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Xiao YQ, Long J, Zhang SS, Zhu YY, Gu SX. Non-peptidic inhibitors targeting SARS-CoV-2 main protease: A review. Bioorg Chem 2024; 147:107380. [PMID: 38636432 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107380] [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: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose a threat to global health, and sounds the alarm for research & development of effective anti-coronavirus drugs, which are crucial for the patients and urgently needed for the current epidemic and future crisis. The main protease (Mpro) stands as an essential enzyme in the maturation process of SARS-CoV-2, playing an irreplaceable role in regulating viral RNA replication and transcription. It has emerged as an ideal target for developing antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2 due to its high conservation and the absence of homologous proteases in the human body. Among the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors, non-peptidic compounds hold promising prospects owing to their excellent antiviral activity and improved metabolic stability. In this review, we offer an overview of research progress concerning non-peptidic SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors since 2020. The efforts delved into molecular structures, structure-activity relationships (SARs), biological activity, and binding modes of these inhibitors with Mpro. This review aims to provide valuable clues and insights for the development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents as well as broad-spectrum coronavirus Mpro inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Qi Xiao
- School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Jiao Long
- School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Shuang-Shuang Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China.
| | - Yuan-Yuan Zhu
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China.
| | - Shuang-Xi Gu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China.
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2
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Nagahawatta DP, Liyanage NM, Jayawardena TU, Jayawardhana HHACK, Jeong SH, Kwon HJ, Jeon YJ. Role of marine natural products in the development of antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2: potential and prospects. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 6:280-297. [PMID: 38827130 PMCID: PMC11136918 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-023-00215-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
A novel coronavirus, known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has surfaced and caused global concern owing to its ferocity. SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019; however, it was only discovered at the end of the year and was considered a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Therefore, the development of novel potent inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 and future outbreaks is urgently required. Numerous naturally occurring bioactive substances have been studied in the clinical setting for diverse disorders. The intricate infection and replication mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 offers diverse therapeutic drug targets for developing antiviral medicines by employing natural products that are safer than synthetic compounds. Marine natural products (MNPs) have received increased attention in the development of novel drugs owing to their high diversity and availability. Therefore, this review article investigates the infection and replication mechanisms, including the function of the SARS-CoV-2 genome and structure. Furthermore, we highlighted anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic intervention efforts utilizing MNPs and predicted SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor design. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-023-00215-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. P. Nagahawatta
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, 690-756 Republic of Korea
| | - N. M. Liyanage
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, 690-756 Republic of Korea
| | - Thilina U. Jayawardena
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC G8Z 4M3 Canada
| | | | - Seong-Hun Jeong
- Functional Biomaterial Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Jeongeup-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Jun Kwon
- Functional Biomaterial Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Jeongeup-si, Republic of Korea
| | - You-Jin Jeon
- Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, 690-756 Republic of Korea
- Marine Science Institute, Jeju National University, Jeju, 63333 Republic of Korea
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3
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Desai PJ. Expression and fusogenic activity of SARS CoV-2 Spike protein displayed in the HSV-1 Virion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.28.568860. [PMID: 38076893 PMCID: PMC10705244 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.28.568860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is a zoonotic pathogen that can cause severe respiratory disease in humans. The new SARS-CoV-2 is the cause of the current global pandemic termed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has resulted in many millions of deaths world-wide. The virus is a member of the Betacoronavirus family, its genome is a positive strand RNA molecule that encodes for many genes which are required for virus genome replication as well as for structural proteins that are required for virion assembly and maturation. A key determinant of this virus is the Spike (S) protein embedded in the virion membrane and mediates attachment of the virus to the receptor (ACE2). This protein also is required for cell-cell fusion (syncytia) that is an important pathogenic determinant. We have developed a pseudotyped herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) recombinant virus expressing S protein in the virion envelop. This virus has also been modified to express a Venus fluorescent protein fusion to VP16, a virion protein of HSV-1. The virus expressing Spike can enter cells and generates large multi-nucleated syncytia which are evident by the Venus fluorescence. The HSV-1 recombinant virus is genetically stable and virus amplification can be easily done by infecting cells. This recombinant virus provides a reproducible platform for Spike function analysis and thus adds to the repertoire of pseudotyped viruses expressing Spike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant J. Desai
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Maity S, Santra A, Vardhan Hebbani A, Pulakuntla S, Chatterjee A, Rao Badri K, Damodara Reddy V. Targeting cytokine storm as the potential anti-viral therapy: Implications in regulating SARS-CoV-2 pathogenicity. Gene 2023:147612. [PMID: 37423400 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
The latest global pandemic corona virus disease - 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 is still a matter of worrying concern both for the scientific communities and health care organizations. COVID-19 disease is proved to be a highly contagious disease transmitted through respiratory droplets and even close contact with affected individuals. COVID-19 disease is also understood to exhibit diverse symptoms of ranging severities i.e., from mild fatigue to death. Affected individuals' susceptibility to induce immunologic dysregulation phenomena termed 'cytokine storm' seems to be playing the damaging role of escalating the disease manifestation from mild to severe. Cytokine storm in patients with severe symptoms is understood to be characterized by enhanced serum levels of many cytokines including interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, IL-10, TNF, interferon-γ, MIP-1α, MIP-1β and VEGF. Since cytokine production in general is the most important antiviral defense response, understanding the COVID-19 associated cytokine storm in particular and differentiating it from the regular cytokine production response becomes crucial in developing an effective therapeutic strategy.This review focuses on the potential targeting of COVID-19 associated cytokine storm and its challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subashish Maity
- Department of Biotechnology, REVA University, Bengaluru-560064, Karnataka, India
| | - Ayantika Santra
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Academy Degree College, Bengaluru, 560 043, India
| | | | - Swetha Pulakuntla
- Department of Biotechnology, REVA University, Bengaluru-560064, Karnataka, India
| | - Ankita Chatterjee
- Department of Biotechnology, REVA University, Bengaluru-560064, Karnataka, India
| | - Kameswara Rao Badri
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, GA, Atlanta-30310, USA; Clinical Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, COVID-19 Testing Laboratory, Morehouse School of Medicine, GA, Atlanta-30310, USA.
| | - Vaddi Damodara Reddy
- Department of Biotechnology, REVA University, Bengaluru-560064, Karnataka, India.
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Yao Y, Sun H, Chen Y, Tian L, Huang D, Liu C, Zhou Y, Wang Y, Wen Z, Yang B, Chen X, Pei R. RBM24 inhibits the translation of SARS-CoV-2 polyproteins by targeting the 5'-untranslated region. Antiviral Res 2023; 209:105478. [PMID: 36464077 PMCID: PMC9712144 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is a betacoronavirus with single-stranded positive-sense RNA, which is a serious global threat to human health. Understanding the molecular mechanism of viral replication is crucial for the development of antiviral drugs. The synthesis of viral polyproteins is a crucial step in viral progression. The synthesis of viral polyproteins in coronaviruses is regulated by the 5'-untranslated region (UTR); however, the detailed regulatory mechanism needs further investigation. The present study demonstrated that the RNA binding protein, RBM24, interacts with the RNA genome of SARS-CoV-2 via its RNA recognition submotifs (RNPs). The findings revealed that RBM24 recognizes and binds to the GUGUG element at stem-loop 4 (SL4) in the 5'-UTR of SARS-CoV-2. The interaction between RBM24 and 5'-UTR prevents 80S ribosome assembly, which in turn inhibits polyproteins translation and the replication of SARS-CoV-2. Notably, other RNA viruses, including SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, Ebolavirus, rhinovirus, West Nile virus, Zika virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, yellow fever virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus-1 also contain one or several G(U/C/A)GUG sequences in the 5'-UTR, which is also targeted by RBM24. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that RBM24 functions by interacting with the 5'-UTR of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, and elucidated that RBM24 could be a host restriction factor for SARS-CoV-2 and other RNA viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongxuan Yao
- Joint Center of Translational Precision Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children Medical Center, Guangzhou, 510623, China,State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Hao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yingshan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lingqian Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Dan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Canyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Zhe Wen
- Joint Center of Translational Precision Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children Medical Center, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Joint Center of Translational Precision Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children Medical Center, Guangzhou, 510623, China,State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China,Corresponding author. Joint Center of Translational Precision Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children Medical Center, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Xinwen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China,Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, 510320, China,Corresponding author. State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Rongjuan Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China,Corresponding author
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Gholami M, Adibipour F, Valipour SM, Ulloa L, Motaghinejad M. Potential Regulation of NF-κB by Curcumin in Coronavirus-Induced Cytokine Storm and Lung Injury. Int J Prev Med 2022; 13:156. [PMID: 36911003 PMCID: PMC9999103 DOI: 10.4103/ijpvm.ijpvm_565_20] [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: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The current pandemic coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is still a global medical and economic emergency with over 244 million confirmed infections and over 4.95 million deaths by October 2021, in less than 2 years. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS), and COVID-19 are three recent coronavirus pandemics with major medical and economic implications. Currently, there is no effective treatment for these infections. One major pathological hallmark of these infections is the so-called 'cytokine storm,' which depicts an unregulated production of inflammatory cytokines inducing detrimental inflammation leading to organ injury and multiple organ failure including severe pulmonary, cardiovascular, and kidney failure in COVID-19. Several studies have suggested the potential of curcumin to inhibit the replication of some viruses similar to coronaviruses. Multiple experimental and clinical studies also reported the anti-inflammatory potential of curcumin in multiple infectious and inflammatory disorders. Thus, we hypothesized that curcumin may provide antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects for treating COVID-19. Although these studies suggest that curcumin could serve as an adjuvant treatment for COVID-19, its molecular mechanisms are still debated, especially its potential to modulate the toll-like receptors/TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β/nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (TLR/TRIF/NF-κB) pathway. The preliminary results showed that curcumin modulates the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) pathway, a common pathway controlling cytokine production in multiple infectious and inflammatory disorders. Here, we hypothesize and discuss whether curcumin treatment may provide antiviral and anti-inflammatory clinical advantages for treating COVID-19 by modulating the TLR/TRIF/NF-κB pathway. We also review the current data on curcumin and discuss potential experimental and clinical studies that require defining its potential clinical implications in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Gholami
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Adibipour
- Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Sanaz M. Valipour
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Luis Ulloa
- Center for Perioperative Organ Protection, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Majid Motaghinejad
- Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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7
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Biondo C, Midiri A, Gerace E, Zummo S, Mancuso G. SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis: What We Know So Far. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:2087. [PMID: 36556452 PMCID: PMC9786139 DOI: 10.3390/life12122087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Respiratory infections are the most common and most frequent diseases, especially in children and the elderly, characterized by a clear seasonality and with an incidence that usually tends to decrease with increasing age. These infections often resolve spontaneously, usually without the need for antibiotic treatment and/or with the possible use of symptomatic treatments aimed at reducing overproduction of mucus and decreasing coughing. However, when these infections occur in patients with weakened immune systems and/or underlying health conditions, their impact can become dramatic and in some cases life threatening. The rapid worldwide spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has caused concern for everyone, becoming especially important for individuals with underlying lung diseases, such as CF patients, who have always paid close attention to implementing protective strategies to avoid infection. However, adult and pediatric CF patients contract coronavirus infection like everyone else. In addition, although numerous studies were published during the first wave of the pandemic on the risk for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) to develop severe manifestations when infected with SARS-CoV-2, to date, a high risk has been found only for patients with poorer lung function and post-transplant status. In terms of preventive measures, vaccination remains key. The best protection for these patients is to strengthen preventive measures, such as social distancing and the use of masks. In this review, we aim to summarize and discuss recent advances in understanding the susceptibility of CF individuals to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmelo Biondo
- Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Angelina Midiri
- Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | | | - Sebastiana Zummo
- Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Mancuso
- Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
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8
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Inmunohistochemical detection of pandemic SARSCoV- 2 antigens in lung tissue. BIOMÉDICA 2022; 42:9-13. [DOI: 10.7705/biomedica.6132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has generated globally more than 110.7 million infections and 2.4 million deaths. The severity of this infection can range from asymptomatic, mild to severe.To know the possible associations between the presence of the virus and histopathological alterations found in tissues of fatal cases of COVID-19, the presence of the virus in the lung tissue of a patient with a clinical history of SARS-CoV-2 infection was evaluated.Lung tissue was histologically processed for immunohistochemical detection of SARSCoV-2. In the histopathological study, morphological changes associated with pneumonitis of viral origin were observed. Likewise, the location of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was observed mainly in the cytoplasm of the cells of the inflammatory infiltrate.
