Immunotherapies and immunomodulatory approaches in clinical trials - a mini review

Advancing Treatment for Leishmaniasis: From Overcoming Challenges to Embracing Therapeutic Innovations

Protozoan parasite infections, particularly leishmaniasis, present significant public health challenges in tropical and subtropical regions, affecting socio-economic status and growth. Despite advancements in immunology, effective vaccines remain vague, leaving drug treatments as the primary intervention. However, existing medications face limitations, such as toxicity and the rise of drug-resistant parasites. This presents an urgent need to identify new therapeutic targets for leishmaniasis treatment. Understanding the complex life cycle of Leishmania and its survival in host macrophages can provide insights into potential targets for intervention. Current treatments, including antimonials, amphotericin B, and miltefosine, are constrained by side effects, costs, resistance, and reduced efficacy. Exploring novel therapeutic targets within the parasite's physiology, such as key metabolic enzymes or essential surface proteins, may lead to the development of more effective and less toxic drugs. Additionally, innovative strategies like drug repurposing, combination therapies, and nanotechnology-based delivery systems could enhance efficacy and combat resistance, thus improving anti-leishmanial therapies.

Exploring immunotherapy to control human infectious diseases

Infectious diseases continue to pose significant challenges to global health, especially with the rise of antibiotic resistance and emerging pathogens. Traditional treatments, while effective, are often limited in the face of rapidly evolving pathogens. Immunotherapy, which harnesses and enhances the body's immune response, offers a promising alternative to conventional approaches for the treatment of infectious diseases. By employing use of monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, cytokine therapies, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, immunotherapy has demonstrated considerable potential in overcoming treatment resistance and improving patient outcomes. Key innovations, including the development of mRNA vaccines, use of immune modulators, adoptive cell transfer, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy are paving the way for more targeted pathogen clearance. Further, combining immunotherapy with conventional antibiotic treatment has demonstrated effectiveness against drug-resistant strains, but this chapter explores the evolving field of immunotherapy for the treatment of bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections. The chapter also explores the recent breakthroughs and ongoing clinical trials in infectious disease immunotherapy.

Harnessing immunity: Immunomodulatory therapies in COVID-19

An overly exuberant immune response, characterized by a cytokine storm and uncontrolled inflammation, has been identified as a significant driver of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. Consequently, deciphering the intricacies of immune dysregulation in COVID-19 is imperative to identify specific targets for intervention and modulation. With these delicate dynamics in mind, immunomodulatory therapies have emerged as a promising avenue for mitigating the challenges posed by COVID-19. Precision in manipulating immune pathways presents an opportunity to alter the host response, optimizing antiviral defenses while curbing deleterious inflammation. This review article comprehensively analyzes immunomodulatory interventions in managing COVID-19. We explore diverse approaches to mitigating the hyperactive immune response and its impact, from corticosteroids and non-steroidal drugs to targeted biologics, including anti-viral drugs, cytokine inhibitors, JAK inhibitors, convalescent plasma, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, cell-based therapies (i.e., CAR T, etc.). By summarizing the current evidence, we aim to provide a clear roadmap for clinicians and researchers navigating the complex landscape of immunomodulation in COVID-19 treatment.

Current landscape of long COVID clinical trials

Long COVID was reported as a multi-systemic condition after the infection of SARS-CoV-2, and more than 65 million people are suffering from this disease. It has been noted that around 10% of severe SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals are suffering from the enduring effects of long COVID. The symptoms of long COVID have also been noted in several mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals. While limited reports on clinical trials investigating new therapeutics for long COVID exist, there is an abundance of scattered information available regarding these trials. This review explores the extensive literature search, and complete clinical trial database search to map the current status of long COVID clinical trials worldwide. The study listed about 110 long COVID clinical trials. In addition to conducting extensive long COVID clinical trials, we have comprehensively presented an overview of the condition, its symptoms, notable manifestations, associated clinical trials, the unique challenges it poses, and our recommendations for addressing long COVID.

