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Umer BA, Noyce RS, Kieser Q, Favis NA, Shenouda MM, Rans KJ, Middleton J, Hitt MM, Evans DH. Oncolytic vaccinia virus immunotherapy antagonizes image-guided radiotherapy in mouse mammary tumor models. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298437. [PMID: 38498459 PMCID: PMC10947714 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Ionizing radiation (IR) and oncolytic viruses are both used to treat cancer, and the effectiveness of both agents depends upon stimulating an immune response against the tumor. In this study we tested whether combining image guided ionizing radiation (IG-IR) with an oncolytic vaccinia virus (VACV) could yield a better therapeutic response than either treatment alone. ΔF4LΔJ2R VACV grew well on irradiated human and mouse breast cancer cells, and the virus can be combined with 4 or 8 Gy of IR to kill cells in an additive or weakly synergistic manner. To test efficacy in vivo we used immune competent mice bearing orthotopic TUBO mammary tumors. IG-IR worked well with 10 Gy producing 80% complete responses, but this was halved when the tumors were treated with VACV starting 2 days after IG-IR. VACV monotherapy was ineffective in this model. The antagonism was time dependent as waiting for 21 days after IG-IR eliminated the inhibitory effect but without yielding any further benefits over IR alone. In irradiated tumors, VACV replication was also lower, suggesting that irradiation created an environment that did not support infection as well in vivo as in vitro. A study of how four different treatment regimens affected the immune composition of the tumor microenvironment showed that treating irradiated tumors with VACV altered the immunological profiles in tumors exposed to IR or VACV alone. We detected more PD-1 and PD-L1 expression in tumors exposed to IR+VACV but adding an αPD-1 antibody to the protocol did not change the way VACV interferes with IG-IR therapy. VACV encodes many immunosuppressive gene products that may interfere with the ability of radiotherapy to induce an effective anti-tumor immune response through the release of danger-associated molecular patterns. These data suggest that infecting irradiated tumors with VACV, too soon after exposure, may interfere in the innate and linked adaptive immune responses that are triggered by radiotherapy to achieve a beneficial impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A. Umer
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ryan S. Noyce
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute for Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Quinten Kieser
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nicole A. Favis
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mira M. Shenouda
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kim J. Rans
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jackie Middleton
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mary M. Hitt
- Li Ka Shing Institute for Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute for Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Silva P, Evans DH. The Rectal Gland of the Shark: The Road to Understanding the Mechanism and Regulation of Transepithelial Chloride Transport. Kidney360 2024; 5:471-480. [PMID: 38433340 PMCID: PMC11000733 DOI: 10.34067/kid.0000000000000388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Pictured, described, and speculated on, for close to 400 years, the function of the rectal gland of elasmobranchs remained unknown. In the late 1950s, Burger discovered that the rectal gland of Squalus acanthias secreted an almost pure solution of sodium chloride, isosmotic with blood, which could be stimulated by volume expansion of the fish. Twenty five years later, Stoff discovered that the secretion of the gland was mediated by adenyl cyclase. Studies since then have shown that vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is the neurotransmitter responsible for activating adenyl cyclase; however, the amount of circulating VIP does not change in response to volume expansion. The humoral factor involved in activating the secretion of the gland is C-type natriuretic peptide, secreted from the heart in response to volume expansion. C-type natriuretic peptide circulates to the gland where it stimulates the release of VIP from nerves within the gland, but it also has a direct effect, independent of VIP. Sodium, potassium, and chloride are required for the gland to secrete, and the secretion of the gland is inhibited by ouabain or furosemide. The current model for the secretion of chloride was developed from this information. Basolateral NaKATPase maintains a low intracellular concentration of sodium, which establishes the large electrochemical gradient for sodium directed into the cell. Sodium moves from the blood into the cell (together with potassium and chloride) down this electrochemical gradient, through a coupled sodium, potassium, and two chloride cotransporter (NKCC1). On activation, chloride moves from the cell into the gland lumen, down its electrical gradient through apical cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator. The fall in intracellular chloride leads to the phosphorylation and activation of NKCC1 that allows more chloride into the cell. Transepithelial sodium secretion into the lumen is driven by an electrical gradient through a paracellular pathway. The aim of this review was to examine the history of the origin of this model for the transport of chloride and suggest that it is applicable to many epithelia that transport chloride, both in resorptive and secretory directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricio Silva
- Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine
| | - David H. Evans
- Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
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Miranzadeh Mahabadi H, Lin YCJ, Ogando NS, Moussa EW, Mohammadzadeh N, Julien O, Alto NM, Noyce RS, Evans DH, Power C. Monkeypox virus infection of human astrocytes causes gasdermin B cleavage and pyroptosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2315653121. [PMID: 38346199 PMCID: PMC10895262 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315653121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Monkeypox virus (MPXV) infections in humans cause neurological disorders while studies of MPXV-infected animals indicate that the virus penetrates the brain. Pyroptosis is an inflammatory type of regulated cell death, resulting from plasma membrane rupture (PMR) due to oligomerization of cleaved gasdermins to cause membrane pore formation. Herein, we investigated the human neural cell tropism of MPXV compared to another orthopoxvirus, vaccinia virus (VACV), as well as its effects on immune responses and cell death. Astrocytes were most permissive to MPXV (and VACV) infections, followed by microglia and oligodendrocytes, with minimal infection of neurons based on plaque assays. Aberrant morphological changes were evident in MPXV-infected astrocytes that were accompanied with viral protein (I3) immunolabelling and detection of over 125 MPXV-encoded proteins in cell lysates by mass spectrometry. MPXV- and VACV-infected astrocytes showed increased expression of immune gene transcripts (IL12, IRF3, IL1B, TNFA, CASP1, and GSDMB). However, MPXV infection of astrocytes specifically induced proteolytic cleavage of gasdermin B (GSDMB) (50 kDa), evident by the appearance of cleaved N-terminal-GSDMB (30 kDa) and C-terminal- GSDMB (18 kDa) fragments. GSDMB cleavage was associated with release of lactate dehydrogenase and increased cellular nucleic acid staining, indicative of PMR. Pre-treatment with dimethyl fumarate reduced cleavage of GSDMB and associated PMR in MPXV-infected astrocytes. Human astrocytes support productive MPXV infection, resulting in inflammatory gene induction with accompanying GSDMB-mediated pyroptosis. These findings clarify the recently recognized neuropathogenic effects of MPXV in humans while also offering potential therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Y. C. James Lin
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT5N 2S2, Canada
| | - Natacha S. Ogando
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT5N 2S2, Canada
| | - Eman W. Moussa
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT5N 2S2, Canada
| | - Nazanin Mohammadzadeh
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT5N 2S2, Canada
| | - Oliver Julien
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT5N 2S2, Canada
| | - Neal M. Alto
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390-8816
| | - Ryan S. Noyce
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT5N 2S2, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT5N 2S2, Canada
| | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT5N 2S2, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT5N 2S2, Canada
| | - Christopher Power
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT5N 2S2, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT5N 2S2, Canada
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Okwor T, Mbala PK, Evans DH, Kindrachuk J. A contemporary review of clade-specific virological differences in monkeypox viruses. Clin Microbiol Infect 2023; 29:1502-1507. [PMID: 37507009 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2023.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is an emerging zoonotic virus that has had on-going public health impacts in endemic regions of Central and West Africa for over a half-century. Historically, the MPXV clade endemic in regions of Central Africa is associated with higher morbidity and mortality as compared with the clade endemic in West Africa. OBJECTIVES Here, we review the virological characteristics of MPXV and discuss potential relationships between virulence factors and clade- (and subclade-) specific differences in virulence and transmission patterns. SOURCES Targeted search was conducted in PubMed using ((monkeypox virus) OR (Orthopoxvirus)) AND (zoonosis)) OR ((monkeypox) OR (human mpox). CONTENT Forty-seven references were considered that included three publicly available data reports and/or press releases, one book chapter, and 44 published manuscripts. IMPLICATIONS Although zoonosis has been historically linked to emergence events in humans, epidemiological analyses of more recent outbreaks have identified increasing frequencies of human-to-human transmission. Furthermore, viral transmission during the 2022 global human mpox outbreak, caused by a recently identified MPXV subclade, has relied exclusively on human-to-human contact with no known zoonotic link.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tochi Okwor
- Department of Planning, Research & Statistics, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Placide K Mbala
- Département de Virologie, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Département de Biologie Médicale, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology and Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, The University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jason Kindrachuk
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
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Roczkowsky A, Limonta D, Fernandes JP, Branton WG, Clarke M, Hlavay B, Noyce RS, Joseph JT, Ogando NS, Das SK, Elaish M, Arbour N, Evans DH, Langdon K, Hobman TC, Power C. COVID-19 Induces Neuroinflammation and Suppresses Peroxisomes in the Brain. Ann Neurol 2023; 94:531-546. [PMID: 37190821 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Peroxisome injury occurs in the central nervous system (CNS) during multiple virus infections that result in neurological disabilities. We investigated host neuroimmune responses and peroxisome biogenesis factors during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection using a multiplatform strategy. METHODS Brain tissues from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (n = 12) and other disease control (ODC) (n = 12) patients, as well as primary human neural cells and Syrian hamsters, infected with a clinical variant of SARS-CoV-2, were investigated by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR), quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR), and immunodetection methods. RESULTS SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in the CNS of 4 patients with COVID-19 with viral protein (NSP3 and spike) immunodetection in the brainstem. Olfactory bulb, brainstem, and cerebrum from patients with COVID-19 showed induction of pro-inflammatory transcripts (IL8, IL18, CXCL10, NOD2) and cytokines (GM-CSF and IL-18) compared to CNS tissues from ODC patients (p < 0.05). Peroxisome biogenesis factor transcripts (PEX3, PEX5L, PEX11β, and PEX14) and proteins (PEX3, PEX14, PMP70) were suppressed in the CNS of COVID-19 compared to ODC patients (p < 0.05). SARS-CoV-2 infection of hamsters revealed viral RNA detection in the olfactory bulb at days 4 and 7 post-infection while inflammatory gene expression was upregulated in the cerebrum of infected animals by day 14 post-infection (p < 0.05). Pex3 transcript levels together with catalase and PMP70 immunoreactivity were suppressed in the cerebrum of SARS-CoV-2 infected animals (p < 0.05). INTERPRETATION COVID-19 induced sustained neuroinflammatory responses with peroxisome biogenesis factor suppression despite limited brainstem SARS-CoV-2 neurotropism in humans. These observations offer insights into developing biomarkers and therapies, while also implicating persistent peroxisome dysfunction as a contributor to the neurological post-acute sequelae of COVID-19. ANN NEUROL 2023;94:531-546.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Roczkowsky
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
| | - D Limonta
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
| | - J P Fernandes
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
| | - W G Branton
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
| | - M Clarke
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
| | - B Hlavay
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
| | - R S Noyce
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
| | - J T Joseph
- Department of Pathology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, USA
| | - N S Ogando
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
| | - S K Das
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
| | - M Elaish
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
| | - N Arbour
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal, and CHUM, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - D H Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
| | - K Langdon
- Department of Pathology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, USA
| | - T C Hobman
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
| | - C Power
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
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Lin YCJ, Evans DH, Robbins NF, Orjuela G, Abe KT, Rathod B, Colwill K, Gingras AC, Tuite A, Yi QL, O’Brien SF, Drews SJ. Diminished Neutralization Capacity of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 in Donor Plasma Collected from January to March 2021. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0525622. [PMID: 37289096 PMCID: PMC10434250 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.05256-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The 50% plaque reduction neutralization assay (PRNT50) has been previously used to assess the neutralization capacity of donor plasma against wild-type and variant of concern (VOC) severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Emerging data suggest that plasma with an anti-SARS-CoV-2 level of ≥2 × 104 binding antibody units/mL (BAU/mL) protects against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 infection. Specimens were collected using a cross-sectional random sampling approach. For PRNT50 studies, 63 previously analyzed specimens by PRNT50 versus SARS-CoV-2 wild-type, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta were analyzed by PRNT50 versus Omicron BA.1. The 63 specimens plus 4,390 specimens (randomly sampled regardless of serological evidence of infection) were also tested using the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant assay (anti-spike [S]; Abbott, Chicago, IL, USA; Abbott Quant assay). In the vaccinated group, the percentages of specimens with any measurable PRNT50 versus wild-type or VOC were wild type (21/25 [84%]), Alpha (19/25 [76%]), Beta (18/25 [72%]), Gamma (13/25 [52%]), Delta (19/25 [76%]), and Omicron BA.1 (9/25 [36%]). In the unvaccinated group, the percentages of specimens with any measurable PRNT50 versus wild type or VOC were wild-type SARS-CoV-2 (16/39 [41%]), Alpha (16/39 [41%]), Beta (10/39 [26%]), Gamma (9/39 [23%]), Delta (16/39 [41%]), and Omicron BA.1 (0/39) (Fisher's exact tests, vaccinated versus unvaccinated for each variant, P < 0.05). None of the 4,453 specimens tested by the Abbott Quant assay had a binding capacity of ≥2 × 104 BAU/mL. Vaccinated donors were more likely than unvaccinated donors to neutralize Omicron when assessed by a PRNT50 assay. IMPORTANCE SARS-CoV-2 Omicron emergence occurred in Canada during the period from November 2021 to January 2022. This study assessed the ability of donor plasma collected earlier (January to March 2021) to generate any neutralizing capacity against Omicron BA.1 SARS-CoV-2. Vaccinated individuals, regardless of infection status, were more likely to neutralize Omicron BA.1 than unvaccinated individuals. This study then used a semiquantitative binding antibody assay to screen a larger number of specimens (4,453) for individual specimens that might have high-titer neutralizing capacity against Omicron BA.1. None of the 4,453 specimens tested by the semiquantitative SARS-CoV-2 assay had a binding capacity suggestive of a high-titer neutralizing capacity against Omicron BA.1. These data do not imply that Canadians lacked immunity to Omicron BA.1 during the study period. Immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is complex, and there is still no wide consensus on correlation of protection to SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Chan J. Lin
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | | | | | - Kento T. Abe
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bhavisha Rathod
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karen Colwill
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anne-Claude Gingras
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ashleigh Tuite
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Qi-Long Yi
- Epidemiology and Surveillance, Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sheila F. O’Brien
- Epidemiology and Surveillance, Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Steven J. Drews
- Canadian Blood Services, Microbiology, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Merz E, Evans DH, Dong Y, Jenssen C, Dietrich CF. History of ultrasound in obstetrics and gynaecology from 1971 to 2021 on occasion of the 50 years anniversary of EFSUMB. Med Ultrason 2023; 25:175-188. [PMID: 36047427 DOI: 10.11152/mu-3845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Diagnostic ultrasound in obstetrics and gynaecology has experienced a fantastic evolution during the past seven decades. Initial steps with A-mode technology were followed by B-mode and B-mode real-time imaging, then by Doppler and colour Doppler ultrasound, and finally by 3D/4D ultrasound. Other evolutionary steps were the development of high-resolution transabdominal and transvaginal transducers providing high quality images in the first, second and third trimesters of pregancy, as well as in gynaecology and breast imaging.The progression from two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional ultrasound (3D) and 3D real-time imaging (4D) has brought new options in displaying anatomical structures. In comparison with CT or MRI, it is not a static but functional technique, cheap and safe, and applicable at any time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eberhard Merz
- Centre for Ultrasound and Prenatal Medicine, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, UK.