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BONETTI GABRIELE, MEDORI MARIACHIARA, FIORETTI FRANCESCO, FARRONATO MARCO, NODARI SAVINA, LORUSSO LORENZO, TARTAGLIA GIANLUCAMARTINO, FARRONATO GIAMPIETRO, BELLINATO FRANCESCO, GISONDI PAOLO, CONNELLY STEPHENTHADDEUS, BERTELLI MATTEO. Dietary supplements for the management of COVID-19 symptoms. JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND HYGIENE 2022; 63:E221-E227. [PMID: 36479480 PMCID: PMC9710408 DOI: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2022.63.2s3.2764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the etiological agent of COVID-19, caused a pandemic in 2020, which is only recently slowing down. The symptoms of COVID-19 range from cough to fever and pneumonia and may persist beyond the active state of the infection, in a condition called post-COVID syndrome. The aim of this paper is to review the relationship between COVID-19 and nutrition and to discuss to most up-to-date dietary supplements proposed for COVID-19 treatment and prevention. Nutrition and nutritional dysregulations, such as obesity and malnutrition, are prominent risk factors for severe COVID-19. These factors exert anti-inflammatory and proinflammatory effects on the immune system, thus exacerbating or reducing the immunological response against the virus. As for the nutritional habits, the Western diet induces a chronic inflammatory state, whereas the Mediterranean diet exerts anti-inflammatory effects and has been proposed for ameliorating COVID-19 evolution and symptoms. Several vaccines have been researched and commercialized for COVID-19 prevention, whereas several drugs, although clinically tested, have not shown promising effects. To compensate for the lack of treatment, several supplements have been recommended for preventing or ameliorating COVID-19 symptoms. Thus, it is critical to review the dietary supplements proposed for COVID-19 treatment. Supplements containing α-cyclodextrin and hydroxytyrosol exhibited promising effects in several clinical trials and reduced the severity of the outcomes and the duration of the infection. Moreover, a supplement containing hydroxytyrosol, acetyl L-carnitine, and vitamins B, C, and D improved the symptoms of patients with post-COVID syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- GABRIELE BONETTI
- MAGI’S LAB, Rovereto (TN), Italy
- Correspondence: Gabriele Bonetti, MAGI’S LAB, Rovereto (TN), 38068, Italy. E-mail:
| | | | - FRANCESCO FIORETTI
- Department of Cardiology, University of Brescia and ASST “Spedali Civili” Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - MARCO FARRONATO
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Milan; Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - SAVINA NODARI
- Department of Cardiology, University of Brescia and ASST “Spedali Civili” Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - LORENZO LORUSSO
- UOC Neurology and Stroke Unit, ASST Lecco, Merate (LC), Italy
| | - GIANLUCA MARTINO TARTAGLIA
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Milan; Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - GIAMPIETRO FARRONATO
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Milan; Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - FRANCESCO BELLINATO
- Section of Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - PAOLO GISONDI
- Section of Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | - MATTEO BERTELLI
- MAGI’S LAB, Rovereto (TN), Italy
- MAGI Euregio, Bolzano, Italy
- MAGISNAT, Peachtree Corners (GA), USA
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10
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Bekker S, Potgieter CA, van Staden V, Theron J. Investigating the Role of African Horse Sickness Virus VP7 Protein Crystalline Particles on Virus Replication and Release. Viruses 2022; 14:2193. [PMID: 36298748 PMCID: PMC9608501 DOI: 10.3390/v14102193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
African horse sickness is a deadly and highly infectious disease of equids, caused by African horse sickness virus (AHSV). AHSV is one of the most economically important members of the Orbivirus genus. AHSV is transmitted by the biting midge, Culicoides, and therefore replicates in both insect and mammalian cell types. Structural protein VP7 is a highly conserved major core protein of orbiviruses. Unlike any other orbivirus VP7, AHSV VP7 is highly insoluble and forms flat hexagonal crystalline particles of unknown function in AHSV-infected cells and when expressed in mammalian or insect cells. To examine the role of AHSV VP7 in virus replication, a plasmid-based reverse genetics system was used to generate a recombinant AHSV that does not form crystalline particles. We characterised the role of VP7 crystalline particle formation in AHSV replication in vitro and found that soluble VP7 interacted with viral proteins VP2 and NS2 similarly to wild-type VP7 during infection. Interestingly, soluble VP7 was found to form uncharacteristic tubule-like structures in infected cells which were confirmed to be as a result of unique VP7-NS1 colocalisation. Furthermore, it was found that VP7 crystalline particles play a role in AHSV release and yield. This work provides insight into the role of VP7 aggregation in AHSV cellular pathogenesis and contributes toward the understanding of the possible effects of viral protein aggregation in other human virus-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shani Bekker
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0083, South Africa
| | - Christiaan A. Potgieter
- Deltamune (Pty) Ltd., 3 Bauhinia Street, Unit 34 Oxford Office Park, Highveld Techno Park, Centurion 0169, South Africa
- Human Metabolomics, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Vida van Staden
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0083, South Africa
| | - Jacques Theron
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0083, South Africa
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Gychka SG, Brelidze TI, Kuchyn IL, Savchuk TV, Nikolaienko SI, Zhezhera VM, Chermak II, Suzuki YJ. Placental vascular remodeling in pregnant women with COVID-19. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268591. [PMID: 35905056 PMCID: PMC9337689 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has been causing the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has so far resulted in over 450 million infections and six million deaths. This respiratory virus uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 as a receptor to enter host cells and affects various tissues in addition to the lungs. The present study reports that the placental arteries of women who gave birth to live full-term newborns while developing COVID-19 during pregnancy exhibit severe vascular wall thickening and the occlusion of the vascular lumen. A morphometric analysis of the placental arteries stained with hematoxylin and eosin suggests a 2-fold increase in wall thickness and a 5-fold decrease in the lumen area. Placental vascular remodeling was found to occur in all of SARS-CoV-2-positive mothers as defined by RT-PCR. Immunohistochemistry with α-smooth muscle actin and the Kv11.1 channel as well as Masson's trichrome staining showed that such placental vascular remodeling in COVID-19 is associated with smooth muscle proliferation and fibrosis. Placental vascular remodeling may represent a response mechanism to the clinical problems associated with childbirth in COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergiy G. Gychka
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Tinatin I. Brelidze
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | | | - Tetyana V. Savchuk
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Sofia I. Nikolaienko
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | | | - Ihor I. Chermak
- Academy of Human Health, Kyiv City Medical Center, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Yuichiro J. Suzuki
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America
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12
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Abstract
Since SARS-CoV-2 infection was first discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan City in China, it spread rapidly and a global pandemic of COVID-19 has occurred. According to several recent studies on SARS-CoV-2, the virus primarily infects the respiratory system but may cause damage to other systems. ACE-2, the main receptor for entry into the target cells by SARS-CoV-2, was reported to abundantly express in testes, including spermatogonia, Leydig and Sertoli cells. Nevertheless, there is no clinical evidence in the literature about whether SARS-CoV-2 infection has an impact on male reproductive health. Therefore, this review highlights the effect of SARA-CoV-2 infection on male reproductive health, including the reproductive system and its functioning, as well as gamete and male gonadal function that might be affected by the virus itself or secondary to immunological and inflammatory response, as well as drug treatments and the psychological stress related to panic during the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Imad Malki
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- * Correspondence: Mohammed Imad Malki, BSc, MD, PhD, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, P. O. Box: 2713, Doha, Qatar (e-mail: )
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13
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Dutta D, Naiyer S, Mansuri S, Soni N, Singh V, Bhat KH, Singh N, Arora G, Mansuri MS. COVID-19 Diagnosis: A Comprehensive Review of the RT-qPCR Method for Detection of SARS-CoV-2. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12061503. [PMID: 35741313 PMCID: PMC9221722 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12061503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The world is grappling with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the causative agent of which is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 symptoms are similar to the common cold, including fever, sore throat, cough, muscle and chest pain, brain fog, dyspnoea, anosmia, ageusia, and headache. The manifestation of the disease can vary from being asymptomatic to severe life-threatening conditions warranting hospitalization and ventilation support. Furthermore, the emergence of mutecated variants of concern (VOCs) is paramount to the devastating effect of the pandemic. This highly contagious virus and its emergent variants challenge the available advanced viral diagnostic methods for high-accuracy testing with faster result yields. This review is to shed light on the natural history, pathology, molecular biology, and efficient diagnostic methods of COVID-19, detecting SARS-CoV-2 in collected samples. We reviewed the gold standard RT-qPCR method for COVID-19 diagnosis to confer a better understanding and application to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. This comprehensive review may further develop awareness about the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debashis Dutta
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Correspondence: (D.D.); (M.S.M.)
| | - Sarah Naiyer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60616, USA;
| | | | - Neeraj Soni
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Vandana Singh
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA;
| | - Khalid Hussain Bhat
- SKUAST Kashmir, Division of Basic Science and Humanities, Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura Sopore 193201, JK, India;
| | - Nishant Singh
- Cell and Gene Therapy Absorption System, Exton, PA 19335, USA;
| | - Gunjan Arora
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA;
| | - M. Shahid Mansuri
- Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Correspondence: (D.D.); (M.S.M.)
