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El-Megharbel SM, Qahl SH, Albogami B, Hamza RZ. Chemical and spectroscopic characterization of (Artemisinin/Querctin/ Zinc) novel mixed ligand complex with assessment of its potent high antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and antioxidant capacity against toxicity induced by acrylamide in male rats. PeerJ 2024; 12:e15638. [PMID: 38188145 PMCID: PMC10768679 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
A novel Artemisinin/Quercetin/Zinc (Art/Q/Zn) mixed ligand complex was synthesized, tested for its antiviral activity against coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), and investigated for its effect against toxicity and oxidative stress induced by acrylamide (Acy), which develops upon cooking starchy foods at high temperatures. The synthesized complex was chemically characterized by performing elemental analysis, conductance measurements, FT-IR, UV, magnetic measurements, and XRD. The morphological surface of the complex Art/Q/Zn was investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (XRD). The in vitro antiviral activity of the complex Art/Q/Zn against SARS-CoV-2 and its in vivo activity against Acy-induced toxicity in hepatic and pulmonary tissues were analyzed. An experimental model was used to evaluate the beneficial effects of the novel Art/Q/Zn novel complex on lung and liver toxicities of Acy. Forty male rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, Acy (500 mg/Kg), Art/Q/Zn (30 mg/kg), and a combination of Acy and Art/Q/Zn. The complex was orally administered for 30 days. Hepatic function and inflammation marker (CRP), tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-6 (IL-6), antioxidant enzyme (CAT, SOD, and GPx), marker of oxidative stress (MDA), and blood pressure levels were investigated. Histological and ultrastructure alterations and caspase-3 variations (immunological marker) were also investigated. FT-IR spectra revealed that Zn (II) is able to chelate through C=O and C-OH (Ring II) which are the carbonyl oxygen atoms of the quercetin ligand and carbonyl oxygen atom C=O of the Art ligand, forming Art/Q/Zn complex with the chemical formula [Zn(Q)(Art)(Cl)(H2O)2]⋅3H2O. The novel complex exhibited a potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity even at a low concentration (IC50 = 10.14 µg/ml) and was not cytotoxic to the cellular host (CC50 = 208.5 µg/ml). Art/Q/Zn may inhibit the viral replication and binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor and the main protease inhibitor (MPro), thereby inhibiting the activity of SARS-CoV-2 and this proved by the molecular dynamics simulation. It alleviated Acy hepatic and pulmonary toxicity by improving all biochemical markers. Therefore, it can be concluded that the novel formula Art/Q/Zn complex is an effective antioxidant agent against the oxidative stress series, and it has high inhibitory effect against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samy M. El-Megharbel
- Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Safa H. Qahl
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bander Albogami
- Biology Department, College of Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Reham Z. Hamza
- Biology Department, College of Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
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2
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Baggieri M, Gioacchini S, Borgonovo G, Catinella G, Marchi A, Picone P, Vasto S, Fioravanti R, Bucci P, Kojouri M, Giuseppetti R, D'Ugo E, Ubaldi F, Dallavalle S, Nuzzo D, Pinto A, Magurano F. Antiviral, virucidal and antioxidant properties of Artemisia annua against SARS-CoV-2. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 168:115682. [PMID: 37832410 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural products are a rich source of bioactive molecules that have potential pharmacotherapeutic applications. In this study, we focused on Artemisia annua (A. annua) and its enriched extracts which were biologically evaluated in vitro as virucidal, antiviral, and antioxidant agents, with a potential application against the COVID-19 infection. The crude extract showed virucidal, antiviral and antioxidant effects in concentrations that did not affect cell viability. Scopoletin, arteannuin B and artemisinic acid (single fractions isolated from A. annua) exerted a considerable virucidal and antiviral effect in vitro starting from a concentration of 50 µg/mL. Data from Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) showed that the inhibition of the viral infection was due to the interaction of these compounds with the 3CLpro and Spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2, suggesting that the main interaction of compounds may interfere with the viral pathways during the insertion and the replication process. The present study suggests that natural extract of A. annua and its components could have a key role as antioxidants and antiviral agents and support the fight against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other possible emerging Coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Baggieri
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Silvia Gioacchini
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Gigliola Borgonovo
- Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente, DeFENS, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Giorgia Catinella
- Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente, DeFENS, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Antonella Marchi
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Pasquale Picone
- Istituto per la Ricerca e l'Innovazione Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via U. La Malfa 153, 0146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Sonya Vasto
- Istituto per la Ricerca e l'Innovazione Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via U. La Malfa 153, 0146 Palermo, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Chimiche, Farmaceutiche e Tecnologiche, STEBICEF, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Raoul Fioravanti
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Paola Bucci
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Maedeh Kojouri
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Roberto Giuseppetti
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Emilio D'Ugo
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | | | - Sabrina Dallavalle
- Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente, DeFENS, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Domenico Nuzzo
- Istituto per la Ricerca e l'Innovazione Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via U. La Malfa 153, 0146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Andrea Pinto
- Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente, DeFENS, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Fabio Magurano
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma, Italy.