| | - Yi Dong
- Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China.
| | - Christian Jenssen
- Krankenhaus Märkisch Oderland, Strausberg, and Brandenburg Institute for Clinical Ultrasound, Medical University Brandenburg, Neuruppin, Germany.
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Storozynsky QT, Han X, Komant S, Agopsowicz KC, Potts KG, Gamper AM, Godbout R, Evans DH, Hitt MM. Radiation-Induced Cellular Senescence Reduces Susceptibility of Glioblastoma Cells to Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3341. [PMID: 37444452 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15133341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a malignant brain cancer refractory to the current standard of care, prompting an extensive search for novel strategies to improve outcomes. One approach under investigation is oncolytic virus (OV) therapy in combination with radiotherapy. In addition to the direct cytocidal effects of radiotherapy, radiation induces cellular senescence in GBM cells. Senescent cells cease proliferation but remain viable and are implicated in promoting tumor progression. The interaction of viruses with senescent cells is nuanced; some viruses exploit the senescent state to their benefit, while others are hampered, indicating senescence-associated antiviral activity. It is unknown how radiation-induced cellular senescence may impact the oncolytic properties of OVs based on the vaccinia virus (VACV) that are used in combination with radiotherapy. To better understand this, we induced cellular senescence by treating GBM cells with radiation, and then evaluated the growth kinetics, infectivity, and cytotoxicity of an oncolytic VACV, ∆F4LΔJ2R, as well as wild-type VACV in irradiated senescence-enriched and non-irradiated human GBM cell lines. Our results show that both viruses display attenuated oncolytic activities in irradiated senescence-enriched GBM cell populations compared to non-irradiated controls. These findings indicate that radiation-induced cellular senescence is associated with antiviral activity and highlight important considerations for the combination of VACV-based oncolytic therapies with senescence-inducing agents such as radiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn T Storozynsky
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
- Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Xuefei Han
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada
| | - Shae Komant
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Kate C Agopsowicz
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada
| | - Kyle G Potts
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Alberta Cellular Therapy and Immune Oncology (ACTION) Initiative, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Armin M Gamper
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada
- Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada
| | - Roseline Godbout
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada
- Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
- Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada
| | - David H Evans
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Mary M Hitt
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
- Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
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9
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Vayalumkal JV, Soraisham AS, Abou Mehrem A, Ghosh A, Dunn JKE, Fonseca K, Zhou H, Berenger BM, Chan ES, Brundler MA, Lin YC, Evans DH, Rousso S, Kuret V, Conly JM. Congenital SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Two Neonates with Confirmation by Viral Culture of the Placenta in One Case. Viruses 2023; 15:1310. [PMID: 37376610 DOI: 10.3390/v15061310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Congenital infections with SARS-CoV-2 are uncommon. We describe two confirmed congenital SARS-CoV-2 infections using descriptive, epidemiologic and standard laboratory methods and in one case, viral culture. Clinical data were obtained from health records. Nasopharyngeal (NP) specimens, cord blood and placentas when available were tested by reverse transcriptase real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Electron microscopy and histopathological examination with immunostaining for SARS-CoV-2 was conducted on the placentas. For Case 1, placenta, umbilical cord, and cord blood were cultured for SARS-CoV-2 on Vero cells. This neonate was born at 30 weeks, 2 days gestation by vaginal delivery. RT-PCR tests were positive for SARS-CoV-2 from NP swabs and cord blood; NP swab from the mother and placental tissue were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Placental tissue yielded viral plaques with typical morphology for SARS-CoV-2 at 2.8 × 102 pfu/mL confirmed by anti-spike protein immunostaining. Placental examination revealed chronic histiocytic intervillositis with trophoblast necrosis and perivillous fibrin deposition in a subchorionic distribution. Case 2 was born at 36 weeks, 4 days gestation. RT-PCR tests from the mother and infant were all positive for SARS-CoV-2, but placental pathology was normal. Case 1 may be the first described congenital case with SARS-CoV-2 cultivated directly from placental tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph V Vayalumkal
- Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Health Services, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Amuchou S Soraisham
- Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Health Services, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Ayman Abou Mehrem
- Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Health Services, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Anirban Ghosh
- Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Health Services, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Jessica K E Dunn
- Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Health Services, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Kevin Fonseca
- Alberta Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Calgary, AB T2N 4W4, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Hong Zhou
- Alberta Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Calgary, AB T2N 4W4, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Byron M Berenger
- Alberta Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Calgary, AB T2N 4W4, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Elaine S Chan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Marie-Anne Brundler
- Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Health Services, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Yi-Chan Lin
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - Sharon Rousso
- Department of Pediatrics, Red Deer Regional Hospital, Red Deer, AB T4N 4E7, Canada
| | - Verena Kuret
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - John M Conly
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Alberta Health Services and University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases and O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
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10
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McInnes CJ, Damon IK, Smith GL, McFadden G, Isaacs SN, Roper RL, Evans DH, Damaso CR, Carulei O, Wise LM, Lefkowitz EJ. ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Poxviridae 2023. J Gen Virol 2023; 104. [PMID: 37195882 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Poxviridae is a family of enveloped, brick-shaped or ovoid viruses. The genome is a linear molecule of dsDNA (128-375 kbp) with covalently closed ends. The family includes the sub-families Entomopoxvirinae, whose members have been found in four orders of insects, and Chordopoxvirinae, whose members are found in mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. Poxviruses are important pathogens in various animals, including humans, and typically result in the formation of lesions, skin nodules, or disseminated rash. Infections can be fatal. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the family Poxviridae, which is available at ictv.global/report/poxviridae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Inger K Damon
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA
| | | | | | - Stuart N Isaacs
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | | | | | - Clarissa R Damaso
- Cidade Universitária da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Lyn M Wise
- University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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11
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Storozynsky QT, Agopsowicz KC, Noyce RS, Bukhari AB, Han X, Snyder N, Umer BA, Gamper AM, Godbout R, Evans DH, Hitt MM. Radiation combined with oncolytic vaccinia virus provides pronounced antitumor efficacy and induces immune protection in an aggressive glioblastoma model. Cancer Lett 2023; 562:216169. [PMID: 37061120 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GB) is a malignant and immune-suppressed brain cancer that remains incurable despite the current standard of care. Radiotherapy is a mainstay of GB treatment, however invasive cancer cells outside the irradiated field and radioresistance preclude complete eradication of GB cells. Oncolytic virus therapy harnesses tumor-selective viruses to spread through and destroy tumors while stimulating antitumor immune responses, and thus has potential for use following radiotherapy. We demonstrate that oncolytic ΔF4LΔJ2R vaccinia virus (VACV) replicates in and induces cytotoxicity of irradiated brain tumor initiating cells in vitro. Importantly, a single 10 Gy dose of radiation combined with ΔF4LΔJ2R VACV produced considerably superior anticancer effects relative to either monotherapy when treating immune-competent orthotopic CT2A-luc mouse models-significantly extending survival and curing the majority of mice. Mice cured by the combination displayed significantly increased survival relative to naïve age-matched controls following intracranial tumor challenge, with some complete rejections. Further, the combination therapy was associated with an increased ratio of CD8+ effector T cells to regulatory T cells compared to either monotherapy. This study validates the use of radiation with an oncolytic ΔF4LΔJ2R VACV to improve treatment of this malignant brain cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn T Storozynsky
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Ryan S Noyce
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Amirali B Bukhari
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Xuefei Han
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Department of Neurosurgery, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Natalie Snyder
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Brittany A Umer
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Armin M Gamper
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Roseline Godbout
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Mary M Hitt
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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12
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Noyce RS, Westfall LW, Fogarty S, Gilbert K, Mpanju O, Stillwell H, Esparza J, Daugherty B, Koide F, Evans DH, Lederman S. Single Dose of Recombinant Chimeric Horsepox Virus (TNX-801) Vaccination Protects Macaques from Lethal Monkeypox Challenge. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020356. [PMID: 36851570 PMCID: PMC9965234 DOI: 10.3390/v15020356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing global Monkeypox outbreak that started in the spring of 2022 has reinforced the importance of protecting the population using live virus vaccines based on the vaccinia virus (VACV). Smallpox also remains a biothreat and although some U.S. military personnel are immunized with VACV, safety concerns limit its use in other vulnerable groups. Consequently, there is a need for an effective and safer, single dose, live replicating vaccine against both viruses. One potential approach is to use the horsepox virus (HPXV) as a vaccine. Contemporary VACV shares a common ancestor with HPXV, which from the time of Edward Jenner and through the 19th century, was extensively used to vaccinate against smallpox. However, it is unknown if early HPXV-based vaccines exhibited different safety and efficacy profiles compared to modern VACV. A deeper understanding of HPXV as a vaccine platform may allow the construction of safer and more effective vaccines against the poxvirus family. In a proof-of-concept study, we vaccinated cynomolgus macaques with TNX-801, a recombinant chimeric horsepox virus (rcHPXV), and showed that the vaccine elicited protective immune responses against a lethal challenge with monkeypox virus (MPXV), strain Zaire. The vaccine was well tolerated and protected animals from the development of lesions and severe disease. These encouraging data support the further development of TNX-801.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S. Noyce
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | - José Esparza
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | | | | | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Seth Lederman
- Tonix Pharmaceuticals, Dartmouth, MA 02748, USA
- Correspondence:
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13
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Dietrich CF, Bolondi L, Duck F, Evans DH, Ewertsen C, Fraser AG, Gilja OH, Jenssen C, Merz E, Nolsoe C, Nürnberg D, Lutz H, Piscaglia F, Saftoiu A, Vilmann P, Dong Y, Hill CRK. History of Ultrasound in Medicine from its birth to date (2022), on occasion of the 50 Years Anniversary of EFSUMB. A publication of the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound In Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB), designed to record the historical development of medical ultrasound. Med Ultrason 2022; 24:434-450. [PMID: 35574917 DOI: 10.11152/mu-3757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The history of the European Federation of Societies in Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB) is closely related to the general history of ultrasound. In the presented paper the physical background and history of technologies including A-mode, Time motion or M-mode, 2D Imaging (B-mode) are summarized. In addition, ultrasound tissue characterization, Doppler ultrasound, 3D and 4D ultrasound, intracavitary and endoscopic ultrasound, interventional ultrasound, ultrasonic therapy, contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and key developments in echocardiography are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luigi Bolondi
- Almamater Studiorum, University of Bologna and IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Italy
| | - Francis Duck
- Formerly University of Bath and Royal United Hospital NHS Trust, Bath, UK
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, UK
| | - Caroline Ewertsen
- Department of Radiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Odd Helge Gilja
- National Centre for Ultrasound in Gastroenterology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Christian Jenssen
- Krankenhaus Märkisch Oderland, Strausberg, and Brandenburg Institute for Clinical Ultrasound, Medical University Brandenburg, Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Eberhard Merz
- Centre for Ultrasound and Prenatal Medicine, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Christian Nolsoe
- Center for Surgical Ultrasound, Department of Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark; Copenhagen Academy for Medical Education and Simulation (CAMES), Center for Human Resources and Education, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Dieter Nürnberg
- German Ultrasound Museum, Lennep and Brandenburg Institute for Clinical Ultrasound, Medical University Brandenburg, Neuruppin, Germany
| | | | - Fabio Piscaglia
- Almamater Studiorum, University of Bologna and IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Italy
| | - Adrian Saftoiu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Digestive Endoscopy; University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila" Bucharest, Romania ELIAS Emergency University Hospital, Romania
| | - Peter Vilmann
- GastroUnit, Department of Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yi Dong
- Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China
