL (Institute University of Lisbon), Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Shi-bin Wang
- Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing-xia He
- Nursing Department, Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai, China
| | - Hui-gen Huang
- Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- BRU-Business Research Unit, ISCTE-IUL (Institute University of Lisbon), Lisbon, Portugal
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Hui-gen Huang
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