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Marchesi E, Gentili V, Bortolotti D, Preti L, Marchetti P, Cristofori V, Fantinati A, Rizzo R, Trapella C, Perrone D, Navacchia ML. Dihydroartemisinin-Ursodeoxycholic Bile Acid Hybrids in the Fight against SARS-CoV-2. ACS Omega 2023; 8:45078-45087. [PMID: 38046338 PMCID: PMC10688034 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c07034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Here, we propose the molecular hybridization of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and ursodeoxycholic bile acid (UDCA), approved drugs, for the preparation of antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2. DHA and UDCA were selected on the basis of their recently demonstrated in vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2. A selection of DHA-UDCA-based hybrids obtained by varying the nature of the linkage and the bile acid conjugation point as well as unconjugated DHA and UDCA were tested in vitro for cytotoxicity and anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity on Vero E6 and Calu-3 human lung cells. The hybrid DHA-t-UDCMe, obtained by conjugation via click chemistry on a gram scale, was identified as a potential candidate for SARS-CoV-2 infection treatment due to significant reduction of viral replication, possibly involving ACE2 downregulation, no cytotoxicity, and chemical stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Marchesi
- Department
of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Valentina Gentili
- Department
of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Daria Bortolotti
- Department
of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Preti
- Department
of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Paolo Marchetti
- Department
of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Virginia Cristofori
- Department
of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Anna Fantinati
- Department
of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Roberta Rizzo
- Department
of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Claudio Trapella
- Department
of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Daniela Perrone
- Department
of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Navacchia
- Institute
for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity (ISOF), National Research
Council of Italy (CNR), Via P. Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna, Italy
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Nabi N, Singh S, Saffeullah P. An updated review on distribution, biosynthesis and pharmacological effects of artemisinin: A wonder drug. Phytochemistry 2023; 214:113798. [PMID: 37517615 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2023.113798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Plant-based drugs have been used for centuries for treating different ailments. Malaria, one of the prevalent threats in many parts of the world, is treated mainly by artemisinin-based drugs derived from plants of genus Artemisia. However, the distribution of artemisinin is restricted to a few species of the genus; besides, its yield depends on ontogeny and the plant's geographical location. Here, we review the studies focusing on biosynthesis and distributional pattern of artemisinin production in species of the genus Artemisia. We also discussed various agronomic and in vitro methods and molecular approaches to increase the yield of artemisinin. We have summarized different mechanisms of artemisinin involved in its anti-malarial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral activities (like against Covid-19). Overall the current review provides a synopsis of a global view of the distribution of artemisinin, its biosynthesis, and pharmacological potential in treating various diseases like malaria, cancer, and coronavirus, which may provoke future research efforts in drug development. Nevertheless, long-term trials and molecular approaches, like CRISPR-Cas, are required for in-depth research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neelofer Nabi
- Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190006, India
| | - Seema Singh
- Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190006, India
| | - Peer Saffeullah
- Department of Botany, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, 110062, India.