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14
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Viveiros A, Noyce RS, Gheblawi M, Colombo D, Bilawchuk LM, Clemente-Casares X, Marchant DJ, Kassiri Z, Del Nonno F, Evans DH, Oudit GY. SARS-CoV-2 infection downregulates myocardial ACE2 and potentiates cardiac inflammation in humans and hamsters. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2022; 323:H1262-H1269. [PMID: 36367689 PMCID: PMC9705018 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00578.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Myocardial pathologies resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infections are consistently rising with mounting case rates and reinfections; however, the precise global burden is largely unknown and will have an unprecedented impact. Understanding the mechanisms of COVID-19-mediated cardiac injury is essential toward the development of cardioprotective agents that are urgently needed. Assessing novel therapeutic strategies to tackle COVID-19 necessitates an animal model that recapitulates human disease. Here, we sought to compare SARS-CoV-2-infected animals with patients with COVID-19 to identify common mechanisms of cardiac injury. Two-month-old hamsters were infected with either the ancestral (D614) or Delta variant (B.1.617.2) of SARS-CoV-2 for 2 days, 7 days, and/or 14 days. We measured viral RNA and cytokine expression at the earlier time points to capture the initial stages of infection in the lung and heart. We assessed myocardial angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the entry receptor for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and cardioprotective enzyme, as well as markers for inflammatory cell infiltration in the hamster hearts at days 7 and 14. In parallel, human hearts were stained for ACE2, viral nucleocapsid, and inflammatory cells. Indeed, we identify myocardial ACE2 downregulation and myeloid cell burden as common events in both hamsters and humans infected with SARS-CoV-2, and we propose targeting downstream ACE2 downregulation as a therapeutic avenue that warrants clinical investigation.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Cardiac manifestations of COVID-19 in humans are mirrored in the SARS-CoV-2 hamster model, recapitulating myocardial damage, ACE2 downregulation, and a consistent pattern of immune cell infiltration independent of viral dose and variant. Therefore, the hamster model is a valid approach to study therapeutic strategies for COVID-19-related heart disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anissa Viveiros
- 1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,2Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, University of
Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ryan S. Noyce
- 3Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,4Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mahmoud Gheblawi
- 1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Daniele Colombo
- 5Pathology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Nazionale per le Malattie
Infettive “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Rome, Italy
| | - Leanne M. Bilawchuk
- 3Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,4Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xavier Clemente-Casares
- 4Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - David J. Marchant
- 3Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,4Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Zamaneh Kassiri
- 1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Franca Del Nonno
- 5Pathology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Nazionale per le Malattie
Infettive “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Rome, Italy
| | - David H. Evans
- 3Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,4Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Gavin Y. Oudit
- 1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,2Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, University of
Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,6Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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15
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Jefferson T, Evans DH, Conly JM, Heneghan CJ. Letter to Editor. Re: Rufino de Sousa et al., 2022. Detection and isolation of airborne SARS-CoV-2 in a hospital setting. Indoor Air, 32 (3), e13023 Revision 6 September 2022. Indoor Air 2022; 32:e13128. [PMID: 36305057 PMCID: PMC9874558 DOI: 10.1111/ina.13128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Jefferson
- Department for Continuing EducationUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - David H. Evans
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology and Dept. of Medical Microbiology & ImmunologyUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - John M. Conly
- Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases, and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Synder Institute for Chronic Diseases and O'Brien Institute for Public Health, Cumming School of MedicineUniversity of Calgary and Alberta Health ServicesCalgaryAlbertaCanada
| | - Carl J. Heneghan
- Centre for Evidence‐Based Medicine, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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16
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Onakpoya IJ, Heneghan CJ, Spencer EA, Brassey J, Plüddemann A, Evans DH, Conly JM, Jefferson T. SARS-CoV-2 and the role of close contact in transmission: a systematic review. F1000Res 2022; 10:280. [PMID: 36398277 PMCID: PMC9636487 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.52439.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: SARS-CoV-2 transmission has been reported to be associated with close contact with infected individuals. However, the mechanistic pathway for transmission in close contact settings is unclear. Our objective was to identify, appraise and summarise the evidence from studies assessing the role of close contact in SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Methods: This review is part of an Open Evidence Review on Transmission Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2. We conduct ongoing searches using WHO Covid-19 Database, LitCovid, medRxiv, PubMed and Google Scholar; assess study quality based on the QUADAS-2 criteria and report important findings on an ongoing basis. Results: We included 278 studies: 258 primary studies and 20 systematic reviews. The settings for primary studies were predominantly in home/quarantine facilities (39.5%) and acute care hospitals (12%). The overall reporting quality of the studies was low-to-moderate. There was significant heterogeneity in design and methodology. The frequency of attack rates (PCR testing) varied between 2.1-75%; attack rates were highest in prison and wedding venues, and in households. The frequency of secondary attack rates was 0.3-100% with rates highest in home/quarantine settings. Three studies showed no transmission if the index case was a recurrent infection. Viral culture was performed in four studies of which three found replication-competent virus; culture results were negative where index cases had recurrent infections. Eighteen studies performed genomic sequencing with phylogenetic analysis – the completeness of genomic similarity ranged from 77-100%. Findings from systematic reviews showed that children were significantly less likely to transmit SARS-CoV-2 and household contact was associated with a significantly increased risk of infection. Conclusions: The evidence from published studies demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted in close contact settings. The risk of transmission is greater in household contacts. There was a wide variation in methodology. Standardized guidelines for reporting transmission in close contact settings should be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igho J. Onakpoya
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
- Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford, Rewley house, Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA, UK
| | - Carl J. Heneghan
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Elizabeth A. Spencer
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | | | - Annette Plüddemann
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology,Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - John M. Conly
- University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services,, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Tom Jefferson
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
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17
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Pohle A, Kröger B, Warnock RCM, King AH, Evans DH, Aubrechtová M, Cichowolski M, Fang X, Klug C. Early cephalopod evolution clarified through Bayesian phylogenetic inference. BMC Biol 2022; 20:88. [PMID: 35421982 PMCID: PMC9008929 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01284-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the excellent fossil record of cephalopods, their early evolution is poorly understood. Different, partly incompatible phylogenetic hypotheses have been proposed in the past, which reflected individual author's opinions on the importance of certain characters but were not based on thorough cladistic analyses. At the same time, methods of phylogenetic inference have undergone substantial improvements. For fossil datasets, which typically only include morphological data, Bayesian inference and in particular the introduction of the fossilized birth-death model have opened new possibilities. Nevertheless, many tree topologies recovered from these new methods reflect large uncertainties, which have led to discussions on how to best summarize the information contained in the posterior set of trees. RESULTS We present a large, newly compiled morphological character matrix of Cambrian and Ordovician cephalopods to conduct a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis and resolve existing controversies. Our results recover three major monophyletic groups, which correspond to the previously recognized Endoceratoidea, Multiceratoidea, and Orthoceratoidea, though comprising slightly different taxa. In addition, many Cambrian and Early Ordovician representatives of the Ellesmerocerida and Plectronocerida were recovered near the root. The Ellesmerocerida is para- and polyphyletic, with some of its members recovered among the Multiceratoidea and early Endoceratoidea. These relationships are robust against modifications of the dataset. While our trees initially seem to reflect large uncertainties, these are mainly a consequence of the way clade support is measured. We show that clade posterior probabilities and tree similarity metrics often underestimate congruence between trees, especially if wildcard taxa are involved. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide important insights into the earliest evolution of cephalopods and clarify evolutionary pathways. We provide a classification scheme that is based on a robust phylogenetic analysis. Moreover, we provide some general insights on the application of Bayesian phylogenetic inference on morphological datasets. We support earlier findings that quartet similarity metrics should be preferred over the Robinson-Foulds distance when higher-level phylogenetic relationships are of interest and propose that using a posteriori pruned maximum clade credibility trees help in assessing support for phylogenetic relationships among a set of relevant taxa, because they provide clade support values that better reflect the phylogenetic signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Pohle
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, CH-8006, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Björn Kröger
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 44, Jyrängöntie 2, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rachel C M Warnock
- GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Loewenichstrasse 28, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andy H King
- Geckoella Ltd, Suite 323, 7 Bridge Street, Taunton, TA1 1TG, UK
| | - David H Evans
- Natural England, Rivers House, East Quay, Bridgwater, TA6 4YS, UK
| | - Martina Aubrechtová
- Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 12843, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Geology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 16500, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marcela Cichowolski
- Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber", CONICET and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pab. 2, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Xiang Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Christian Klug
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, CH-8006, Zürich, Switzerland
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18
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Lin YC, Malott RJ, Ward L, Kiplagat L, Pabbaraju K, Gill K, Berenger BM, Hu J, Fonseca K, Noyce RS, Louie T, Evans DH, Conly JM. Detection and quantification of infectious severe acute respiratory coronavirus-2 in diverse clinical and environmental samples. Sci Rep 2022. [PMID: 35354854 DOI: 10.1101/2021.07.08.21259744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
To explore the potential modes of Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission, we collected 535 diverse clinical and environmental samples from 75 infected hospitalized and community patients. Infectious SARS-CoV-2 with quantitative burdens varying from 5 plaque-forming units/mL (PFU/mL) up to 1.0 × 106 PFU/mL was detected in 151/459 (33%) of the specimens assayed and up to 1.3 × 106 PFU/mL on fomites with confirmation by plaque morphology, PCR, immunohistochemistry, and/or sequencing. Infectious virus in clinical and associated environmental samples correlated with time since symptom onset with no detection after 7-8 days in immunocompetent hosts and with N-gene based Ct values ≤ 25 significantly predictive of yielding plaques in culture. SARS-CoV-2 isolated from patient respiratory tract samples caused illness in a hamster model with a minimum infectious dose of ≤ 14 PFU. Together, our findings offer compelling evidence that large respiratory droplet and contact (direct and indirect i.e., fomites) are important modes of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Chan Lin
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, 6-142L Katz Group Centre, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2J7, Canada
| | - Rebecca J Malott
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3030 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4W4, Canada
| | - Linda Ward
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3030 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4W4, Canada
- Foothills Medical Centre, Alberta Health Services, 1403 29 Street NW, Calgary, AB, 2TN 2T9, Canada
| | - Linet Kiplagat
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3030 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4W4, Canada
| | - Kanti Pabbaraju
- Alberta Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Kara Gill
- Alberta Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Byron M Berenger
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3030 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4W4, Canada
- Alberta Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jia Hu
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3030 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4W4, Canada
| | - Kevin Fonseca
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3030 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4W4, Canada
- Foothills Medical Centre, Alberta Health Services, 1403 29 Street NW, Calgary, AB, 2TN 2T9, Canada
- Alberta Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Ryan S Noyce
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, 6-142L Katz Group Centre, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2J7, Canada
| | - Thomas Louie
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3030 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4W4, Canada
- Foothills Medical Centre, Alberta Health Services, 1403 29 Street NW, Calgary, AB, 2TN 2T9, Canada
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, 6-142L Katz Group Centre, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2J7, Canada.