A Comprehensive Review on Biofilms in Otorhinolaryngology: Understanding the Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Treatment Strategies

Biofilms, structured communities of microorganisms encased in a self-produced matrix, pose significant challenges in otorhinolaryngology due to their role in chronic and recurrent infections affecting the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) region. This review provides an overview of biofilms, emphasizing their formation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment strategies in otorhinolaryngological disorders. Biofilms are pivotal in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), otitis media, laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), and tonsillitis, contributing to treatment resistance and disease recurrence. Current diagnostic techniques, including imaging modalities, microbiological cultures, and molecular techniques, are discussed, alongside emerging technologies. Treatment strategies, ranging from conventional antibiotics to alternative therapies, such as biofilm disruptors, phage therapy, and immunomodulation, are evaluated in terms of their efficacy and potential clinical applications. The review underscores the significance of understanding biofilms in otorhinolaryngology and highlights the need for tailored approaches to diagnosis and management to improve patient outcomes.

Calligraphy of Nanoplasmonic Bioink-Based Multiplex Immunosensor for Precision Immune Monitoring and Modulation

Immunomodulation therapies have attracted immense interest recently for the treatment of immune-related diseases, such as cancer and viral infections. This new wave of enthusiasm for immunomodulators, predominantly revolving around cytokines, has spurred emerging needs and opportunities for novel immune monitoring and diagnostic tools. Considering the highly dynamic immune status and limited window for therapeutic intervention, precise real-time detection of cytokines is critical to effectively monitor and manage the immune system and optimize the therapeutic outcome. The clinical success of such a rapid, sensitive, multiplex immunoanalytical platform further requires the system to have ease of integration and fabrication for sample sparing and large-scale production toward massive parallel analysis. In this article, we developed a nanoplasmonic bioink-based, label-free, multiplex immunosensor that can be readily "written" onto a glass substrate via one-step calligraphy patterning. This facile nanolithography technique allows programmable patterning of a minimum of 3 μL of nanoplasmonic bioink in 1 min and thus enables fabrication of a nanoplasmonic microarray immunosensor with 2 h simple incubation. The developed immunosensor was successfully applied for real-time, parallel detection of multiple cytokines (e.g., interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)) in immunomodulated macrophage samples. This integrated platform synergistically incorporates the concepts of nanosynthesis, nanofabrication, and nanobiosensing, showing great potential in the scalable production of label-free multiplex immunosensing devices with superior analytical performance for clinical applications in immunodiagnostics and immunotherapy.

Monoclonal antibodies as COVID-19 prophylaxis therapy in immunocompromised patient populations

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this review was to examine the latest literature regarding the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies as COVID-19 prophylaxis therapy for immunocompromised patient populations.

METHODS

Literature review of published real-world and randomized control trials (RCTs) from 2020 to May 2023.

RESULTS

COVID-19 is highly transmissible with potentially serious health outcomes, underscoring the need for effective prevention and treatment strategies. Vaccines are highly effective at preventing COVID-19 for the general population; however, efficacy is often impaired in immunocompromised patients given insufficient response to initial exposure and/or memory for secondary exposures. Some individuals may also have contraindications to vaccination. As such, additional protective measures are needed to bolster the immune response in these populations. Monoclonal antibodies have been effective at bolstering immune system responses to COVID-19 among immunocompromised patients; however, they are proving ineffective against the most recent Omicron strains (BA.4 and BA.5).

CONCLUSION

Several studies have investigated the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies as pre- and post-prophylaxis for COVID-19. Historical evidence is promising; however, new variants of concern are proving challenging for currently available regimens.

Novel evidence of Thymosin α1 immunomodulatory properties in SARS-CoV-2 infection: Effect on innate inflammatory response in a peripheral blood mononuclear cell-based in vitro model

The peculiar property of Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) to act as master regulator of immune homeostasis has been successfully defined in different physiological and pathological contexts ranging from cancer to infection. Interestingly, recent papers also demonstrated its mitigating effect on the "cytokine storm" as well as on the T-cell exhaustion/activation in SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals. Nevertheless, in spite of the increasing knowledge on Tα1-induced effects on T cell response confirming the distinctive features of this multifaceted peptide, little is known on its effects on innate immunity during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we interrogated peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures stimulated with SARS-CoV-2 to disclose Tα1 properties on the main cell players of early response to infection, namely monocytes and myeloid dendritic cells (mDC). Moving from ex vivo data showing an enhancement in the frequency of inflammatory monocytes and activated mDC in COVID-19 patients, a PBMC-based experimental setting reproduced in vitro a similar profile with an increased percentage of CD16⁺ inflammatory monocytes and mDC expressing CD86 and HLA-DR activation markers in response to SARS-CoV-2 stimulation. Interestingly, the treatment of SARS-CoV-2-stimulated PBMC with Tα1 dampened the inflammatory/activation status of both monocytes and mDC by reducing the release of pro-inflammatory mediators, including TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8, while promoting the production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. This study further clarifies the working hypothesis on Tα1 mitigating action on COVID-19 inflammatory condition. Moreover, these evidence shed light on inflammatory pathways and cell types involved in acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and likely targetable by newly immune-regulating therapeutic approaches.