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14
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Feng J, Li D, Zhang J, Yin X, Li J. Crystal structure of SARS-CoV 3C-like protease with baicalein. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 611:190-194. [PMID: 35490659 PMCID: PMC9027212 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.04.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The 3C-like protease (Mpro, 3CLpro) plays a key role in the replication process in coronaviruses (CoVs). The Mpro is an essential enzyme mediates CoVs replication and is a promising target for development of antiviral drugs. Until now, baicalein has been shown the specific activity for SARS-CoV Mpro in vitro experiments. In this study, we resolved the SARS-CoV Mpro with baicalein by X-ray diffraction at 2.25 Å (PDB code 7XAX), which provided a structural basis for the research and development of baicalein as an anti-CoVs drug.
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15
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Alcendor DJ, Matthews-Juarez P, Smoot D, Hildreth JEK, Lamar K, Tabatabai M, Wilus D, Juarez PD. Breakthrough COVID-19 Infections in the US: Implications for Prolonging the Pandemic. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:755. [PMID: 35632512 PMCID: PMC9146933 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10050755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of COVID-19 breakthrough infections-an infection that occurs after you have been vaccinated-has increased in frequency since the Delta and now Omicron variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus have become the dominant strains transmitted in the United States (US). Evidence suggests that individuals with breakthrough infections, though rare and expected, may readily transmit COVID-19 to unvaccinated populations, posing a continuing threat to the unvaccinated. Here, we examine factors contributing to breakthrough infections including a poor immune response to the vaccines due to the fact of advanced age and underlying comorbidities, the natural waning of immune protection from the vaccines over time, and viral variants that escape existing immune protection from the vaccines. The rise in breakthrough infections in the US and how they contribute to new infections, specifically among the unvaccinated and individuals with compromised immune systems, will create the need for additional booster vaccinations or development of modified vaccines that directly target current variants circulating among the general population. The need to expedite vaccination among the more than 49.8 million unvaccinated eligible people in the US is critical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald J. Alcendor
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Physiology, Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, 1005 D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208, USA;
- Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Physiology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, 1005 D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Hubbard Hospital, 5th Floor, Rm. 5025, Nashville, TN 37208, USA
| | - Patricia Matthews-Juarez
- Department of Family & Community Medicine, Meharry Medical College, 1005 D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208, USA; (P.M.-J.); (P.D.J.)
| | - Duane Smoot
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, 1005 D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208, USA;
| | - James E. K. Hildreth
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Physiology, Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, 1005 D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208, USA;
- Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Physiology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, 1005 D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Hubbard Hospital, 5th Floor, Rm. 5025, Nashville, TN 37208, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, 1005 D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208, USA;
| | - Kimberly Lamar
- Office of Health Disparities Elimination, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, TN 37243, USA;
| | - Mohammad Tabatabai
- School of Graduate Studies and Research, Meharry Medical College, 1005 D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208, USA; (M.T.); (D.W.)
| | - Derek Wilus
- School of Graduate Studies and Research, Meharry Medical College, 1005 D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208, USA; (M.T.); (D.W.)
| | - Paul D. Juarez
- Department of Family & Community Medicine, Meharry Medical College, 1005 D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208, USA; (P.M.-J.); (P.D.J.)
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16
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Singh S, Samanta J, Suri V, Bhalla A, Puri GD, Sehgal R, Kochhar R. Presence of diarrhea associated with better outcomes in patients with COVID-19 - A prospective evaluation. Indian J Med Microbiol 2022; 40:404-408. [PMID: 35483999 PMCID: PMC9271117 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmmb.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations have been well documented in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but its clinical impact on the course of the disease is debatable. Majority of the available data is retrospective, and hence this prospective study was planned to study the impact of GI symptoms on COVID-19 outcome. Methods All COVID-19 patients admitted in a tertiary care centre from August–October 2020 were screened and patients without pre-existing GI diseases were included. A detailed history of the various symptoms including duration was documented. Various baseline laboratory investigations and inflammatory markers were conducted as per the protocol. Patients with and without diarrhea were compared for the various disease outcome parameters. Results Of the 244 patients screened, 203 patients (128 males; 63.1%) were included. Respiratory symptoms alone were present in 49 (24.1%), GI symptoms alone in 20 (9.9%) and 117 (57.6%) had both. Overall GI symptoms was noted in 137 (67.5%) cases with the commonest being diarrhea (61; 30.0%). Patients with both respiratory and any GI symptoms showed a lower trend towards need for mechanical ventilation (12.2% vs 7.7%; p = 0.35) and mortality (10.2% vs 4.3%; p = 0.14) compared to respiratory symptoms alone, although not statistically significant. Patients with diarrhea (n = 61) had no mortality (0% vs 7.7%; p = 0.036) or need for mechanical ventilation and shorter hospital stay compared to those who did not have diarrhea. Conclusion GI symptoms are frequent in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and the commonest is diarrhea. Diarrhea is a harbinger of better outcome with lower mortality among COVID-19 positive patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seerat Singh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Jayanta Samanta
- Department of Gastroenterology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
| | - Vikas Suri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Ashish Bhalla
- Department of Internal Medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Goverdhan Dutt Puri
- Department of Anesthesia, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Rakesh Sehgal
- Department of Virology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Rakesh Kochhar
- Department of Gastroenterology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
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17
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Gasmi A, Srinath S, Dadar M, Pivina L, Menzel A, Benahmed AG, Chirumbolo S, Bjørklund G. A global survey in the developmental landscape of possible vaccination strategies for COVID-19. Clin Immunol 2022; 237:108958. [PMID: 35218966 PMCID: PMC8865932 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2022.108958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The development of COVID-19 vaccines was promptly regulated to ensure the best possible approach. By January 2022, 75 candidates reached preclinical evaluation in various animal models, 114 vaccines were in clinical trials on humans, and 48 were in the final testing stages. Vaccine platforms range from whole virus vaccines to nucleic acid vaccines, which are the most promising in prompt availability and safety. The USA and Europe have approved vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) and Moderna (mRNa1273). So far, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca-University of Oxford, Sinopharm, Sinovac Biotech Gamaleya, Bharat Biotech, and Novavax have documented effective vaccines. Even with technological advances and a fast-paced development approach, many limitations and problems need to be overcome before a large-scale production of new vaccines can start. The Key is to ensure equal and fair distribution globally through regulatory measures. Recent studies link Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination programs and lower disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Gasmi
- Société Francophone de Nutrithérapie et de Nutrigénétique Appliquée, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Shvetha Srinath
- Société Francophone de Nutrithérapie et de Nutrigénétique Appliquée, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Maryam Dadar
- Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Lyudmila Pivina
- Semey Medical University, Semey, Kazakhstan; CONEM Kazakhstan Environmental Health and Safety Research Group, Semey Medical University, Semey, Kazakhstan
| | | | - Asma Gasmi Benahmed
- Université Claude Bernard, Villeurbanne, France; Académie Internationale de Médecine Dentaire Intégrative, Paris, France
| | - Salvatore Chirumbolo
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; CONEM Scientific Secretary, Verona, Italy
| | - Geir Bjørklund
- Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (CONEM), Mo i Rana, Norway.
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18
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Durgam L, Guruprasad L. Computational studies on the design of NCI natural products as inhibitors to SARS-CoV-2 main protease. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 41:3741-3751. [PMID: 35333147 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2054470] [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] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The pandemic coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in more than 5 million deaths globally. Currently there are no effective drugs available to treat COVID-19. The viral protease replication can be blocked by the inhibition of main protease that is encoded in polyprotein 1a and is therefore a potential protein target for drug discovery. We have carried out virtual screening of NCI natural compounds followed by molecular docking in order to identify hit molecules as probable SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors. The molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of apo form in complex with N3, α-ketoamide and NCI natural products was used to validate the screened compounds. The MD simulations trajectories were analyzed using normal mode analysis and principal component analysis revealing dynamical nature of the protein. These findings aid in understanding the binding of natural products and molecular mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibition.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laxman Durgam
- School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
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19
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Ali S, Bello B, Chourasia P, Punathil RT, Zhou Y, Patterson M. PWM2Vec: An Efficient Embedding Approach for Viral Host Specification from Coronavirus Spike Sequences. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:418. [PMID: 35336792 PMCID: PMC8945605 DOI: 10.3390/biology11030418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The study of host specificity has important connections to the question about the origin of SARS-CoV-2 in humans which led to the COVID-19 pandemic-an important open question. There are speculations that bats are a possible origin. Likewise, there are many closely related (corona)viruses, such as SARS, which was found to be transmitted through civets. The study of the different hosts which can be potential carriers and transmitters of deadly viruses to humans is crucial to understanding, mitigating, and preventing current and future pandemics. In coronaviruses, the surface (S) protein, or spike protein, is important in determining host specificity, since it is the point of contact between the virus and the host cell membrane. In this paper, we classify the hosts of over five thousand coronaviruses from their spike protein sequences, segregating them into clusters of distinct hosts among birds, bats, camels, swine, humans, and weasels, to name a few. We propose a feature embedding based on the well-known position weight matrix (PWM), which we call PWM2Vec, and we use it to generate feature vectors from the spike protein sequences of these coronaviruses. While our embedding is inspired by the success of PWMs in biological applications, such as determining protein function and identifying transcription factor binding sites, we are the first (to the best of our knowledge) to use PWMs from viral sequences to generate fixed-length feature vector representations, and use them in the context of host classification. The results on real world data show that when using PWM2Vec, machine learning classifiers are able to perform comparably to the baseline models in terms of predictive performance and runtime-in some cases, the performance is better. We also measure the importance of different amino acids using information gain to show the amino acids which are important for predicting the host of a given coronavirus. Finally, we perform some statistical analyses on these results to show that our embedding is more compact than the embeddings of the baseline models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Murray Patterson
- Department of Computer Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA; (S.A.); (B.B.); (P.C.); (R.T.P.); (Y.Z.)