| | - John M Conly
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3030 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4W4, Canada
- Foothills Medical Centre, Alberta Health Services, 1403 29 Street NW, Calgary, AB, 2TN 2T9, Canada
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19
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Shenouda MM, Noyce RS, Lee SZ, Wang JL, Lin YC, Favis NA, Desaulniers MA, Evans DH. The mismatched nucleotides encoded in vaccinia virus flip-and-flop hairpin telomeres serve an essential role in virion maturation. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010392. [PMID: 35290406 PMCID: PMC8956199 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Poxvirus genomes consist of a linear duplex DNA that ends in short inverted and complementary hairpin structures. These elements also encode loops and mismatches that likely serve a role in genome packaging and perhaps replication. We constructed mutant vaccinia viruses (VACV) where the native hairpins were replaced by altered forms and tested effects on replication, assembly, and virulence. Our studies showed that structure, not sequence, likely determines function as one can replace an Orthopoxvirus (VACV) hairpin with one copied from a Leporipoxvirus with no effect on growth. Some loops can be deleted from VACV hairpins with little effect, but VACV bearing too few mismatches grew poorly and we couldn’t recover viruses lacking all mismatches. Further studies were conducted using a mutant bearing only one of six mismatches found in wild-type hairpins (SΔ1Δ3–6). This virus grew to ~20-fold lower titers, but neither DNA synthesis nor telomere resolution was affected. However, the mutant exhibited a particle-to-PFU ratio 10-20-fold higher than wild-type viruses and p4b/4b core protein processing was compromised, indicating an assembly defect. Electron microscopy showed that SΔ1Δ3–6 mutant development was blocked at the immature virus (IV) stage, which phenocopies known effects of I1L mutants. Competitive DNA binding assays showed that recombinant I1 protein had less affinity for the SΔ1Δ3–6 hairpin than the wild-type hairpin. The SΔ1Δ3–6 mutant was also attenuated when administered to SCID-NCR mice by tail scarification. Mice inoculated with viruses bearing wild-type hairpins exhibited a median survival of 30–37 days, while mice infected with SΔ1Δ3–6 virus survived >70 days. Persistent infections favor genetic reversion and genome sequencing detected one example where a small duplication near the hairpin tip likely created a new loop. These observations show that mismatches serve a critical role in genome packaging and provide new insights into how VACV “flip and flop” telomeres are arranged. Poxviruses employ linear double-stranded DNA genomes that end in incompletely base-paired hairpin termini. These mismatched ends are thought to serve some role in virus assembly, and perhaps replication, but have not been amenable to genetic analysis. In this study we used a synthetic virology approach to alter the sequence and structure of these elements. Our research shows that although the encoded structures are of critical importance for function, the sequences are not because one can swap the ends of viruses from different poxviruses without affecting growth. When one tries to progressively delete the mismatches that are found at these ends (the telomeres) of wild-type genomes, it creates an assembly defect which shows up as an increase in the number of virus particles per infectious unit and an accumulation of incompletely assembled viruses. Electron microscopy showed that the development of mutant viruses is blocked at a stage after DNA is packaged but before the particles fully mature. This investigation supports earlier studies that had identified the telomeres as being sites where virus proteins bind and promote packaging. Viruses bearing these mutant telomeres are also less virulent but can still serve as vaccines to protect mice from a lethal virus challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mira M. Shenouda
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ryan S. Noyce
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Stephen Z. Lee
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jun Li Wang
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yi-Chan Lin
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | | | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
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20
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Thornton CS, Huntley K, Berenger BM, Bristow M, Evans DH, Fonseca K, Franko A, Gillrie MR, Lin YC, Povitz M, Shafey M, Conly JM, Tremblay A. Prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection following rituximab treatment: clinical course and response to therapeutic interventions correlated with quantitative viral cultures and cycle threshold values. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2022; 11:28. [PMID: 35123573 PMCID: PMC8817557 DOI: 10.1186/s13756-022-01067-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA is completed through reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) from either oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swabs, critically important for diagnostics but also from an infection control lens. Recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 patients can demonstrate prolonged viral shedding with immunosuppression as a key risk factor. Case presentation We present a case of an immunocompromised patient with SARS-CoV-2 infection demonstrating prolonged infectious viral shedding for 189 days with virus cultivability and clinical relapse with an identical strain based on whole genome sequencing, requiring a multi-modal therapeutic approach. We correlated clinical parameters, PCR cycle thresholds and viral culture until eventual resolution.
Conclusions We successfully demonstrate resolution of viral shedding, administration of COVID-19 vaccination and maintenance of viral clearance. This case highlights implications in the immunosuppressed patient towards infection prevention and control that should consider those with prolonged viral shedding and may require ancillary testing to fully elucidate viral activity. Furthermore, this case raises several stimulating questions around complex COVID-19 patients around the role of steroids, effect of antiviral therapies in absence of B-cells, role for vaccination and the requirement of a multi-modal approach to eventually have successful clearance of the virus. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13756-022-01067-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina S Thornton
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Kevin Huntley
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Byron M Berenger
- Alberta Precision Laboratories, Alberta Public Health Laboratory, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Michael Bristow
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Cardiac Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Kevin Fonseca
- Alberta Precision Laboratories, Alberta Public Health Laboratory, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Angela Franko
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mark R Gillrie
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Yi-Chan Lin
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Marcus Povitz
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mona Shafey
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Tom Baker Cancer Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - John M Conly
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. .,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. .,Foothills Medical Centre, SSB, 1403 29 St NW, Calgary, AB, T2N2T9, Canada.
| | - Alain Tremblay
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. .,Foothills Medical Centre, 3300 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N4N1, Canada.
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21
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Sheffield WP, Bhakta V, Howell A, Jenkins C, Serrano K, Johnson N, Lin YCJ, Colwill K, Rathod B, Greenberg B, Gingras AC, Evans DH, Flaumenhaft E, Beckett A, Drews SJ, Devine DV. Retention of hemostatic and immunological properties of frozen plasma and COVID-19 convalescent apheresis fresh-frozen plasma produced and freeze-dried in Canada. Transfusion 2021; 62:418-428. [PMID: 34907536 DOI: 10.1111/trf.16772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Randomized clinical trial data show that early plasma transfusion may save lives among trauma patients. Supplying plasma in remote environments is logistically challenging. Freeze-dried plasma (FDP) offers a possible solution. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS A Terumo BCT plasma freeze-drying system was evaluated. We compared pooled frozen plasma (FP) units with derived Terumo BCT FDP (TFDP) units and pooled COVID-19 convalescent apheresis fresh-frozen plasma (CC-AFFP) with derived CC-TFDP units. Parameters measured were: coagulation factors (F) II; V; VII; VIII; IX; XI; XIII; fibrinogen; Proteins C (PC) and S (PS); antithrombin (AT); α2 -antiplasmin (α2 AP); ADAMTS13; von Willebrand Factor (vWF); thrombin-antithrombin (TAT); D-dimer; activated complement factors 3 (C3a) and 5 (C5a); pH; osmolality; prothrombin time (PT); and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in CC-AFFP and CC-TFDP units were compared by plaque reduction assays and viral protein immunoassays. RESULTS Most parameters were unchanged in TFDP versus FP or differed ≤15%. Mean aPTT, PT, C3a, and pH were elevated 5.9%, 6.9%, 64%, and 0.28 units, respectively, versus FP. CC-TFDP showed no loss of SARS-CoV-2 neutralization titer versus CC-AFFP and no mean signal loss in most pools by viral protein immunoassays. CONCLUSION Changes in protein activities or clotting times arising from freeze-drying were <15%. Although C3a levels in TFDP were elevated, they were less than literature values for transfusable plasma. SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibody titers and viral protein binding levels were largely unaffected by freeze-drying. In vitro characteristics of TFDP or CC-TFDP were comparable to their originating plasma, making future clinical studies appropriate.
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Affiliation(s)
- William P Sheffield
- Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services, Edmonton, Hamilton, Ottawa, and Vancouver, Canada.,Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Varsha Bhakta
- Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services, Edmonton, Hamilton, Ottawa, and Vancouver, Canada
| | - Anita Howell
- Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services, Edmonton, Hamilton, Ottawa, and Vancouver, Canada
| | - Craig Jenkins
- Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services, Edmonton, Hamilton, Ottawa, and Vancouver, Canada
| | - Katherine Serrano
- Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services, Edmonton, Hamilton, Ottawa, and Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Yi-Chan J Lin
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Karen Colwill
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Bhavisha Rathod
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Anne-Claude Gingras
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | | | | | - Steven J Drews
- Microbiology, Canadian Blood Services, Edmonton, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Dana V Devine
- Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services, Edmonton, Hamilton, Ottawa, and Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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22
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Drews SJ, Abe KT, Hu Q, Samson R, Gingras AC, Colwill K, Rathod B, Wang J, Fazel-Zarandi M, Yi QL, Robinson A, Wood H, Tuite A, Fisman D, Evans DH, Lin YCJ, O'Brien SF. Resistance of SARS-CoV-2 beta and gamma variants to plasma collected from Canadian blood donors during the spring of 2020. Transfusion 2021; 62:37-43. [PMID: 34662434 PMCID: PMC8662190 DOI: 10.1111/trf.16713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This pilot study assesses the ability of plasma collected from Canadian blood donors in the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic to neutralize later SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS A repeated cross-sectional design was used, and a random cross-sectional sample of all available Canadian Blood Services retention samples (n = 1500/month) was drawn monthly for April and May of 2020. Qualitative IgG analysis was performed on aliquots of specimens using anti-spike, anti-receptor binding domain, and anti-nucleocapsid protein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays as well as the Abbott Architect SARS CoV-2 IgG assay (Abbott Laboratories) against the anti-nucleocapsid protein. Selected plasma specimens were then assessed for neutralization against VOCs using pseudotyped lentivirus inhibition assays as well as plaque reduction neutralization test 50% (PRNT50 ). RESULTS Six specimens with a high neutralizing titer against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and three specimens with a low neutralizing titer against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 were chosen for further analysis against VOCs. Four of six high neutralizing titer specimens had a reduced neutralizing capacity against beta VOCs by both neutralization methods. Three of six high neutralizing titer specimens had reduced neutralization capacity against gamma VOCs. CONCLUSIONS This preliminary data can be used as a justification for limiting the use of first wave plasma products in upcoming clinical trials but cannot be used to speculate on general trends in the immunity of Canadian blood donors to SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Drews
- Microbiology, Canadian Blood Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kento T Abe
- Sinai Health System, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Queenie Hu
- Sinai Health System, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Reuben Samson
- Sinai Health System, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anne-Claude Gingras
- Sinai Health System, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karen Colwill
- Sinai Health System, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bhavisha Rathod
- Sinai Health System, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jenny Wang
- Sinai Health System, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mahya Fazel-Zarandi
- Sinai Health System, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Qi-Long Yi
- Epidemiology and Surveillance, Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alyssia Robinson
- Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Heidi Wood
- Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Ashleigh Tuite
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Fisman
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yi-Chan J Lin
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sheila F O'Brien
- Epidemiology and Surveillance, Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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23
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Rosca EC, Heneghan C, Spencer EA, Brassey J, Plüddemann A, Onakpoya IJ, Evans DH, Conly JM, Jefferson T. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 associated with aircraft travel: a systematic review. J Travel Med 2021; 28:taab133. [PMID: 34480171 PMCID: PMC8499932 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taab133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE FOR THE REVIEW Air travel may be associated with viruses spread via infected passengers and potentially through in-flight transmission. Given the novelty of the Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, transmission associated with air travel is based on transmission dynamics of other respiratory viruses. Our objective was to provide a rapid summary and evaluation of relevant data on SARS-CoV-2 transmission aboard aircraft, report policy implications and to highlight research gaps requiring urgent attention. METHODS We searched four electronic databases (1 February 2020-27 January 2021) and included studies on SARS-CoV-2 transmission aboard aircraft. We assessed study quality based on five criteria and reported important findings. KEY FINDINGS We included 18 studies on in-flight SARS-CoV-2 transmission (130 unique flights) and 2 studies on wastewater from aircraft. The quality of evidence from most published studies was low. Two wastewater studies reported PCR-positive samples with high cycle threshold values (33-39). Index case definition was heterogeneous across studies. The proportion of contacts traced ranged from 0.68 to 100%. Authors traced 2800/19 729 passengers, 140/180 crew members and 8/8 medical staff. Altogether, 273 index cases were reported, with 64 secondary cases. Three studies, each investigating one flight, reported no secondary cases. Secondary attack rate among studies following up >80% of passengers and crew (including data on 10 flights) varied between 0 and 8.2%. The studies reported on the possibility of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from asymptomatic, pre-symptomatic and symptomatic individuals. Two studies performed viral cultures with 10 positive results. Genomic sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were performed in individuals from four flights. CONCLUSION Current evidence suggests SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted during aircraft travel, but published data do not permit any conclusive assessment of likelihood and extent. The variation in design and methodology restricts the comparison of findings across studies. Standardized guidelines for conducting and reporting future studies of transmission on aircraft should be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena C Rosca
