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Karahmet Sher E, Alebić M, Marković Boras M, Boškailo E, Karahmet Farhat E, Karahmet A, Pavlović B, Sher F, Lekić L. Nanotechnology in medicine revolutionizing drug delivery for cancer and viral infection treatments. Int J Pharm 2024; 660:124345. [PMID: 38885775 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124345] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Advancements in nanotechnology were vastly applied in medicine and pharmacy, especially in the field of nano-delivery systems. It took a long time for these systems to ensure precise delivery of very delicate molecules, such as RNA, to cells at concentrations that yield remarkable efficiency, with success rates reaching 95.0% and 94.5%. These days, there are several advantages of using nanotechnological solutions in the prevention and treatment of cancer and viral infections. Its interventions improve treatment outcomes both due to increased effectiveness of the drug at target location and by reducing adverse reactions, thereby increasing patient adherence to the therapy. Based on the current knowledge an updated review was made, and perspective, opportunities and challenges in nanomedicine were discussed. The methods employed include comprehensive examination of existing literature and studies on nanoparticles and nano-delivery systems including both in vitro tests performed on cell cultures and in vivo assessments carried out on appropriate animal models, with a specific emphasis on their applications in oncology and virology. This brings together various aspects including both structure and formation as well as its association with characteristic behaviour in organisms, providing a novel perspective. Furthermore, the practical application of these systems in medicine and pharmacy with a focus on viral diseases and malignancies was explored. This review can serve as a valuable guide for fellow researchers, helping them navigate the abundance of findings in this field. The results indicate that applications of nanotechnological solutions for the delivery of medicinal products improving therapeutic outcomes will continue to expand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emina Karahmet Sher
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, United Kingdom.
| | - Mirna Alebić
- Department of Pharmacy, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
| | - Marijana Marković Boras
- Department of Laboratory Diagnostic, University Clinical Hospital Mostar, Mostar 88000, Bosnia and Herzegovina; International Society of Engineering Science and Technology, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Emina Boškailo
- International Society of Engineering Science and Technology, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Esma Karahmet Farhat
- International Society of Engineering Science and Technology, Nottingham, United Kingdom; Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Food Technology, Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek 31000, Croatia
| | - Alma Karahmet
- International Society of Engineering Science and Technology, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Bojan Pavlović
- Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, University of East Sarajevo, Lukavica, Republika Srpska 75327, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Farooq Sher
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, United Kingdom.
| | - Lana Lekić
- Faculty of Health Studies, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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O'Leary K, Zheng D. Metacell-based differential expression analysis identifies cell type specific temporal gene response programs in COVID-19 patient PBMCs. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2024; 10:36. [PMID: 38580667 PMCID: PMC10997786 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-024-00364-2] [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: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
By profiling gene expression in individual cells, single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) can resolve cellular heterogeneity and cell-type gene expression dynamics. Its application to time-series samples can identify temporal gene programs active in different cell types, for example, immune cells' responses to viral infection. However, current scRNA-seq analysis has limitations. One is the low number of genes detected per cell. The second is insufficient replicates (often 1-2) due to high experimental cost. The third lies in the data analysis-treating individual cells as independent measurements leads to inflated statistics. To address these, we explore a new computational framework, specifically whether "metacells" constructed to maintain cellular heterogeneity within individual cell types (or clusters) can be used as "replicates" for increasing statistical rigor. Toward this, we applied SEACells to a time-series scRNA-seq dataset from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) after SARS-CoV-2 infection to construct metacells, and used them in maSigPro for quadratic regression to find significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) over time, followed by clustering expression velocity trends. We showed that such metacells retained greater expression variances and produced more biologically meaningful DEGs compared to either metacells generated randomly or from simple pseudobulk methods. More specifically, this approach correctly identified the known ISG15 interferon response program in almost all PBMC cell types and many DEGs enriched in the previously defined SARS-CoV-2 infection response pathway. It also uncovered additional and more cell type-specific temporal gene expression programs. Overall, our results demonstrate that the metacell-pseudoreplicate strategy could potentially overcome the limitation of 1-2 replicates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin O'Leary
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Deyou Zheng