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Nikitin E, Fitsev I, Egorova A, Logvinenko L, Terenzhev D, Bekmuratova F, Rakhmaeva A, Shumatbaev G, Gatiyatullina A, Shevchuk O, Kalinnikova T. Five Different Artemisia L. Species Ethanol Extracts' Phytochemical Composition and Their Antimicrobial and Nematocide Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14372. [PMID: 37762675 PMCID: PMC10532408 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the plants that exhibit significant or established pharmacological activity, the genus Artemisia L. deserves special attention. This genus comprises over 500 species belonging to the largest Asteraceae family. Our study aimed at providing a comprehensive evaluation of the phytochemical composition of the ethanol extracts of five different Artemisia L. species (collected from the southwest of the Russian Federation) and their antimicrobial and nematocide activity as follows: A. annua cv. Novichok., A. dracunculus cv. Smaragd, A. santonica cv. Citral, A. abrotanum cv. Euxin, and A. scoparia cv. Tavrida. The study of the ethanol extracts of the five different Artemisia L. species using the methods of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) allowed establishing their phytochemical profile. The obtained data on the of five different Artemisia L. species ethanol extracts' phytochemical composition were used to predict the antibacterial and antifungal activity against phytopathogenic microorganisms and nematocidal activity against the free-living soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The major compounds found in the composition of the Artemisia L. ethanol extracts were monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, flavonoid glycosides, coumarins, and phenolic acids. The antibacterial and antifungal activity of the extracts began to manifest at a concentration of 150 µg/mL. The A. dracunculus cv. Smaragd extract had a selective effect against Gram-positive R. iranicus and B. subtilis bacteria, whereas the A. scoparia cv. Tavrida extract had a selective effect against Gram-negative A. tumefaciens and X. arboricola bacteria and A. solani, R. solani and F. graminearum fungi. The A. annua cv. Novichok, A. dracunculus cv. Smaragd, and A. santonica cv. Citral extracts in the concentration range of 31.3-1000 µg/mL caused the death of nematodes. It was established that A. annua cv. Novichok affects the UNC-63 protein, the molecular target of which is the nicotine receptor of the N-subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny Nikitin
- A.E. Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, Kazan Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Arbuzov Str. 8, 420088 Kazan, Russia; (E.N.)
| | - Igor Fitsev
- A.M. Butlerov Chemical Institute, Kazan Federal University, Kremlevskaya Str. 18, 420008 Kazan, Russia
| | - Anastasia Egorova
- Research Institute for Problems of Ecology and Mineral Wealth Use of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, Daurskaya Str. 28, 420087 Kazan, Russia
| | - Lidia Logvinenko
- Nikitsky Botanic Gardens, National Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, 298648 Yalta, Russia (O.S.)
| | - Dmitriy Terenzhev
- A.E. Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, Kazan Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Arbuzov Str. 8, 420088 Kazan, Russia; (E.N.)
| | - Feruzakhon Bekmuratova
- Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution «Federal Center for Toxicological, Radiation, and Biological Safety», Nauchny Gorodok-2, 420075 Kazan, Russia;
| | - Adelya Rakhmaeva
- A.E. Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, Kazan Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Arbuzov Str. 8, 420088 Kazan, Russia; (E.N.)
| | - Georgiy Shumatbaev
- A.E. Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, Kazan Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Arbuzov Str. 8, 420088 Kazan, Russia; (E.N.)
| | - Alsu Gatiyatullina
- Research Institute for Problems of Ecology and Mineral Wealth Use of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, Daurskaya Str. 28, 420087 Kazan, Russia
| | - Oksana Shevchuk
- Nikitsky Botanic Gardens, National Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, 298648 Yalta, Russia (O.S.)
| | - Tatiana Kalinnikova
- Research Institute for Problems of Ecology and Mineral Wealth Use of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, Daurskaya Str. 28, 420087 Kazan, Russia
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Abou Baker DH, Hassan EM, El Gengaihi S. An overview on medicinal plants used for combating coronavirus: Current potentials and challenges. J Agric Food Res 2023; 13:100632. [PMID: 37251276 PMCID: PMC10198795 DOI: 10.1016/j.jafr.2023.100632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide, Severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic crisis, causing many morbidities, mortality, and devastating impact on economies, so the current outbreak of the CoV-2 is a major concern for global health. The infection spread quickly and caused chaos in many countries around the world. The slow discovery of CoV-2 and the limited treatment options are among the main challenges. Therefore, the development of a drug that is safe and effective against CoV-2 is urgently needed. The present overview briefly summarizes CoV-2 drug targets ex: RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), papain-like protease (PLpro), 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro), transmembrane serine protease enzymes (TMPRSS2), angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), structural protein (N, S, E, and M), and virulence factors (NSP1, ORF7a, and NSP3c) for which drug design perspective can be considered. In addition, summarize all anti-COVID-19 medicinal plants and phytocompounds and their mechanisms of action to be used as a guide for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doha H Abou Baker
- Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Dept., Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries Institute, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Emad M Hassan
- Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Dept., Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries Institute, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Souad El Gengaihi
- Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Dept., Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries Institute, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
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Weathers PJ. Artemisinin as a therapeutic vs. its more complex Artemisia source material. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:1158-1169. [PMID: 36541391 DOI: 10.1039/d2np00072e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Covering: up to 2017-2022Many small molecule drugs are first discovered in nature, commonly the result of long ethnopharmacological use by people, and then characterized and purified from their biological sources. Traditional medicines are often more sustainable, but issues related to source consistency and efficacy present challenges. Modern medicine has focused solely on purified molecules, but evidence is mounting to support some of the more traditional uses of medicinal biologics. When is a more traditional delivery of a therapeutic appropriate and warranted? What studies are required to establish validity of a traditional medicine approach? Artemisia annua and A. afra are two related but unique medicinal plant species with long histories of ethnopharmacological use. A. annua produces the sesquiterpene lactone antimalarial drug, artemisinin, while A. afra produces at most, trace amounts of the compound. Both species also have an increasing repertoire of modern scientific and pharmacological data that make them ideal candidates for a case study. Here accumulated recent data on A. annua and A. afra are reviewed as a basis for establishing a decision tree for querying their therapeutic use, as well as that of other medicinal plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela J Weathers
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, 100 Institute Rd, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01609, USA.