- Department of Neurology, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Piata Eftimie Murgu 2, Timisoara 300041, Romania
| | - Carl Heneghan
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Elizabeth A Spencer
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Jon Brassey
- Trip Database Ltd, Glasllwch Lane, Newport NP20 3PS, UK
| | - Annette Plüddemann
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Igho J Onakpoya
- Department of Continuing Education, University of Oxford, Rewley House, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JA, UK
| | - David H Evans
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Edmonton Alberta T6G 2E1, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - John M Conly
- Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases, and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Synder Institute for Chronic Diseases and O’Brien Institute for Public Health, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary T2N 2T9, Canada
| | - Tom Jefferson
- Department of Continuing Education, University of Oxford, Rewley House, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JA, UK
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24
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Heneghan CJ, Spencer EA, Brassey J, Plüddemann A, Onakpoya IJ, Evans DH, Conly JM, Jefferson T. SARS-CoV-2 and the role of airborne transmission: a systematic review. F1000Res 2021. [DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.52091.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Airborne transmission is the spread of an infectious agent caused by the dissemination of droplet nuclei (aerosols) that remain infectious when suspended in the air. We carried out a systematic review to identify, appraise and summarise the evidence from studies of the role of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Methods: We searched LitCovid, MedRxiv, Google Scholar and the WHO Covid-19 database from 1 February to 20 December 2020 and included studies on airborne transmission. Data were dual extracted and we assessed quality using a modified QUADAS 2 risk of bias tool. Results: We included 67 primary studies and 22 reviews on airborne SARS-CoV-2. Of the 67 primary studies, 53 (79%) reported data on RT-PCR from air samples, 12 (18%) report cycle threshold values and 18 (127%) copies per sample volume. All primary studies were observational and of low quality. The research often lacked standard methods, standard sampling sizes and reporting items. We found 36 descriptions of different air samplers deployed. Of the 42 studies conducted in-hospital that reported binary RT-PCR tests, 24 (57%) reported positive results for SARs-CoV-2 (142 positives out of 1,403 samples: average 10.1%, range 0% to 100%). There was no pattern between the type of hospital setting (ICU versus non-ICU) and RT-PCR positivity. Seventeen studies reported potential air transmission in the outdoors or in the community, of which seven performed RT-PCR sampling, and two studies reported weak positive RNA samples for 2 or more genes (5 of 125 samples positive: average 4.0%). Ten studies attempted viral culture with no serial passage. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 RNA is detected intermittently in the air in various settings. Standardized guidelines for conducting and reporting research on airborne transmission are needed. The lack of recoverable viral culture samples of SARS-CoV-2 prevents firm conclusions from being drawn about airborne transmission.
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25
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Vallée G, Norris P, Paszkowski P, Noyce RS, Evans DH. Vaccinia Virus Gene Acquisition through Nonhomologous Recombination. J Virol 2021; 95:e0031821. [PMID: 33910949 PMCID: PMC8223923 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00318-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Many of the genes encoded by poxviruses are orthologs of cellular genes. These virus genes serve different purposes, but perhaps of most interest is the way some have been repurposed to inhibit the antiviral pathways that their cellular homologs still regulate. What is unclear is how these virus genes were acquired, although it is presumed to have been catalyzed by some form(s) of nonhomologous recombination (NHR). We used transfection assays and substrates encoding a fluorescent and drug-selectable marker to examine the NHR frequency in vaccinia virus (VAC)-infected cells. These studies showed that when cells were transfected with linear duplex DNAs bearing VAC N2L gene homology, it yielded a recombinant frequency (RF) of 6.7 × 10-4. In contrast, DNA lacking any VAC homology reduced the yield of recombinants ∼400-fold (RF = 1.6 × 10-6). DNA-RNA hybrids were also substrates, although homologous molecules yielded fewer recombinants (RF = 2.1 × 10-5), and nonhomologous substrates yielded only rare recombinants (RF ≤ 3 × 10-8). NHR was associated with genome rearrangements ranging from simple insertions with flanking sequence duplications to large-scale indels that produced helper-dependent viruses. The insert was often also partially duplicated and would rapidly rearrange through homologous recombination. Most of the virus-insert junctions exhibited little or no preexiting microhomology, although a few encoded VAC topoisomerase recognition sites (C/T·CCTT). These studies show that VAC can catalyze NHR through a process that may reflect a form of aberrant replication fork repair. Although it is less efficient than classical homologous recombination, the rates of NHR may still be high enough to drive virus evolution. IMPORTANCE Large DNA viruses sometimes interfere in antiviral defenses using repurposed and mutant forms of the cellular proteins that mediate these same reactions. Such virus orthologs of cellular genes were presumably captured through nonhomologous recombination, perhaps in the distant past, but nothing is known about the processes that might promote "gene capture" or even how often these events occur over the course of an infectious cycle. This study shows that nonhomologous recombination in vaccinia virus-infected cells is frequent enough to seed a small but still significant portion of novel recombinants into large populations of newly replicated virus particles. This offers a route by which a pool of virus might survey the host genome for sequences that offer a selective growth advantage and potentially drive discontinuous virus evolution (saltation) through the acquisition of adventitious traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg Vallée
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Peter Norris
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Patrick Paszkowski
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ryan S. Noyce
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Onakpoya IJ, Heneghan CJ, Spencer EA, Brassey J, Plüddemann A, Evans DH, Conly JM, Jefferson T. SARS-CoV-2 and the role of close contact in transmission: a systematic review. F1000Res 2021; 10:280. [PMID: 36398277 PMCID: PMC9636487 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.52439.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: SARS-CoV-2 transmission has been reported to be associated with close contact with infected individuals. However, the mechanistic pathway for transmission in close contact settings is unclear. Our objective was to identify, appraise and summarise the evidence from studies assessing the role of close contact in SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Methods: This review is part of an Open Evidence Review on Transmission Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2. We conduct ongoing searches using WHO Covid-19 Database, LitCovid, medRxiv, PubMed and Google Scholar; assess study quality based on the QUADAS-2 criteria and report important findings on an ongoing basis. Results: We included 278 studies: 258 primary studies and 20 systematic reviews. The settings for primary studies were predominantly in home/quarantine facilities (39.5%) and acute care hospitals (12%). The overall reporting quality of the studies was low-to-moderate. There was significant heterogeneity in design and methodology. The frequency of attack rates (PCR testing) varied between 2.1-75%; attack rates were highest in prison and wedding venues, and in households. The frequency of secondary attack rates was 0.3-100% with rates highest in home/quarantine settings. Three studies showed no transmission if the index case was a recurrent infection. Viral culture was performed in four studies of which three found replication-competent virus; culture results were negative where index cases had recurrent infections. Eighteen studies performed genomic sequencing with phylogenetic analysis - the completeness of genomic similarity ranged from 77-100%. Findings from systematic reviews showed that children were significantly less likely to transmit SARS-CoV-2 and household contact was associated with a significantly increased risk of infection. Conclusions: The evidence from published studies demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted in close contact settings. The risk of transmission is greater in household contacts. There was a wide variation in methodology. Standardized guidelines for reporting transmission in close contact settings should be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igho J. Onakpoya
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
- Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford, Rewley house, Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA, UK
| | - Carl J. Heneghan
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Elizabeth A. Spencer
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | | | - Annette Plüddemann
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology,Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - John M. Conly
- University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services,, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Tom Jefferson
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
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Onakpoya IJ, Heneghan CJ, Spencer EA, Brassey J, Plüddemann A, Evans DH, Conly JM, Jefferson T. SARS-CoV-2 and the role of fomite transmission: a systematic review. F1000Res 2021; 10:233. [PMID: 34136133 PMCID: PMC8176266 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.51590.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in fomites which suggests the virus could be transmitted via inanimate objects. However, there is uncertainty about the mechanistic pathway for such transmissions. Our objective was to identify, appraise and summarise the evidence from primary studies and systematic reviews assessing the role of fomites in transmission. Methods: This review is part of an Open Evidence Review on Transmission Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2. We conduct ongoing searches using WHO Covid-19 Database, LitCovid, medRxiv, and Google Scholar; assess study quality based on five criteria and report important findings on an ongoing basis. Results: We found 64 studies: 63 primary studies and one systematic review (n=35). The settings for primary studies were predominantly in hospitals (69.8%) including general wards, ICU and SARS-CoV-2 isolation wards. There were variations in the study designs including timing of sample collection, hygiene procedures, ventilation settings and cycle threshold. The overall quality of reporting was low to moderate. The frequency of positive SARS-CoV-2 tests across 51 studies (using RT-PCR) ranged from 0.5% to 75%. Cycle threshold values ranged from 20.8 to 44.1. Viral concentrations were reported in 17 studies; however, discrepancies in the methods for estimation prevented comparison. Eleven studies (17.5%) attempted viral culture, but none found a cytopathic effect. Results of the systematic review showed that healthcare settings were most frequently tested (25/35, 71.4%), but laboratories reported the highest frequency of contaminated surfaces (20.5%, 17/83). Conclusions: The majority of studies report identification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on inanimate surfaces; however, there is a lack of evidence demonstrating the recovery of viable virus. Lack of positive viral cultures and variation in cycle thresholds create uncertainty about fomites as a mode of transmission. Heterogeneity in study designs and methodology prevents comparisons of findings across studies. Standardized guidelines for conducting and reporting research on fomite transmission is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igho J. Onakpoya
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Carl J. Heneghan
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Elizabeth A. Spencer
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | | | - Annette Plüddemann
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Alberta, Canada
| | - John M. Conly
- University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Tom Jefferson
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
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Heneghan CJ, Spencer EA, Brassey J, Plüddemann A, Onakpoya IJ, Evans DH, Conly JM, Jefferson T. SARS-CoV-2 and the role of airborne transmission: a systematic review. F1000Res 2021. [DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.52091.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Airborne transmission is the spread of an infectious agent caused by the dissemination of droplet nuclei (aerosols) that remain infectious when suspended in the air. We carried out a systematic review to identify, appraise and summarise the evidence from studies of the role of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Methods: We searched LitCovid, MedRxiv, Google Scholar and the WHO Covid-19 database from 1 February to 20 December 2020 and included studies on airborne transmission. Data were dual extracted and we assessed quality using a modified QUADAS 2 risk of bias tool. Results: We included 67 primary studies and 22 reviews on airborne SARS-CoV-2. Of the 67 primary studies, 53 (79%) reported data on RT-PCR air samples, 12 report cycle threshold values and 18 copies per sample volume. All primary studies were observational and of low quality. The research often lacked standard methods, standard sampling sizes and reporting items. We found 36 descriptions of different air samplers deployed. Of the 42 studies conducted in-hospital that reported binary RT-PCR tests, 24 (57%) reported positive results for SARs-CoV-2 (142 positives out of 1,403 samples: average 10.1%, range 0% to 100%). There was no pattern between the type of hospital setting (ICU versus non-ICU) and RT-PCR positivity. Seventeen studies reported potential air transmission in the outdoors or in the community. Seven performed RT-PCR sampling, of which two studies report weak positive RNA samples for 2 or more genes (5 of 125 samples positive: average 4.0%). Ten studies attempted viral culture with no serial passage for viral culture. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 RNA is detected intermittently in the air in various settings. Standardized guidelines for conducting and reporting research on airborne transmission are needed. The lack of recoverable viral culture samples of SARS-CoV-2 prevents firm conclusions over airborne transmission.
