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Yao L, Chemaitelly H, Goldman E, Gudina EK, Khalil A, Ahmed R, James AB, Roca A, Fallah MP, Macnab A, Cho WC, Eikelboom J, Qamar FN, Kremsner P, Oliu-Barton M, Sisa I, Tadesse BT, Marks F, Wang L, Kim JH, Meng X, Wang Y, Fly AD, Wang CY, Day SW, Howard SC, Graff JC, Maida M, Ray K, Franco-Paredes C, Mashe T, Ngongo N, Kaseya J, Ndembi N, Hu Y, Bottazzi ME, Hotez PJ, Ishii KJ, Wang G, Sun D, Aleya L, Gu W. Time to establish an international vaccine candidate pool for potential highly infectious respiratory disease: a community's view. EClinicalMedicine 2023; 64:102222. [PMID: 37811488 PMCID: PMC10550631 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In counteracting highly infectious and disruptive respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, vaccination remains the primary and safest way to prevent disease, reduce the severity of illness, and save lives. Unfortunately, vaccination is often not the first intervention deployed for a new pandemic, as it takes time to develop and test vaccines, and confirmation of safety requires a period of observation after vaccination to detect potential late-onset vaccine-associated adverse events. In the meantime, nonpharmacologic public health interventions such as mask-wearing and social distancing can provide some degree of protection. As climate change, with its environmental impacts on pathogen evolution and international mobility continue to rise, highly infectious respiratory diseases will likely emerge more frequently and their impact is expected to be substantial. How quickly a safe and efficacious vaccine can be deployed against rising infectious respiratory diseases may be the most important challenge that humanity will face in the near future. While some organizations are engaged in addressing the World Health Organization's "blueprint for priority diseases", the lack of worldwide preparedness, and the uncertainty around universal vaccine availability, remain major concerns. We therefore propose the establishment of an international candidate vaccine pool repository for potential respiratory diseases, supported by multiple stakeholders and countries that contribute facilities, technologies, and other medical and financial resources. The types and categories of candidate vaccines can be determined based on information from previous pandemics and epidemics. Each participant country or region can focus on developing one or a few vaccine types or categories, together covering most if not all possible potential infectious diseases. The safety of these vaccines can be tested using animal models. Information for effective candidates that can be potentially applied to humans will then be shared across all participants. When a new pandemic arises, these pre-selected and tested vaccines can be quickly tested in RCTs for human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Yao
- Department of Nutrition and Health Science, College of Health, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306, USA
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery and BME-Campbell Clinic, University of Tennessee Health Science Centre, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Hiam Chemaitelly
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Doha, Qatar
- World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation – Education City, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emanuel Goldman
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Esayas Kebede Gudina
- Department of Internal Medicine, Jimma University Institute of Health, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Asma Khalil
- Fetal Medicine Unit, St George’s Hospital, St George’s University of London, London, UK
- Vascular Biology Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George’s University of London, London, UK
| | - Rahaman Ahmed
- Cell Biology and Genetics Department, University of Lagos, Lagos 101017, Nigeria
- Centre for Human Virology and Genomics, Microbiology Department, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos 100001, Nigeria
| | - Ayorinde Babatunde James
- Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos State, Nigeria
| | - Anna Roca
- Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara 273, The Gambia
| | - Mosoka Papa Fallah
- Refuge Place International, Monrovia, Liberia
- Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy and Research, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Africa Centre for Disease Control, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Andrew Macnab
- The Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Research Centre at Stellenbosch University, South Africa
| | - William C. Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - John Eikelboom
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Farah Naz Qamar
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University Hospital, National Stadium Rd, Karachi, Sindh 74800, Pakistan
| | - Peter Kremsner
- Institut für Tropenmedizin, Universität Tübingen, Germany
- Centre de Recherches Medicales de Lambarene, Gabon
| | - Miquel Oliu-Barton
- Université Paris Dauphine – PSL, Pl. du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, Paris 75016, France
- Bruegel, Rue de la Charité 33, Brussels 1210, Belgium
| | - Ivan Sisa
- College of Health Sciences, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito 170901, Ecuador
| | | | - Florian Marks
- International Vaccine Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Lishi Wang
- Department of Basic Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Jinshan Development Zone, Huhhot, China
| | - Jerome H. Kim
- International Vaccine Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Seoul National University, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Xia Meng
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yongjun Wang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Alyce D. Fly
- Department of Nutrition and Health Science, College of Health, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306, USA
| | - Cong-Yi Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Centre for Biomedical Research, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Sara W. Day
- College of Nursing, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Scott C. Howard
- College of Nursing, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - J. Carolyn Graff
- College of Nursing, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Marcello Maida
- Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, S. Elia-Raimondi Hospital, Caltanissetta 93100, Italy
| | - Kunal Ray
- School of Biological Science, Ramkrishna Mission Vivekananda Education & Research Institute, Narendrapur 700103, West Bengal, India
| | - Carlos Franco-Paredes
- Hospital Infantil de Mexico, Federico Gomez, Mexico
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, USA
| | - Tapfumanei Mashe
- One Health Office, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe
- World Health Organization, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | | | | | | | - Yu Hu
- Institute of Haematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1277 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan 430022, China
- Hubei Clinical and Research Centre of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Wuhan, China
| | - Maria Elena Bottazzi
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital Centre for Vaccine Development, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Peter J. Hotez
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital Centre for Vaccine Development, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ken J. Ishii
- Division of Vaccine Science, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- International Vaccine Design Centre, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Centre for Vaccine Adjuvant Research, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Osaka, Japan
| | - Gang Wang
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Dianjun Sun
- Centre for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University; Key Laboratory of Etiologic Epidemiology, Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province & Ministry of Health 23618104, 157 Baojian Road, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China
| | - Lotfi Aleya
- Chrono-Environnement Laboratory, UMR CNRS 6249, Bourgogne Franche-Comté University, Besançon Cedex F-25030, France
| | - Weikuan Gu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery and BME-Campbell Clinic, University of Tennessee Health Science Centre, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
- Research Service, Memphis VA Medical Centre, 1030 Jefferson Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104, USA
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Xue Z, Li Y, Xiao S, Zhang H, Xu J. FOXA2 attenuates lipopolysaccharide‑induced pneumonia by inhibiting the inflammatory response, oxidative stress and apoptosis through blocking of p38/STAT3 signaling. Exp Ther Med 2023; 26:469. [PMID: 37664675 PMCID: PMC10469380 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2023.12168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pneumonia is a severe inflammatory disease of the lung. Forkhead box protein A2 (FOXA2) has been demonstrated to serve an important regulatory role in various pulmonary diseases; however, the role of FOXA2 in pneumonia remains to be elucidated. The present study aimed to explore the functional effects and regulatory mechanism of FOXA2 in pneumonia. An in vitro pneumonia model was induced using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in WI-38 cells. The mRNA and protein expression levels of FOXA2 were determined by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting, respectively. Cell viability was assessed using a Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Inflammatory cytokines were evaluated using ELISA kits and oxidative stress markers were assessed using a malondialdehyde assay kit, superoxide dismutase assay kit and CATalase assay kit. Cell apoptosis was evaluated using flow cytometry and the caspase3 activity was determined. Western blotting was performed to examine the protein expression levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-associated factors. For a rescue assay, a p38 MAPK activator, U46619, was used to investigate the regulatory mechanism of FOXA2 involving p38/STAT3 signaling. FOXA2 was downregulated in LPS-induced WI-38 cells. FOXA2 overexpression alleviated LPS-induced inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis and ERS in WI-38 cells. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of FOXA2 on inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis, as well as ERS in LPS-induced WI-38 cells were partly weakened by additional treatment with U46619. In conclusion, FOXA2 served a protective role against LPS-induced pneumonia by regulating p38/STAT3 signaling, providing a novel idea for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies for pneumonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhibin Xue
- Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, Fujian 351100, P.R. China
| | - Yinglin Li
- Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, Fujian 351100, P.R. China
| | - Shiji Xiao
- Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, Fujian 351100, P.R. China
| | - Hanqing Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, Fujian 351100, P.R. China
| | - Jianzhang Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, Putian Children's Hospital, Putian, Fujian 351100, P.R. China
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Williams C, Dedeo M. Digital communication use before and during COVID among residential older adults. Geriatr Nurs 2023; 53:116-121. [PMID: 37536002 DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2023.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Many older adults living in residential care facilities do not use digital communication technologies. The study was a retrospective pre-post study testing the impact of a digital communication program instituted at two Continuing Care Retirement Communities. We distributed a survey between March 2021 and April 2021 to examine study objectives. Data analyses were performed using JMP Pro 16.1 and SAS 9.4. One hundred twenty-six people started the survey, with 120 completing the survey and included in the analysis. The mean age was 84 years, 67.5% were female, 95.8% were White, 64.2% were widowed, and 35.3% reported at least a bachelor's degree level of education. There were minimal increases in digital communication behavior and communication frequency. Older adults most notably reported privacy concerns and have mixed responses about the utility of digital communication for social engagement. We apply the results to the Stage of Change model and provide recommendations to promote behavior change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Williams
- School of Global Health Management and Informatics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA.