Novel monoclonal antibody-based therapies: implications for the treatment and prevention of HCMV disease

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an important pathogen worldwide. Although HCMV infection is often asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, it can cause severe or even life-threatening symptoms in immunocompromised patients. Due to limitations of antiviral treatments, it is necessary to search for new therapeutic alternatives. Recent studies have highlighted the contribution of antibodies in protecting against HCMV disease, including neutralizing and non-neutralizing antibodies. Given the immunocompromised target population, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) may represent an alternative to the clinical management of HCMV infection. In this context, we provide a synthesis of recent data revising the literature supporting and arguing about the role of the humoral immunity in controlling HCMV infection. Additionally, we review the state of the art in the development of therapies based on mAbs.

Updated Insights into the T Cell-Mediated Immune Response against SARS-CoV-2: A Step towards Efficient and Reliable Vaccines

The emergence of novel variants of SARS-CoV-2 and their abilities to evade the immune response elicited through presently available vaccination makes it essential to recognize the mechanisms through which SARS-CoV-2 interacts with the human immune response. It is essential not only to comprehend the infection mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 but also for the generation of effective and reliable vaccines against COVID-19. The effectiveness of the vaccine is supported by the adaptive immune response, which mainly consists of B and T cells, which play a critical role in deciding the prognosis of the COVID-19 disease. T cells are essential for reducing the viral load and containing the infection. A plethora of viral proteins can be recognized by T cells and provide a broad range of protection, especially amid the emergence of novel variants of SARS-CoV-2. However, the hyperactivation of the effector T cells and reduced number of lymphocytes have been found to be the key characteristics of the severe disease. Notably, excessive T cell activation may cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) by producing unwarranted and excessive amounts of cytokines and chemokines. Nevertheless, it is still unknown how T-cell-mediated immune responses function in determining the prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Additionally, it is unknown how the functional perturbations in the T cells lead to the severe form of the disease and to reduced protection not only against SARS-CoV-2 but many other viral infections. Hence, an updated review has been developed to understand the involvement of T cells in the infection mechanism, which in turn determines the prognosis of the disease. Importantly, we have also focused on the T cells' exhaustion under certain conditions and how these functional perturbations can be modulated for an effective immune response against SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, a range of therapeutic strategies has been discussed that can elevate the T cell-mediated immune response either directly or indirectly.

Prophylactic and therapeutic insights into trained immunity: A renewed concept of innate immune memory

Trained immunity is a renewed concept of innate immune memory that facilitates the innate immune system to have the capacity to remember and train cells via metabolic and transcriptional events to enable them to provide nonspecific defense against the subsequent encounters with a range of pathogens and acquire a quicker and more robust immune response, but different from the adaptive immune memory. Reversing the epigenetic changes or targeting the immunological pathways may be considered potential therapeutic approaches to counteract the hyper-responsive or hypo-responsive state of trained immunity. The efficient regulation of immune homeostasis and promotion or inhibition of immune responses is required for a balanced response. Trained immunity-based vaccines can serve as potent immune stimuli and help in the clearance of pathogens in the body through multiple or heterologous effects and confer protection against nonspecific and specific pathogens. This review highlights various features of trained immunity and its applications in developing novel therapeutics and vaccines, along with certain detrimental effects, challenges as well as future perspectives.