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Azmi WA, Rizki AFM, Djuardi Y, Artika IM, Siregar JE. Molecular insights into artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum: An updated review. Infect Genet Evol 2023:105460. [PMID: 37269964 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Malaria still poses a major burden on human health around the world, especially in endemic areas. Plasmodium resistance to several antimalarial drugs has been one of the major hindrances in control of malaria. Thus, the World Health Organization recommended artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) as a front-line treatment for malaria. The emergence of parasites resistant to artemisinin, along with resistant to ACT partner drugs, has led to ACT treatment failure. The artemisinin resistance is mostly related to the mutations in the propeller domain of the kelch13 (k13) gene that encodes protein Kelch13 (K13). The K13 protein has an important role in parasite reaction to oxidative stress. The most widely spread mutation in K13, with the highest degree of resistance, is a C580Y mutation. Other mutations, which are already identified as markers of artemisinin resistance, are R539T, I543T, and Y493H. The objective of this review is to provide current molecular insights into artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. The trending use of artemisinin beyond its antimalarial effect is described. Immediate challenges and future research directions are discussed. Better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying artemisinin resistance will accelerate implementation of scientific findings to solve problems with malarial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wihda Aisarul Azmi
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Bogor 16911, Indonesia; Master's Programme in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia
| | - Andita Fitri Mutiara Rizki
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Bogor 16911, Indonesia; Master's Programme in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia
| | - Yenny Djuardi
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia
| | - I Made Artika
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Bogor 16911, Indonesia; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
| | - Josephine Elizabeth Siregar
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Bogor 16911, Indonesia.
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Nair MS, Huang Y, Wang M, Weathers PJ. SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants are susceptible in vitro to Artemisia annua hot water extracts. J Ethnopharmacol 2023; 308:116291. [PMID: 36804200 PMCID: PMC9937997 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Artemisia annua L. has >2000 yr of history in treating fever a symptom common to many infectious diseases including viruses. The plant is widely used as a tea infusion in many areas of the globe to thwart many infectious diseases. AIM OF THE STUDY The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus continues to infect millions while rapidly evolving new variants that are more transmissible and evade vaccine-elicited antibodies, e.g., omicron and its subvariants. Having shown potency against all previously tested variants, A. annua L. extracts were further tested against highly infectious omicron and its recent subvariants. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using Vero E6 cells, we measured the in vitro efficacy (IC50) of stored (frozen) dried-leaf hot-water A. annua L. extracts of four cultivars (A3, BUR, MED, and SAM) against SARS-CoV-2 variants: original WA1 (WT), BA.1 (omicron), BA.2, BA.2.12.1, and BA.4. End point virus titers of infectivity in cv. BUR-treated human lung A459 cells overexpressing hu-ACE2 were determined for both WA1 and BA.4 viruses. RESULTS When normalized to the artemisinin (ART) or leaf dry weight (DW) equivalent of the extract, the IC50 values ranged from 0.5 to 16.5 μM ART and from 20 to 106 μg DW. IC50 values were within limits of assay variation of our earlier studies. End-point titers confirmed a dose-response inhibition in ACE2 overexpressing human lung cells to the BUR cultivar. Cell viability losses were not measurable at leaf dry weights ≤50 μg for any cultivar extract. CONCLUSIONS A. annua hot-water extracts (tea infusions) continue to show efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 and its rapidly evolving variants and deserve greater attention as a possible cost-effective therapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Nair
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Y Huang
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - M Wang
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - P J Weathers
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01609, USA.