| | - Michelle Dedeo
- Department of Mathematics, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, USA
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Kim JW, Jung JY, Suh CH, Ye YM, Kim HA. Effects of COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccination on Rheumatic Diseases: Results From a Survey of Patient-Reported Outcomes After Vaccination. J Korean Med Sci 2023; 38:e247. [PMID: 37582497 PMCID: PMC10427213 DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to compare the occurrence of adverse events (AEs) and disease flares after vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and influenza in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs). METHODS Between November 2021 and March 2022, a survey was conducted among patients with ARD who received COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations. The questionnaire included 11 mandatory and closed-ended questions, and the following items were collected: medical history, immunization history, type of vaccine, patient-reported AEs, flare-up of the underlying disease after vaccination, and a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 or influenza. We compared the occurrence of vaccine-related adverse reactions to the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines based on the survey results. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors affecting AEs or disease flares and to compare the post-vaccine response to mixed and matched vaccines. RESULTS We analyzed 601 adults with ARD who received the COVID-19 vaccine, with a mean age of 49.6 years (80.5% female). A total of 255 participants (42.4%) received a complete course of primary vaccination, 342 (56.9%) completed the booster dose, and 132 (38.6%) received a mixed vaccine. The frequencies of AEs (188 [52.2%] vs. 21 [5.8%]; P < 0.001) and disease flares (58 [16.2%] vs. 5 [1.4%]; P < 0.001) after COVID-19 vaccination were significantly higher than those after influenza vaccination. In the risk factor analysis, previous allergic reaction to other vaccines (odds ratio, 1.95; confidence interval, 1.07-3.70; P = 0.034) was the only factor associated with the occurrence of AEs. There was no difference in the post-vaccine responses between the mixed and matched vaccines. CONCLUSION The results of the survey of patients with ARD revealed that patient-reported AEs and underlying disease flares after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine were significantly higher than those after the influenza vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Won Kim
- Department of Rheumatology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
| | - Ju-Yang Jung
- Department of Rheumatology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
| | - Chang-Hee Suh
- Department of Rheumatology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
| | - Young-Min Ye
- Department of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
| | - Hyoun-Ah Kim
- Department of Rheumatology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
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Mohammedsaeed W, Alrashidi H, Alsharif SM, Aljardi O, Al-Sehli A. COVID-19 Vaccine Impacts in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study. Cureus 2023; 15:e40460. [PMID: 37456436 PMCID: PMC10349540 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.40460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and purpose Vaccinations provide disease protection through a variety of mechanisms; however, vaccines can occasionally cause adverse effects. Therefore, the objective of this investigation was to assess the short- and long-term adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccinations in Saudi Arabia. Methods In Saudi Arabia, between October 2021 and October 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted. A validated Arabic and English dual-language online questionnaire were utilized to collect data. Results This investigation included 492 participants who were all immunized against the COVID-19 virus. There were 152 (30.9%) male participants and 340 (69.1%) female participants, with a mean age of 35±10.7 years. About 72.2% of study participants received three doses of vaccine, with 75.6% receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, 22.2% receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, and 2.2% receiving the Moderna vaccine. Fever was observed in 66.3% (326/492) of the participants following vaccination, headache in 57.3% (282/492) of the participants, fatigue in 54.7% (269/492) of the participants, and influenza-like symptoms in 51% (251/492) of the participants. Younger participants (18-29 years old) exhibited influenza-like symptoms and fever after vaccination in comparison to older participants (P=0.03, P=0.02, respectively). In contrast, older participants reported more immobilization of the hands or legs, difficulty breathing, and chest pain than younger participants (P=0.04, P=0.02, and P=0.03, respectively). There was a significant correlation between gender and injection-site pain, headache, lethargy or convulsions, and flu-like symptoms. In addition, the participants' clinical history of chronic diseases was significantly associated with the occurrence of post-vaccination adverse effects. Conclusion The majority of the documented adverse reactions are of a temporary and minimal nature. Additional research is required to assess the enduring adverse reactions and efficacy of the vaccines in preventing SARS-CoV-2 reoccurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walaa Mohammedsaeed
- Medical Laboratory Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Taibah University, Madinah, SAU
| | - Hanan Alrashidi
- Medical Laboratory Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Taibah University, Madinah, SAU
| | - Sultan M Alsharif
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Madinah, SAU
| | - Omaymah Aljardi
- Family Medicine Department, Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Hospital, Madinah, SAU
| | - Asmaa Al-Sehli
- Medical Laboratory Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Taibah University, Madinah, SAU
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Bukreieva T, Kyryk V, Nikulina V, Svitina H, Vega A, Chybisov O, Shablii I, Mankovska O, Lobyntseva G, Nemtinov P, Skrypkina I, Shablii V. Dynamic changes in radiological parameters, immune cells, selected miRNAs, and cytokine levels in peripheral blood of patients with severe COVID‑19. Biomed Rep 2023; 18:33. [PMID: 37034572 PMCID: PMC10074022 DOI: 10.3892/br.2023.1615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in peripheral blood leucocyte subpopulations, cytokine and miRNA levels, and changes in computed tomography (CT) scores in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (n=14) and age-matched non-COVID-19 volunteers (n=17), which were included as a reference control group. All data were collected on the day of patient admission (day 0) and on the 7th, 14th and 28th days of follow-up while CT of the lungs was performed on weeks 2, 8, 24 and 48. On day 0, lymphopenia and leucopenia were detected in most patients with COVID-19, as well as an increase in the percentage of banded neutrophils, B cells, and CD4+ Treg cells, and a decrease in the content of PD-1low T cells, classical, plasmacytoid, and regulatory dendritic cells. On day 7, the percentage of T and natural killer cells decreased with a concurrent increase in B cells, but returned to the initial level after treatment discharge. The content of different T and dendritic cell subsets among CD45+ cells increased during two weeks and remained elevated, suggesting the activation of an adaptive immune response. The increase of PD-1-positive subpopulations of T and non-T cells and regulatory CD4 T cells in patients with COVID-19 during the observation period suggests the development of an inflammation control mechanism. The levels of interferon γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 decreased on day 7, but increased again on days 14 and 28. C-reactive protein and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) levels decreased gradually throughout the observation period. The relative expression levels of microRNA (miR)-21-5p, miR-221-3p, miR-27a-3p, miR-146a-5p, miR-133a-3p, and miR-126-3p were significantly higher at the beginning of hospitalization compared to non-COVID-19 volunteers. The plasma levels of all miRs, except for miR-126-3p, normalized within one week of treatment. At week 48, CT scores were most prominently correlated with the content of lymphocytes, senescent memory T cells, CD127+ T cells and CD57+ T cells, and increased concentrations of G-CSF, IP-10, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetiana Bukreieva
- Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Nucleic Acids, Department of Functional Genomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv 03143, Ukraine
- Placenta Stem Cell Laboratory, Cryobank, Institute of Cell Therapy, Kyiv 03126, Ukraine
| | - Vitalii Kyryk
- Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Cultures, Department of Cell and Tissue Technologies, State Institute of Genetic and Regenerative Medicine, National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv 04114, Ukraine
- Laboratory of Pathophysiology and Immunology, D.F. Chebotarev State Institute of Gerontology of The National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv 04114, Ukraine
| | - Viktoriia Nikulina
- Placenta Stem Cell Laboratory, Cryobank, Institute of Cell Therapy, Kyiv 03126, Ukraine
| | - Hanna Svitina
- Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Nucleic Acids, Department of Functional Genomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv 03143, Ukraine
- Placenta Stem Cell Laboratory, Cryobank, Institute of Cell Therapy, Kyiv 03126, Ukraine
| | - Alyona Vega
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine, Kyiv 04112, Ukraine
| | - Oleksii Chybisov
- Endoscopic Unit, CNE Kyiv City Clinical Hospital No. 4, Kyiv 03110, Ukraine
| | - Iuliia Shablii
- Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Nucleic Acids, Department of Functional Genomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv 03143, Ukraine
| | - Oksana Mankovska
- Department of Molecular Oncogenetics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv 03143, Ukraine
| | - Galyna Lobyntseva
- Placenta Stem Cell Laboratory, Cryobank, Institute of Cell Therapy, Kyiv 03126, Ukraine
| | - Petro Nemtinov
- Placenta Stem Cell Laboratory, Cryobank, Institute of Cell Therapy, Kyiv 03126, Ukraine
| | - Inessa Skrypkina
- Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Nucleic Acids, Department of Functional Genomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv 03143, Ukraine
| | - Volodymyr Shablii
- Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Nucleic Acids, Department of Functional Genomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv 03143, Ukraine
- Placenta Stem Cell Laboratory, Cryobank, Institute of Cell Therapy, Kyiv 03126, Ukraine
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Jiang M, Väisänen E, Kolehmainen P, Huttunen M, Ylä-Herttuala S, Meri S, Österlund P, Julkunen I. COVID-19 adenovirus vector vaccine induces higher interferon and pro-inflammatory responses than mRNA vaccines in human PBMCs, macrophages and moDCs. Vaccine 2023:S0264-410X(23)00463-2. [PMID: 37142461 PMCID: PMC10126225 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.04.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the COVID-19 pandemic multiple vaccines were rapidly developed and widely used throughout the world. At present there is very little information on COVID-19 vaccine interactions with primary human immune cells such as peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), monocyte-derived macrophages and dendritic cells (moDCs). METHODS Human PBMCs, macrophages and moDCs were stimulated with different COVID-19 vaccines, and the expression of interferon (IFN-λ1, IFN-α1), pro-inflammatory (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, CXCL-4, CXCL-10, TNF-α) and Th1-type cytokine mRNAs (IL-2, IFN-γ) were analyzed by qPCR. In addition, the expression of vaccine induced spike (S) protein and antiviral molecules were studied in primary immune cells and in A549 lung epithelial cells. RESULTS Adenovirus vector (Ad-vector) vaccine AZD1222 induced high levels of IFN-λ1, IFN-α1, CXCL-10, IL-6, and TNF-α mRNAs in PBMCs at early time points of stimulation while the expression of IFN-γ and IL-2 mRNA took place at later times. AZD1222 also induced IFN-λ1, CXCL-10 and IL-6 mRNA expression in monocyte-derived macrophages and DCs in a dose-dependent fashion. AZD1222 also activated the phosphorylation of IRF3 and induced MxA expression. BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 mRNA vaccines failed to induce or induced very weak cytokine gene expression in all cell models. None of the vaccines enhanced the expression of CXCL-4. AZD1222 and mRNA-1273 vaccines induced high expression of S protein in all studied cells. CONCLUSIONS Ad-vector vaccine induces higher IFN and pro-inflammatory responses than the mRNA vaccines in human immune cells. This data shows that AZD1222 readily activates IFN and pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression in PBMCs, macrophages and DCs, but fails to further enhance CXCL-4 mRNA expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Jiang
- Expert Microbiology Unit, Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, 00300 Helsinki, Finland; Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland.
| | - Elina Väisänen
- Expert Microbiology Unit, Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, 00300 Helsinki, Finland; Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland.
| | - Pekka Kolehmainen
- Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland.
| | - Moona Huttunen
- Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland.
| | - Seppo Ylä-Herttuala
- A.I.Virtanen Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70210 Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Seppo Meri
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology and Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, and HUS Diagnostic Center, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Pamela Österlund
- Expert Microbiology Unit, Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, 00300 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Ilkka Julkunen
- Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland; Turku University Hospital, Clinical Microbiology, 20520 Turku, Finland.
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Sarkar C, Abdalla M, Mondal M, Khalipha ABR, Ali N. Ebselen suitably interacts with the potential SARS-CoV-2 targets: an in-silico approach. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:12286-12301. [PMID: 34459720 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1971562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Ebselen (SPI-1005) is an active selenoorganic compound that can be found potential inhibitory activity against different types of viral infections such as zika virus, influenza A virus, HCV, and HIV-1; and also be found to exhibit promising antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in cell-based assays but its particular target action against specific non-structural and structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 is unclear to date. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the anti-SARS-CoV-2 efficacy of Ebselen along with the determination of the specific target among the 12 most common target proteins of SARS-CoV-2. AutoDock Vina in PyRx platform was used for docking analysis against the 12 selected SARS-CoV-2 encoded drug targets. ADME profiling was examined by using SwissADME online server. The stability of binding mode in the target active sites was evaluated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies through NAMD and Desmond package software application. In this docking study, we recognized that Ebselen possesses the highest affinity to N protein (C domain) (PDB ID: 6YUN) and PLpro (PDB ID: 6WUU) among the selected SARS-CoV-2 targets showing -7.4 kcal/mol binding energy. The stability of Ebselen-6YUN and Ebselen-6WUU was determined by a 100 ns trajectory of all-atom molecular dynamics simulation. Structural conformation of these two complexes displayed stable root mean square deviation (RMSD), while root mean square fluctuations (RMSF) were also found to be consistent. This molecular docking study may propose the efficiency of Ebselen against SARS-CoV-2 to a significant extent which makes it a candidature of COVID-19 treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandan Sarkar
- Department of Pharmacy, Life Science Faculty, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, Bangladesh
| | - Mohnad Abdalla
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Milon Mondal
- Department of Pharmacy, Life Science Faculty, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, Bangladesh
| | - Abul Bashar Ripon Khalipha
- Department of Pharmacy, Life Science Faculty, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, Bangladesh
| | - Nasir Ali
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong, China
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9
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Garzoli S, Alarcón-Zapata P, Seitimova G, Alarcón-Zapata B, Martorell M, Sharopov F, Fokou PVT, Dize D, Yamthe LRT, Les F, Cásedas G, López V, Iriti M, Rad JS, Gürer ES, Calina D, Pezzani R, Vitalini S. Natural essential oils as a new therapeutic tool in colorectal cancer. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:407. [PMID: 36514100 PMCID: PMC9749237 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02806-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most revalent type of cancer in the world and the second most common cause of cancer death (about 1 million per year). Historically, natural compounds and their structural analogues have contributed to the development of new drugs useful in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer. Essential oils are natural odorous products made up of a complex mixture of low molecular weight compounds with recognized biological and pharmacological properties investigated also for the prevention and treatment of cancer. The aim of this paper is to highlight the possible role of essential oils in CRC, their composition and the preclinical studies involving them. It has been reviewed the preclinical pharmacological studies to determine the experimental models used and the anticancer potential mechanisms of action of natural essential oils in CRC. Searches were performed in the following databases PubMed/Medline, Web of science, TRIP database, Scopus, Google Scholar using appropriate MeSH terms. The results of analyzed studies showed that EOs exhibited a wide range of bioactive effects like cytotoxicity, antiproliferative, and antimetastatic effects on cancer cells through various mechanisms of action. This updated review provides a better quality of scientific evidence for the efficacy of EOs as chemotherapeutic/chemopreventive agents in CRC. Future translational clinical studies are needed to establish the effective dose in humans as well as the most suitable route of administration for maximum bioavailability and efficacy. Given the positive anticancer results obtained from preclinical pharmacological studies, EOs can be considered efficient complementary therapies in chemotherapy in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Garzoli
- grid.7841.aDepartment of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, University “Sapienza” of Rome, P.Le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Pedro Alarcón-Zapata
- grid.5380.e0000 0001 2298 9663Clinical Biochemistry and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Concepción, Concepción, VIII – Bio Bio Region Chile ,grid.442215.40000 0001 2227 4297Facultad de Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad San Sebastián, Lientur 1457, 4080871 Concepción, Chile
| | - Gulnaz Seitimova
- grid.77184.3d0000 0000 8887 5266Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Barbara Alarcón-Zapata
- grid.5380.e0000 0001 2298 9663Clinical Biochemistry and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Concepción, Concepción, VIII – Bio Bio Region Chile
| | - Miquel Martorell
- grid.5380.e0000 0001 2298 9663Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, and Centre for Healthy Living, University of Concepción, 4070386 Concepción, Chile
| | - Farukh Sharopov
- grid.469891.b0000 0001 1702 746XResearch Institution “Chinese-Tajik Innovation Center for Natural Products”, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan, Ayni 299/2, Dushanbe, 734063 Tajikistan
| | - Patrick Valere Tsouh Fokou
- grid.449799.e0000 0004 4684 0857Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Bamenda, Bambili, 39 Cameroon
| | - Darline Dize
- grid.412661.60000 0001 2173 8504Antimicrobial and Biocontrol Agents Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde 1, Ngoa Ekelle, Yaounde, 812 Cameroon
| | | | - Francisco Les
- grid.440816.f0000 0004 1762 4960Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad San Jorge, 50830 Villanueva de Gállego (Saragossa), Spain ,grid.11205.370000 0001 2152 8769Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), 50059 Saragossa, Spain
| | - Guillermo Cásedas
- grid.440816.f0000 0004 1762 4960Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad San Jorge, 50830 Villanueva de Gállego (Saragossa), Spain
| | - Víctor López
- grid.440816.f0000 0004 1762 4960Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad San Jorge, 50830 Villanueva de Gállego (Saragossa), Spain ,grid.11205.370000 0001 2152 8769Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), 50059 Saragossa, Spain
| | - Marcello Iriti
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Javad Sharifi Rad
- grid.442126.70000 0001 1945 2902Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Eda Sönmez Gürer
- grid.411689.30000 0001 2259 4311Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey
| | - Daniela Calina
- grid.413055.60000 0004 0384 6757Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
| | - Raffaele Pezzani
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Phytotherapy Lab (PhT-Lab), Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padova, Via Ospedale 105, 35128 Padua, Italy ,AIROB, Associazione Italiana Per la Ricerca Oncologica Di Base, Padua, Italy
| | - Sara Vitalini
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy
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10
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Endurance of COVID 19 in wastewater, natural prescription and antiviral medication for the analysis of COVID 19 and its effects on the development of new antiseptic strategies. TOTAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH THEMES 2022. [PMCID: PMC9398943 DOI: 10.1016/j.totert.2022.100010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The continuous worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 brought about by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been a public health emergency of international concern, which was formally announced by the World Health Organization (WHO). The antivirals utilized to restrict the spread of virus and the procedures for the recognition of SARS-COV-2 in wastewater has been reviewed. A main tool Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) played a notable role in tracking the spread of corona virus in large community. This review signifies the upgraded clinical impacts and components of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the function of various antiviral drugs against COVID 19 and the role of human covid to exist in the habitat and the viability countered; with specific spotlight on the advancement of latest strategies to assess the action of latest antiseptic-disinfectants on infections.