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20
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Bergantini L, Mainardi A, d’Alessandro M, Cameli P, Bennett D, Bargagli E, Sestini P. Common Molecular Pathways Between Post-COVID19 Syndrome and Lung Fibrosis: A Scoping Review. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:748931. [PMID: 35308222 PMCID: PMC8931519 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.748931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathogenetic mechanism of post-Covid-19 pulmonary fibrosis is currently a topic of intense research interest, but still largely unexplored. The aim of this work was to carry out a systematic exploratory search of the literature (Scoping review) to identify and systematize the main pathogenetic mechanisms that are believed to be involved in this phenomenon, in order to highlight the same molecular aspect of the lung. These aims could be essential in the future for therapeutic management. We identified all primary studies involving in post COVID19 syndrome with pulmonary fibrosis as a primary endpoint by performing data searches in various systematic review databases. Two reviewers independently reviewed all abstracts (398) and full text data. The quality of study has been assess through SANRA protocol. A total of 32 studies involving were included, included the possible involvement of inflammatory cytokines, concerned the renin-angiotensin system, the potential role of galectin-3, epithelial injuries in fibrosis, alveolar type 2 involvement, Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and the others implied other specific aspects (relationship with clinical and mechanical factors, epithelial transition mesenchymal, TGF-β signaling pathway, midkine, caspase and macrophages, genetics). In most cases, these were narrative reviews or letters to the editor, except for 10 articles, which presented original data, albeit sometimes in experimental models. From the development of these researches, progress in the knowledge of the phenomenon and hopefully in its prevention and therapy may originate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Bergantini
- Department of Medical Sciences, Surgery and Neurosciences, Respiratory Disease and Lung Transplant Unit, Respiratory Diseases and Transplant Unit, Siena University, Siena, Italy
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21
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Abstract
The aim of the study is to assess the impact of various nationalities, cultures, and religions on the spread of the coronavirus in the human environment. Particular attention was paid to compliance with legal and ethical standards during a pandemic. Different cultures, nationalities, and religions have a significant influence on the development and spread of the coronavirus in the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the tightening of legal standards, it is necessary to ensure: protection of patient confidentiality; of freedom of the expression; accesses to critical information; the opportunities to belong to social organizations and civil society; the accesses to professionals healthcare; ensure equal rights for women and guarantee the right to water and sanitation; continuity of humanitarian aid and targeted economic aid. Travel locks and bans should comply with legal standards; the right to education should be strictly respected. Artificial intelligence can be used in the fight against the crown.
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22
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Targeting COVID Vaccine Hesitancy in Rural Communities in Tennessee: Implications for Extending the COVID-19 Pandemic in the South. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9111279. [PMID: 34835210 PMCID: PMC8621887 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9111279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 40% of Tennesseans are vaccinated fully, due mainly to higher vaccination levels within urban counties. Significantly lower rates are observed in rural counties. Surveys suggest COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is entrenched mostly among individuals identifying as white, rural, Republican, and evangelical Christian. Rural counties represent 70 of the total 95 counties in Tennessee, and vaccine hesitancy signifies an immediate public health crisis likely to extend the COVID-19 pandemic. Tennessee is a microcosm of the pandemic’s condition in the Southern U.S. Unvaccinated communities are the greatest contributors of new COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. Rural Tennesseans have a long history of cultural conservatism, poor health literacy, and distrust of government and medical establishments and are more susceptible to misinformation and conspiracy theories. Development of novel strategies to increase vaccine acceptance is essential. Here, I examine the basis of COVID-19 following SARS-CoV-2 infection and summarize the pandemic’s extent in the South, current vaccination rates and efforts across Tennessee, and underlying factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy. Finally, I discuss specific strategies to combat COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. We must develop novel strategies that go beyond financial incentives, proven ineffective toward vaccinations. Successful strategies for vaccine acceptance of rural Tennesseans could increase acceptance among unvaccinated rural U.S. populations.
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23
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The mechanisms and clinical application of Traditional Chinese Medicine Lianhua-Qingwen capsule. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 142:111998. [PMID: 34385103 PMCID: PMC8352581 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lianhua-Qingwen capsule (LQC) is a commonly used Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in China and has 11 herb components. The main active ingredient can target specific molecules and perform many clinic treatment roles. LQC has been authorized by National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China to treat severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002-2003, type A influenza virus HIN1 pandemic in 2009, H7N9, H3N2 and coronavirus disease-19 (COVID19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) in 2020. It is also widely used to treat common cold with wind-heat syndrome, chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), amygdalitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This article summarizes the advanced research progress of LQC in clinical application, mechanisms and provides new clues in the clinical application of LQC.
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24
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Migliorini F, Torsiello E, Spiezia F, Oliva F, Tingart M, Maffulli N. Association between HLA genotypes and COVID-19 susceptibility, severity and progression: a comprehensive review of the literature. Eur J Med Res 2021; 26:84. [PMID: 34344463 PMCID: PMC8329616 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-021-00563-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has markedly impacted on cultural, political, and economic structures all over the world. Several aspects of its pathogenesis and related clinical consequences have not yet been elucidated. Infection rates, as well morbidity and mortality differed within countries. It is intriguing for scientists to understand how patient genetics may influence the outcome of the condition, to clarify which aspects could be related the clinical variability of SARS-CoV-2 disease. We reviewed the studies exploring the role of human leukocyte antigens (HLA) genotypes on individual responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or progression, discussing also the contribution of the immunological patterns MHC-related. In March 2021, the main online databases were accessed. All the articles that investigated the possible association between the HLA genotypes and related polymorphisms with susceptibility, severity and progression of COVID-19 were considered. Although both genetic and environmental factors are certainly expected to influence the susceptibility to or protection of individuals, the HLA and related polymorphisms can influence susceptibility, progression and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The crucial role played by HLA molecules in the immune response, especially through pathogen-derived peptide presentation, and the huge molecular variability of HLA alleles in the human populations could be responsible for the different rates of infection and the different patients following COVID-19 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Migliorini
- Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, RWTH University Hospital, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Ernesto Torsiello
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Via S. Allende, 84081, Baronissi, SA, Italy
| | - Filippo Spiezia
- Ospedale San Carlo Potenza, Via Potito Petrone, 85100, Potenza, Italy
| | - Francesco Oliva
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Via S. Allende, 84081, Baronissi, SA, Italy
| | - Markus Tingart
- Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, RWTH University Hospital, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Nicola Maffulli
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Via S. Allende, 84081, Baronissi, SA, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Keele University, Thornburrow Drive, Stoke on Trent, England
- Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine, Mile End Hospital, Queen Mary University of London, 275 Bancroft Road, London, E1 4DG, England
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25
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Abdelhafez E, Dabbour L, Hamdan M. The effect of weather data on the spread of COVID-19 in Jordan. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:40416-40423. [PMID: 33420694 PMCID: PMC7794072 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-12338-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the correlation between the daily confirmed COVID-19 cases in Jordan and metrological parameters including the average daily temperature (°C), maximum ambient temperature (°C), relative humidity (%), wind speed (m/s), pressure (kPa), and average daily solar radiation (W/m2). This covers the first and the second waves in Jordan. The data were obtained from both the Jordanian Ministry of health and the Jordan Metrological Department. In this work, the Spearman correlation test was used for data analysis, since the normality assumption was not fulfilled. It was found that the most effective weather parameters on the active cases of COVID-19 in the initial wave transmission was the average daily solar radiation (r = - 0.503; p = 0.000), while all other tests for other parameters failed. In the second wave of COVID-19 transmission, it was found that the most effective weather parameter on the active cases of COVID-19 was the maximum temperature (r = 0.394; p = 0.028). This was followed by wind speed (r = 0.477; p = 0.007), pressure (r = - 0.429; p = 0.016), and average daily solar radiation (r = - 0.757; p = 0.000). Furthermore, the independent variable importance of multilayer perceptron showed that wind speed has a direct relationship with active cases. Conversely, areas characterized by low values of pressure and daily solar radiation exposure have a high rate of infection. Finally, a global sensitivity analysis using Sobol analysis showed that daily solar radiation has a high rate of active cases that support the virus' survival in both wave transmissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman Abdelhafez
- Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Department of Alternative Energy Technology, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman, 11733, Jordan.
| | - Loai Dabbour
- Faculty of Architecture and Design, Department of Architecture, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman, 11733, Jordan
| | - Mohammad Hamdan
- School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan
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Kumar M, Kumari N, Thakur N, Bhatia SK, Saratale GD, Ghodake G, Mistry BM, Alavilli H, Kishor DS, Du X, Chung SM. A Comprehensive Overview on the Production of Vaccines in Plant-Based Expression Systems and the Scope of Plant Biotechnology to Combat against SARS-CoV-2 Virus Pandemics. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:1213. [PMID: 34203729 PMCID: PMC8232254 DOI: 10.3390/plants10061213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Many pathogenic viral pandemics have caused threats to global health; the COVID-19 pandemic is the latest. Its transmission is growing exponentially all around the globe, putting constraints on the health system worldwide. A novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), causes this pandemic. Many candidate vaccines are available at this time for COVID-19, and there is a massive international race underway to procure as many vaccines as possible for each country. However, due to heavy global demand, there are strains in global vaccine production. The use of a plant biotechnology-based expression system for vaccine production also represents one part of this international effort, which is to develop plant-based heterologous expression systems, virus-like particles (VLPs)-vaccines, antiviral drugs, and a rapid supply of antigen-antibodies for detecting kits and plant origin bioactive compounds that boost the immunity and provide tolerance to fight against the virus infection. This review will look at the plant biotechnology platform that can provide the best fight against this global pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manu Kumar
- Department of Life Science, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University, Seoul 10326, Korea; (M.K.); (D.S.K.); (X.D.)
| | - Nisha Kumari
- Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea;
| | - Nishant Thakur
- Department of Hospital Pathology, Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 10, 63-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul 07345, Korea;
| | - Shashi Kant Bhatia
- Department of Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, Konkuk University, 1 Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Korea;
| | - Ganesh Dattatraya Saratale
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University, Seoul 10326, Korea; (G.D.S.); (B.M.M.)
| | - Gajanan Ghodake
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Dongguk University, Seoul 10326, Korea;
| | - Bhupendra M. Mistry
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University, Seoul 10326, Korea; (G.D.S.); (B.M.M.)
| | - Hemasundar Alavilli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea;
| | - D. S. Kishor
- Department of Life Science, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University, Seoul 10326, Korea; (M.K.); (D.S.K.); (X.D.)
| | - Xueshi Du
- Department of Life Science, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University, Seoul 10326, Korea; (M.K.); (D.S.K.); (X.D.)
| | - Sang-Min Chung
- Department of Life Science, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University, Seoul 10326, Korea; (M.K.); (D.S.K.); (X.D.)