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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Kim HJ, Park W. Alleviative Effect of Geniposide on Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Macrophages via Calcium Pathway. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1728. [PMID: 38339007 PMCID: PMC10855527 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, we investigated how geniposide (a bioactive ingredient of gardenia fruit) acts on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages. Griess reagent assay, Fluo-4 calcium assay, dihydrorhodamine 123 assay, multiplex cytokine assay, quantitative RT-PCR, and flow cytometry assay were used for this study. Data showed that geniposide at concentrations of 10, 25, and 50 μM reduced significantly the levels of nitric oxide, intracellular Ca2+, and hydrogen peroxide in LPS-activated RAW 264.7. Multiplex cytokine assay showed that geniposide at concentrations of 10, 25, and 50 μM meaningfully suppressed levels of IL-6, G-CSF, MCP-1, and MIP-1α in RAW 264.7 provoked by LPS; additionally, geniposide at concentrations of 25 and 50 μM meaningfully suppressed the levels of TNF-α, IP-10, GM-CSF, and MIP-1β. Flow cytometry assay showed that geniposide reduces significantly the level of activated P38 MAPK in RAW 264.7 provoked by LPS. Geniposide meaningfully suppressed LPS-induced transcription of inflammatory target genes, such as Chop, Jak2, Fas, c-Jun, c-Fos, Stat3, Nos2, Ptgs2, Gadd34, Asc, Xbp1, Nlrp3, and Par-2. Taken together, geniposide exerts alleviative effects in LPS-stimulated macrophages via the calcium pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wansu Park
- Department of Pathology, College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Republic of Korea
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Shimura T, Kurano M, Okamoto K, Jubishi D, Hashimoto H, Kano K, Igarashi K, Shimamoto S, Aoki J, Moriya K, Yatomi Y. Decrease in serum levels of autotaxin in COVID-19 patients. Ann Med 2022; 54:3189-3200. [PMID: 36369824 PMCID: PMC9665086 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2022.2143554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In order to identify therapeutic targets in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is important to identify molecules involved in the biological responses that are modulated in COVID-19. Lysophosphatidic acids (LPAs) are involved in the pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis are one of the candidate molecules. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the serum levels of autotaxin (ATX), which are enzymes involved in the synthesis of lysophosphatidic acids. MATERIAL AND METHODS We enrolled 134 subjects with COVID-19 and 58 normal healthy subjects for the study. We measured serum ATX levels longitudinally in COVID-19 patients and investigated the time course and the association with severity and clinical parameters. RESULTS The serum ATX levels were reduced in all patients with COVID-19, irrespective of the disease severity, and were negatively associated with the serum CRP, D-dimer, and anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody levels. DISCUSSION Considering the biological properties of LPAs in the pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis, modulation of ATX might be compensatory biological responses to suppress immunological overreaction especially in the lung, which is an important underlying mechanism for the mortality of the disease. CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 patients showed a decrease in the serum levels of ATX, irrespective of the disease severity. Key MessagesAutotaxin (ATX) is an enzyme involved in the synthesis of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), which has been reported to be involved in pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. Patients with COVID-19 show decrease in the serum levels of ATX. Modulation of ATX might be compensatory biological responses to suppress immunological overreaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Shimura
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makoto Kurano
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koh Okamoto
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Jubishi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideki Hashimoto
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kuniyuki Kano
- Department of Health Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koji Igarashi
- Bioscience Division, TOSOH Corporation, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | - Junken Aoki
- Department of Health Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kyoji Moriya
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yutaka Yatomi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Therapeutic Approaches in COVID-19 Patients: The Role of the Renin-Angiotensin System. Can Respir J 2022; 2022:8698825. [PMID: 36199292 PMCID: PMC9529525 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8698825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Two and a half years after COVID-19 was first reported in China, thousands of people are still dying from the disease every day around the world. The condition is forcing physicians to adopt new treatment strategies while emphasizing continuation of vaccination programs. The renin-angiotensin system plays an important role in the development and progression of COVID-19 patients. Nonetheless, administration of recombinant angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 has been proposed for the treatment of the disease. The catalytic activity of cellular ACE2 (cACE2) and soluble ACE2 (sACE2) prevents angiotensin II and Des-Arg-bradykinin from accumulating in the body. On the other hand, SARS-CoV-2 mainly enters cells via cACE2. Thus, inhibition of ACE2 can prevent viral entry and reduce viral replication in host cells. The benefits of bradykinin inhibitors (BKs) have been reported in some COVID-19 clinical trials. Furthermore, the effects of cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors on ACE2 cleavage and prevention of viral entry into host cells have been reported in COVID-19 patients. However, the administration of COX inhibitors can reduce innate immune responses and have the opposite effect. A few studies suggest benefits of low-dose radiation therapy (LDR) in treating acute respiratory distress syndrome in COVID-19 patients. Nonetheless, radiation therapy can stimulate inflammatory pathways, resulting in adverse effects on lung injury in these patients. Overall, progress is being made in treating COVID-19 patients, but questions remain about which drugs will work and when. This review summarizes studies on the effects of a recombinant ACE2, BK and COX inhibitor, and LDR in patients with COVID-19.