COVID-19 intranasal vaccines: current progress, advantages, prospects, and challenges

Multiple vaccines have recently been developed, and almost all the countries are presently vaccinating their population to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the COVID-19 vaccines in use are administered via intramuscular (IM) injection, eliciting protective humor and cellular immunity. COVID-19 intranasal (IN) vaccines are also being developed that have shown promising ability to induce a significant amount of antibody-mediated immune response and a robust cell-mediated immunity as well as hold the added ability to stimulate protective mucosal immunity along with the additional advantage of the ease of administration as compared to IM injected vaccines. By inducing secretory IgA antibody responses specifically in the nasal compartment, the intranasal SARS-CoV-2 vaccine can prevent virus infection, replication, shedding, and disease development, as well as possibly limits virus transmission. This article highlights the current progress, advantages, prospects, and challenges in developing intranasal COVID-19 vaccines for countering the ongoing pandemic.

Honey as an Adjuvant in the Treatment of COVID-19 Infection: A Review

Since ancestor times, honey has been used to promote human health due to its medicinal, and nutritious properties, mainly due to bioactive compounds present, such as phenolic compounds. The emergence of COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, led to the pursuit of solutions for the treatment of symptoms and/or disease. Honey has proven to be effective against viral infections, principally due to its potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities that attenuate oxidative damage induced by pathogens, and by improving the immune system. Therefore, the aim of this review is to overview the abilities of honey to attenuate different COVID-19 symptoms, highlighting the mechanisms associated with these actions and relating the with the different bioactive compounds present. A brief, detailed approach to SARS-CoV-2 mechanism of action is first overviewed to allow readers a deep understanding. Additionally, the compounds and beneficial properties of honey, and its previously application in other similar diseases, are detailed in depth. Despite the already reported efficacy of honey against different viruses and their complications, further studies are urgently needed to explain the molecular mechanisms of activity against COVID-19 and, most importantly, clinical trials enrolling COVID-19 patients.

A comprehensive review about immune responses and exhaustion during coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a viral infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The infection was reported in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019 and has become a major global concern due to severe respiratory infections and high transmission rates. Evidence suggests that the strong interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and patients' immune systems leads to various clinical symptoms of COVID-19. Although the adaptive immune responses are essential for eliminating SARS-CoV-2, the innate immune system may, in some cases, cause the infection to progress. The cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in adaptive immune responses demonstrated functional exhaustion through upregulation of exhaustion markers. In this regard, humoral immune responses play an essential role in combat SARS-CoV-2 because SARS-CoV-2 restricts antigen presentation through downregulation of MHC class I and II molecules that lead to the inhibition of T cell-mediated immune response responses. This review summarizes the exact pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and the alteration of the immune response during SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, we've explained the exhaustion of the immune system during SARS-CoV-2 and the potential immunomodulation approach to overcome this phenomenon. Video Abstract.

A global picture: therapeutic perspectives for COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is a lethal virus outbreak by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which has severely affected human lives and the global economy. The most vital part of the research and development of therapeutic agents is to design drug products to manage COVID-19 efficiently. Numerous attempts have been in place to determine the optimal drug dose and combination of drugs to treat the disease on a global scale. This article documents the information available on SARS-CoV-2 and its life cycle, which will aid in the development of the potential treatment options. A consolidated summary of several natural and repurposed drugs to manage COVID-19 is depicted with summary of current vaccine development. People with high age, comorbity and concomitant illnesses such as overweight, metabolic disorders, pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, renal failure, fatty liver and neoplastic disorders are more prone to create serious COVID-19 and its consequences. This article also presents an overview of post-COVID-19 complications in patients.

A global picture: therapeutic perspectives for COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is a lethal virus outbreak by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which has severely affected human lives and the global economy. The most vital part of the research and development of therapeutic agents is to design drug products to manage COVID-19 efficiently. Numerous attempts have been in place to determine the optimal drug dose and combination of drugs to treat the disease on a global scale. This article documents the information available on SARS-CoV-2 and its life cycle, which will aid in the development of the potential treatment options. A consolidated summary of several natural and repurposed drugs to manage COVID-19 is depicted with summary of current vaccine development. People with high age, comorbity and concomitant illnesses such as overweight, metabolic disorders, pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, renal failure, fatty liver and neoplastic disorders are more prone to create serious COVID-19 and its consequences. This article also presents an overview of post-COVID-19 complications in patients.

Oral and intranasal vaccines against SARS-CoV-2: Current progress, prospects, advantages, and challenges

BACKGROUND

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a deadly pandemic in the 21st century, resulting in many deaths, economic loss, and international immobility. Vaccination represents the only mechanism to defeat this virus. Several intramuscular vaccines have been approved and are currently used worldwide.