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Geng H, Subramanian S, Wu L, Bu HF, Wang X, Du C, De Plaen IG, Tan XD. SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 Forms Intracellular Aggregates and Inhibits IFNγ-Induced Antiviral Gene Expression in Human Lung Epithelial Cells. Front Immunol 2021; 12:679482. [PMID: 34177923 PMCID: PMC8221109 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.679482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19, a disease that involves significant lung tissue damage. How SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to lung injury remains elusive. The open reading frame 8 (ORF8) protein of SARS-CoV-2 (ORF8SARS-CoV-2) is a unique accessory protein, yet little is known about its cellular function. We examined the cellular distribution of ORF8SARS-CoV-2 and its role in the regulation of human lung epithelial cell proliferation and antiviral immunity. Using live imaging and immunofluorescent staining analyses, we found that ectopically expressed ORF8SARS-CoV-2 forms aggregates in the cytosol and nuclear compartments of lung epithelial cells. Using in silico bioinformatic analysis, we found that ORF8SARS-CoV-2 possesses an intrinsic aggregation characteristic at its N-terminal residues 1-18. Cell culture did not reveal any effects of ORF8SARS-CoV-2 expression on lung epithelial cell proliferation and cell cycle progression, suggesting that ORF8SARS-CoV-2 aggregates do not affect these cellular processes. Interestingly, ectopic expression of ORF8SARS-CoV-2 in lung epithelial cells suppressed basal expression of several antiviral molecules, including DHX58, ZBP1, MX1, and MX2. In addition, expression of ORF8SARS-CoV-2 attenuated the induction of antiviral molecules by IFNγ but not by IFNβ in lung epithelial cells. Taken together, ORF8SARS-CoV-2 is a unique viral accessory protein that forms aggregates when expressing in lung epithelial cells. It potently inhibits the expression of lung cellular anti-viral proteins at baseline and in response to IFNγ in lung epithelial cells, which may facilitate SARS-CoV-2 escape from the host antiviral innate immune response during early viral infection. In addition, it seems that formation of ORF8SARS-CoV-2 aggregate is independent from the viral infection. Thus, it would be interesting to examine whether any COVID-19 patients exhibit persistent ORF8 SARS-CoV-2 expression after recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infection. If so, the pathogenic effect of prolonged ORF8SARS-CoV-2 expression and its association with post-COVID symptoms warrant investigation in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Geng
- Center for Intestinal and Liver Inflammation Research, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Saravanan Subramanian
- Center for Intestinal and Liver Inflammation Research, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Longtao Wu
- Section of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Heng-Fu Bu
- Center for Intestinal and Liver Inflammation Research, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Xiao Wang
- Center for Intestinal and Liver Inflammation Research, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Chao Du
- Center for Intestinal and Liver Inflammation Research, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Isabelle G. De Plaen
- Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Xiao-Di Tan
- Center for Intestinal and Liver Inflammation Research, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Research Service, Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
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28
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Onorato D, Pucci M, Carpene G, Henry BM, Sanchis-Gomar F, Lippi G. Protective Effects of Statins Administration in European and North American Patients Infected with COVID-19: A Meta-Analysis. Semin Thromb Hemost 2021; 47:392-399. [PMID: 33482680 DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1722307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has spread rapidly throughout the world, becoming an overwhelming global health emergency. The array of injuries caused by this virus is broad and not limited to the respiratory system, but encompassing also extensive endothelial and systemic tissue damage. Since statins effectively improve endothelial function, these drugs may have beneficial effects in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, this investigation aimed to provide an updated overview on the interplay between statins and COVID-19, with particular focus on their potentially protective role against progression toward severe or critical illness and death. A systematic electronic search was performed in Scopus and PubMed up to present time. Data on statins use and COVID-19 outcomes especially in studies performed in Europe and North America were extracted and pooled. A total of seven studies met our inclusion criteria, totaling 2,398 patients (1,075 taking statins, i.e., 44.8%). Overall, statin usage in Western patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was associated with nearly 40% lower odds of progressing toward severe illness or death (odds ratio: 0.59; 95% confidence interval: 0.35-0.99). After excluding studies in which statin therapy was started during hospital admission, the beneficial effect of these drugs was magnified (odds ratio: 0.51; 95% confidence interval: 0.41-0.64). In conclusion, although randomized trials would be necessary to confirm these preliminary findings, current evidence would support a favorable effect of statins as adjuvant therapy in patients with COVID-19. Irrespective of these considerations, suspension of statin therapy seems highly unadvisable in COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diletta Onorato
- Section of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Italy
| | - Mairi Pucci
- Section of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Italy
| | - Giovanni Carpene
- Section of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Italy
| | - Brandon Michael Henry
- Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, The Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Ohio
| | - Fabian Sanchis-Gomar
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
- INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
| | - Giuseppe Lippi
- Section of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Italy
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Gholami M, Safari S, Ulloa L, Motaghinejad M. Neuropathies and neurological dysfunction induced by coronaviruses. J Neurovirol 2021; 27:380-396. [PMID: 33983506 PMCID: PMC8117458 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-021-00977-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
During the recent years, viral epidemic due to coronaviruses, such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), Middle East Respiratory Coronavirus Syndrome (MERS), and COVID-19 (coronavirus disese-19), has become a global problem. In addition to causing cardiovascular and respiratory lethal dysfunction, these viruses can cause neurodegeneration leading to neurological disorders. Review of the current scientific literature reveals the multiple neuropathies and neuronal dysfunction associated with these viruses. Here, we review the major findings of these studies and discuss the main neurological sequels and outcomes of coronavirus infections with SARS, MERS, and COVID-19. This article analyzes and discusses the main mechanisms of coronavirus-induced neurodegeneration according to the current experimental and clinical studies. Coronaviruses can damage the nerves directly through endovascular dysfunctions thereby affecting nerve structures and synaptic connections. Coronaviruses can also induce neural cell degeneration indirectly via mitochondrial dysfunction inducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. Thus, coronaviruses can cause neurological disorders by inducing neurovascular dysfunction affecting nerve structures and synaptic connections, and by inducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. While some of these mechanisms are similar to other RNA viruses, the neurotoxic mechanisms of COVID-19, MERS, and SARS-CoV viruses are unknown and need detailed clinical and experimental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Gholami
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sepideh Safari
- Razi Drug Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Luis Ulloa
- Center for Perioperative Organ Protection, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University, NC, 27710, Durham, USA.
| | - Majid Motaghinejad
- Razi Drug Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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30
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Goud KY, Reddy KK, Khorshed A, Kumar VS, Mishra RK, Oraby M, Ibrahim AH, Kim H, Gobi KV. Electrochemical diagnostics of infectious viral diseases: Trends and challenges. Biosens Bioelectron 2021; 180:113112. [PMID: 33706158 PMCID: PMC7921732 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Infectious diseases caused by viruses can elevate up to undesired pandemic conditions affecting the global population and normal life function. These in turn impact the established world economy, create jobless situations, physical, mental, emotional stress, and challenge the human survival. Therefore, timely detection, treatment, isolation and prevention of spreading the pandemic infectious diseases not beyond the originated town is critical to avoid global impairment of life (e.g., Corona virus disease - 2019, COVID-19). The objective of this review article is to emphasize the recent advancements in the electrochemical diagnostics of twelve life-threatening viruses namely - COVID-19, Middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS), Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Influenza, Hepatitis, Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Human papilloma virus (HPV), Zika virus, Herpes simplex virus, Chikungunya, Dengue, and Rotavirus. This review describes the design, principle, underlying rationale, receptor, and mechanistic aspects of sensor systems reported for such viruses. Electrochemical sensor systems which comprised either antibody or aptamers or direct/mediated electron transfer in the recognition matrix were explicitly segregated into separate sub-sections for critical comparison. This review emphasizes the current challenges involved in translating laboratory research to real-world device applications, future prospects and commercialization aspects of electrochemical diagnostic devices for virus detection. The background and overall progress provided in this review are expected to be insightful to the researchers in sensor field and facilitate the design and fabrication of electrochemical sensors for life-threatening viruses with broader applicability to any desired pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Yugender Goud
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - K Koteshwara Reddy
- Smart Living Innovation Technology Centre, Department of Energy Science and Technology, Myongji University, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, 17058, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ahmed Khorshed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sohag University, Sohag, 82524, Egypt.
| | - V Sunil Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Telangana, 506004, India
| | - Rupesh K Mishra
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Mohamed Oraby
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sohag University, Sohag, 82524, Egypt
| | - Alyaa Hatem Ibrahim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sohag University, Sohag, 82524, Egypt
| | - Hern Kim
- Smart Living Innovation Technology Centre, Department of Energy Science and Technology, Myongji University, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, 17058, Republic of Korea.
| | - K Vengatajalabathy Gobi
- Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Telangana, 506004, India.