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Abstract
Background: SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been detected in fomites which suggests the virus could be transmitted via inanimate objects. However, there is uncertainty about the mechanistic pathway for such transmissions. Our objective was to identify, appraise and summarise the evidence from primary studies and systematic reviews assessing the role of fomites in transmission. Methods: This review is part of an Open Evidence Review on Transmission Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2. We conduct ongoing searches using WHO Covid-19 Database, LitCovid, medRxiv, and Google Scholar; assess study quality based on five criteria and report important findings on an ongoing basis. Results: We found 64 studies: 63 primary studies and one systematic review (n=35). The settings for primary studies were predominantly in hospitals (69.8%) including general wards, ICU and SARS-CoV-2 isolation wards. There were variations in the study designs including timing of sample collection, hygiene procedures, ventilation settings and cycle threshold. The overall quality of reporting was low to moderate. The frequency of positive SARS-CoV-2 tests across 51 studies (using RT-PCR) ranged from 0.5% to 75%. Cycle threshold values ranged from 20.8 to 44.1. Viral concentrations were reported in 17 studies; however, discrepancies in the methods for estimation prevented comparison. Eleven studies (17.5%) attempted viral culture, but none found a cytopathic effect. Results of the systematic review showed that healthcare settings were most frequently tested (25/35, 71.4%), but laboratories reported the highest frequency of contaminated surfaces (20.5%, 17/83). Conclusions: The majority of studies report identification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on inanimate surfaces; however, there is a lack of evidence demonstrating the recovery of viable virus. Lack of positive viral cultures suggests that the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through fomites is low. Heterogeneity in study designs and methodology prevents comparisons of findings across studies. Standardized guidelines for conducting and reporting research on fomite transmission is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igho J. Onakpoya
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Carl J. Heneghan
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Elizabeth A. Spencer
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | | | - Annette Plüddemann
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Alberta, Canada
| | - John M. Conly
- University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Tom Jefferson
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
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Heneghan CJ, Spencer EA, Brassey J, Plüddemann A, Onakpoya IJ, Evans DH, Conly JM, Jefferson T. SARS-CoV-2 and the role of orofecal transmission: a systematic review. F1000Res 2021; 10:231. [PMID: 35035883 PMCID: PMC8749895 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.51592.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Mode of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is of key public health importance. SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in the feces of some COVID-19 patients, suggesting the possibility that the virus could, in addition to droplet and fomite transmission, be transmitted via the orofecal route. Methods: This review is part of an Open Evidence Review on Transmission Dynamics of COVID-19. We conduct ongoing searches using WHO COVID-19 Database, LitCovid, medRxiv, and Google Scholar; assess study quality based on five criteria and report important findings on an ongoing basis. Where necessary, authors are contacted for further details on the content of their articles. Results: We include searches up until 20 December 2020. We included 110 relevant studies: 76 primary observational studies or reports, and 35 reviews (one cohort study also included a review) examining the potential role of orofecal transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Of the observational studies, 37 were done in China. A total of 48 studies (n=9,081 patients) reported single cases, case series or cohort data on individuals with COVID-19 diagnosis or their contacts and 46 (96%) detected binary RT-PCR with 535 out of 1358 samples positive for SARs-CoV-2 (average 39.4%). The results suggest a long duration of fecal shedding, often recorded after respiratory samples tested negative, and symptoms of gastrointestinal disease were reported in several studies. Twenty-nine studies reported finding SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater, river water or toilet areas. Six studies attempted viral culture from COVID-19 patients' fecal samples: culture was successful in 3 of 6 studies, and one study demonstrated invasion of the virus into the intestinal epithelial cells. Conclusions: Varied observational and mechanistic evidence suggests SARS-CoV-2 can infect and be shed from the gastrointestinal tract, including some data demonstrating viral culture in fecal samples. Future studies should test this hypothesis rigorously to allow the development of appropriate public health measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl J. Heneghan
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | | | | | - Annette Plüddemann
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Igho J. Onakpoya
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - John M. Conly
- Alberta Health Service, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Tom Jefferson
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Modes of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 are of key public health importance. SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in the feces of some COVID-19 patients, suggesting the possibility that the virus could, in addition to droplet and fomite transmission, be transmitted via the orofecal route. METHODS This review is part of an Open Evidence Review on Transmission Dynamics of COVID-19. We conduct ongoing searches using WHO COVID-19 Database, LitCovid, medRxiv, and Google Scholar; assess study quality based on five criteria and report important findings. Where necessary, authors are contacted for further details on the content of their articles. RESULTS We include searches up until 20 December 2020. We included 110 relevant studies: 76 primary observational studies or reports, and 35 reviews (one cohort study also included a review) examining the potential role of orofecal transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Of the observational studies, 37 were done in China. A total of 48 studies (n=9,081 patients) reported single cases, case series or cohort data on individuals with COVID-19 diagnosis or their contacts and 46 (96%) detected binary RT-PCR with 535 out of 1358 samples positive for SARS-CoV-2 (average 39.4%). The results suggest a long duration of fecal shedding, often recorded after respiratory samples tested negative, and symptoms of gastrointestinal disease were reported in several studies. Twenty-nine studies reported finding SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater, river water or toilet areas. Six studies attempted viral culture from COVID-19 patients' fecal samples: culture was successful in 3 of 6 studies, and one study demonstrated invasion of the virus into intestinal epithelial cells. CONCLUSIONS Varied observational and mechanistic evidence suggests SARS-CoV-2 can infect and be shed from the gastrointestinal tract, including some data demonstrating viral culture in fecal samples. To fully assess these risks, quantitative data on infectious virus in these settings and infectious dose are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl J. Heneghan
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | | | | | - Annette Plüddemann
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Igho J. Onakpoya
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - John M. Conly
- Alberta Health Service, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Tom Jefferson
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
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Onakpoya IJ, Heneghan CJ, Spencer EA, Brassey J, Plüddemann A, Evans DH, Conly JM, Jefferson T. SARS-CoV-2 and the role of fomite transmission: a systematic review. F1000Res 2021; 10:233. [PMID: 34136133 PMCID: PMC8176266 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.51590.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been detected in fomites which suggests the virus could be transmitted via inanimate objects. However, there is uncertainty about the mechanistic pathway for such transmissions. Our objective was to identify, appraise and summarise the evidence from primary studies and systematic reviews assessing the role of fomites in transmission. Methods: This review is part of an Open Evidence Review on Transmission Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2. We conduct ongoing searches using WHO Covid-19 Database, LitCovid, medRxiv, and Google Scholar; assess study quality based on five criteria and report important findings on an ongoing basis. Results: We found 64 studies: 63 primary studies and one systematic review (n=35). The settings for primary studies were predominantly in hospitals (69.8%) including general wards, ICU and SARS-CoV-2 isolation wards. There were variations in the study designs including timing of sample collection, hygiene procedures, ventilation settings and cycle threshold. The overall quality of reporting was low to moderate. The frequency of positive SARS-CoV-2 tests across 51 studies (using RT-PCR) ranged from 0.5% to 75%. Cycle threshold values ranged from 20.8 to 44.1. Viral concentrations were reported in 17 studies; however, discrepancies in the methods for estimation prevented comparison. Eleven studies (17.5%) attempted viral culture, but none found a cytopathic effect. Results of the systematic review showed that healthcare settings were most frequently tested (25/35, 71.4%), but laboratories reported the highest frequency of contaminated surfaces (20.5%, 17/83). Conclusions: The majority of studies report identification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on inanimate surfaces; however, there is a lack of evidence demonstrating the recovery of viable virus. Lack of positive viral cultures suggests that the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through fomites is low. Heterogeneity in study designs and methodology prevents comparisons of findings across studies. Standardized guidelines for conducting and reporting research on fomite transmission is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igho J. Onakpoya
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Carl J. Heneghan
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Elizabeth A. Spencer
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | | | - Annette Plüddemann
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Alberta, Canada
| | - John M. Conly
- University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Tom Jefferson
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Modes of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 are of key public health importance. SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in the feces of some COVID-19 patients, suggesting the possibility that the virus could, in addition to droplet and fomite transmission, be transmitted via the orofecal route. METHODS This review is part of an Open Evidence Review on Transmission Dynamics of COVID-19. We conduct ongoing searches using WHO COVID-19 Database, LitCovid, medRxiv, and Google Scholar; assess study quality based on five criteria and report important findings. Where necessary, authors are contacted for further details on the content of their articles. RESULTS We include searches up until 20 December 2020. We included 110 relevant studies: 76 primary observational studies or reports, and 35 reviews (one cohort study also included a review) examining the potential role of orofecal transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Of the observational studies, 37 were done in China. A total of 48 studies (n=9,081 patients) reported single cases, case series or cohort data on individuals with COVID-19 diagnosis or their contacts and 46 (96%) detected binary RT-PCR with 535 out of 1358 samples positive for SARS-CoV-2 (average 39.4%). The results suggest a long duration of fecal shedding, often recorded after respiratory samples tested negative, and symptoms of gastrointestinal disease were reported in several studies. Twenty-nine studies reported finding SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater, river water or toilet areas. Six studies attempted viral culture from COVID-19 patients' fecal samples: culture was successful in 3 of 6 studies, and one study demonstrated invasion of the virus into intestinal epithelial cells. CONCLUSIONS Varied observational and mechanistic evidence suggests SARS-CoV-2 can infect and be shed from the gastrointestinal tract, including some data demonstrating viral culture in fecal samples. To fully assess these risks, quantitative data on infectious virus in these settings and infectious dose are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl J Heneghan
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Elizabeth A Spencer
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | | | - Annette Plüddemann
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Igho J Onakpoya
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - John M Conly
- Alberta Health Service, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Tom Jefferson
- Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
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Patel N, Banahan C, Janus J, Horsfield MA, Cox A, Marshall D, Colman J, Morlese J, Evans DH, Hannon C, Egan V, Garrard P, Hague JP, Chung EML. Neurological impact of emboli during adult cardiac surgery. J Neurol Sci 2020; 416:117006. [PMID: 32623144 PMCID: PMC7718579 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2020.117006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Objectives This study draws on advances in Doppler ultrasound bubble sizing to investigate whether high volumes of macro-bubbles entering the brain during cardiac surgery increase the risk of new cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), ischemic MR lesions, or post-operative cognitive decline (POCD). Methods Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound recordings were analysed to estimate numbers of emboli and macrobubbles (>100 μm) entering the brain during cardiac surgery. Logistic regression was used to explore the hypothesis that emboli characteristics affect the incidence of new brain injuries identified through pre- and post-operative MRI and neuropsychological testing. Results TCD, MRI, and neuropsychological test data were compared between 28 valve and 18 CABG patients. Although valve patients received over twice as many emboli per procedure [median: 1995 vs. 859, p = .004], and seven times as many macro-bubbles [median: 218 vs. 28, p = .001], high volumes of macrobubbles were not found to be significantly associated with new CMBs, new ischaemic lesions, or POCD. The odds of acquiring new CMBs increased by approximately 5% [95% CI: 1 to 10%] for every embolus detected in the first minute after the release of the aortic cross-clamp (AxC). Logistic regression models also confirmed previous findings that cardiopulmonary bypass time and valve surgery were significant predictors for new CMBs (both p = .03). Logistic regression analysis estimated an increase in the odds of acquiring new CMBs of 6% [95% CI: 1 to 12%] for every minute of bypass time over 91 mins. Conclusions This small study provides new information about the properties and numbers of bubbles entering the brain during surgery, but found no evidence to substantiate a direct link between large numbers of macrobubbles and adverse cognitive or MR outcome. Clinical Trial Registration URL - http://www.isrctn.com. Unique identifier: 66022965. Higher numbers of macrobubbles enter the brain during valve surgery compared to bypass graft surgery. Macrobubbles did not appear to be linked to new cerebral microbleeds, ischemic lesions, or cognitive decline. Emboli received following release of the aortic cross-clamp predicted new cerebral microbleeds. Other factors predicting new microbleeds included cardiopulmonary bypass duration and surgery type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikil Patel
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK; Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester LE3 9QP, UK; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, St George's, University of London, London SW17 ORE, UK
| | - Caroline Banahan
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK
| | - Justyna Janus
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK
| | - Mark A Horsfield
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK
| | - Anthony Cox
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, St George's, University of London, London SW17 ORE, UK
| | - David Marshall
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK
| | - Jordan Colman
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, St George's, University of London, London SW17 ORE, UK
| | - John Morlese
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester LE1 5WW, UK
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK
| | - Claire Hannon
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK
| | - Vincent Egan
- Department of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG8 1BB, UK
| | - Peter Garrard
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, St George's, University of London, London SW17 ORE, UK
| | - James P Hague
- School of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keyns, MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Emma M L Chung
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK; Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester LE3 9QP, UK; University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester LE1 5WW, UK.
