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Tanwar M, Singh A, Singh TP, Sharma S, Sharma P. Comprehensive Review on the Virulence Factors and Therapeutic Strategies with the Aid of Artificial Intelligence against Mucormycosis. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:1431-1457. [PMID: 38682683 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00082] [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] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Mucormycosis, a rare but deadly fungal infection, was an epidemic during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rise in cases (COVID-19-associated mucormycosis, CAM) is attributed to excessive steroid and antibiotic use, poor hospital hygiene, and crowded settings. Major contributing factors include diabetes and weakened immune systems. The main manifesting forms of CAM─cutaneous, pulmonary, and the deadliest, rhinocerebral─and disseminated infections elevated mortality rates to 85%. Recent focus lies on small-molecule inhibitors due to their advantages over standard treatments like surgery and liposomal amphotericin B (which carry several long-term adverse effects), offering potential central nervous system penetration, diverse targets, and simpler dosing owing to their small size, rendering the ability to traverse the blood-brain barrier via passive diffusion facilitated by the phospholipid membrane. Adaptation and versatility in mucormycosis are facilitated by a multitude of virulence factors, enabling the pathogen to dynamically respond to various environmental stressors. A comprehensive understanding of these virulence mechanisms is imperative for devising effective therapeutic interventions against this highly opportunistic pathogen that thrives in immunocompromised individuals through its angio-invasive nature. Hence, this Review delineates the principal virulence factors of mucormycosis, the mechanisms it employs to persist in challenging host environments, and the current progress in developing small-molecule inhibitors against them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansi Tanwar
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029, India
| | - Anamika Singh
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029, India
| | - Tej Pal Singh
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029, India
| | - Sujata Sharma
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029, India
| | - Pradeep Sharma
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029, India
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Maen A, Gok Yavuz B, Mohamed YI, Esmail A, Lu J, Mohamed A, Azmi AS, Kaseb M, Kasseb O, Li D, Gocio M, Kocak M, Selim A, Ma Q, Kaseb AO. Individual ingredients of NP-101 (Thymoquinone formula) inhibit SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1291212. [PMID: 38379905 PMCID: PMC10876831 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1291212] [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: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Thymoquinone TQ, an active ingredient of Nigella Sativa, has been shown to inhibit COVID-19 symptoms in clinical trials. Thymoquinone Formulation (TQF or NP-101) is developed as a novel enteric-coated medication derivative from Nigella Sativa. TQF consists of TQ with a favorable concentration and fatty acids, including palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids. In this study, we aimed to investigate the roles of individual ingredients of TQF on infection of SARS-CoV-2 variants in-vitro, by utilizing Murine Leukemia Virus (MLV) based pseudovirus particles. We demonstrated that NP-101, TQ, and other individual ingredients, including oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acids inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection in the MLV-based pseudovirus model. A large, randomized phase 2 study of NP-101 is planned in outpatient COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdelrahim Maen
- Section of GI Oncology, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
- Cockrell Center for Advanced Therapeutic Phase I Program, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Betul Gok Yavuz
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Yehia I. Mohamed
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Abdullah Esmail
- Section of GI Oncology, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jianming Lu
- Codex BioSolutions Inc., Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Amr Mohamed
- Seidman Cancer Center, Case Western University, Multidisciplinary NET Treatment, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Asfar S. Azmi
- School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Mohamed Kaseb
- Novatek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Houston, TX, United States
| | - Osama Kasseb
- Novatek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Houston, TX, United States
| | - Dan Li
- Department of Hematopoietic Biology and Malignancy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Michelle Gocio
- Novatek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Houston, TX, United States
| | - Mehmet Kocak
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, International School of Medicine, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Abdelhafez Selim
- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Qing Ma
- Department of Hematopoietic Biology and Malignancy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Ahmed O. Kaseb
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
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Roy U. Computational Investigation of Selected Spike Protein Mutations in SARS-CoV-2: Delta, Omicron, and Some Circulating Subvariants. Pathogens 2023; 13:10. [PMID: 38276156 PMCID: PMC10820870 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Among the multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants recently reported, the Delta variant has generated the most perilous and widespread effects. Another variant, Omicron, has been identified specifically for its high transmissibility. Omicron contains numerous spike (S) protein mutations and numbers much larger than those of its predecessor variants. In this report, the author has discussed some essential structural aspects and time-based structure changes of a selected set of spike protein mutations within the Delta and Omicron variants. The expected impact of multiple point mutations within the spike protein's receptor-binding domain (RBD) and S1 of these variants are examined. Additionally, the RBDs of the more recently emerged subvariants BA.4, BA.5, and BA.2.12.1 are discussed. Within the latter group, BA.5 represents the most prevalent form of SARS-CoV-2 globally until recently. This computational work also briefly explores the temporal mutation profile for the currently circulating variants of interest (VOIs), variants under monitoring (VUMs), and variants being monitored (VBMs) including XBB.1.5, BQ.1, BA.2.75, CH.1.1, XBB, XBF, EG.5 (or Eris), and BA.2.86 (or Pirola). It is expected that these structural data can facilitate the tasks of identifying drug targets and neutralizing antibodies for the evolving variants/subvariants of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urmi Roy
- Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 13699, USA
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Liu Y, Huang L, Kim MY, Cho JY. The Role of Thymoquinone in Inflammatory Response in Chronic Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810246. [PMID: 36142148 PMCID: PMC9499585 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Anti-inflammatory therapies have been shown to be effective in the prevention of various cardiovascular diseases, tumors, and cancer complications. Thymoquinone (TQ), the main active constituent of Nigella sativa, has shown promising therapeutic properties in many in vivo and in vitro models. However, TQ has poor bioavailability and is hydrophobic, prohibiting clinical trials with TQ alone. Studies have explored the combination of TQ with biological nanomaterials to improve its bioavailability. The TQ nanoparticle formulation shows better bioavailability than free TQ, and these formulations are ready for clinical trials to determine their potential as therapeutic agents. In this paper, we review current knowledge about the interaction between TQ and the inflammatory response and summarize the research prospects in Korea and abroad. We discuss the different biological activities of TQ and various combination therapies of TQ and nanomaterials in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liu
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea
| | - Lei Huang
- Department of Biocosmetics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea
| | - Mi-Yeon Kim
- Department of Biocosmetics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea
- Correspondence: (M.-Y.K.); (J.Y.C.); Tel.:+82-2-820-0458 (M.-Y.K.); +82-31-290-7868 (J.Y.C.)
| | - Jae Youl Cho
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea
- Department of Biocosmetics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea
- Correspondence: (M.-Y.K.); (J.Y.C.); Tel.:+82-2-820-0458 (M.-Y.K.); +82-31-290-7868 (J.Y.C.)
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