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31
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Sharma N, Modak C, Singh PK, Kumar R, Khatri D, Singh SB. Underscoring the immense potential of chitosan in fighting a wide spectrum of viruses: A plausible molecule against SARS-CoV-2? Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 179:33-44. [PMID: 33607132 PMCID: PMC7885638 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.02.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Chitosan is a deacetylated polycationic polysaccharide derived from chitin. It is structurally constituted of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and β-(1-4)-linked D-glucosamine where acetyl groups are randomly distributed across the polymer. The parameters of deacetylation and depolymerization process greatly influence various physico-chemical properties of chitosan and thus, offer a great degree of manipulation to synthesize chitosan of interest for various industrial and biomedical applications. Chitosan and its various derivatives have been a potential molecule of investigation in the area of anti-microbials especially anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and antiviral. The current review predominantly highlights and discusses about the antiviral activities of chitosan and its various substituted derivatives against a wide spectrum of human, animal, plants and bacteriophage viruses. The extrinsic and intrinsic factors that affect antiviral efficacy of chitosan have also been talked about. With the rapid unfolding of COVID-19 pandemic across the globe, we look for chitosan as a plausible potent antiviral molecule for fighting this disease. Through this review, we present enough literature data supporting role of chitosan against different strains of SARS viruses and also chitosan targeting CD147 receptors, a novel route for invasion of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells. We speculate the possibility of using chitosan as potential molecule against SARS-CoV-2 virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nivya Sharma
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India
| | - Chandrima Modak
- Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS), PILANI, Pilani campus, India
| | - Pankaj Kumar Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India
| | - Rahul Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India
| | - Dharmender Khatri
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India
| | - Shashi Bala Singh
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India.
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32
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Afarid M, Sanie-Jahromi F. Mesenchymal Stem Cells and COVID-19: Cure, Prevention, and Vaccination. Stem Cells Int 2021; 2021:6666370. [PMID: 34035820 PMCID: PMC8103964 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6666370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 disease has been a global health problem since late 2019. There are many concerns about the rapid spread of this disease, and yet, there is no approved treatment for COVID-19. Several biological interventions have been under study recently to investigate efficient treatment for this viral disease. Besides, many efforts have been made to find a safe way to prevent and vaccinate people against COVID-19 disease. In severe cases, patients suffer from acute respiratory distress syndrome usually associated with an increased level of inflammatory cytokines, called a cytokine storm. It seems that reequilibrating the hyperinflammatory response of the host immune system and regeneration of damaged cells could be the main way to manage the disease. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been recently under investigation in this regard, and the achieved clinical outcomes show promising evidence for stem cell-based therapy of COVID-19. MSCs are known for their potential for immunomodulation, defense against virus infection, and tissue regeneration. MSCs are a newly emerged platform for designing vaccines and show promising evidence in this area. In the present study, we provided a thorough research study on the most recent clinical studies based on stem cells in the treatment of COVID-19 while introducing stem cell exclusivities for use as an immune disorder or lung cell therapy and its potential application for protection and vaccination against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehrdad Afarid
- Poostchi Ophthalmology Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Sanie-Jahromi
- Poostchi Ophthalmology Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Fujigaki H, Inaba M, Osawa M, Moriyama S, Takahashi Y, Suzuki T, Yamase K, Yoshida Y, Yagura Y, Oyamada T, Takemura M, Doi Y, Saito K. Comparative Analysis of Antigen-Specific Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Isotypes in COVID-19 Patients. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 206:2393-2401. [PMID: 33941657 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2001369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Serological tests for detection of anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Abs in blood are expected to identify individuals who have acquired immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and indication of seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Many serological tests have been developed to detect Abs against SARS-CoV-2. However, these tests have considerable variations in their specificity and sensitivity, and whether they can predict levels of neutralizing activity is yet to be determined. This study aimed to investigate the kinetics and neutralizing activity of various Ag-specific Ab isotypes against SARS-CoV-2 in serum of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients confirmed via PCR test. We developed IgG, IgM, and IgA measurement assays for each Ag, including receptor-binding domain (RBD) of spike (S) protein, S1 domain, full-length S protein, S trimer, and nucleocapsid (N) domain, based on ELISA. The assays of the S protein for all isotypes showed high specificity, whereas the assays for all isotypes against N protein showed lower specificity. The sensitivity of all Ag-specific Ab isotypes depended on the timing of the serum collection and all of them, except for IgM against N protein, reached more than 90% at 15-21 d postsymptom onset. The best correlation with virus-neutralizing activity was found for IgG against RBD, and levels of IgG against RBD in sera from four patients with severe COVID-19 increased concordantly with neutralizing activity. Our results provide valuable information regarding the selection of serological test for seroprevalence and vaccine evaluation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidetsugu Fujigaki
- Department of Disease Control and Prevention, Fujita Health University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Masato Inaba
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Michiko Osawa
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fujita Health University Hospital, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Saya Moriyama
- Department of Immunology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Takahashi
- Department of Immunology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tadaki Suzuki
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenya Yamase
- Diagnostics Research Laboratories, Diagnostics Technical Service & Research Operations, Diagnostics Division, FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corp., Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Yukihiro Yoshida
- Diagnostics Research Laboratories, Diagnostics Technical Service & Research Operations, Diagnostics Division, FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corp., Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Yo Yagura
- Diagnostics Research Laboratories, Diagnostics Technical Service & Research Operations, Diagnostics Division, FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corp., Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan
| | | | - Masao Takemura
- Department of Disease Control and Prevention, Fujita Health University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yohei Doi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Kuniaki Saito
- Department of Disease Control and Prevention, Fujita Health University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
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Sabbah DA, Hajjo R, Bardaweel SK, Zhong HA. An Updated Review on SARS-CoV-2 Main Proteinase (M Pro): Protein Structure and Small-Molecule Inhibitors. Curr Top Med Chem 2021; 21:442-460. [PMID: 33292134 DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666201207095117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
[Coronaviruses (CoVs) are enveloped positive-stranded RNA viruses with spike (S) protein projections that allow the virus to enter and infect host cells. The S protein is a key virulence factor determining viral pathogenesis, host tropism, and disease pathogenesis. There are currently diverse corona viruses that are known to cause disease in humans. The occurrence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), as fatal human CoV diseases, has induced significant interest in the medical field. The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a novel strain of coronavirus (SAR-CoV-2). The SARS-CoV2 outbreak has been evolved in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and identified as a pandemic in March 2020, resulting in 53.24 M cases and 1.20M deaths worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 main proteinase (MPro), a key protease of CoV-2, mediates viral replication and transcription. SARS-CoV-2 MPro has been emerged as an attractive target for SARS-CoV-2 drug design and development. Diverse scaffolds have been released targeting SARS-CoV-2 MPro. In this review, we culminate the latest published information about SARS-CoV-2 main proteinase (MPro) and reported inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dima A Sabbah
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, P.O. Box 130, Amman 11733, Jordan
| | - Rima Hajjo
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, P.O. Box 130, Amman 11733, Jordan
| | - Sanaa K Bardaweel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
| | - Haizhen A Zhong
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Nebraska at Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68182, United States
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Cai Z, Lu C, He J, Liu L, Zou Y, Zhang Z, Zhu Z, Ge X, Wu A, Jiang T, Zheng H, Peng Y. Identification and characterization of circRNAs encoded by MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:1297-1308. [PMID: 33757279 PMCID: PMC7799257 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbaa334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The life-threatening coronaviruses MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-1/2) have caused and will continue to cause enormous morbidity and mortality to humans. Virus-encoded noncoding RNAs are poorly understood in coronaviruses. Data mining of viral-infection-related RNA-sequencing data has resulted in the identification of 28 754, 720 and 3437 circRNAs encoded by MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, respectively. MERS-CoV exhibits much more prominent ability to encode circRNAs in all genomic regions than those of SARS-CoV-1/2. Viral circRNAs typically exhibit low expression levels. Moreover, majority of the viral circRNAs exhibit expressions only in the late stage of viral infection. Analysis of the competitive interactions of viral circRNAs, human miRNAs and mRNAs in MERS-CoV infections reveals that viral circRNAs up-regulated genes related to mRNA splicing and processing in the early stage of viral infection, and regulated genes involved in diverse functions including cancer, metabolism, autophagy, viral infection in the late stage of viral infection. Similar analysis in SARS-CoV-2 infections reveals that its viral circRNAs down-regulated genes associated with metabolic processes of cholesterol, alcohol, fatty acid and up-regulated genes associated with cellular responses to oxidative stress in the late stage of viral infection. A few genes regulated by viral circRNAs from both MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 were enriched in several biological processes such as response to reactive oxygen and centrosome localization. This study provides the first glimpse into viral circRNAs in three deadly coronaviruses and would serve as a valuable resource for further studies of circRNAs in coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zena Cai
- College of Biology, Hunan University
| | - Congyu Lu
- College of Biology, Hunan University
| | | | - Li Liu
- Hunan Yuelu mountain data science and Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd, Changsha, China
| | | | | | | | - Xingyi Ge
- College of Biology, Hunan University
| | - Aiping Wu
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine
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Clinical characteristics and peripheral immunocyte subsets alteration of 85 COVID-19 deaths. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:6289-6297. [PMID: 33711813 PMCID: PMC7993687 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: To retrospectively evaluate the clinical and immunological characteristics of patients who died of COVID-19 and to identify patients at high risk of death at an early stage and reduce their mortality. Results: Total white blood cell count, neutrophil count and C-reactive protein were significantly higher in patients who died of COVID-19 than those who recovered from it (p < 0.05), but the total lymphocyte count, CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, B cells and natural killer cells were significantly lower when compared in the same groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that increased D-dimer, decreased CD4 + T cells and increased neutrophils were risk factors for mortality. Further multiple COX regression demonstrated that neutrophil ≥ 5.27 × 109/L increased the risk of death in COVID-19 patients after adjustment for age and gender. However, CD4 + T cells ≥ 260/μL appeared to reduce the risk of death. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 infection led to a significant decrease of lymphocytes, and decreased CD4 + T cell count was a risk factor for COVID-19 patients to develop severe disease and death. Methods: This study included 190 hospitalized COVID-19 patients from January 30, 2020 to March 4, 2020 in Wuhan, China, of whom 85 died and 105 recovered. Two researchers independently collected the clinical and laboratory data from electronic medical records.