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Umer BA, Noyce RS, Franczak BC, Shenouda MM, Kelly RG, Favis NA, Desaulniers M, Baldwin TA, Hitt MM, Evans DH. Deciphering the Immunomodulatory Capacity of Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus to Enhance the Immune Response to Breast Cancer. Cancer Immunol Res 2020; 8:618-631. [PMID: 32127390 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-19-0703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Vaccinia virus (VACV) is a double-stranded DNA virus that devotes a large portion of its 200 kbp genome to suppressing and manipulating the immune response of its host. Here, we investigated how targeted removal of immunomodulatory genes from the VACV genome impacted immune cells in the tumor microenvironment with the intention of improving the therapeutic efficacy of VACV in breast cancer. We performed a head-to-head comparison of six mutant oncolytic VACVs, each harboring deletions in genes that modulate different cellular pathways, such as nucleotide metabolism, apoptosis, inflammation, and chemokine and interferon signaling. We found that even minor changes to the VACV genome can impact the immune cell compartment in the tumor microenvironment. Viral genome modifications had the capacity to alter lymphocytic and myeloid cell compositions in tumors and spleens, PD-1 expression, and the percentages of virus-targeted and tumor-targeted CD8+ T cells. We observed that while some gene deletions improved responses in the nonimmunogenic 4T1 tumor model, very little therapeutic improvement was seen in the immunogenic HER2/neu TuBo model with the various genome modifications. We observed that the most promising candidate genes for deletion were those that interfere with interferon signaling. Collectively, this research helped focus attention on the pathways that modulate the immune response in the context of VACV oncolytic virotherapy. They also suggest that the greatest benefits to be obtained with these treatments may not always be seen in "hot tumors."
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A Umer
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ryan S Noyce
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Brian C Franczak
- Department of Statistics, MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mira M Shenouda
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Rees G Kelly
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nicole A Favis
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Megan Desaulniers
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Troy A Baldwin
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mary M Hitt
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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Kieser Q, Noyce RS, Shenouda M, Lin YCJ, Evans DH. Cytoplasmic factories, virus assembly, and DNA replication kinetics collectively constrain the formation of poxvirus recombinants. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228028. [PMID: 31945138 PMCID: PMC6964908 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Poxviruses replicate in cytoplasmic structures called factories and each factory begins as a single infecting particle. Sixty-years ago Cairns predicted that this might have effects on vaccinia virus (VACV) recombination because the factories would have to collide and mix their contents to permit recombination. We've since shown that factories collide irregularly and that even then the viroplasm mixes poorly. We’ve also observed that while intragenic recombination occurs frequently early in infection, intergenic recombination is less efficient and happens late in infection. Something inhibits factory fusion and viroplasm mixing but what is unclear. To study this, we’ve used optical and electron microscopy to track factory movement in co-infected cells and correlate these observations with virus development and recombinant formation. While the technical complexity of the experiments limited the number of cells that are amenable to extensive statistical analysis, these studies do show that intergenic recombination coincides with virion assembly and when VACV replication has declined to ≤10% of earlier levels. Along the boundaries between colliding factories, one sees ER membrane remnants and other cell constituents like mitochondria. These collisions don't always cause factory fusion, but when factories do fuse, they still entrain cell constituents like mitochondria and ER-wrapped microtubules. However, these materials wouldn’t seem to pose much of a further barrier to DNA mixing and so it’s likely that the viroplasm also presents an omnipresent impediment to DNA mixing. Late packaging reactions might help to disrupt the viroplasm, but packaging would sequester the DNA just as the replication and recombination machinery goes into decline and further reduce recombinant yields. Many factors thus appear to conspire to limit recombination between co-infecting poxviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinten Kieser
- The Dept. of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ryan S. Noyce
- The Dept. of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mira Shenouda
- The Dept. of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Y.-C. James Lin
- The Dept. of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - David H. Evans
- The Dept. of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Biswas S, Noyce RS, Babiuk LA, Lung O, Bulach DM, Bowden TR, Boyle DB, Babiuk S, Evans DH. Extended sequencing of vaccine and wild-type capripoxvirus isolates provides insights into genes modulating virulence and host range. Transbound Emerg Dis 2019; 67:80-97. [PMID: 31379093 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The genus Capripoxvirus in the subfamily Chordopoxvirinae, family Poxviridae, comprises sheeppox virus (SPPV), goatpox virus (GTPV) and lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), which cause the eponymous diseases across parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. These diseases cause significant economic losses and can have a devastating impact on the livelihoods and food security of small farm holders. So far, only live classically attenuated SPPV, GTPV and LSDV vaccines are commercially available and the history, safety and efficacy of many have not been well established. Here, we report 13 new capripoxvirus genome sequences, including the hairpin telomeres, from both pathogenic field isolates and vaccine strains. We have also updated the genome annotations to incorporate recent advances in our understanding of poxvirus biology. These new genomes and genes grouped phenetically with other previously sequenced capripoxvirus strains, and these new alignments collectively identified several recurring alterations in genes thought to modulate virulence and host range. In particular, some of the many large capripoxvirus ankyrin and kelch-like proteins are commonly mutated in vaccine strains, while the variola virus B22R-like gene homolog has also been disrupted in many vaccine isolates. Among these vaccine isolates, frameshift mutations are especially common and clearly present a risk of reversion to wild type in vaccines bearing these mutations. A consistent pattern of gene inactivation from LSDV to GTPV and then SPPV is also observed, much like the pattern of gene loss in orthopoxviruses, but, rather surprisingly, the overall genome size of ~150 kbp remains relatively constant. These data provide new insights into the evolution of capripoxviruses and the determinants of pathogenicity and host range. They will find application in the development of new vaccines with better safety, efficacy and trade profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhartha Biswas
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Ryan S Noyce
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Lorne A Babiuk
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Oliver Lung
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease (NCFAD), Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Dieter M Bulach
- CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Vic., Australia
| | - Timothy R Bowden
- CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Vic., Australia
| | - David B Boyle
- CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Vic., Australia
| | - Shawn Babiuk
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease (NCFAD), Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.,Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Patel TR, Fowke K, Matejcic A, Evans DH, Grandvaux N, Halperin SA, MacDonald NE, van Marle G, Cooper C. Proceedings of the Canadian Association for HIV Research: Canadian Foundation for Infectious Diseases Professional Development Workshop for Viral Researchers. J Assoc Med Microbiol Infect Dis Can 2019; 4:90-101. [PMID: 36337747 PMCID: PMC9602960 DOI: 10.3138/jammi.2018-0034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
In March 2018, the Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR) and Canadian Foundation for Infectious Diseases (CFID) collaborated to conduct a workshop targeted to mid-career virology researchers. Key objectives of the workshop included 1) sharing knowledge and expertise cutting across various viral diseases, 2) developing collaborations as we anticipate the next wave of suppressive and curative treatment for HIV, HBV, CMV, and other viral diseases, and 3) providing insights, advice, and "food for thought" as participants advance to mid- and later phases of their research careers. This article reports on the key topics contemplated including scientific misinformation within the public realm, network building, interdisciplinary collaboration, mentorship, and communicating with decision makers. Given the focus on virology, the Canadian Society for Virology was invited to highlight their efforts to build a cohesive network that is impactful in facilitating viral research in Canada including advocating for appropriate levels of peer-reviewed research funding. Many key pearls of wisdom are contained within this document which are of value to all researchers aiming for success in a continually evolving, complex, and challenging Canadian research and academic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trushar R Patel
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- DiscoveryLab, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Correspondence: Trushar R. Patel, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4 Canada. E-mail:
| | - Keith Fowke
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department Medical Microbiology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya, Canada
- Partners for Health and Development in Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, Canada
- Department of Community Health Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Andrew Matejcic
- Canadian Association for HIV Research, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology and Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nathalie Grandvaux
- CRCHUM-Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Scott A Halperin
- Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and the Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Noni E MacDonald
- Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Guido van Marle
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Curtis Cooper
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Correspondence: Trushar R. Patel, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4 Canada. E-mail:
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S. Noyce
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
The past few years have seen a rash of emerging viral diseases, including the Ebola crisis in West Africa, the pandemic spread of chikungunya, and the recent explosion of Zika in South America. Vaccination is the most reliable and cost-effective method of control of infectious diseases, however, there is often a long delay in production and approval in getting new vaccines to market. Vaccinia was the first vaccine developed for the successful eradication of smallpox and has properties that make it attractive as a universal vaccine vector. Vaccinia can cause severe complications, particularly in immune suppressed recipients that would limit its utility, but nonreplicating and attenuated strains have been developed. Modified vaccinia Ankara is nonreplicating in human cells and can be safely given to immune suppressed individuals. Vaccinia has recently been modified for use as an oncolytic treatment for cancer therapy. These new vaccinia vectors are replicating; but have been attenuated and could prove useful as a universal vaccine carrier as many of these are in clinical trials for cancer therapy. This article reviews the development of a universal vaccinia vaccine platform for emerging diseases or biothreat agents, based on nonreplicating or live attenuated vaccinia viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Les P Nagata
- a Biothreat Defence Section, Defence R&D Canada , Suffield Research Centre , Ralston , Canada.,b Medical Microbiology and Immunology , University of Alberta , Edmonton , Canada
| | - Chad R Irwin
- b Medical Microbiology and Immunology , University of Alberta , Edmonton , Canada
| | - Wei-Gang Hu
- a Biothreat Defence Section, Defence R&D Canada , Suffield Research Centre , Ralston , Canada
| | - David H Evans
- b Medical Microbiology and Immunology , University of Alberta , Edmonton , Canada
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Noyce RS, Lederman S, Evans DH. Construction of an infectious horsepox virus vaccine from chemically synthesized DNA fragments. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0188453. [PMID: 29351298 PMCID: PMC5774680 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Edward Jenner and his contemporaries believed that his variolae vaccinae originated in horses and molecular analyses show that modern vaccinia virus (VACV) strains share common ancestry with horsepox virus (HPXV). Given concerns relating to the toxicity of modern VACV vaccines, we asked whether an HPXV-based vaccine might provide a superior alternative. Since HPXV may be extinct and the only specimen of HPXV that has been identified is unavailable for investigation, we explored whether HPXV could be obtained by large-scale gene synthesis. Ten large (10-30 kb) fragments of DNA were synthesized based on the HPXV sequence along with two 157 nt VACV terminal sequences, and were recombined into a live synthetic chimeric HPXV (scHPXV) in cells infected with Shope fibroma virus (SFV). Sequencing of the 212 kbp scHPXV confirmed it encoded a faithful copy of the input DNA. We believe this is the first complete synthesis of a poxvirus using synthetic biology approaches. This scHPXV produced smaller plaques, produced less extracellular virus and exhibited less virulence in mice than VACV, but still provided vaccine protection against a lethal VACV challenge. Collectively, these findings support further development of scHPXV as a novel replication-proficient smallpox vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S. Noyce
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology and Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Seth Lederman
- Tonix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., New York, New York, United States of America
| | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology and Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Potts KG, Irwin CR, Favis NA, Pink DB, Vincent KM, Lewis JD, Moore RB, Hitt MM, Evans DH. Deletion of F4L (ribonucleotide reductase) in vaccinia virus produces a selective oncolytic virus and promotes anti-tumor immunity with superior safety in bladder cancer models. EMBO Mol Med 2017; 9:638-654. [PMID: 28289079 PMCID: PMC5412795 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201607296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer has a recurrence rate of up to 80% and many patients require multiple treatments that often fail, eventually leading to disease progression. In particular, standard of care for high-grade disease, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), fails in 30% of patients. We have generated a novel oncolytic vaccinia virus (VACV) by mutating the F4L gene that encodes the virus homolog of the cell-cycle-regulated small subunit of ribonucleotide reductase (RRM2). The F4L-deleted VACVs are highly attenuated in normal tissues, and since cancer cells commonly express elevated RRM2 levels, have tumor-selective replication and cell killing. These F4L-deleted VACVs replicated selectively in immune-competent rat AY-27 and xenografted human RT112-luc orthotopic bladder cancer models, causing significant tumor regression or complete ablation with no toxicity. It was also observed that rats cured of AY-27 tumors by VACV treatment developed anti-tumor immunity as evidenced by tumor rejection upon challenge and by ex vivo cytotoxic T-lymphocyte assays. Finally, F4L-deleted VACVs replicated in primary human bladder cancer explants. Our findings demonstrate the enhanced safety and selectivity of F4L-deleted VACVs, with application as a promising therapy for patients with BCG-refractory cancers and immune dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle G Potts