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Zoulikha M, Huang F, Wu Z, He W. COVID-19 inflammation and implications in drug delivery. J Control Release 2022; 346:260-274. [PMID: 35469984 PMCID: PMC9045711 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Growing evidence indicates that hyperinflammatory syndrome and cytokine storm observed in COVID-19 severe cases are narrowly associated with the disease's poor prognosis. Therefore, targeting the inflammatory pathways seems to be a rational therapeutic strategy against COVID-19. Many anti-inflammatory agents have been proposed; however, most of them suffer from poor bioavailability, instability, short half-life, and undesirable biodistribution resulting in off-target effects. From a pharmaceutical standpoint, the implication of COVID-19 inflammation can be exploited as a therapeutic target and/or a targeting strategy against the pandemic. First, the drug delivery systems can be harnessed to improve the properties of anti-inflammatory agents and deliver them safely and efficiently to their therapeutic targets. Second, the drug carriers can be tailored to develop smart delivery systems able to respond to the microenvironmental stimuli to release the anti-COVID-19 therapeutics in a selective and specific manner. More interestingly, some biosystems can simultaneously repress the hyperinflammation due to their inherent anti-inflammatory potency and endow their drug cargo with a selective delivery to the injured sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makhloufi Zoulikha
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Feifei Huang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Zhenfeng Wu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of TCM, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Wei He
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
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Single-cell immunology of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nat Biotechnol 2022; 40:30-41. [PMID: 34931002 PMCID: PMC9414121 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-021-01131-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Gaining a better understanding of the immune cell subsets and molecular factors associated with protective or pathological immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 could aid the development of vaccines and therapeutics for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Single-cell technologies, such as flow cytometry, mass cytometry, single-cell transcriptomics and single-cell multi-omic profiling, offer considerable promise in dissecting the heterogeneity of immune responses among individual cells and uncovering the molecular mechanisms of COVID-19 pathogenesis. Single-cell immune-profiling studies reported to date have identified innate and adaptive immune cell subsets that correlate with COVID-19 disease severity, as well as immunological factors and pathways of potential relevance to the development of vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. For facilitation of integrative studies and meta-analyses into the immunology of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we provide standardized, download-ready versions of 21 published single-cell sequencing datasets (over 3.2 million cells in total) as well as an interactive visualization portal for data exploration.
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Farmani AR, Mahdavinezhad F, Scagnolari C, Kouhestani M, Mohammadi S, Ai J, Shoormeij MH, Rezaei N. An overview on tumor treating fields (TTFields) technology as a new potential subsidiary biophysical treatment for COVID-19. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2021; 12:1605-1615. [PMID: 34542840 PMCID: PMC8451390 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-021-01067-5] [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] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 pandemic situation has affected millions of people with tens of thousands of deaths worldwide. Despite all efforts for finding drugs or vaccines, the key role for the survival of patients is still related to the immune system. Therefore, improving the efficacy and the functionality of the immune system of COVID-19 patients is very crucial. The potential new, non-invasive, FDA-approved biophysical technology that could be considered in this regard is tumor treating fields (TTFields) based on an alternating electric field has great biological effects. TTFields have significant effects in improving the functionality of dendritic cell, and cytotoxic T-cells, and these cells have a major role in defense against viral infection. Hence, applying TTFields could help COVID-19 patients against infection. Additionally, TTFields can reduce viral genomic replication, by reducing the expressions of some of the vital members of DNA replication complex genes from the minichromosome maintenance family (MCMs). These genes not only are involved in DNA replication but it has also been proven that they have a crucial role in viral replication. Also, TTFields suppress the formation of the network of tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) which is knows as filamentous (F)-actin-rich tubular structures. TNTs have a critical role in promoting the spread of viruses through improving viral entry and acting as a protective agent for viral components from immune cells and even pharmaceuticals. Moreover, TTFields enhance autophagy which leads to apoptosis of virally infected cells. Thus, it can be speculated that using TTFields may prove to be a promising approach as a subsidiary treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Reza Farmani
- Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences Department, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Tissue Engineering Department-School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
- Students’ Scientific Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Forough Mahdavinezhad
- Anatomy Department-School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Carolina Scagnolari
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia, Viale Di Porta Tiburtina, 28, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Mahsa Kouhestani
- Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences Department, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sadegh Mohammadi
- Department of Plastic Engineering, Faculty of Polymer Processing, Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jafar Ai
- Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences Department, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hasan Shoormeij
- Emergency Medicine Department, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children’s Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
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Morens DM, Taubenberger JK, Fauci AS. A Centenary Tale of Two Pandemics: The 1918 Influenza Pandemic and COVID-19, Part II. Am J Public Health 2021; 111:1267-1272. [PMID: 34111372 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2021.306326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Both the 1918 influenza pandemic and the 2019‒2021 COVID-19 pandemic are among the most disastrous infectious disease emergences of modern times. In addition to similarities in their clinical, pathological, and epidemiological features, the two pandemics, separated by more than a century, were each met with essentially the same, or very similar, public health responses, and elicited research efforts to control them with vaccines, therapeutics, and other medical approaches. Both pandemics had lasting, if at times invisible, psychosocial effects related to loss and hardship. In considering these two deadly pandemics, we ask: what lessons have we learned over the span of a century, and how are we applying those lessons to the challenges of COVID-19?