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Bhardwaj A, Sapra L, Saini C, Azam Z, Mishra PK, Verma B, Mishra GC, Srivastava RK. COVID-19: Immunology, Immunopathogenesis and Potential Therapies. Int Rev Immunol 2021; 41:171-206. [PMID: 33641587 PMCID: PMC7919479 DOI: 10.1080/08830185.2021.1883600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) imposed public health emergency and affected millions of people around the globe. As of January 2021, 100 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 along with more than 2 million deaths were reported worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 infection causes excessive production of pro-inflammatory cytokines thereby leading to the development of "Cytokine Storm Syndrome." This condition results in uncontrollable inflammation that further imposes multiple-organ-failure eventually leading to death. SARS-CoV-2 induces unrestrained innate immune response and impairs adaptive immune responses thereby causing tissue damage. Thus, understanding the foremost features and evolution of innate and adaptive immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is crucial in anticipating COVID-19 outcomes and in developing effective strategies to control the viral spread. In the present review, we exhaustively discuss the sequential key immunological events that occur during SARS-CoV-2 infection and are involved in the immunopathogenesis of COVID-19. In addition to this, we also highlight various therapeutic options already in use such as immunosuppressive drugs, plasma therapy and intravenous immunoglobulins along with various novel potent therapeutic options that should be considered in managing COVID-19 infection such as traditional medicines and probiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asha Bhardwaj
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Leena Sapra
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Chaman Saini
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Zaffar Azam
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Pradyumna K. Mishra
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-NIREH, Nehru Hospital Building, Gandhi Medical College Campus, Bhopal, India
| | - Bhupendra Verma
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Gyan C. Mishra
- Lab # 1, National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Pune, India
| | - Rupesh K. Srivastava
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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Protein Expression of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) is Upregulated in Brains with Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041687. [PMID: 33567524 PMCID: PMC7914443 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder and represents the main cause of dementia globally. Currently, the world is suffering from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a virus that uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a receptor to enter the host cells. In COVID-19, neurological manifestations have been reported to occur. The present study demonstrates that the protein expression level of ACE2 is upregulated in the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The increased ACE2 expression is not age-dependent, suggesting the direct relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and ACE2 expression. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, and brains with the disease examined in this study also exhibited higher carbonylated proteins, as well as an increased thiol oxidation state of peroxiredoxin 6 (Prx6). A moderate positive correlation was found between the increased ACE2 protein expression and oxidative stress in brains with Alzheimer’s disease. In summary, the present study reveals the relationships between Alzheimer’s disease and ACE2, the receptor for SARS-CoV-2. These results suggest the importance of carefully monitoring patients with both Alzheimer’s disease and COVID-19 in order to identify higher viral loads in the brain and long-term adverse neurological consequences.
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Konwar M, Sarma D. Advances in developing small molecule SARS 3CL pro inhibitors as potential remedy for corona virus infection. Tetrahedron 2021; 77:131761. [PMID: 33230349 PMCID: PMC7674993 DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2020.131761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Originated in China, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)- the highly contagious and fatal respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 has already infected more than 29 million people worldwide with a mortality rate of 3.15% (according to World Health Organization's (WHO's) report, September 2020) and the number is exponentially increasing with no remedy whatsoever discovered till date. But it is not the first time this infectious viral disease has appeared, in 2002 SARS-CoV infected more than 8000 individuals of which 9.6% patients died and in 2012 approximately 35% of MERS-CoV infected patients have died. Literature reports indicate that a chymotripsin-like cystein protease (3CLpro) is responsible for the replication of the virus inside the host cell. Therefore, design and synthesis of 3CLpro inhibitor molecules play a great impact in drug development against this COVID-19 pandemic. In this review, we are discussing the anti-SARS effect of some small molecule 3CLpro inhibitors with their various binding modes of interactions to the target protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manashjyoti Konwar
- Department of Chemistry, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, 786004, Assam, India
- Department of Chemistry, Dibru College, Dibrugarh, 786003, Assam, India
| | - Diganta Sarma
- Department of Chemistry, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, 786004, Assam, India
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Han J, Sun J, Zhang G, Chen H. DCs-based therapies: potential strategies in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Int J Med Sci 2021; 18:406-418. [PMID: 33390810 PMCID: PMC7757148 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.47706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Pneumonia caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is spreading globally. There have been strenuous efforts to reveal the mechanisms that the host defends itself against invasion by this virus. The immune system could play a crucial role in virus infection. Dendritic cell as sentinel of the immune system plays an irreplaceable role. Dendritic cells-based therapeutic approach may be a potential strategy for SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this review, the characteristics of coronavirus are described briefly. We focus on the essential functions of dendritic cell in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Basis of treatment based dendritic cells to combat coronavirus infections is summarized. Finally, we propose that the combination of DCs based vaccine and other therapy is worth further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Han
- General Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Institute of Integrative Medicine of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences USF Health, Taneja College of Pharmacy University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jiazhi Sun
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences USF Health, Taneja College of Pharmacy University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Guixin Zhang
- General Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Institute of Integrative Medicine of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Hailong Chen
- General Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Institute of Integrative Medicine of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
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何 文, 陈 清. [Progress in source tracking of SARS-CoV-2]. NAN FANG YI KE DA XUE XUE BAO = JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN MEDICAL UNIVERSITY 2020; 40:1838-1842. [PMID: 33380405 PMCID: PMC7835685 DOI: 10.12122/j.issn.1673-4254.2020.12.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a total of 55 928 327 confirmed cases and 1 344 003 deaths as of November 19, 2020. But so far the origin of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes this pandemic has remained undetermined. The purpose of this study is to review the current research of SARS-CoV-2 and the existing problems therein, which may provide inspiration for further researches. Existing evidence suggested that SARS-CoV-2 may be derived from bat coronavirus 40-70 years ago. During the evolution, this virus underwent extensive variations in the process of mutations and natural selection. Different genomic regions of SARS-CoV-2 may have different selection pressures, but all of which increase the difficulty of tracing the origin of this virus. A wide variety of animals have been considered as potential hosts of SARS-CoV-2, including cats, lions, tigers, dogs and minks. SARS-CoV-2 has a chance to transmit from humans to animals and can be transmitted among animals. Current research evidence has shown that China is not the original source of SARS-CoV-2. It is still unclear how the virus spreads to human, and efforts are still need to be made to explore the origin of SARS-CoV-2, its hosts and intermediate hosts, and the mechanism of its transmission across different species of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- 文巧 何
- />南方医科大学公共卫生学院流行病学系,广东 广州 510515Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - 清 陈
- />南方医科大学公共卫生学院流行病学系,广东 广州 510515Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
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曹 泽, 王 乐, 刘 振. [Homologous modeling and binding ability analysis of Spike protein after point mutation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 to receptor proteins and potential antiviral drugs]. BEIJING DA XUE XUE BAO. YI XUE BAN = JOURNAL OF PEKING UNIVERSITY. HEALTH SCIENCES 2020; 53:150-158. [PMID: 33550350 PMCID: PMC7867987 DOI: 10.19723/j.issn.1671-167x.2021.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the natural mutations in Spike protein (S protein) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the changes of affinity between virus and associated receptors or drug molecules before and after the mutation based on whole length sequencing results. METHODS In the study, the bioinformatics analysis of all the published sequences of SARS-CoV-2 was conducted and thus the high frequency mutation sites were affirmed. Taking advantages of PolyPhen-2, the functional influence of each mutation in S protein was prospected. The 3D homologous modelling was performed by SWISS-MODEL to establish mutated S protein structural model, in which the protein-docking was then implemented with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) and aminopeptidase N (APN) by ZDOCK, and the combining capacity of each mutated S protein evaluated by FiPD. Finally, the binding ability between mutated S proteins and anti-virus drugs were prospected and evaluated through AutoDock-Chimera 1.14. RESULTS The mutations in specific region of S protein had greater tendency to destroy the S protein function by analysis of mutated S protein structure. Protein-receptor docking analysis between naturally mutated S protein and host receptors showed that, in the case of spontaneous mutation, the binding ability of S protein to ACE2 tended to be weakened, while the binding ability of DPP4 tended to be enhanced, and there was no significant change in the binding ability of APN. According to the computational simulation results of affinity binding between small molecular drugs and S protein, the affinity of aplaviroc with S protein was significantly higher than that of other small molecule drug candidates. CONCLUSION The region from 400-1 100 amino acid in S protein of SARS-CoV-2 is the mutation sensitive part during natural state, which was more potential to mutate than other part in S protein during natural state. The mutated SARS-CoV-2 might tend to target human cells with DPP4 as a new receptor rather than keep ACE2 as its unique receptor for human infection. At the same time, aplaviroc, which was used for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, may become a new promising treatment for SARS-CoV-2 and could be a potential choice for the development of SARS-CoV-2 drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- 泽 曹
- />北京大学药学院天然药物及仿生药物国家重点实验室,北京 100191State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Beijing 100191, China
| | - 乐童 王
- />北京大学药学院天然药物及仿生药物国家重点实验室,北京 100191State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Beijing 100191, China
| | - 振明 刘
- />北京大学药学院天然药物及仿生药物国家重点实验室,北京 100191State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Beijing 100191, China
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Hathaway D, Pandav K, Patel M, Riva-Moscoso A, Singh BM, Patel A, Min ZC, Singh-Makkar S, Sana MK, Sanchez-Dopazo R, Desir R, Fahem MMM, Manella S, Rodriguez I, Alvarez A, Abreu R. Omega 3 Fatty Acids and COVID-19: A Comprehensive Review. Infect Chemother 2020; 52:478-495. [PMID: 33377319 PMCID: PMC7779984 DOI: 10.3947/ic.2020.52.4.478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid international spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed a global health emergency in 2020. It has affected over 52 million people and led to over 1.29 million deaths worldwide, as of November 13th, 2020. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 present with symptoms ranging from none to severe and include fever, shortness of breath, dry cough, anosmia, and gastrointestinal abnormalities. Severe complications are largely due to overdrive of the host immune system leading to "cytokine storm". This results in disseminated intravascular coagulation, acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and death. Due to its highly infectious nature and concerning mortality rate, every effort has been focused on prevention and creating new medications or repurposing old treatment options to ameliorate the suffering of COVID-19 patients including the immune dysregulation. Omega-3 fatty acids are known to be incorporated throughout the body into the bi-phospholipid layer of the cell membrane leading to the production of less pro-inflammatory mediators compared to other fatty acids that are more prevalent in the Western diet. In this article, the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, including their anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating, and possible antiviral effects have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald Hathaway
- Division of Research & Academic Affairs, Larkin Health System, South Miami, FL, USA.