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Chad R Irwin
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Nicole A Favis
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Desmond B Pink
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Krista M Vincent
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - John D Lewis
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Ronald B Moore
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Mary M Hitt
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - David H Evans
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada .,Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Atherton MJ, Evgin L, Keller BA, Shenouda MM, Stephenson KB, Vile RG, Bell JC, Evans DH, Lichty BD. Infectious Optimism following the 10th International Oncolytic Virus Meeting. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Irwin CR, Hitt MM, Evans DH. Targeting Nucleotide Biosynthesis: A Strategy for Improving the Oncolytic Potential of DNA Viruses. Front Oncol 2017; 7:229. [PMID: 29018771 PMCID: PMC5622948 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2017.00229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid growth of tumors depends upon elevated levels of dNTPs, and while dNTP concentrations are tightly regulated in normal cells, this control is often lost in transformed cells. This feature of cancer cells has been used to advantage to develop oncolytic DNA viruses. DNA viruses employ many different mechanisms to increase dNTP levels in infected cells, because the low concentration of dNTPs found in non-cycling cells can inhibit virus replication. By disrupting the virus-encoded gene(s) that normally promote dNTP biosynthesis, one can assemble oncolytic versions of these agents that replicate selectively in cancer cells. This review covers the pathways involved in dNTP production, how they are dysregulated in cancer cells, and the various approaches that have been used to exploit this biology to improve the tumor specificity of oncolytic viruses. In particular, we compare and contrast the ways that the different types of oncolytic virus candidates can directly modulate these processes. We limit our review to the large DNA viruses that naturally encode homologs of the cellular enzymes that catalyze dNTP biogenesis. Lastly, we consider how this knowledge might guide future development of oncolytic viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad R Irwin
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Mary M Hitt
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - David H Evans
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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45
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Lee KK, Matos S, Ward K, Rafferty GF, Moxham J, Evans DH, Birring SS. Sound: a non-invasive measure of cough intensity. BMJ Open Respir Res 2017; 4:e000178. [PMID: 28725446 PMCID: PMC5501240 DOI: 10.1136/bmjresp-2017-000178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cough intensity is an important determinant of cough severity reported by patients. Cough sound analysis has been widely validated for the measurement of cough frequency but few studies have validated its use in the assessment of cough strength. We investigated the relationship between cough sound and physiological measures of cough strength. Methods 32 patients with chronic cough and controls underwent contemporaneous measurements of voluntary cough sound, flow and oesophageal pressure. Sound power, peak energy, rise-time, duration, peak-frequency, bandwidth and centroid-frequency were assessed and compared with physiological measures. The relationship between sound and subjective cough strength Visual Analogue Score (VAS), the repeatability of cough sounds and the effect of microphone position were also assessed. Results Sound power and energy correlated strongly with cough flow (median Spearman’s r=0.87–0.88) and oesophageal pressure (median Spearman’s r=0.89). Sound power and energy correlated strongly with cough strength VAS (median Spearman’s r=0.84–0.86) and were highly repeatable (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.93–0.94) but both were affected by change in microphone position. Conclusions Cough sound power and energy correlate strongly with physiological measures and subjective perception of cough strength. Power and energy are highly repeatable measures but the microphone position should be standardised. Our findings support the use of cough sound as an index of cough strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai K Lee
- Division of Asthma, Allergy and Lung Biology, King's College London, London, UK.,Department of Respiratory Medicine, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Sergio Matos
- Institute of Electronics and Telematics Engineering, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Katie Ward
- Division of Asthma, Allergy and Lung Biology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Gerrard F Rafferty
- Division of Asthma, Allergy and Lung Biology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - John Moxham
- Division of Asthma, Allergy and Lung Biology, King's College London, London, UK.,Department of Respiratory Medicine, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Surinder S Birring
- Division of Asthma, Allergy and Lung Biology, King's College London, London, UK.,Department of Respiratory Medicine, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Abramowicz JS, Evans DH, Fowlkes JB, Maršal K, terHaar G. Guidelines for Cleaning Transvaginal Ultrasound Transducers Between Patients. Ultrasound Med Biol 2017; 43:1076-1079. [PMID: 28190623 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2017.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to provide guidance regarding the cleaning and disinfection of transvaginal ultrasound probes. These recommendations are also applicable to transrectal probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques S Abramowicz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences (Emeritus), School of Medicine, University of Leicester, UK
| | - J Brian Fowlkes
- Basic Radiologic Sciences Division, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Karel Maršal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Emeritus), Lund University, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Gail terHaar
- Therapy Ultrasound, Division of Radiotherapy & Imaging, Joint Department of Physics, Royal Marsden Hospital, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, UK
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Teferi WM, Desaulniers MA, Noyce RS, Shenouda M, Umer B, Evans DH. The vaccinia virus K7 protein promotes histone methylation associated with heterochromatin formation. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0173056. [PMID: 28257484 PMCID: PMC5336242 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been well established that many vaccinia virus proteins suppress host antiviral pathways by targeting the transcription of antiviral proteins, thus evading the host innate immune system. However, whether viral proteins have an effect on the host’s overall cellular transcription is less understood. In this study we investigated the regulation of heterochromatin during vaccinia virus infection. Heterochromatin is a highly condensed form of chromatin that is less transcriptionally active and characterized by methylation of histone proteins. We examined the change in methylation of two histone proteins, H3 and H4, which are major markers of heterochromatin, during the course of viral infection. Using immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry we were able to track the overall change in the methylated levels of H3K9 and H4K20. Our results suggest that there is significant increase in methylation of H3K9 and H4K20 during Orthopoxviruses infection compared to mock-infected cells. However, this effect was not seen when we infected cells with Leporipoxviruses. We further screened several vaccinia virus single and multi-gene deletion mutant and identified the vaccinia virus gene K7R as a contributor to the increase in cellular histone methylation during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wondimagegnehu M. Teferi
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Megan A. Desaulniers
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ryan S. Noyce
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mira Shenouda
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Brittany Umer
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Recombination between co-infecting poxviruses provides an important mechanism for generating the genetic diversity that underpins evolution. However, poxviruses replicate in membrane-bound cytoplasmic structures known as factories or virosomes. These are enclosed structures that could impede DNA mixing between co-infecting viruses, and mixing would seem to be essential for this process. We hypothesize that virosome fusion events would be a prerequisite for recombination between co-infecting poxviruses, and this requirement could delay or limit viral recombination. We have engineered vaccinia virus (VACV) to express overlapping portions of mCherry fluorescent protein fused to a cro DNA-binding element. In cells also expressing an EGFP-cro fusion protein, this permits live tracking of virus DNA and genetic recombination using confocal microscopy. Our studies show that different types of recombination events exhibit different timing patterns, depending upon the relative locations of the recombining elements. Recombination between partly duplicated sequences is detected soon after post-replicative genes are expressed, as long as the reporter gene sequences are located in cis within an infecting genome. The same kinetics are also observed when the recombining elements are divided between VACV and transfected DNA. In contrast, recombination is delayed when the recombining sequences are located on different co-infecting viruses, and mature recombinants aren’t detected until well after late gene expression is well established. The delay supports the hypothesis that factories impede inter-viral recombination, but even after factories merge there remain further constraints limiting virus DNA mixing and recombinant gene assembly. This delay could be related to the continued presence of ER-derived membranes within the fused virosomes, membranes that may once have wrapped individual factories. Recombination plays a critical role in DNA repair and also creates the genetic diversity that underpins evolution. This has important implications for viruses, since recombination may create new pathogens with new infectious properties. It has long been known that hybrids can be recovered from cells co-infected with related viruses, some of the first artificial recombinants were produced >50 years ago from variola and rabbitpox viruses. A particular property of poxviruses is that they replicate in membrane-wrapped cytoplasmic structures called “factories”, and each of these factories develops from a single infecting particle. However, if each genome is isolated inside different factories, when and how does the DNA mix to permit recombination? To examine this question, we have developed a fluorescence-based virus recombination assay. Using live cell confocal microscopy, we have timed these reactions and observed that recombinants can be quickly formed when the recombining sequences are located on the same virus genome. However, when the gene fragments are located on different viruses, there is a significant delay (and a reduction) in recombinant gene formation. This delay supports the hypothesis that factories, and the ER-derived cell membranes that surround factories, impede recombination in poxvirus-infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Paszkowski
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology and Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ryan S. Noyce
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology and Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - David H. Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology and Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Harrison ML, Desaulniers MA, Noyce RS, Evans DH. The acidic C-terminus of vaccinia virus I3 single-strand binding protein promotes proper assembly of DNA-protein complexes. Virology 2016; 489:212-22. [PMID: 26773382 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2015.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Revised: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 12/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The vaccinia virus I3L gene encodes a single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) that is essential for virus DNA replication and is conserved in all Chordopoxviruses. The I3 protein contains a negatively charged C-terminal tail that is a common feature of SSBs. Such acidic tails are critical for SSB-dependent replication, recombination and repair. We cloned and purified variants of the I3 protein, along with a homolog from molluscum contagiosum virus, and tested how the acidic tail affected DNA-protein interactions. Deleting the C terminus of I3 enhanced the affinity for single-stranded DNA cellulose and gel shift analyses showed that it also altered the migration of I3-DNA complexes in agarose gels. Microinjecting an antibody against I3 into vaccinia-infected cells also selectively inhibited virus replication. We suggest that this domain promotes cooperative binding of I3 to DNA in a way that would maintain an open DNA configuration around a replication site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Harrison
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka-Shing Institute for Virology, 6020 Katz Group Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E1
| | - Megan A Desaulniers
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka-Shing Institute for Virology, 6020 Katz Group Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E1
| | - Ryan S Noyce
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka-Shing Institute for Virology, 6020 Katz Group Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E1
| | - David H Evans
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Li Ka-Shing Institute for Virology, 6020 Katz Group Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E1.
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Banahan C, Rogerson Z, Rousseau C, Ramnarine KV, Evans DH, Chung EML. An in vitro comparison of embolus differentiation techniques for clinically significant macroemboli: dual-frequency technique versus frequency modulation method. Ultrasound Med Biol 2014; 40:2642-2654. [PMID: 25218455 PMCID: PMC4195753 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2014] [Revised: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The ability to distinguish harmful solid cerebral emboli from gas bubbles intra-operatively has potential to direct interventions to reduce the risk of brain injury. In this in vitro study, two embolus discrimination techniques, dual-frequency (DF) and frequency modulation (FM) methods, are simultaneously compared to assess discrimination of potentially harmful large pieces of carotid plaque debris (0.5-1.55 mm) and thrombus-mimicking material (0.5-2 mm) from gas bubbles (0.01-2.5 mm). Detection of plaque and thrombus-mimic using the DF technique yielded disappointing results, with four out of five particles being misclassified (sensitivity: 18%; specificity: 89%). Although the FM method offered improved sensitivity, a higher number of false positives were observed (sensitivity: 72%; specificity: 50%). Optimum differentiation was achieved using the difference between peak embolus/blood ratio and mean embolus/blood ratio (sensitivity: 77%; specificity: 81%). We conclude that existing DF and FM techniques are unable to confidently distinguish large solid emboli from small gas bubbles (<50 μm).
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Banahan
- Medical Physics Department, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK.
| | - Zach Rogerson
- Department of Physics, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Clément Rousseau
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | | | - David H Evans
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Emma M L Chung
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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