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11
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Multi-Target Mechanisms of Phytochemicals in Alzheimer’s Disease: Effects on Oxidative Stress, Neuroinflammation and Protein Aggregation. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12091515. [PMID: 36143299 PMCID: PMC9500804 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12091515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a tangle-shaped accumulation of beta-amyloid peptide fragments and Tau protein in brain neurons. The pathophysiological mechanism involves the presence of Aβ-amyloid peptide, Tau protein, oxidative stress, and an exacerbated neuro-inflammatory response. This review aims to offer an updated compendium of the most recent and promising advances in AD treatment through the administration of phytochemicals. The literature survey was carried out by electronic search in the following specialized databases PubMed/Medline, Embase, TRIP database, Google Scholar, Wiley, and Web of Science regarding published works that included molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways targeted by phytochemicals in various experimental models of Alzheimer’s disease in vitro and in vivo. The results of the studies showed that the use of phytochemicals against AD has gained relevance due to their antioxidant, anti-neuroinflammatory, anti-amyloid, and anti-hyperphosphorylation properties of Tau protein. Some bioactive compounds from plants have been shown to have the ability to prevent and stop the progression of Alzheimer’s.
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12
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Hasankhani A, Bahrami A, Sheybani N, Aria B, Hemati B, Fatehi F, Ghaem Maghami Farahani H, Javanmard G, Rezaee M, Kastelic JP, Barkema HW. Differential Co-Expression Network Analysis Reveals Key Hub-High Traffic Genes as Potential Therapeutic Targets for COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Immunol 2022; 12:789317. [PMID: 34975885 PMCID: PMC8714803 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.789317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The recent emergence of COVID-19, rapid worldwide spread, and incomplete knowledge of molecular mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 infection have limited development of therapeutic strategies. Our objective was to systematically investigate molecular regulatory mechanisms of COVID-19, using a combination of high throughput RNA-sequencing-based transcriptomics and systems biology approaches. Methods RNA-Seq data from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of healthy persons, mild and severe 17 COVID-19 patients were analyzed to generate a gene expression matrix. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify co-expression modules in healthy samples as a reference set. For differential co-expression network analysis, module preservation and module-trait relationships approaches were used to identify key modules. Then, protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, based on co-expressed hub genes, were constructed to identify hub genes/TFs with the highest information transfer (hub-high traffic genes) within candidate modules. Results Based on differential co-expression network analysis, connectivity patterns and network density, 72% (15 of 21) of modules identified in healthy samples were altered by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 caused systemic perturbations in host biological gene networks. In functional enrichment analysis, among 15 non-preserved modules and two significant highly-correlated modules (identified by MTRs), 9 modules were directly related to the host immune response and COVID-19 immunopathogenesis. Intriguingly, systemic investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection identified signaling pathways and key genes/proteins associated with COVID-19's main hallmarks, e.g., cytokine storm, respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), acute lung injury (ALI), lymphopenia, coagulation disorders, thrombosis, and pregnancy complications, as well as comorbidities associated with COVID-19, e.g., asthma, diabetic complications, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), liver disorders and acute kidney injury (AKI). Topological analysis with betweenness centrality (BC) identified 290 hub-high traffic genes, central in both co-expression and PPI networks. We also identified several transcriptional regulatory factors, including NFKB1, HIF1A, AHR, and TP53, with important immunoregulatory roles in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, several hub-high traffic genes, including IL6, IL1B, IL10, TNF, SOCS1, SOCS3, ICAM1, PTEN, RHOA, GDI2, SUMO1, CASP1, IRAK3, HSPA5, ADRB2, PRF1, GZMB, OASL, CCL5, HSP90AA1, HSPD1, IFNG, MAPK1, RAB5A, and TNFRSF1A had the highest rates of information transfer in 9 candidate modules and central roles in COVID-19 immunopathogenesis. Conclusion This study provides comprehensive information on molecular mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2-host interactions and identifies several hub-high traffic genes as promising therapeutic targets for the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliakbar Hasankhani
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Bahrami
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.,Biomedical Center for Systems Biology Science Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Negin Sheybani
- Department of Animal and Poultry Science, College of Aburaihan, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behzad Aria
- Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, School of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran
| | - Behzad Hemati
- Biotechnology Research Center, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran
| | - Farhang Fatehi
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | | | - Ghazaleh Javanmard
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Mahsa Rezaee
- Department of Medical Mycology, School of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - John P Kastelic
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Herman W Barkema
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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13
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Efstathiou V, Stefanou MI, Siafakas N, Makris M, Tsivgoulis G, Zoumpourlis V, Spandidos DA, Smyrnis N, Rizos E. Suicidality and COVID-19: Suicidal ideation, suicidal behaviors and completed suicides amidst the COVID-19 pandemic (Review). Exp Ther Med 2022; 23:107. [PMID: 34976149 PMCID: PMC8674972 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.11030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there has been widespread concern that social isolation, financial stress, depression, limited or variable access to health care services and other pandemic-related stressors may contribute to an increase in suicidal behaviors. In patients who have recovered from COVID-19, an increased risk of developing suicidal behaviors may be noted, while post-COVID syndrome comprises another potential risk factor contributing to increased suicidal behaviors. Despite the initial alarming predictions for an increase in suicide rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of published studies to date suggest that experienced difficulties and distress do not inevitably translate into an increased number of suicide-related deaths, at least not in the short-term. Nevertheless, the long-term mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have yet to be unfolded and are likely to remain for a long period of time. Suicide prevention and measures aiming at promoting well-being and mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on mental health, particularly among vulnerable groups, should thus be a priority for healthcare professionals and policymakers amidst the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Efstathiou
- Second Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Attikon’ University General Hospital, Athens 12462, Greece
| | - Maria-Ioanna Stefanou
- Second Department of Neurology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Attikon’ University General Hospital, Athens 12462, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Siafakas
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Attikon’ University General Hospital, Athens 12462, Greece
| | - Michael Makris
- Allergy Unit, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Attikon’ University General Hospital, Athens 12462, Greece
| | - Georgios Tsivgoulis
- Second Department of Neurology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Attikon’ University General Hospital, Athens 12462, Greece
- Department of Neurology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Vassilios Zoumpourlis
- Biomedical Applications Unit, Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF), Athens 11635, Greece
| | - Demetrios A. Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion 71003, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Smyrnis
- Second Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Attikon’ University General Hospital, Athens 12462, Greece
| | - Emmanouil Rizos
- Second Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Attikon’ University General Hospital, Athens 12462, Greece
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14
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Wadaa-Allah A, Emhamed MS, Sadeq MA, Ben Hadj Dahman N, Ullah I, Farrag NS, Negida A. Efficacy of the current investigational drugs for the treatment of COVID-19: a scoping review. Ann Med 2021; 53:318-334. [PMID: 33706639 PMCID: PMC7971293 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2021.1875500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
To date, there is no final FDA-approved treatment for COVID-19. There are thousands of studies published on the available treatments for COVID-19 virus in the past year. Therefore, it is crucial to synthesize and summarize the evidence from published studies on the safety and efficacy of experimental treatments of COVID-19. We conducted a systematic literature search of MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, GHL, OpenGrey, ICTRP, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases through April 2020. We obtained 2699 studies from the initial literature search. Of them, we included 28 eligible studies that met our eligibility criteria. The sample size of the included studies is 2079 individuals. We extracted and pooled the available data and conducted a quality assessment for the eligible studies. From the 28 studies, only 13 studies provide strong evidence. Our results showed that Favipiravir and Hydroxycholoroquine shorten viral clearance and clinical recovery time and promote pneumonia absorption. On the other hand, Lopinavir-ritonavir either alone or combined with arbidol or interferons has no significant difference superior to the standard care. Corticosteroids, Convalescent plasma transfusion, and anticoagulant therapies provide a better prognosis. Remedsivir, Tocilizumab, Immunoglobulin, Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation showed effective treatment results, but further confirmatory studies are needed. In conclusion, Favipiravir and Remedsivir might be promising drugs in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. .