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Wattanakul T, Chotsiri P, Scandale I, Hoglund RM, Tarning J. A pharmacometric approach to evaluate drugs for potential repurposing as COVID-19 therapeutics. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2022; 15:945-958. [PMID: 36017624 DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2022.2113388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Developing and evaluating novel compounds for treatment or prophylaxis of emerging infectious diseases is costly and time-consuming. Repurposing of already available marketed compounds is an appealing option as they already have an established safety profile. This approach could substantially reduce cost and time required to make effective treatments available to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this approach is challenging since many drug candidates show efficacy in in vitro experiments, but fail to deliver effect when evaluated in clinical trials. Better approaches to evaluate in vitro data are needed, in order to prioritize drugs for repurposing. AREAS COVERED This article evaluates potential drugs that might be of interest for repurposing in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 disease. A pharmacometric simulation-based approach was developed to evaluate in vitro activity data in combination with expected clinical drug exposure, in order to evaluate the likelihood of achieving effective concentrations in patients. EXPERT OPINION The presented pharmacometric approach bridges in vitro activity data to clinically expected drug exposures, and could therefore be a useful compliment to other methods in order to prioritize repurposed drugs for evaluation in prospective randomized controlled clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanaporn Wattanakul
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Palang Chotsiri
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ivan Scandale
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Richard M Hoglund
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Joel Tarning
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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11
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He W, Gao Y, Zhou J, Shi Y, Xia D, Shen HM. Friend or Foe? Implication of the autophagy-lysosome pathway in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19. Int J Biol Sci 2022; 18:4690-4703. [PMID: 35874956 PMCID: PMC9305279 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.72544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing amount of evidence indicating the close interplays between the replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2 and the autophagy-lysosome pathway in the host cells. While autophagy machinery is known to either assist or inhibit the viral replication process, the reciprocal effects of the SARS-CoV-2 on the autophagy-lysosome pathway have also been increasingly appreciated. More importantly, despite the disappointing results from the clinical trials of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in treatment of COVID-19, there is still ongoing effort in discovering new therapeutics targeting the autophagy-lysosome pathway. In this review, we provide an update-to-date summary of the interplays between the autophagy-lysosome pathway in the host cells and the pathogen SARS-CoV-2 at the molecular level, to highlight the prognostic value of autophagy markers in COVID-19 patients and to discuss the potential of developing novel therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 by targeting the autophagy-lysosome pathway. Thus, understanding the nature of such interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and the autophagy-lysosome pathway in the host cells is expected to provide novel strategies in battling against this global pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weifeng He
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Institute of Burn Research, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.,Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Jing Zhou
- Department of Physiology, School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Province, China
| | - Yi Shi
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Dajing Xia
- Department of Toxicology of School of Public Health, Department of Gynecologic Oncology of Women's Hospital; Department of Central Laboratory, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Han-Ming Shen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
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12
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Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) global pandemic continuous to infect and kill millions while rapidly evolving new variants that are more transmissible and evading vaccine-elicited antibodies. Artemisia annua L. extracts have shown potency against all previously tested variants. Here we further queried extract efficacy against omicron and its recent subvariants. Using Vero E6 cells, we measured the in vitro efficacy (IC 50 ) of stored (frozen) dried-leaf hot-water A. annua L. extracts of four cultivars (A3, BUR, MED, and SAM) against SARS-CoV-2 variants: original WA1 (WT), BA.1.1.529+R346K (omicron), BA.2, BA.2.12.1, and BA.4. IC 50 values normalized to the extract artemisinin (ART) content ranged from 0.5-16.5 µM ART. When normalized to dry mass of the extracted A. annua leaves, values ranged from 20-106 µg. Although IC 50 values for these new variants are slightly higher than those reported for previously tested variants, they were within limits of assay variation. There was no measurable loss of cell viability at leaf dry weights ≤50 µg of any cultivar extract. Results continue to indicate that oral consumption of A. annua hot-water extracts (tea infusions) could potentially provide a cost-effective approach to help stave off this pandemic virus and its rapidly evolving variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- M.S. Nair
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Y. Huang
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - P.J. Weathers
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
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13
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Che L, Chen G, Cai X, Xie Z, Xia T, Zhang W, Liu S. Bioinformatics Approach Predicts Candidate Targets for SARS-CoV-2 Infections to COPD Patients. Biomed Res Int 2022; 2022:1806427. [PMID: 35747501 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1806427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 is still prevalent in more world regions and poses a severe threat to human health due to its high pathogenicity. The incidence of COPD patients is gradually increasing, especially in patients over 45 years old. COPD patients are susceptible to COVID-19 due to the specific lung receptor ACE2 of SARS-CoV-2. We attempt to reveal the genetic basis by analyzing the expression of common DEGs of the two diseases through bioinformatics approaches and find potential therapeutic agents based on the target genes. Thus, we search the GEO database for COVID-19 and COPD transcriptomic gene expression. We also study the enrichment of signaling regulatory pathways and hub genes for potential therapeutic treatments. There are 34 common DEGs in the two datasets. The signaling pathways are mainly enriched in intercellular junctions between virus and cytokine regulation. In the PPI network of common DEGs, we extract 5 hub genes. We find that artesunate CTD 00001840, dexverapamil MCF7 UP, and STOCK1N-35696 PC3 DOWN could be therapeutic agents for both diseases. We also analyze the regulatory network of differential genes with transcription factors and miRNAs. Therefore, we conclude that artesunate CTD 00001840, dexverapamil MCF7 UP, and STOCK1N-35696 PC3 DOWN can be therapeutic candidates in COPD combined with COVID-19.
