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Welch SR, Bilello JP, Carter K, Delang L, Dirr L, Durantel D, Feng JY, Gowen BB, Herrero LJ, Janeba Z, Kleymann G, Lee AA, Meier C, Moffat J, Schang LM, Schiffer JT, Seley-Radtke KL, Sheahan TP, Spengler JR. Meeting report of the 37th International Conference on Antiviral Research in Gold Coast, Australia, May 20-24, 2024, organized by the International Society for Antiviral Research. Antiviral Res 2024; 232:106037. [PMID: 39542140 PMCID: PMC11871649 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.106037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2024] [Revised: 11/07/2024] [Accepted: 11/07/2024] [Indexed: 11/17/2024]
Abstract
The 37th International Conference on Antiviral Research (ICAR) was held in Gold Coast, Australia, May 20-24, 2024. ICAR 2024 featured over 75 presentations along with two poster sessions and special events, including those specifically tailored for trainees and early-career scientists. The meeting served as a platform for the exchange of cutting-edge research, with presentations and discussions covering novel antiviral compounds, vaccine development, clinical trials, and therapeutic advancements. A comprehensive array of topics in antiviral science was covered, from the latest breakthroughs in antiviral drug development to innovative strategies for combating emerging viral threats. The keynote presentations provided fascinating insight into two diverse areas fundamental to medical countermeasure development and use, including virus emergence at the human-animal interface and practical considerations for bringing antivirals to the clinic. Additional sessions addressed a variety of timely post-pandemic topics, such as the hunt for broad spectrum antivirals, combination therapy, pandemic preparedness, application of in silico tools and AI in drug discovery, the virosphere, and more. Here, we summarize all the presentations and special sessions of ICAR 2024 and introduce the 38th ICAR, which will be held in Las Vegas, USA, March 17-21, 2025.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R Welch
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | | | | | - Leen Delang
- Virus-Host Interactions & Therapeutic Approaches Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Larissa Dirr
- Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | - David Durantel
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Inserm_U1111, CNRS_UMR5308, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - Joy Y Feng
- Division of the Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Brian B Gowen
- Institute for Antiviral Research and Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Lara J Herrero
- Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | - Zlatko Janeba
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nám. 2, 160 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Gerald Kleymann
- Innovative Molecules GmbH, Lipowsky Str. 10, 81373, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
| | | | - Chris Meier
- Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jennifer Moffat
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Luis M Schang
- Baker Institute and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Joshua T Schiffer
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, Seattle, WA, USA; Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Katherine L Seley-Radtke
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Timothy P Sheahan
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Rapidly Emerging Antiviral Drug Development Initiative, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jessica R Spengler
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Kumar A, Combe E, Mougené L, Zoulim F, Testoni B. Applications of CRISPR/Cas as a Toolbox for Hepatitis B Virus Detection and Therapeutics. Viruses 2024; 16:1565. [PMID: 39459899 PMCID: PMC11512240 DOI: 10.3390/v16101565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2024] [Revised: 09/24/2024] [Accepted: 09/27/2024] [Indexed: 10/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a significant global health challenge, leading to chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and integrated HBV DNA are pivotal in maintaining viral persistence. Recent advances in CRISPR/Cas technology offer innovative strategies to inhibit HBV by directly targeting both cccDNA and integrated HBV DNA or indirectly by degrading HBV RNAs or targeting host proteins. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in using CRISPR/Cas to inhibit HBV, with a special highlight on newer non-double-strand (non-DSB) break approaches. Beyond the canonical use of CRISPR/Cas for target inhibition, we discuss additional applications, including HBV diagnosis and developing models to understand cccDNA biology, highlighting the diverse use of this technology in the HBV field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuj Kumar
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR 5286, 69008 Lyon, France; (A.K.); (E.C.); (L.M.); (F.Z.)
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, 69003 Lyon, France
| | - Emmanuel Combe
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR 5286, 69008 Lyon, France; (A.K.); (E.C.); (L.M.); (F.Z.)
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, 69003 Lyon, France
| | - Léa Mougené
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR 5286, 69008 Lyon, France; (A.K.); (E.C.); (L.M.); (F.Z.)