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Wadaa-Allah
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | | | | | - Irfan Ullah
- Kabir Medical College, Gandhara University, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Nesrine S. Farrag
- Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Negida
- Zagazig University Hospitals, Zagazig University, El-Sharkia, Egypt
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15
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Lee M, You M. Direct and Indirect Associations of Media Use with COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: Cross-sectional Web-Based Survey in South Korea. J Med Internet Res 2021; 24:e32329. [PMID: 34870605 PMCID: PMC8734608 DOI: 10.2196/32329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Background: The battle against the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has not concluded. Although vaccines are available, the high prevalence of vaccine hesitancy represents a significant challenge to public health and raising vaccine acceptance among the public is critical. While media has become an increasingly popular source of COVID-19 vaccine-related information, the question of whether and how media use is related to the public's vaccine hesitancy warrants exploration. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to (1) examine the level of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, (2) identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and (3) explore the direct and indirect relationship between media use and vaccine hesitancy through psychological factors. METHODS A cross-sectional online survey took place over six days (January 20-25, 2021), a month ago before COVID-19 vaccination was initiated in South Korea. This study included 1016 subjects, and a logit model for regression analyzed associations between socio-demographic factors, health-related factors, psychological factors, and media use toward one's COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Additionally, path analysis to examine the indirect effects of media use on vaccine hesitancy via psychological factors (i.e., perceived risk of COVID-19 infection, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers of COVID-19 vaccination) were conducted. RESULTS Among the respondents (n=1,016), 53.3% hesitated COVID-19 vaccination, while 46.7% of the respondents would accept the vaccine. Out of the socio-demographic factors, female (OR, 1.967; 95% CI, 1.36-2.86; P < .001), age in 50s (OR, .47; 95% CI, .23-.96; P= .004), and over 60s (OR, .49; 95% CI, .24 - 0.99; P= .04) were significant individual predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Perceived susceptibility of infection (OR, .69; 95% CI, .52 - .91; P= .01) and perceived benefits of vaccination (OR, .69; 95% CI, .52 - .91; P= .01) were associated with lower vaccine hesitancy. Perceived barriers of vaccination (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.29 - 2.07; P < .001) and lower trust in government (OR, .72; 95% CI, .53 - 0.98; P= .04) were related to vaccine hesitancy. The use of offline and online media was associated with vaccine hesitancy through perceived benefits of vaccination, resulting in a lower vaccine hesitancy. Moreover, perceived susceptibility of the disease and perceived barriers of vaccination mediated the association between social media use and vaccine hesitancy. CONCLUSIONS Findings revealed a considerable level of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in South Korea. Gender-based and generation-based public health policies and communication are recommended. Efforts to lower the perceived risk of vaccine side effects and heighten perceived benefits of the vaccine are required. While the use of media has a positive or negative effect on the population's vaccine hesitancy, efforts should be made to disseminate reliable and timely information on media while confront misinformation or disinformation for successive implementation of vaccine programs during pandemics. CLINICALTRIAL
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjung Lee
- Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Seoul, KR.,Office of Dental Education, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul
| | - Myoungsoon You
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health Seoul National University Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu Seoul, 08826, Seoul, KR.,Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Seoul, KR
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16
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Kostoff RN, Calina D, Kanduc D, Briggs MB, Vlachoyiannopoulos P, Svistunov AA, Tsatsakis A. Why are we vaccinating children against COVID-19? Toxicol Rep 2021; 8:1665-1684. [PMID: 34540594 PMCID: PMC8437699 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2021.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This article examines issues related to COVID-19 inoculations for children. The bulk of the official COVID-19-attributed deaths per capita occur in the elderly with high comorbidities, and the COVID-19 attributed deaths per capita are negligible in children. The bulk of the normalized post-inoculation deaths also occur in the elderly with high comorbidities, while the normalized post-inoculation deaths are small, but not negligible, in children. Clinical trials for these inoculations were very short-term (a few months), had samples not representative of the total population, and for adolescents/children, had poor predictive power because of their small size. Further, the clinical trials did not address changes in biomarkers that could serve as early warning indicators of elevated predisposition to serious diseases. Most importantly, the clinical trials did not address long-term effects that, if serious, would be borne by children/adolescents for potentially decades. A novel best-case scenario cost-benefit analysis showed very conservatively that there are five times the number of deaths attributable to each inoculation vs those attributable to COVID-19 in the most vulnerable 65+ demographic. The risk of death from COVID-19 decreases drastically as age decreases, and the longer-term effects of the inoculations on lower age groups will increase their risk-benefit ratio, perhaps substantially.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniela Calina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349, Craiova, Romania
| | - Darja Kanduc
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, Italy
| | | | | | - Andrey A. Svistunov
- Department of Pharmacology, I.M.Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 119146, Moscow, Russia
| | - Aristidis Tsatsakis
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion, Greece
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17
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Barros MT, Veletić M, Kanada M, Pierobon M, Vainio S, Balasingham I, Balasubramaniam S. Molecular Communications in Viral Infections Research: Modeling, Experimental Data, and Future Directions. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MOLECULAR, BIOLOGICAL, AND MULTI-SCALE COMMUNICATIONS 2021; 7:121-141. [PMID: 35782714 PMCID: PMC8544950 DOI: 10.1109/tmbmc.2021.3071780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are affected by viral infections each year, and yet, several of them neither have vaccines nor effective treatment during and post-infection. This challenge has been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, showing how viruses can quickly spread and impact society as a whole. Novel interdisciplinary techniques must emerge to provide forward-looking strategies to combat viral infections, as well as possible future pandemics. In the past decade, an interdisciplinary area involving bioengineering, nanotechnology and information and communication technology (ICT) has been developed, known as Molecular Communications. This new emerging area uses elements of classical communication systems to molecular signalling and communication found inside and outside biological systems, characterizing the signalling processes between cells and viruses. In this paper, we provide an extensive and detailed discussion on how molecular communications can be integrated into the viral infectious diseases research, and how possible treatment and vaccines can be developed considering molecules as information carriers. We provide a literature review on molecular communications models for viral infection (intra-body and extra-body), a deep analysis on their effects on immune response, how experimental can be used by the molecular communications community, as well as open issues and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Taynnan Barros
- CBIG/BioMediTechTampere University33014TampereFinland
- School of Computer Science and Electronic EngineeringUniversity of EssexColchesterCO4 3SQU.K.
| | - Mladen Veletić
- Intervention CentreOslo University Hospital0424OsloNorway
- Department of Electronic SystemsNorwegian University of Science and Technology7491TrondheimNorway
| | - Masamitsu Kanada
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologyInstitute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingMI48824USA
| | - Massimiliano Pierobon
- Department of Computer Science and EngineeringUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnLincolnNE68588USA
| | - Seppo Vainio
- InfoTech OuluKvantum Institute, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Oulu University90570OuluFinland
| | - Ilangko Balasingham
- Intervention CentreOslo University Hospital0424OsloNorway
- Department of Electronic SystemsNorwegian University of Science and Technology7491TrondheimNorway
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18
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Calina D, Hernández AF, Hartung T, Egorov AM, Izotov BN, Nikolouzakis TK, Tsatsakis A, Vlachoyiannopoulos PG, Docea AO. Challenges and Scientific Prospects of the Newest Generation of mRNA-Based Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11090907. [PMID: 34575056 PMCID: PMC8467884 DOI: 10.3390/life11090907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, traditional, complex and lengthy methods of vaccine development and production would not have been able to ensure proper management of this global public health crisis. Hence, a number of technologies have been developed for obtaining a vaccine quickly and ensuring a large scale production, such as mRNA-based vaccine platforms. The use of mRNA is not a new concept in vaccine development but has leveraged on previous knowledge and technology. The great number of human resources and capital investements for mRNA vaccine development, along with the experience gained from previous studies on infectious diseases, allowed COVID-19 mRNA vaccines to be developed, conditionally approved and commercialy available in less than one year, thanks to decades of basic research. This review critically presents and discusses the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine-induced immunity, and it summarizes the most common anaphylactic and autoimmune adverse effects that have been identified until now after massive vaccination campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Calina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
- Correspondence: (D.C.); (A.O.D.)
| | - Antonio F. Hernández
- Department of Legal Medicine and Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain;
- Biomedical Research Institute of Granada ibs.GRANADA, Avda. de las Fuerzas Armadas, 2, 18014 Granada, Spain
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública), CIBERESP, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Thomas Hartung
- CAAT-Europe, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany;
- CAAT, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Alexey M. Egorov
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products, Russian Academy of Sciences, 108819 Moscow, Russia;
- Division of Medical Sciences, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Boris Nikolaevich Izotov
- Department of Analytical and Forensic Medical Toxicology, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (B.N.I.); (A.T.)
| | | | - Aristidis Tsatsakis
- Department of Analytical and Forensic Medical Toxicology, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (B.N.I.); (A.T.)
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Medical School, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece;
| | | | - Anca Oana Docea
- Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
- Correspondence: (D.C.); (A.O.D.)
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19
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Paiva TO, Cruz-Martins N, Pasion R, Almeida PR, Barbosa F. Boldness Personality Traits Are Associated With Reduced Risk Perceptions and Adoption of Protective Behaviors During the First COVID-19 Outbreak. Front Psychol 2021; 12:633555. [PMID: 34054645 PMCID: PMC8155284 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.633555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The containment measures imposed during the first COVID-19 outbreak required economic, social, and behavioral changes to minimize the spread of the coronavirus. Some studies have focused on how personality predicts distinct patterns of adherence to protective measures with psychopathic and antisocial traits predicting reduced engagement in such measures. In this study we extended previous findings by analyzing how boldness, meanness, and disinhibition psychopathic traits relate with both risk perceptions and protective behaviors during the first COVID-19 outbreak. A sample of 194 individuals (24% male) engaged in the survey, were assessed for psychopathic traits with the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure, and completed a COVID-19 survey targeting risk perceptions (spread, risk of becoming infected, state anxiety toward the COVID-19, and perceived risk of specific behaviors) and frequency of protective behaviors (e.g., not engaging in social distancing). Overall results show that boldness predicts reduced estimate of COVID-19 spread, reduced perceived risk of becoming infected, reduced state anxiety toward COVID-19, and reduced frequency of protective behaviors. Exploratory mediation models suggest that risk perceptions are not significant mediators of the association between psychopathic traits and reduced engagement in protective behaviors. Our results unveil that psychopathic traits affect risk perceptions and the propensity to engage in protective measures, emphasizing the need to accommodate these personality features in the public health strategy to control the COVID-19 spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago O Paiva
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Natália Cruz-Martins
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rita Pasion
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro R Almeida
- Faculty of Law, Interdisciplinary Research Center on Crime, Justice and Security, School of Criminology, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernando Barbosa
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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20
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Bharadwaj S, Dubey A, Yadava U, Mishra SK, Kang SG, Dwivedi VD. Exploration of natural compounds with anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity via inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:1361-1377. [PMID: 33406222 PMCID: PMC7929395 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbaa382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a dreaded pandemic in lack of specific therapeutic agent. SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, an essential factor in viral pathogenesis, is recognized as a prospective therapeutic target in drug discovery against SARS-CoV-2. To tackle this pandemic, Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs are being screened against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro via in silico and in vitro methods to detect the best conceivable drug candidates. However, identification of natural compounds with anti-SARS-CoV-2 Mpro potential have been recommended as rapid and effective alternative for anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic development. Thereof, a total of 653 natural compounds were identified against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro from NP-lib database at MTi-OpenScreen webserver using virtual screening approach. Subsequently, top four potential compounds, i.e. 2,3-Dihydroamentoflavone (ZINC000043552589), Podocarpusflavon-B (ZINC000003594862), Rutin (ZINC000003947429) and Quercimeritrin 6"-O-L-arabinopyranoside (ZINC000070691536), and co-crystallized N3 inhibitor as reference ligand were considered for stringent molecular docking after geometry optimization by DFT method. Each compound exhibited substantial docking energy >-12 kcal/mol and molecular contacts with essential residues, including catalytic dyad (His41 and Cys145) and substrate binding residues, in the active pocket of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro against N3 inhibitor. The screened compounds were further scrutinized via absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion - toxicity (ADMET), quantum chemical calculations, combinatorial molecular simulations and hybrid QM/MM approaches. Convincingly, collected results support the potent compounds for druglikeness and strong binding affinity with the catalytic pocket of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Hence, selected compounds are advocated as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and can be utilized in drug development against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiv Bharadwaj