MAIN BODY

However, global mass vaccination has not been achieved owing to several limitations, including the need for expertise to administer the injection-based vaccine, improper distribution of the vaccine, and lack of cold chain facilities, particularly in resource-poor, low-income countries. Mucosal vaccines are typically administered either orally or nasally, and several studies have shown promising results for developing these vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 that might serve as viable alternatives to current vaccines. SARS-CoV-2 invades the human body via oral and nasal mucosal surfaces; thus, an oral or nasal vaccine can trigger the immune system to inhibit the virus at the mucosal level, preventing further transmission via a strong mucosal and systematic immune response. Although several approaches toward developing a mucosal vaccine are currently being tested, additional attention is required.

CONCLUSION

In this article, the current approaches used to develop effective oral and nasal mucosal vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and their benefits, prospects, and challenges have been summarized.

Oncolytic adenovirus-mediated expression of decorin facilitates CAIX-targeting CAR-T therapy against renal cell carcinoma

Although chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy has been successful for hematological malignancies, it is less effective for solid tumors. The primary reason is that the immune microenvironment restricts CAR-T cells from infiltrating and proliferating in tumors. Oncolytic virotherapy has emerged as a novel immunogenic therapy to augment antitumor immune response. Here we combined an oncolytic adenovirus carrying decorin with a CAR-T targeting carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) to perform the antitumor activity for renal cancer cells. We found that OAV-Decorin combined with CAIX-CAR-T exhibited significantly reduced tumor burden, altered the composition of extracellular matrix (ECM) by inhibiting the distribution of collagen fibers, decreased the expression of TGF-β in tumor cells, enhanced IFN-γ secretion, and obtained higher numbers of CAR-T cells. The combination treatment modality showed prolonged mice survival. The intratumoral injection of OAV-Decorin into tumor-bearing immunocompetent mice activated the inflammatory immune status and resulted in tumor regression. These data supported further investigation of the combination of OAV-Decorin and CAIX-CAR-T cells in solid tumors.

Recommendation and Roadmap of Mass Vaccination against Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in Bangladesh as a Lower-Middle-Income Country

Low-income countries (LICs) and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) are still deprived of the optimum doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines for their population, equal access and distribution, as well as mass immunization roadmaps to be implemented for achieving herd immunity and protection from the ongoing pandemic. In this short report, we are interacting with the world public health experts, as well as national and global leaders for warranting the mass vaccination drive to be more progressive against COVID-19 with equitable access of vaccines to LICs or LMICs to save the lives of the poorest country people and refugees. From several scientific databases, such as Google Scholar, PubMed, as well as national and international news websites, the data were collected data by utilizing appropriate keywords regarding the topic. Bangladesh might be exemplified in this brief communication as the representative of LMIC. As of October 14, 2021, 48% of the world's people have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. In contrast, only 2.5% of people from LICs have come in under COVID-19 vaccination for at least a single shot. Both LICs and LMICs need far more vision and ambition, including political, administrative, and diplomatic progress along with enhancing the vaccination drive for their population to be immunized through simultaneous mass vaccination progress of other countries with implementing public health safety measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.

An overview of the recent findings of cell-based therapies for the treatment and management of COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global pandemic taking the lives of millions. The virus itself not only invades and destroys the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-expressing cells of the lungs, kidneys, liver, etc. but also elicits a hyperinflammatory immune response, further damaging the tissue leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death. Although vaccines, as a prime example of active immunotherapy, have clearly disrupted the transmission of virus and reduced mortality, hospitalization, and burden of disease, other avenues of immunotherapy are also being explored. One such approach would be to adoptively transfer modified/unmodified immune cells to the critically ill. Here, we compiled and summarized the immunopathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and the recent preclinical and clinical data on the potential of cell-based therapies in the fight against COVID-19.