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, 69003 Lyon, France
| | - Fabien Zoulim
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR 5286, 69008 Lyon, France; (A.K.); (E.C.); (L.M.); (F.Z.)
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, 69003 Lyon, France
- Hepatology Department, Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL), Croix-Rousse Hospital, 69004 Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, UMR_S1052, UCBL, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Barbara Testoni
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR 5286, 69008 Lyon, France; (A.K.); (E.C.); (L.M.); (F.Z.)
- The Lyon Hepatology Institute EVEREST, 69003 Lyon, France
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Andersson K, Azatyan A, Ekenberg M, Güçlüler G, Sardon Puig L, Puumalainen M, Pramer T, Monteil VM, Mirazimi A. A CRISPR-Cas13b System Degrades SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 RNA In Vitro. Viruses 2024; 16:1539. [PMID: 39459873 PMCID: PMC11512209 DOI: 10.3390/v16101539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2024] [Revised: 09/25/2024] [Accepted: 09/27/2024] [Indexed: 10/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In a time of climate change, population growth, and globalization, the risk of viral spread has significantly increased. The 21st century has already witnessed outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus (SARS-CoV), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Ebola virus and Influenza virus, among others. Viruses rapidly adapt and evade human immune systems, complicating the development of effective antiviral countermeasures. Consequently, the need for novel antivirals resilient to viral mutations is urgent. In this study, we developed a CRISPR-Cas13b system to target SARS-CoV-2. Interestingly, this system was also efficient against SARS-CoV, demonstrating broad-spectrum potential. Our findings highlight CRISPR-Cas13b as a promising tool for antiviral therapeutics, underscoring its potential in RNA-virus-associated pandemic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Andersson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; (K.A.); (A.M.)
- Biomedrex Genetics, Alfred Nobels allé 8, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden; (A.A.); (M.E.); (G.G.); (L.S.P.); (M.P.); (T.P.)
| | - Ani Azatyan
- Biomedrex Genetics, Alfred Nobels allé 8, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden; (A.A.); (M.E.); (G.G.); (L.S.P.); (M.P.); (T.P.)
| | - Martin Ekenberg
- Biomedrex Genetics, Alfred Nobels allé 8, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden; (A.A.); (M.E.); (G.G.); (L.S.P.); (M.P.); (T.P.)
| | - Gözde Güçlüler
- Biomedrex Genetics, Alfred Nobels allé 8, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden; (A.A.); (M.E.); (G.G.); (L.S.P.); (M.P.); (T.P.)
| | - Laura Sardon Puig
- Biomedrex Genetics, Alfred Nobels allé 8, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden; (A.A.); (M.E.); (G.G.); (L.S.P.); (M.P.); (T.P.)
| | - Marjo Puumalainen
- Biomedrex Genetics, Alfred Nobels allé 8, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden; (A.A.); (M.E.); (G.G.); (L.S.P.); (M.P.); (T.P.)
| | - Theodor Pramer
- Biomedrex Genetics, Alfred Nobels allé 8, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden; (A.A.); (M.E.); (G.G.); (L.S.P.); (M.P.); (T.P.)
| | - Vanessa M. Monteil
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; (K.A.); (A.M.)
- Public Health Agency of Sweden, 17182 Solna, Sweden
| | - Ali Mirazimi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; (K.A.); (A.M.)
- Public Health Agency of Sweden, 17182 Solna, Sweden
- National Veterinary Institute, 75189 Uppsala, Sweden
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Solanki D, Murjani K, Singh V. CRISPR-Cas based genome editing for eradication of human viruses. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2024; 208:43-58. [PMID: 39266187 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2024.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2024]
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas system possess a broad range of applications for genetic modification, diagnosis and treatment of infectious as well as non-infectious disease. The CRISPR-Cas system is found in bacteria and archaea that possess the Cas protein and guide RNA (gRNA). Cas9 and gRNA forms a complex to target and cleave the desired gene, providing defense against viral infections. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), herpesviruses, human papillomavirus (HPV), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) cause major life threatening diseases which cannot cure completely by drugs. This chapter describes the present strategy of CRISPR-Cas systems for altering the genomes of viruses, mostly human ones, in order to control infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dharmisha Solanki
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Karan Murjani
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Vijai Singh
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India.
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