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, College of Life and Applied Sciences, Yeungnam University, Republic of Korea
| | - Amit Dubey
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, India
| | - Umesh Yadava
- Department of Physics, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, India
| | - Sarad Kumar Mishra
- Department of Biotechnology, D.D.U. Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, UP, India
| | - Sang Gu Kang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, India
| | - Vivek Dhar Dwivedi
- Bioinformatics Scientist at Center for Bioinformatics, Computational and Systems Biology, Pathfinder Research and Training Foundation, Greater Noida, India
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21
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Calina D, Hartung T, Mardare I, Mitroi M, Poulas K, Tsatsakis A, Rogoveanu I, Docea AO. COVID-19 pandemic and alcohol consumption: Impacts and interconnections. Toxicol Rep 2021; 8:529-535. [PMID: 33723508 PMCID: PMC7944101 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2021.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol consumption is associated with multiple diseases and might contribute to vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 infection. It can also catalyze exacerbations of mental and organic illnesses and predispose to behaviors with an increased risk of infection, severity of disease but also independently of sociopathic behavior and violence. Globally, millions of premature deaths from excessive alcohol consumption occur each year. This paper discusses the effects of increased alcohol consumption and the most important consequences on the health of the population during the social isolation and lockdown during current COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Calina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349, Craiova, Romania
| | - Thomas Hartung
- CAAT-Europe at the University of Konstanz, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
- CAAT, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Ileana Mardare
- Department of Public Health and Management, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest, 050463, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mihaela Mitroi
- ENT Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349, Craiova, Romania
| | - Konstantinos Poulas
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Immunology, School of Pharmacy, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Aristidis Tsatsakis
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Analytical and Forensic Medical Toxicology, Sechenov University, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ion Rogoveanu
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349, Craiova, Romania
| | - Anca Oana Docea
- Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349, Craiova, Romania
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22
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Adhikari B, Sahu N. COVID-19 into Chemical Science Perspective: Chemical Preventive Measures and Drug Development. ChemistrySelect 2021; 6:2010-2028. [PMID: 33821213 PMCID: PMC8013609 DOI: 10.1002/slct.202100127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 facts and literature are discussed into chemical science intuition highlighting the direct role of chemistry to the ongoing global pandemic by covering structural identification of the virus, chemical preventive measures and development of drugs. We reviewed the four most promising repurposed drugs which are presently being investigated in mass clinical trials on COVID-19 infected persons and synthetic routes of these drugs with their recent advancement. Chemical preventive measures such as soap water, hand sanitizer and disinfectant are the only available options in the arsenal to fight against COVID-19, till an effective medicine or vaccine will be made available. As such the present review will focus on the mode of action of the major chemical preventives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bimalendu Adhikari
- Department of ChemistryNational Institute of Technology Rourkela RourkelaOdisha769008India
| | - Nihar Sahu
- Department of ChemistryNational Institute of Technology Rourkela RourkelaOdisha769008India
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23
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Liang SB, Zhang YY, Shen C, Liang CH, Lai BY, Dai N, Li YQ, Tian ZY, Zhang XW, Jiang Y, Xiong M, Zhang YP, Zhang Y, Robinson N, Liu JP. Chinese Herbal Medicine Used With or Without Conventional Western Therapy for COVID-19: An Evidence Review of Clinical Studies. Front Pharmacol 2021; 11:583450. [PMID: 33716720 PMCID: PMC7953048 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.583450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: To present the evidence of the therapeutic effects and safety of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) used with or without conventional western therapy for COVID-19. Methods: Clinical studies on the therapeutic effects and safety of CHM for COVID-19 were included. We summarized the general characteristics of included studies, evaluated methodological quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, analyzed the use of CHM, used Revman 5.4 software to present the risk ratio (RR) or mean difference (MD) and their 95% confidence interval (CI) to estimate the therapeutic effects and safety of CHM. Results: A total of 58 clinical studies were identified including RCTs (17.24%, 10), non-randomized controlled trials (1.72%, 1), retrospective studies with a control group (18.97%, 11), case-series (20.69%, 12) and case-reports (41.38%, 24). No RCTs of high methodological quality were identified. The most frequently tested oral Chinese patent medicine, Chinese herbal medicine injection or prescribed herbal decoction were: Lianhua Qingwen granule/capsule, Xuebijing injection and Maxing Shigan Tang. In terms of aggravation rate, pooled analyses showed that there were statistical differences between the intervention group and the comparator group (RR 0.42, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.82, six RCTs; RR 0.38, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.64, five retrospective studies with a control group), that is, CHM plus conventional western therapy appeared better than conventional western therapy alone in reducing aggravation rate. In addition, compared with conventional western therapy, CHM plus conventional western therapy had potential advantages in increasing the recovery rate and shortening the duration of fever, cough and fatigue, improving the negative conversion rate of nucleic acid test, and increasing the improvement rate of chest CT manifestations and shortening the time from receiving the treatment to the beginning of chest CT manifestations improvement. For adverse events, pooled data showed that there were no statistical differences between the CHM and the control groups. Conclusion: Current low certainty evidence suggests that there maybe a tendency that CHM plus conventional western therapy is superior to conventional western therapy alone. The use of CHM did not increase the risk of adverse events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Bing Liang
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Ying-Ying Zhang
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Shen
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Chang-Hao Liang
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Bao-Yong Lai
- The Third Affiliated Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Ning Dai
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Qi Li
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zi-Yu Tian
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Wen Zhang
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Jiang
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Min Xiong
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Ya-Peng Zhang
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Nicola Robinson
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,School of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jian-Ping Liu
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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24
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Wang R, Luo X, Liu F, Luo S. Confronting the threat of SARS-CoV-2: Realities, challenges and therapeutic strategies (Review). Exp Ther Med 2021; 21:155. [PMID: 33456522 PMCID: PMC7807638 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2020.9587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) appeared in2019 in Wuhan, China, and rapidly developed into a global pandemic. The disease has affected not only health care systems and economies worldwide but has also changed the lifestyles and habits of the majority of the world's population. Among the potential targets for SARS-CoV-2 therapy, the viral spike glycoprotein has been studied most intensely, due to its key role in mediating viral entry into target cells and inducing a protective antibody response in infected individuals. In the present manuscript the molecular mechanisms that are responsible for SARS-CoV-2 infection are described and a progress report on the status of SARS-CoV-2 research is provided. A brief review of the clinical symptoms of the condition and current diagnostic methods and treatment plans for SARS-CoV-2 are also presented and the progress of preclinical research into medical intervention against SARS-CoV-2 infection are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixue Wang
- Department of Basic Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, School of Stomatology and Medicine, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoshan Luo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Stomatology and Medicine, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, P.R. China
| | - Fang Liu
- Department of Basic Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, School of Stomatology and Medicine, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, P.R. China
| | - Shuhong Luo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Stomatology and Medicine, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, P.R. China
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25
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Mohandas S, Yadav PD, Shete-Aich A, Abraham P, Vadrevu KM, Sapkal G, Mote C, Nyayanit D, Gupta N, Srinivas VK, Kadam M, Kumar A, Majumdar T, Jain R, Deshpande G, Patil S, Sarkale P, Patil D, Ella R, Prasad SD, Sharma S, Ella KM, Panda S, Bhargava B. Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of BBV152, whole virion inactivated SARS- CoV-2 vaccine candidates in the Syrian hamster model. iScience 2021; 24:102054. [PMID: 33521604 PMCID: PMC7829205 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The availability of a safe and effective vaccine would be the eventual measure to deal with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) threat. Here, we have assessed the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates BBV152A, BBV152B, and BBV152C in Syrian hamsters. Three dose vaccination regimes with vaccine candidates induced significant titers of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG and neutralizing antibodies. BBV152A and BBV152B vaccine candidates remarkably generated a quick and robust immune response. Post-SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccinated hamsters did not show any histopathological changes in the lungs. The protection of the hamster was evident by the rapid clearance of the virus from lower respiratory tract, reduced virus load in upper respiratory tract, absence of lung pathology, and robust humoral immune response. These findings confirm the immunogenic potential of the vaccine candidates and further protection of hamsters challenged with SARS-CoV-2. Of the three candidates, BBV152A showed the better response. Vaccine candidates, BBV152 induced potent humoral immune response in Syrian hamsters Early viral clearance from lower respiratory tract in vaccinated hamsters BBV152 vaccine candidates protected Syrian hamsters from pneumonia
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreelekshmy Mohandas
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra 411021, India
| | - Pragya D Yadav
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra 411021, India
| | - Anita Shete-Aich
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra 411021, India
| | - Priya Abraham
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra 411021, India
| | - Krishna Mohan Vadrevu
- Bharat Biotech International Limited, Genome Valley, Hyderabad, Telangana 500 078, India
| | - Gajanan Sapkal
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra 411021, India
| | - Chandrashekhar Mote
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Krantisinh Nana Patil College of Veterinary Science, Shirwal, Maharashtra 412801, India
| | - Dimpal Nyayanit
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra 411021, India
| | - Nivedita Gupta
- Indian Council of Medical Research,V. Ramalingaswami Bhawan, P.O. Box No. 4911, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India
| | | | - Manoj Kadam
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra 411021, India
| | - Abhimanyu Kumar
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra 411021, India
| | - Triparna Majumdar
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra 411021, India
| | - Rajlaxmi Jain
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra 411021, India
| | - Gururaj Deshpande
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra 411021, India
| | - Savita Patil
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra 411021, India
| | - Prasad Sarkale
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra 411021, India
| | - Deepak Patil
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra 411021, India
| | - Raches Ella
- Bharat Biotech International Limited, Genome Valley, Hyderabad, Telangana 500 078, India
| | - Sai D Prasad
- Bharat Biotech International Limited, Genome Valley, Hyderabad, Telangana 500 078, India
| | - Sharda Sharma
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra 411021, India
| | - Krishna M Ella
- Bharat Biotech International Limited, Genome Valley, Hyderabad, Telangana 500 078, India
| | - Samiran Panda
- Indian Council of Medical Research,V. Ramalingaswami Bhawan, P.O. Box No. 4911, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Balram Bhargava
- Indian Council of Medical Research,V. Ramalingaswami Bhawan, P.O. Box No. 4911, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India
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26
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Nikolouzakis TK, Tsatsakis AM. Dethroning the crown. From the kinetics and dynamics of COVID–19 diagnosis to promising treatments. TOXICOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT AND MULTI-SYSTEM HEALTH IMPACTS FROM EXPOSURE 2021. [PMCID: PMC8342275 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-85215-9.00033-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The SARS–CoV–2 pandemic has become a great stressor for health systems worldwide, and the global scientific community is trying to effectively understand key aspects of this infection in order to halt its progression. National and local authorities have endorsed COVID–19 testing both for symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals who fulfill certain criteria and for public health or infection control purposes. Therefore understanding kinetics and dynamics of COVID–19 is crucial for diagnosis and potential treatments. Current diagnostic modalities include: (1) reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) assay (currently the preferred initial diagnostic test for COVID–19); (2) antigen testing—tests that detect SARS–CoV–2 antigen can be performed rapidly and at the point of care; and (3) serologic detection of antibodies against SARS–CoV–2. As for the treatment, there are a few FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of COVID–19. However, definitive clinical trial data are needed to identify safety of COVID–19 treatments. In the meantime, current practice of SARS–CoV–2 treatment is based greatly on symptomatic care with critical care support applied when hemodynamic, respiratory, or renal insufficiency is needed. Antiviral therapies aim for the inhibition of viral entry (via the ACE2 receptor and TMPRSS2), viral membrane fusion, and endocytosis or the activity of the SARS–CoV–2 3CLprotease and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Moreover, agents that modulate immune response, such as human blood-derived products and immunomodulatory therapies, are being explored as adjunctive treatments for the management of moderate to critical infection. In addition to the antiviral medications and the immune-based therapies administration of antithrombotic therapy, use of vitamins C and D and zinc is suggested.