Extracellular Vesicle-Based Therapy for COVID-19: Promises, Challenges and Future Prospects

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a serious concern and has negatively impacted public health and the economy. It primarily targets the lungs, causing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); however, it may also lead to multiple organ failure (MOF) and enhanced mortality rates. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop potential effective therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 patients. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released from various types of cells that participate in intercellular communication to maintain physiological and pathological processes. EVs derived from various cellular origins have revealed suppressive effects on the cytokine storm during systemic hyper-inflammatory states of severe COVID-19, leading to enhanced alveolar fluid clearance, promoted epithelial and endothelial recovery, and cell proliferation. Being the smallest subclass of EVs, exosomes offer striking characteristics such as cell targeting, being nano-carriers for drug delivery, high biocompatibility, safety, and low-immunogenicity, thus rendering them a potential cell-free therapeutic candidate against the pathogeneses of various diseases. Due to these properties, numerous studies and clinical trials have been performed to assess their safety and therapeutic efficacy against COVID-19. Hence, in this review, we have comprehensively described current updates on progress and challenges for EVs as a potential therapeutic agent for the management of COVID-19.

Egypt's COVID-19 Recent Happenings and Perspectives: A Mini-Review

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has affected countries across the world. While the zoonotic aspects of SARS-CoV-2 are still under investigation, bats and pangolins are currently cited as the animal origin of the virus. Several types of vaccines against COVID-19 have been developed and are being used in vaccination drives across the world. A number of countries are experiencing second and third waves of the pandemic, which have claimed nearly four million lives out of the 180 million people infected globally as of June 2021. The emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and mutants are posing high public health concerns owing to their rapid transmissibility, higher severity, and in some cases, ability to infect vaccinated people (vaccine breakthrough). Here in this mini-review, we specifically looked at the efforts and actions of the Egyptian government to slow down and control the spread of COVID-19. We also review the COVID-19 statistics in Egypt and the possible reasons behind the low prevalence and high case fatality rate (CFR%), comparing Egypt COVID-19 statistics with China (the epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic) and the USA, Brazil, India, Italy, and France (the first countries in which the numbers of patients infected with COVID-19). Additionally, we have summarized the SARS-CoV-2 variants, vaccines used in Egypt, and the use of medicinal plants as preventive and curative options.

A Catalogus Immune Muris of the mouse immune responses to diverse pathogens

Immunomodulation strategies are crucial for several biomedical applications. However, the immune system is highly heterogeneous and its functional responses to infections remains elusive. Indeed, the characterization of immune response particularities to different pathogens is needed to identify immunomodulatory candidates. To address this issue, we compiled a comprehensive map of functional immune cell states of mouse in response to 12 pathogens. To create this atlas, we developed a single-cell-based computational method that partitions heterogeneous cell types into functionally distinct states and simultaneously identifies modules of functionally relevant genes characterizing them. We identified 295 functional states using 114 datasets of six immune cell types, creating a Catalogus Immune Muris. As a result, we found common as well as pathogen-specific functional states and experimentally characterized the function of an unknown macrophage cell state that modulates the response to Salmonella Typhimurium infection. Thus, we expect our Catalogus Immune Muris to be an important resource for studies aiming at discovering new immunomodulatory candidates.

Metabolic reprogramming and immune regulation in viral diseases

The recent outbreak and transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) worldwide and the ensuing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has left us scrambling for ways to contain the disease and develop vaccines that are safe and effective. Equally important, understanding the impact of the virus on the host system in convalescent patients, healthy otherwise or with co-morbidities, is expected to aid in developing effective strategies in the management of patients afflicted with the disease. Viruses possess the uncanny ability to redirect host metabolism to serve their needs and also limit host immune response to ensure their survival. An ever-increasingly powerful approach uses metabolomics to uncover diverse molecular signatures that influence a wide array of host signalling networks in different viral infections. This would also help integrate experimental findings from individual studies to yield robust evidence. In addition, unravelling the molecular mechanisms harnessed by both viruses and tumours in their host metabolism will help broaden the repertoire of therapeutic tools available to combat viral disease.

Present variants of concern and variants of interest of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2: Their significant mutations in S‐glycoprotein, infectivity, re‐infectivity, immune escape and vaccines activity

