Antiviral Gene Expression in Young and Aged Murine Lung during H1N1 and H3N2

Recent Insights into the Molecular Mechanisms of the Toll-like Receptor Response to Influenza Virus Infection

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) pose a significant global threat to human health. A tightly controlled host immune response is critical to avoid any detrimental effects of IAV infection. It is critical to investigate the association between the response of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and influenza virus. Because TLRs may act as a double-edged sword, a balanced TLR response is critical for the overall benefit of the host. Consequently, a thorough understanding of the TLR response is essential for targeting TLRs as a novel therapeutic and prophylactic intervention. To date, a limited number of studies have assessed TLR and IAV interactions. Therefore, further research on TLR interactions in IAV infection should be conducted to determine their role in host-virus interactions in disease causation or clearance of the virus. Although influenza virus vaccines are available, they have limited efficacy, which should be enhanced to improve their efficacy. In this study, we discuss the current status of our understanding of the TLR response in IAV infection and the strategies adopted by IAVs to avoid TLR-mediated immune surveillance, which may help in devising new therapeutic or preventive strategies. Furthermore, recent advances in the use of TLR agonists as vaccine adjuvants to enhance influenza vaccine efficacy are discussed.

Computational design of novel nanobodies targeting the receptor binding domain of variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need for effective therapeutic and diagnostic strategies to manage the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, the emergence of numerous variants of concern (VOCs) has made it challenging to develop targeted therapies that are broadly specific in neutralizing the virus. In this study, we aimed to develop neutralizing nanobodies (Nbs) using computational techniques that can effectively neutralize the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs. We evaluated the performance of different protein-protein docking programs and identified HDOCK as the most suitable program for Nb/RBD docking with high accuracy. Using this approach, we designed 14 novel Nbs with high binding affinity to the VOC RBDs. The Nbs were engineered with mutated amino acids that interacted with key amino acids of the RBDs, resulting in higher binding affinity than human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and other viral RBDs or haemagglutinins (HAs). The successful development of these Nbs demonstrates the potential of molecular modeling as a low-cost and time-efficient method for engineering effective Nbs against SARS-CoV-2. The engineered Nbs have the potential to be employed in RBD-neutralizing assays, facilitating the identification of novel treatment, prevention, and diagnostic strategies against SARS-CoV-2.

Optimization and applications of an in vivo bioluminescence imaging model of influenza A virus infections

•The in vivo BLI model of IAV infections can simplify the determination of viral load in living animals. •The in vivo BLI model of IAV infections allow longitudinal measurements of virus infection/spread in living animals. •The in vivo BLI model of IAV infections improved the throughput of animal models. •The advanced BLI models can facilitate studies in both basic and applied virology.