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Kangabam R, Sahoo S, Ghosh A, Roy R, Silla Y, Misra N, Suar M. Next-generation computational tools and resources for coronavirus research: From detection to vaccine discovery. Comput Biol Med 2021; 128:104158. [PMID: 33301953 PMCID: PMC7705366 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2020.104158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected 215 countries and territories around the world with 60,187,347 coronavirus cases and 17,125,719 currently infected patients confirmed as of the November 25, 2020. Currently, many countries are working on developing new vaccines and therapeutic drugs for this novel virus strain, and a few of them are in different phases of clinical trials. The advancement in high-throughput sequence technologies, along with the application of bioinformatics, offers invaluable knowledge on genomic characterization and molecular pathogenesis of coronaviruses. Recent multi-disciplinary studies using bioinformatics methods like sequence-similarity, phylogenomic, and computational structural biology have provided an in-depth understanding of the molecular and biochemical basis of infection, atomic-level recognition of the viral-host receptor interaction, functional annotation of important viral proteins, and evolutionary divergence across different strains. Additionally, various modern immunoinformatic approaches are also being used to target the most promiscuous antigenic epitopes from the SARS-CoV-2 proteome for accelerating the vaccine development process. In this review, we summarize various important computational tools and databases available for systematic sequence-structural study on coronaviruses. The features of these public resources have been comprehensively discussed, which may help experimental biologists with predictive insights useful for ongoing research efforts to find therapeutics against the infectious COVID-19 disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajiv Kangabam
- KIIT-Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Susrita Sahoo
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Arpan Ghosh
- KIIT-Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India; School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Riya Roy
- KIIT-Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Yumnam Silla
- Advanced Computation and Data Sciences Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology (CSIR-NEIST), Jorhat, 785006, India
| | - Namrata Misra
- KIIT-Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India; School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Mrutyunjay Suar
- KIIT-Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India; School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India.
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Aguirre García MM, Mancilla-Galindo J, Paredes-Paredes M, Tiburcio ÁZ, Ávila-Vanzzini N. Mechanisms of infection by SARS-CoV-2, inflammation and potential links with the microbiome. Future Virol 2021. [PMCID: PMC7876557 DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2020-0310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The pandemic SARS coronavirus 2 utilizes efficient mechanisms to establish infection and evade the immune system. Established infection leads to severe inflammation in susceptible patients, the main hallmark of progression to severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Knowledge of the mechanisms of disease has expanded rapidly. As inflammation emerges as the central pathophysiological feature in COVID-19, elucidating how the immune system, lungs and gut communicate and interact with microbial components of the ecological niches that conform the human microbiome will shed light on how inflammation and disease progression are promoted. Studying the microbiome in COVID-19 could allow scientists to identify novel approaches to prevent severe inflammation by targeting components of the human microbiome. Innovation in the aforementioned is needed to combat this pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Magdalena Aguirre García
- División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Unidad de Investigación UNAM-INC, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Juan Badiano No. 1, Col. Sección XVI, Tlalpan C.P. 14080, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Javier Mancilla-Galindo
- División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Unidad de Investigación UNAM-INC, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Juan Badiano No. 1, Col. Sección XVI, Tlalpan C.P. 14080, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Mercedes Paredes-Paredes
- División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Unidad de Investigación UNAM-INC, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Juan Badiano No. 1, Col. Sección XVI, Tlalpan C.P. 14080, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Álvaro Zamudio Tiburcio
- Departamento de Gastroenterología, Unidad de Trasplante de Microbiota Intestinal, Especialidades Médicas Nápoles, Oficina 12, Pennsylvania No. 209 Esq. Kansas, Col. Nápoles, Benito Juárez C.P 03810, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Nydia Ávila-Vanzzini
- Departamento de Consulta Externa, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Juan Badiano No. 1, Col. Sección XVI, Tlalpan C.P. 14080, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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Bellera CL, Llanos M, Gantner ME, Rodriguez S, Gavernet L, Comini M, Talevi A. Can drug repurposing strategies be the solution to the COVID-19 crisis? Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 16:605-612. [PMID: 33345645 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2021.1863943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in disastrous human and economic costs, mainly due to the initial lack of specific treatments. Complementary to immunotherapies, drug repurposing is possibly the best option to arrive at COVID-19 treatments in the short term.Areas covered: Repurposing prospects undergoing clinical trials or with some level of evidence emerging from clinical studies are overviewed. The authors discuss some possible intellectual property and commercial barriers to drug repurposing, and strategies to facilitate equitable access to incoming therapeutic solutions, highlighting the importance of collaborative drug discovery models. Based on a critical analysis of the available literature about in silico screens against SARS-CoV-2 main protease, the authors illustrate how frequently overconfident conclusions are being drawn in COVID-19-related literature.Expert opinion: Most of the current clinical trials on potential COVID-19 treatments are, in fact, drug repurposing examples. In October 2020, the FDA approved a repurposed antiviral, remdesivir, as the first treatment for COVID-19. Considering the high expectations invested in approaching therapeutic solutions, the scientific community must be careful not to raise unrealistic expectations. Today more than ever, the conclusions drawn in scientific reports have to be fully supported by the level of evidence, avoiding any sort of unfounded speculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina L Bellera
- Laboratory of Bioactive Research and Development (Lideb), Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Universidad Nacional De La Plata (UNLP), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Argentinean National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Manuel Llanos
- Laboratory of Bioactive Research and Development (Lideb), Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Universidad Nacional De La Plata (UNLP), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Argentinean National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Melisa E Gantner
- Laboratory of Bioactive Research and Development (Lideb), Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Universidad Nacional De La Plata (UNLP), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Santiago Rodriguez
- Laboratory of Bioactive Research and Development (Lideb), Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Universidad Nacional De La Plata (UNLP), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Argentinean National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Luciana Gavernet
- Laboratory of Bioactive Research and Development (Lideb), Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Universidad Nacional De La Plata (UNLP), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Argentinean National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Marcelo Comini
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur De Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Alan Talevi
- Laboratory of Bioactive Research and Development (Lideb), Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Universidad Nacional De La Plata (UNLP), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Argentinean National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Argentina
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30
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Wathore R, Gupta A, Bherwani H, Labhasetwar N. Understanding air and water borne transmission and survival of coronavirus: Insights and way forward for SARS-CoV-2. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 749:141486. [PMID: 32827813 PMCID: PMC7402210 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in unprecedented disease burden, healthcare costs, and economic impacts worldwide. Despite several measures, SARS-CoV-2 has been extremely impactful due to its extraordinary infection potential mainly through coronavirus-borne saliva respiratory and droplet nuclei of an infected person and its considerable stability on surfaces. Although the disease has affected over 180 countries, its extent and control are significantly different across the globe, making it a strong case for exploration of its behavior and dependence across various environmental pathways and its interactions with the virus. This has spurred efforts to characterize the coronavirus and understand the factors impacting its transmission and survival such as aerosols, air quality, meteorology, chemical compositions and characteristics of particles and surfaces, which are directly or indirectly associated with coronaviruses infection spread. Nonetheless, many peer-reviewed articles have studied these aspects but mostly in isolation; a complete array of coronavirus survival and transmission from an infected individual through air- and water-borne channels and its subsequent intractions with environmental factors, surfaces, particulates and chemicals is not comprehensively explored. Particulate matter (PM) is omnipresent with variable concentrations, structures and composition, while most of the surfaces are also covered by PM of different characteristics. Learning from the earlier coronavirus studies, including SARS and MERS, an attempt has been made to understand the survival of SARS-CoV-2 outside of the host body and discuss the probable air and water-borne transmission routes and its interactions with the outside environment. The present work 1) Helps appreciate the role of PM, its chemical constituents and surface characteristics and 2) Further identifies gaps in this field and suggests possible domains to work upon for better understanding of transmission and survival of this novel coronavirus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshan Wathore
- CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, India
| | - Ankit Gupta
- CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-NEERI, Nagpur, India
| | - Hemant Bherwani
- CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-NEERI, Nagpur, India
| | - Nitin Labhasetwar
- CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-NEERI, Nagpur, India.
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Farsalinos K, Poulas K, Kouretas D, Vantarakis A, Leotsinidis M, Kouvelas D, Docea AO, Kostoff R, Gerotziafas GT, Antoniou MN, Polosa R, Barbouni A, Yiakoumaki V, Giannouchos TV, Bagos PG, Lazopoulos G, Izotov BN, Tutelyan VA, Aschner M, Hartung T, Wallace HM, Carvalho F, Domingo JL, Tsatsakis A. Improved strategies to counter the COVID-19 pandemic: Lockdowns vs. primary and community healthcare. Toxicol Rep 2020; 8:1-9. [PMID: 33294384 PMCID: PMC7713637 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 pandemic mitigation strategies are mainly based on social distancing measures and healthcare system reinforcement. However, many countries in Europe and elsewhere implemented strict, horizontal lockdowns because of extensive viral spread in the community which challenges the capacity of the healthcare systems. However, strict lockdowns have various untintended adverse social, economic and health effects, which have yet to be fully elucidated, and have not been considered in models examining the effects of various mitigation measures. Unlike commonly suggested, the dilemma is not about health vs wealth because the economic devastation of long-lasting lockdowns will definitely have adverse health effects in the population. Furthermore, they cannot provide a lasting solution in pandemic containment, potentially resulting in a vicious cycle of consecutive lockdowns with in-between breaks. Hospital preparedness has been the main strategy used by governments. However, a major characteristic of the COVID-19 pandemic is the rapid viral transmission in populations with no immunity. Thus, even the best hospital system could not cope with the demand. Primary, community and home care are the only viable strategies that could achieve the goal of pandemic mitigation. We present the case example of Greece, a country which followed a strategy focused on hospital preparedness but failed to reinforce primary and community care. This, along with strategic mistakes in epidemiological surveillance, resulted in Greece implementing a second strict, horizontal lockdown and having one of the highest COVID-19 death rates in Europe during the second wave. We provide recommendations for measures that will reinstate primary and community care at the forefront in managing the current public health crisis by protecting hospitals from unnecessary admissions, providing primary and secondary prevention services in relation to COVID-19 and maintaining population health through treatment of non-COVID-19 conditions. This, together with more selective social distancing measures (instead of horizontal lockdowns), represents the only viable and realistic long-term strategy for COVID-19 pandemic mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Farsalinos
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Immunology, Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, Panepistimiopolis, 26500, Greece
- School of Public Health, University of West Attica, L Alexandras 196A, Athens, 11521, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Poulas
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Immunology, Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, Panepistimiopolis, 26500, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Kouretas
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larisa, 41500, Greece
| | | | - Michalis Leotsinidis
- Lab. of Public Health, Medical School, University of Patras, University Campus, 26504, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Kouvelas
- Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Anca Oana Docea
- Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349, Craiova, Romania
| | - Ronald Kostoff
- School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Gainesville, VA, 20155, USA
| | - Grigorios T. Gerotziafas
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, UMR_S 938, Group de recherche « Cancer-Hemostasis-Angiogenesis », Centre de recherche Saint-Antoine, CRSA, Centre de Thrombose, Tenon-Saint Antoine, University Hospitals, Assistance publique Hôpitaux de Paris, France
| | - Michael N. Antoniou
- Gene Expression and Therapy Group, King's College London, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, 8th Floor, Tower Wing, Guy's Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Riccardo Polosa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 97 95131, Catania, Italy
- Centro Prevenzione Cura Tabagismo, Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Anastastia Barbouni
- School of Public Health, University of West Attica, L Alexandras 196A, Athens, 11521, Greece
| | - Vassiliki Yiakoumaki
- Department of History, Archaeology and Social Anthropology, University of Thessaly, 38221, Volos, Greece
| | - Theodoros V. Giannouchos
- Pharmacotherapy Outcomes Research Center, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Pantelis G. Bagos
- Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics, University of Thessaly, Lamia, 35100, Greece
| | - George Lazopoulos
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Boris N. Izotov
- Department of Analytical Toxicology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Sechenov University, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Victor A. Tutelyan
- Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food Safety, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Eisntein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Thomas Hartung
- Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Konstanz, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Heather M. Wallace
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Félix Carvalho
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Jose L. Domingo
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Aristides Tsatsakis
- Department of Analytical Toxicology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Sechenov University, 119991, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion, Greece
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Tsatsakis A, Calina D, Falzone L, Petrakis D, Mitrut R, Siokas V, Pennisi M, Lanza G, Libra M, Doukas SG, Doukas PG, Kavali L, Bukhari A, Gadiparthi C, Vageli DP, Kofteridis DP, Spandidos DA, Paoliello MMB, Aschner M, Docea AO. SARS-CoV-2 pathophysiology and its clinical implications: An integrative overview of the pharmacotherapeutic management of COVID-19. Food Chem Toxicol 2020; 146:111769. [PMID: 32979398 PMCID: PMC7833750 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2020.111769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Common manifestations of COVID-19 are respiratory and can extend from mild symptoms to severe acute respiratory distress. The severity of the illness can also extend from mild disease to life-threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). SARS-CoV-2 infection can also affect the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreatic functions, leading to gastrointestinal symptoms. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 can cause central and peripheral neurological manifestations, affect the cardiovascular system and promote renal dysfunction. Epidemiological data have indicated that cancer patients are at a higher risk of contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Considering the multitude of clinical symptoms of COVID-19, the objective of the present review was to summarize their pathophysiology in previously healthy patients, as well as in those with comorbidities. The present review summarizes the current, though admittedly fluid knowledge on the pathophysiology and symptoms of COVID-19 infection. Although unclear issues still remain, the present study contributes to a more complete understanding of the disease, and may drive the direction of new research. The recognition of the severity of the clinical symptoms of COVID-19 is crucial for the specific therapeutic management of affected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aristides Tsatsakis
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion, Greece; I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 119146, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Daniela Calina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349, Craiova, Romania.