Newly arising variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) are now a threat to global public health and are creating COVID‐19 surges in different countries. At the same time, there is limited knowledge about these emerging variants. Even if research data are available, it is varyingly scattered. In this review, we have discussed the appearance of significant alarming SARS‐CoV‐2 variants in the entire world. The study also discusses the properties of the substantial variant of concern (VOC) variants such as B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), P.1 (Gamma), B.1.427 (Epsilon) and B.1.429 (Epsilon). At the same time, the characteristic properties of some significant variant of interest (VOI) variants like B.1.525 (Eta), B.1.526 (Iota) (sublineage B.1.526.1), B.1.617 (sublineages B.1.617.1 (Kappa), B.1.617.2 (Delta) and B.1.617.3), P.2 (Zeta), P.3 (Theta), B.1.616 and B.1.427 have also been discussed. Here, we have explained some essential mutations for the VOC and VOI variants such as K417T/N, L452R, E484K, N501Y, D614G and P681R. Consecutively, we also highlighted the crucial clinical characteristics of the variants, such as transmissibility, infectivity, re‐infectivity, immune escape, vaccine activity and vaccine escape. Our comprehensive review will provide updated information on the newly appearing variants of SARS‐CoV‐2 and help the researchers to formulate strategies to curtail the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Diverse Immunological Factors Influencing Pathogenesis in Patients with COVID-19: A Review on Viral Dissemination, Immunotherapeutic Options to Counter Cytokine Storm and Inflammatory Responses

The pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is still not fully unraveled. Though preventive vaccines and treatment methods are out on the market, a specific cure for the disease has not been discovered. Recent investigations and research studies primarily focus on the immunopathology of the disease. A healthy immune system responds immediately after viral entry, causing immediate viral annihilation and recovery. However, an impaired immune system causes extensive systemic damage due to an unregulated immune response characterized by the hypersecretion of chemokines and cytokines. The elevated levels of cytokine or hypercytokinemia leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) along with multiple organ damage. Moreover, the immune response against SARS-CoV-2 has been linked with race, gender, and age; hence, this viral infection's outcome differs among the patients. Many therapeutic strategies focusing on immunomodulation have been tested out to assuage the cytokine storm in patients with severe COVID-19. A thorough understanding of the diverse signaling pathways triggered by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is essential before contemplating relief measures. This present review explains the interrelationships of hyperinflammatory response or cytokine storm with organ damage and the disease severity. Furthermore, we have thrown light on the diverse mechanisms and risk factors that influence pathogenesis and the molecular pathways that lead to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and multiple organ damage. Recognition of altered pathways of a dysregulated immune system can be a loophole to identify potential target markers. Identifying biomarkers in the dysregulated pathway can aid in better clinical management for patients with severe COVID-19 disease. A special focus has also been given to potent inhibitors of proinflammatory cytokines, immunomodulatory and immunotherapeutic options to ameliorate cytokine storm and inflammatory responses in patients affected with COVID-19.

Role of Inflammatory Cytokines in COVID-19 Patients: A Review on Molecular Mechanisms, Immune Functions, Immunopathology and Immunomodulatory Drugs to Counter Cytokine Storm

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a severe pandemic of the current century. The vicious tentacles of the disease have been disseminated worldwide with unknown complications and repercussions. Advanced COVID-19 syndrome is characterized by the uncontrolled and elevated release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and suppressed immunity, leading to the cytokine storm. The uncontrolled and dysregulated secretion of inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines is positively associated with the severity of the viral infection and mortality rate. The secretion of various pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6 leads to a hyperinflammatory response by recruiting macrophages, T and B cells in the lung alveolar cells. Moreover, it has been hypothesized that immune cells such as macrophages recruit inflammatory monocytes in the alveolar cells and allow the production of large amounts of cytokines in the alveoli, leading to a hyperinflammatory response in severely ill patients with COVID-19. This cascade of events may lead to multiple organ failure, acute respiratory distress, or pneumonia. Although the disease has a higher survival rate than other chronic diseases, the incidence of complications in the geriatric population are considerably high, with more systemic complications. This review sheds light on the pivotal roles played by various inflammatory markers in COVID-19-related complications. Different molecular pathways, such as the activation of JAK and JAK/STAT signaling are crucial in the progression of cytokine storm; hence, various mechanisms, immunological pathways, and functions of cytokines and other inflammatory markers have been discussed. A thorough understanding of cytokines' molecular pathways and their activation procedures will add more insight into understanding immunopathology and designing appropriate drugs, therapies, and control measures to counter COVID-19. Recently, anti-inflammatory drugs and several antiviral drugs have been reported as effective therapeutic drug candidates to control hypercytokinemia or cytokine storm. Hence, the present review also discussed prospective anti-inflammatory and relevant immunomodulatory drugs currently in various trial phases and their possible implications.