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Morens
- David M. Morens and Anthony S. Fauci are with the Office of the Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. Jeffery K. Taubenberger is with the Viral Pathogenesis and Evolution Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
| | - Jeffery K Taubenberger
- David M. Morens and Anthony S. Fauci are with the Office of the Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. Jeffery K. Taubenberger is with the Viral Pathogenesis and Evolution Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
| | - Anthony S Fauci
- David M. Morens and Anthony S. Fauci are with the Office of the Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. Jeffery K. Taubenberger is with the Viral Pathogenesis and Evolution Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
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Taher A, Lashgari M, Sedighi L, Rahimi-bashar F, Poorolajal J, Mehrpooya M. A pilot study on intravenous N-Acetylcysteine treatment in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome. Pharmacol Rep 2021; 73:1650-1659. [PMID: 34114174 PMCID: PMC8191712 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-021-00296-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Background We designed this single-centre clinical trial to assess the potential benefits of N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) in patients with COVID19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Methods Ninety-two patients with mild-to-moderate COVID19-associated ARDS were allocated to the placebo (45-cases) or NAC groups (47-cases). Besides standard-of-care treatment, the patients received either intravenous NAC at a dose of 40 mg/kg/day or the placebo for three consecutive days. The efficacy outcomes were overall mortality over 28-day, clinical status on day 28, based on the WHO Master Protocol, the proportion of patients requiring mechanical ventilation, changes in ARDS-severity (based on the PaO2/FiO2 ratio), and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores 48 and 96 h after intervention, Results No differences were found in the 28-day mortality rate between the two groups (25.5% vs. 31.1% in the NAC and placebo groups, respectively). Although the distribution of the clinical status at day 28 shifted towards better outcomes in the NAC-treated group, it did not reach a statistical significance level (p value = 0.83). Similar results were achieved in terms of the proportion of patients who required invasive ventilator support (38.3% vs. 44.4%), the number of ventilator-free days (17.4 vs. 16.6), and median time of ICU and hospital stay. Results regarding the change in PaO2/FiO2 ratio and SOFA scores also showed no significant differences between the groups. Conclusions Our pilot study did not support the potential benefits of intravenous NAC in treating patients with COVID-19-associated ARDS. More studies are needed to determine which COVID-19 patients benefit from the NAC administration. Trial registration The trial was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (identifier code: IRCT20120215009014N355). Registration date: 2020-05-18.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbas Taher
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Marjan Lashgari
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Ladan Sedighi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farshid Rahimi-bashar
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Jalal Poorolajal
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Maryam Mehrpooya
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Fahmideh Ave, 6517838678 Hamadan, Iran
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Sauter D, Kirchhoff F. Evolutionary conflicts and adverse effects of antiviral factors. eLife 2021; 10:e65243. [PMID: 33450175 PMCID: PMC7811402 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cells are equipped with a plethora of antiviral proteins protecting them against invading viral pathogens. In contrast to apoptotic or pyroptotic cell death, which serves as ultima ratio to combat viral infections, these cell-intrinsic restriction factors may prevent or at least slow down viral spread while allowing the host cell to survive. Nevertheless, their antiviral activity may also have detrimental effects on the host. While the molecular mechanisms underlying the antiviral activity of restriction factors are frequently well investigated, potential undesired effects of their antiviral functions on the host cell are hardly explored. With a focus on antiretroviral proteins, we summarize in this review how individual restriction factors may exert adverse effects as trade-off for efficient defense against attacking pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sauter
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical CenterUlmGermany
- Institute of Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Frank Kirchhoff
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical CenterUlmGermany
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