| | - Luca Falzone
- Epidemiology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale", 80131, Naples, Italy.
| | - Dimitrios Petrakis
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion, Greece.
| | - Radu Mitrut
- Department of Cardiology, University and Emergency Hospital, 050098, Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Vasileios Siokas
- Department of Neurology, University of Thessaly, University Hospital of Larissa, 41221, Larissa, Greece.
| | - Manuela Pennisi
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Lanza
- Department of Surgery and Medical-Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy; Department of Neurology IC, Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018, Troina, Italy.
| | - Massimo Libra
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy; Research Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy.
| | - Sotirios G Doukas
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion, Greece; Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Peter's University Hospital, 254 Easton Ave, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
| | - Panagiotis G Doukas
- University of Pavol Josef Safarik University, Faculty of Medicine, Kosice, Slovakia.
| | - Leena Kavali
- Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Peter's University Hospital, 254 Easton Ave, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
| | - Amar Bukhari
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care 240 Easton Ave, Adult Ambulatory at Cares Building 4th Floor, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
| | - Chiranjeevi Gadiparthi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Nutrition, Saint Peter's University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
| | - Dimitra P Vageli
- Department of Surgery, The Yale Larynx Laboratory, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
| | - Diamantis P Kofteridis
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71110, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
| | - Demetrios A Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, 71003, Greece.
| | - Monica M B Paoliello
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Eisntein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
| | - Michael Aschner
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 119146, Moscow, Russia; Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Eisntein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
| | - Anca Oana Docea
- Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349, Craiova, Romania.
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Fatima S, Haider N, Alam MA, Gani MA, Ahmad R. Herbal approach for the management of C0VID-19: an overview. Drug Metab Pers Ther 2020; 0:/j/dmdi.ahead-of-print/dmdi-2020-0150/dmdi-2020-0150.xml. [PMID: 33128525 DOI: 10.1515/dmdi-2020-0150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 is the most recently discovered coronavirus infectious disease and leads to pandemic all over the world. The clinical continuum of COVID-19 varies from mild illness with non-specific signs and symptoms of acute respiratory disease to extreme respiratory pneumonia and septic shock. It can transmit from animal to human in the form of touch, through the air, water, utensils, fomite and feco-oral route blood. The pathogenesis and clinical features of COVID-19 be the same as the clinical manifestation associated epidemic Fever. In Unani medicine, various herbal drugs are described under the caption of epidemic disease. Great Unani scholar also Avicenna (980-1037 AD) recommended that during epidemic condition movement should be restricted, self-isolation, fumigation around the habitant with perfumed herbs (Ood, Kafoor, Sumbuluttib, Saad Kofi, Loban, etc.), and use of appropriate antidotes (Tiryaqe Wabai) and vinegar (Sirka) as prophylaxis. Herbal approach is based on single (Unnab-Ziziphus jujuba, Sapistan-Cordia myxa, Bahidana-Cydonia oblonga, Khatmi-Althea officinalis, Khubazi-Malva sylvestris, Zafran-Crocus sativus, Sibr-Aloe barbedensis, Murmuki-Commiphora myrrha, Darchini-Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Qaranfal-Syzygium aromaticum, Rihan-Oscimum sanctum, Habtus Sauda-Nigella sativa, Aslus Sus-Glycyrrhiza glabra, Maghze Amaltas-Cassia fistula and Adusa-Adhatoda vasica) and compound drugs (Habbe Bukhar, Sharbat Khaksi, Sharbat Zanjabeel, Naqu Nazla, Majoon Chobchini, Jawrish Jalinus and Khamira Marvareed) most of them are claimed for anti-viral, anti-pyretic, blood purifier, cardioprotective and expectorant activities. Traditionally most of the herbal practitioners are using it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Fatima
- Department of Unani Pharmacy, National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bangalore, India
| | - Nafis Haider
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Prince Sultan Military College of Health Sciences, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Md Anzar Alam
- Department of Medicine, National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bangalore, India
| | - Mohd Abdul Gani
- Department of Pharmacology, National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bangalore, India
| | - Rafeeque Ahmad
- The New York School of Medical and Dental Assistants, Long Island City, NY, USA
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Kostoff RN, Kanduc D, Porter AL, Shoenfeld Y, Calina D, Briggs MB, Spandidos DA, Tsatsakis A. Vaccine- and natural infection-induced mechanisms that could modulate vaccine safety. Toxicol Rep 2020; 7:1448-1458. [PMID: 33110761 PMCID: PMC7581376 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2020.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A degraded/dysfunctional immune system appears to be the main determinant of serious/fatal reaction to viral infection (for COVID-19, SARS, and influenza alike). There are four major approaches being employed or considered presently to augment or strengthen the immune system, in order to reduce adverse effects of viral exposure. The three approaches that are focused mainly on augmenting the immune system are based on the concept that pandemics/outbreaks can be controlled/prevented while maintaining the immune-degrading lifestyles followed by much of the global population. The fourth approach is based on identifying and introducing measures aimed at strengthening the immune system intrinsically in order to minimize future pandemics/outbreaks. Specifically, the four measures are: 1) restricting exposure to virus; 2) providing reactive/tactical treatments to reduce viral load; 3) developing vaccines to prevent, or at least attenuate, the infection; 4) strengthening the immune system intrinsically, by a) identifying those factors that contribute to degrading the immune system, then eliminating/reducing them as comprehensively, thoroughly, and rapidly as possible, and b) replacing the eliminated factors with immune-strengthening factors. This paper focuses on vaccine safety. A future COVID-19 vaccine appears to be the treatment of choice at the national/international level. Vaccine development has been accelerated to achieve this goal in the relatively near-term, and questions have arisen whether vaccine safety has been/is being/will be compromised in pursuit of a shortened vaccine development time. There are myriad mechanisms related to vaccine-induced, and natural infection-induced, infections that could adversely impact vaccine effectiveness and safety. This paper summarizes many of those mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald N. Kostoff
- Research Affiliate, School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Gainesville, VA, 20155, USA
| | - Darja Kanduc
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies, and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70125 Bari, Italy
| | - Alan L. Porter
- School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- Search Technology, Inc., Peachtree Corners, GA, 30092, USA
| | - Yehuda Shoenfeld
- Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer 5265601, Israel
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Daniela Calina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
| | | | - Demetrios A. Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, 71409, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Aristidis Tsatsakis
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
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Sharifi-Rad J, Kamiloglu S, Yeskaliyeva B, Beyatli A, Alfred MA, Salehi B, Calina D, Docea AO, Imran M, Anil Kumar NV, Romero-Román ME, Maroyi A, Martorell M. Pharmacological Activities of Psoralidin: A Comprehensive Review of the Molecular Mechanisms of Action. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:571459. [PMID: 33192514 PMCID: PMC7643726 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.571459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of the most relevant studies on the pharmacological properties and molecular mechanisms of psoralidin, a bioactive compound from the seeds of Cullen corylifolium (L.) Medik. confirmed its complex therapeutic potential. In the last years, the interest of the scientific community regarding psoralidin increased, especially after the discovery of its benefits in estrogen-related diseases and as a chemopreventive agent. Growing preclinical pieces of evidence indicate that psoralidin has anticancer, antiosteoporotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-vitiligo, antibacterial, antiviral, and antidepressant-like effects. Here, we provide a comprehensive and critical review of psoralidin on its bioavailability, pharmacological activities with focus on molecular mechanisms and cell signaling pathways. In this review, we conducted literature research on the PubMed database using the following keywords: “Psoralidin” or “therapeutic effects” or “biological activity” or “Cullen corylifolium” in order to identify relevant studies regarding PSO bioavailability and mechanisms of therapeutic effects in different diseases based on preclinical, experimental studies. In the light of psoralidin beneficial actions for human health, this paper gathers complete information on its pharmacotherapeutic effects and opens new natural therapeutic perspectives in chronic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Sharifi-Rad
- Phytochemistry Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Senem Kamiloglu
- Science and Technology Application and Research Center (BITAUM), Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Balakyz Yeskaliyeva
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Ahmet Beyatli
- Department of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mary Angelia Alfred
- Department of Chemistry, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Bahare Salehi
- Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Daniela Calina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Craiova, Romania
| | - Anca Oana Docea
- Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Craiova, Romania
| | - Muhammad Imran
- Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University Institute of Diet and Nutritional Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Maria Eugenia Romero-Román
- Laboratorio de Análisis Químico, Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Alfred Maroyi
- Department of Botany, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa
| | - Miquel Martorell
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Centre for Healthy Living, University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile.,Unidad de Desarrollo Tecnológico, UDT, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
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36
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Kostoff RN, Briggs MB, Porter AL, Spandidos DA, Tsatsakis A. [Comment] COVID‑19 vaccine safety. Int J Mol Med 2020; 46:1599-1602. [PMID: 33000193 PMCID: PMC7521561 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2020.4733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In response to the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, and the resulting COVID-19 pandemic, a global competition to develop an anti-COVID-19 vaccine has ensued. The targeted time frame for initial vaccine deployment is late 2020. The present article examines whether short-term, mid-term, and long-term vaccine safety can be achieved under such an accelerated schedule, given the myriad vaccine-induced mechanisms that have demonstrated adverse effects based on previous clinical trials and laboratory research. It presents scientific evidence of potential pitfalls associated with eliminating critical phase II and III clinical trials, and concludes that there is no substitute currently available for long-term human clinical trials to ensure long-term human safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald N Kostoff
- School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Gainesville, VA 20155, USA
| | | | - Alan L Porter
- School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Demetrios A Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Aristidis Tsatsakis
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Medical School, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
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37
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Rabaan AA, Al-Ahmed SH, Sah R, Tiwari R, Yatoo MI, Patel SK, Pathak M, Malik YS, Dhama K, Singh KP, Bonilla-Aldana DK, Haque S, Martinez-Pulgarin DF, Rodriguez-Morales AJ, Leblebicioglu H. SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 and advances in developing potential therapeutics and vaccines to counter this emerging pandemic. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob 2020; 19:40. [PMID: 32878641 PMCID: PMC7464065 DOI: 10.1186/s12941-020-00384-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), causing an emerging coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which has taken a catastrophic turn with high toll rates in China and subsequently spreading across the globe. The rapid spread of this virus to more than 210 countries while affecting more than 25 million people and causing more than 843,000 human deaths, it has resulted in a pandemic situation in the world. The SARS-CoV-2 virus belongs to the genus Betacoronavirus, like MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, all of which originated in bats. It is highly contagious, causing symptoms like fever, dyspnea, asthenia and pneumonia, thrombocytopenia, and the severely infected patients succumb to the disease. Coronaviruses (CoVs) among all known RNA viruses have the largest genomes ranging from 26 to 32 kb in length. Extensive research has been conducted to understand the molecular basis of the SARS-CoV-2 infection and evolution, develop effective therapeutics, antiviral drugs, and vaccines, and to design rapid and confirmatory viral diagnostics as well as adopt appropriate prevention and control strategies. To date, August 30, 2020, no effective, proven therapeutic antibodies or specific drugs, and vaccines have turned up. In this review article, we describe the underlying molecular organization and phylogenetic analysis of the coronaviruses, including the SARS-CoV-2, and recent advances in diagnosis and vaccine development in brief and focusing mainly on developing potential therapeutic options that can be explored to manage this pandemic virus infection, which would help in valid countering of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali A Rabaan
- Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shamsah H Al-Ahmed
- Specialty Paediatric Medicine, Qatif Central Hospital, Qatif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ranjit Sah
- Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Ruchi Tiwari
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Sciences, UP Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalay Evum Go-Anusandhan Sansthan (DUVASU), Mathura, 281001, India
| | - Mohd Iqbal Yatoo
- Sher-E-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190025, India
| | - Shailesh Kumar Patel
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, 243 122, India
| | - Mamta Pathak
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, 243 122, India
| | - Yashpal Singh Malik
- Division of Biological Standardization, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, 243 122, India
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, 243 122, India.