| | - Krunal Pandav
- Division of Research & Academic Affairs, Larkin Health System, South Miami, FL, USA
| | - Madhusudan Patel
- Division of Research & Academic Affairs, Larkin Health System, South Miami, FL, USA
| | - Adrian Riva-Moscoso
- Division of Research & Academic Affairs, Larkin Health System, South Miami, FL, USA
| | - Bishnu Mohan Singh
- Division of Research & Academic Affairs, Larkin Health System, South Miami, FL, USA
| | - Aayushi Patel
- Division of Research & Academic Affairs, Larkin Health System, South Miami, FL, USA
| | - Zar Chi Min
- Division of Research & Academic Affairs, Larkin Health System, South Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - Muhammad Khawar Sana
- Division of Research & Academic Affairs, Larkin Health System, South Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - Rockeven Desir
- Division of Research & Academic Affairs, Larkin Health System, South Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - Susan Manella
- Division of Research & Academic Affairs, Larkin Health System, South Miami, FL, USA
| | - Ivan Rodriguez
- Division of Research & Academic Affairs, Larkin Health System, South Miami, FL, USA
| | - Alina Alvarez
- Division of Research & Academic Affairs, Larkin Health System, South Miami, FL, USA
| | - Rafael Abreu
- Division of Research & Academic Affairs, Larkin Health System, South Miami, FL, USA
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SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-mediated cell signaling in lung vascular cells. Vascul Pharmacol 2020; 137:106823. [PMID: 33232769 PMCID: PMC7680014 DOI: 10.1016/j.vph.2020.106823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Currently, the world is suffering from the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a receptor to enter the host cells. So far, 60 million people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, and 1.4 million people have died because of COVID-19 worldwide, causing serious health, economical, and sociological problems. However, the mechanism of the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on human host cells has not been defined. The present study reports that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein alone without the rest of the viral components is sufficient to elicit cell signaling in lung vascular cells. The treatment of human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells or human pulmonary artery endothelial cells with recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein S1 subunit (Val16 – Gln690) at 10 ng/ml (0.13 nM) caused an activation of MEK phosphorylation. The activation kinetics was transient with a peak at 10 min. The recombinant protein that contains only the ACE2 receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein S1 subunit (Arg319 – Phe541), on the other hand, did not cause this activation. Consistent with the activation of cell growth signaling in lung vascular cells by the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, pulmonary vascular walls were found to be thickened in COVID-19 patients. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-mediated cell growth signaling may participate in adverse cardiovascular/pulmonary outcomes, and this mechanism may provide new therapeutic targets to combat COVID-19.
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Das G, Das T, Chowdhury N, Chatterjee D, Bagchi A, Ghosh Z. Repurposed drugs and nutraceuticals targeting envelope protein: A possible therapeutic strategy against COVID-19. Genomics 2020; 113:1129-1140. [PMID: 33189776 PMCID: PMC7661923 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2020.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has already claimed millions of lives worldwide due to the absence of a suitable anti-viral therapy. The CoV envelope (E) protein, which has not received much attention so far, is a 75 amino acid long integral membrane protein involved in assembly and release of the virus inside the host. Here we have used artificial intelligence (AI) and pattern recognition techniques for initial screening of FDA approved pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals to target this E protein. Subsequently, molecular docking simulations have been performed between the ligands and target protein to screen a set of 9 ligand molecules. Finally, we have provided detailed insight into their mechanisms of action related to the varied symptoms of infected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gourab Das
- Division of Bioinformatics, Bose Institute, P-1/12, CIT Scheme VIIM, Kankurgachi, Kolkata 700 054, India.
| | - Troyee Das
- Division of Bioinformatics, Bose Institute, P-1/12, CIT Scheme VIIM, Kankurgachi, Kolkata 700 054, India.
| | - Nilkanta Chowdhury
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, Nadia 741235, West Bengal, India.
| | - Durbadal Chatterjee
- Division of Bioinformatics, Bose Institute, P-1/12, CIT Scheme VIIM, Kankurgachi, Kolkata 700 054, India.
| | - Angshuman Bagchi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, Nadia 741235, West Bengal, India.
| | - Zhumur Ghosh
- Division of Bioinformatics, Bose Institute, P-1/12, CIT Scheme VIIM, Kankurgachi, Kolkata 700 054, India.
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Suzuki YJ. The viral protein fragment theory of COVID-19 pathogenesis. Med Hypotheses 2020; 144:110267. [PMID: 33254571 PMCID: PMC7485542 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is causing the current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has killed nearly one million people so far. While this is a respiratory virus, surprisingly, it has been recognized that patients with cardiovascular disease are likely to be affected severely and die of COVID-19. This phenomenon cannot be explained by the generally accepted logic that the SARS-CoV-2 infection/replication is the sole determinant of the actions of the virus to define the fate of host cells. I herein propose the viral protein fragment theory of COVID-19 pathogenesis based on my observations in cultured human vascular cells that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can activate cell signaling events without the rest of the viral components. It is generally thought that SARS-CoV-2 and other single-stranded RNA viruses attach to the host cells through the interactions between surface proteins of the viral capsid and the host cell receptors; the fusion and the entry of the viral components, resulting in the replication of the viruses; and the host cell responses are the consequence of these events. I hypothesize that, as humans are infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus releases (a) fragment(s) of the spike protein that can target host cells for eliciting cell signaling without the rest of the viral components. Thus, COVID-19 patients are subjected to the intact virus infecting the host cells for the replication and amplification as well as the spike protein fragments that are capable of affecting the host cells. I propose that cell signaling elicited by the spike protein fragments that occur in cardiovascular cells would predispose infected individuals to develop complications that are seen in severe and fatal COVID-19 conditions. If this hypothesis is correct, then the strategies to treat COVID-19 should include, in addition to agents that inhibit the viral replication, therapeutics that inhibit the viral protein fragment-mediated cardiovascular cell signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuichiro J Suzuki
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
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47
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Stein RA, Young LM. From ACE2 to COVID-19: A multiorgan endothelial disease. Int J Infect Dis 2020; 100:425-430. [PMID: 32896660 PMCID: PMC7832810 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.08.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Stein
- NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA; LaGuardia Community College, Department of Natural Sciences, City University of New York, New York, NY 11101, USA.
| | - Lauren M Young
- University of Chicago, Department of Internal Medicine, 5841 S Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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48
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Pani SK, Lin NH, RavindraBabu S. Association of COVID-19 pandemic with meteorological parameters over Singapore. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 740:140112. [PMID: 32544735 PMCID: PMC7289735 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Meteorological parameters are the critical factors affecting the transmission of infectious diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and influenza. Consequently, infectious disease incidence rates are likely to be influenced by the weather change. This study investigates the role of Singapore's hot tropical weather in COVID-19 transmission by exploring the association between meteorological parameters and the COVID-19 pandemic cases in Singapore. This study uses the secondary data of COVID-19 daily cases from the webpage of Ministry of Health (MOH), Singapore. Spearman and Kendall rank correlation tests were used to investigate the correlation between COVID-19 and meteorological parameters. Temperature, dew point, relative humidity, absolute humidity, and water vapor showed positive significant correlation with COVID-19 pandemic. These results will help the epidemiologists to understand the behavior of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus against meteorological variables. This study finding would be also a useful supplement to help the local healthcare policymakers, Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) in the process of strategy making to combat COVID-19 in Singapore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shantanu Kumar Pani
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan
| | - Neng-Huei Lin
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan; Center for Environmental Monitoring and Technology, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan.
| | - Saginela RavindraBabu
- Center for Space and Remote Sensing Research, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan
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Suzuki YJ, Nikolaienko SI, Dibrova VA, Dibrova YV, Vasylyk VM, Novikov MY, Shults NV, Gychka SG. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-mediated cell signaling in lung vascular cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2020. [PMID: 33052333 DOI: 10.1101/2020.10.12.335083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Currently, the world is suffering from the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a receptor to enter the host cells. So far, 30 million people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, and nearly 1 million people have died because of COVID-19 worldwide, causing serious health, economical, and sociological problems. However, the mechanism of the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on human host cells has not been defined. The present study reports that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein alone without the rest of the viral components is sufficient to elicit cell signaling in lung vascular cells. The treatment of human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells or human pulmonary artery endothelial cells with recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein S1 subunit (Val16 - Gln690) at 10 ng/ml (0.13 nM) caused an activation of MEK phosphorylation. The activation kinetics was transient with a peak at 10 min. The recombinant protein that contains only the ACE2 receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein S1 subunit (Arg319 - Phe541), on the other hand, did not cause this activation. Consistent with the activation of cell growth signaling in lung vascular cells by SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, pulmonary vascular walls were found to be thickened in COVID-19 patients. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-mediated cell growth signaling may participate in adverse cardiovascular/pulmonary outcomes, and this mechanism may provide new therapeutic targets to combat COVID-19.
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50
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Ding Q, Shults NV, Harris BT, Suzuki YJ. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is upregulated in Alzheimer's disease brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2020:2020.10.08.331157. [PMID: 33052346 PMCID: PMC7553175 DOI: 10.1101/2020.10.08.331157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder and represents the main cause of dementia. Currently, the world is suffering from the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a receptor to enter the host cells. In COVID-19, neurological manifestations have been reported to occur. The present study demonstrates that the protein expression level of ACE2 is upregulated in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients. The increased ACE2 expression is not age-dependent, suggesting the direct relationship between Alzheimer's disease and the ACE2 expression. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, and Alzheimer's disease brains examined in this study also exhibited higher carbonylated proteins as well as increased thiol oxidation state of peroxiredoxin 6 (Prx6). The positive correlation was found between the increased ACE2 protein expression and oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease brain. Thus, the present study reveals the relationships between Alzheimer's disease and ACE2, the receptor for SARS-CoV-2. These results warrant monitoring Alzheimer's disease patients with COVID-19 carefully for the possible higher viral load in the brain and long-term adverse neurological consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyue Ding
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC 20007 USA
| | - Nataliia V. Shults
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC 20007 USA
| | - Brent T. Harris
- Departments of Neurology and Pathology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC 20007 USA
| | - Yuichiro J. Suzuki
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC 20007 USA
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