| | - Karam Pal Singh
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, 243 122, India
| | - D Katterine Bonilla-Aldana
- Semillero de Investigación en Zoonosis (SIZOO), Grupo de Investigación BIOECOS, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas, Sede Pereira, Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia
- Public Health and Infection Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Tecnologica de Pereira, Pereira, Colombia
| | - Shafiul Haque
- Research and Scientific Studies Unit, College of Nursing & Allied Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Dayron F Martinez-Pulgarin
- Public Health and Infection Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Tecnologica de Pereira, Pereira, Colombia
| | - Alfonso J Rodriguez-Morales
- Public Health and Infection Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Tecnologica de Pereira, Pereira, Colombia.
- Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Americas, Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia.
- School of Medicine, Universidad Privada Franz Tamayo (UNIFRANZ), Cochabamba, Bolivia.
| | - Hakan Leblebicioglu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Samsun VM Medicalpark Hospital, Samsun, Turkey
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38
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Akiyama T, Hirata T, Fujimoto T, Hatakeyama S, Yamazaki R, Nomura T. The Natural-Mineral-Based Novel Nanomaterial IFMC Increases Intravascular Nitric Oxide without Its Intake: Implications for COVID-19 and beyond. NANOMATERIALS 2020; 10:nano10091699. [PMID: 32872395 PMCID: PMC7559745 DOI: 10.3390/nano10091699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
There are currently no promising therapy strategies for either the treatment or prevention of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), despite the urgent need. In addition to respiratory diseases, vascular complications are rapidly emerging as a key threat of COVID-19. Existing nitric oxide (NO) therapies have been shown to improve the vascular system; however, they have different limitations in terms of safety, usability and availability. In light of this, we hypothesise that a natural-mineral-based novel nanomaterial, which was developed based on NO therapy, might be a viable strategy for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. The present study examined if it could induce an increase of intravascular NO, vasodilation and the consequent increase of blood flow rate and temperature in a living body. The intravascular NO concentration in the hepatic portal of rats was increased by 0.17 nM over 35.2 s on average after its application. An ultrasonic Doppler flow meter showed significant increases in the blood flow rate and vessel diameter, but no difference in the blood flow velocity. These were corroborated by measurements of human hand surface temperature. To our knowledge, this result is the first evidence where an increase of intravascular NO and vasodilation were induced by bringing a natural-mineral-based nanomaterial into contact with or close to a living body. The precise mechanisms remain a matter for further investigation; however, we may assume that endothelial NO synthase, haemoglobin and endothelium-derived hyperpolarising factor are deeply involved in the increase of intravascular NO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Akiyama
- Advanced Research Laboratories, Tokyo City University, Tokyo 158-8557, Japan;
- Graduate School of Information Technology, Kobe Institute of Computing, Kobe 650-0001, Japan
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Sophia University, Tokyo 102-8554, Japan
- Correspondence: (T.A.); (T.H.)
| | - Takamichi Hirata
- Advanced Research Laboratories, Tokyo City University, Tokyo 158-8557, Japan;
- Graduate School of Integrative Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Chemistry, Tokyo City University, Tokyo 158-8557, Japan; (S.H.); (R.Y.)
- Correspondence: (T.A.); (T.H.)
| | - Takahiro Fujimoto
- Advanced Research Laboratories, Tokyo City University, Tokyo 158-8557, Japan;
- Clinic F Laser Medicine & Surgery, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
| | - Shinnosuke Hatakeyama
- Graduate School of Integrative Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Chemistry, Tokyo City University, Tokyo 158-8557, Japan; (S.H.); (R.Y.)
| | - Ryuhei Yamazaki
- Graduate School of Integrative Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Chemistry, Tokyo City University, Tokyo 158-8557, Japan; (S.H.); (R.Y.)
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39
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COVID-19 vaccines: ethical framework concerning human challenge studies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 28:807-812. [PMID: 32851596 PMCID: PMC7449865 DOI: 10.1007/s40199-020-00371-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Background The pandemic associated with the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus continues to spread worldwide. The most favorable epidemic control scenario, which provides long-term protection against COVID-19 outbreak, is the development and distribution of an effective and safe vaccine. The need to develop a new COVID-19 vaccine is pressing; however, it is likely to take a long time, possibly several years. This is due to the time required to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the proposed vaccine. and the time required to manufacture and distribute millions of doses. Objectives To accelerate this development and associated safety testing, the deliberate infection of healthy volunteers has been suggested. The purpose of this short communication is to describe the ethical aspects of this type of testing, Results Deliberate infection of volunteers with a dangerous virus such as SARS-CoV-2 was initially considered unethical by researchers; but the current pandemic is so different from previous ones that these studies are considered ethical if certain criteria are met. Participants in human challenge studies must be relatively young, in good health and must receive the highest quality medical care, with frequent monitoring. Tests should also be performed with great caution and specialized medical supervision. Besides, the fact that obtaining vaccines faster through deliberate infection studies of healthy people has greater benefits than risks, has been demonstrated by obtaining other vaccines in other historical pandemics such as: smallpox, influenza, malaria, typhoid fever, Dengue fever and Zika. Conclusions One possibility to shorten the time required for the development of COVID-19 vaccines is to reduce clinical phases II and III by using human challenge studies through eliberate infection of healthy volunteers with SARS-CoV-2 after administration of the candidate vaccine. Accelerating the development of a COVID-19 vaccine even for a few weeks or months would have a great beneficial impact on public health by saving many lives. Graphical abstract ![]()
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40
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Sharifi-Rad J, Rodrigues CF, Stojanović-Radić Z, Dimitrijević M, Aleksić A, Neffe-Skocińska K, Zielińska D, Kołożyn-Krajewska D, Salehi B, Milton Prabu S, Schutz F, Docea AO, Martins N, Calina D. Probiotics: Versatile Bioactive Components in Promoting Human Health. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2020; 56:E433. [PMID: 32867260 PMCID: PMC7560221 DOI: 10.3390/medicina56090433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The positive impact of probiotic strains on human health has become more evident than ever before. Often delivered through food, dietary products, supplements, and drugs, different legislations for safety and efficacy issues have been prepared. Furthermore, regulatory agencies have addressed various approaches toward these products, whether they authorize claims mentioning a disease's diagnosis, prevention, or treatment. Due to the diversity of bacteria and yeast strains, strict approaches have been designed to assess for side effects and post-market surveillance. One of the most essential delivery systems of probiotics is within food, due to the great beneficial health effects of this system compared to pharmaceutical products and also due to the increasing importance of food and nutrition. Modern lifestyle or various diseases lead to an imbalance of the intestinal flora. Nonetheless, as the amount of probiotic use needs accurate calculations, different factors should also be taken into consideration. One of the novelties of this review is the presentation of the beneficial effects of the administration of probiotics as a potential adjuvant therapy in COVID-19. Thus, this paper provides an integrative overview of different aspects of probiotics, from human health care applications to safety, quality, and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Sharifi-Rad
- Phytochemistry Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1991953381, Iran;
| | - Célia F. Rodrigues
- LEPABE—Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Zorica Stojanović-Radić
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, University of Niš, 18000 Niš, Serbia; (Z.S.-R.); (M.D.); (A.A.)
| | - Marina Dimitrijević
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, University of Niš, 18000 Niš, Serbia; (Z.S.-R.); (M.D.); (A.A.)
| | - Ana Aleksić
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, University of Niš, 18000 Niš, Serbia; (Z.S.-R.); (M.D.); (A.A.)
| | - Katarzyna Neffe-Skocińska
- Department of Food Gastronomy and Food Hygiene, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS), 02-776 Warszawa, Poland; (K.N.-S.); (D.Z.); (D.K.-K.)
| | - Dorota Zielińska
- Department of Food Gastronomy and Food Hygiene, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS), 02-776 Warszawa, Poland; (K.N.-S.); (D.Z.); (D.K.-K.)
| | - Danuta Kołożyn-Krajewska
- Department of Food Gastronomy and Food Hygiene, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS), 02-776 Warszawa, Poland; (K.N.-S.); (D.Z.); (D.K.-K.)
| | - Bahare Salehi
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam 44340847, Iran
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam 44340847, Iran
| | - Selvaraj Milton Prabu
- Department of Zoology, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar 608002, Chidambaram, India;
| | - Francine Schutz
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Anca Oana Docea
- Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
| | - Natália Martins
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal;
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Daniela Calina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
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41
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Kostoff RN, Briggs MB, Porter AL, Hernández AF, Abdollahi M, Aschner M, Tsatsakis A. The under-reported role of toxic substance exposures in the COVID-19 pandemic. Food Chem Toxicol 2020; 145:111687. [PMID: 32805343 PMCID: PMC7426727 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2020.111687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and previous pandemics have been viewed almost exclusively as virology problems, with toxicology problems mostly being ignored. This perspective is not supported by the evolution of COVID-19, where the impact of real-life exposures to multiple toxic stressors degrading the immune system is followed by the SARS-CoV-2 virus exploiting the degraded immune system to trigger a chain of events ultimately leading to COVID-19. This immune system degradation from multiple toxic stressors (chemical, physical, biological, psychosocial stressors) means that attribution of serious consequences from COVID-19 should be made to the virus-toxic stressors nexus, not to any of the nexus constituents in isolation. The leading toxic stressors (identified in this study as contributing to COVID-19) are pervasive, contributing to myriad chronic diseases as well as immune system degradation. They increase the likelihood for comorbidities and mortality associated with COVID-19. For the short-term, tactical/reactive virology-focused treatments are of higher priority than strategic/proactive toxicology-focused treatments, although both could be implemented in parallel to reinforce each other. However, for long-term pandemic prevention, toxicology-based approaches should be given higher priority than virology-based approaches. Since current COVID-19 treatments globally ignore the toxicology component almost completely, only limited benefits can be expected from these treatments. Toxicology contributions to COVID-19 are mostly ignored relative to virology contributions. Exposure to myriad toxic substances degrades the immune system, whose resulting dysfunction is then exploited by SARS-CoV-2 to result in COVID-19. Attribution of serious consequences from COVID-19 should be made to the virus-toxic stressors combination nexus, not to any of the nexus constituents in isolation. Effective treatments need to address toxicology and virology interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald N Kostoff
- Research Affiliate, School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Gainesville, VA, USA.
| | | | - Alan L Porter
- School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA; Search Technology, Peachtree Corners, GA, USA
| | - Antonio F Hernández
- Department of Legal Medicine and Toxicology, University of Granada School of Medicine, Health Sciences Technological Park, Granada, Spain
| | - Mohammad Abdollahi
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Aristidis Tsatsakis
- IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia; Laboratory of Toxicolgy and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion, Greece
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