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14
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Calvo-Alvarez E, Dolci M, Perego F, Signorini L, Parapini S, D’Alessandro S, Denti L, Basilico N, Taramelli D, Ferrante P, Delbue S. Antiparasitic Drugs against SARS-CoV-2: A Comprehensive Literature Survey. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071284. [PMID: 35889004 PMCID: PMC9320270 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
More than two years have passed since the viral outbreak that led to the novel infectious respiratory disease COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Since then, the urgency for effective treatments resulted in unprecedented efforts to develop new vaccines and to accelerate the drug discovery pipeline, mainly through the repurposing of well-known compounds with broad antiviral effects. In particular, antiparasitic drugs historically used against human infections due to protozoa or helminth parasites have entered the main stage as a miracle cure in the fight against SARS-CoV-2. Despite having demonstrated promising anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities in vitro, conflicting results have made their translation into clinical practice more difficult than expected. Since many studies involving antiparasitic drugs are currently under investigation, the window of opportunity might be not closed yet. Here, we will review the (controversial) journey of these old antiparasitic drugs to combat the human infection caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefanía Calvo-Alvarez
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (M.D.); (F.P.); (L.S.); (L.D.); (N.B.); (P.F.); (S.D.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Maria Dolci
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (M.D.); (F.P.); (L.S.); (L.D.); (N.B.); (P.F.); (S.D.)
| | - Federica Perego
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (M.D.); (F.P.); (L.S.); (L.D.); (N.B.); (P.F.); (S.D.)
| | - Lucia Signorini
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (M.D.); (F.P.); (L.S.); (L.D.); (N.B.); (P.F.); (S.D.)
| | - Silvia Parapini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Sarah D’Alessandro
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy; (S.D.); (D.T.)
| | - Luca Denti
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (M.D.); (F.P.); (L.S.); (L.D.); (N.B.); (P.F.); (S.D.)
| | - Nicoletta Basilico
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (M.D.); (F.P.); (L.S.); (L.D.); (N.B.); (P.F.); (S.D.)
| | - Donatella Taramelli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy; (S.D.); (D.T.)
| | - Pasquale Ferrante
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (M.D.); (F.P.); (L.S.); (L.D.); (N.B.); (P.F.); (S.D.)
| | - Serena Delbue
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (M.D.); (F.P.); (L.S.); (L.D.); (N.B.); (P.F.); (S.D.)
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15
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Zhang L, Li N, Zhang H, Wang Y, Gao T, Zhao Y, Wang G, Yu Y, Wang C, Li Y. Artesunate Therapy Alleviates Fracture-Associated Chronic Pain After Orthopedic Surgery by Suppressing CCL21-Dependent TREM2/DAP12 Inflammatory Signaling in Mice. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:894963. [PMID: 35721188 PMCID: PMC9202025 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.894963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain after bone fracture and orthopedic surgery is often refractory to most analgesics currently in use, thus emphasizing the urgent need for improved therapeutic medications. Chemokine-dependent neuroinflammation is critical for excitatory synaptic plasticity and central nociception sensitization. Recent studies have focused on the inhibition of inflammatory responses by artesunate, the first anti-malaria drug extracted from artemisinin. The present study investigated the analgesic effects and potential targets of artesunate in a mouse model of chronic pain induced by tibial fracture and orthopedic surgery. Three injections of artesunate were intrathecally administered on a daily basis from days 4 to 6 after fracture. We reported that repetitive exposure to artesunate (10 and 100 μg but not 1 μg) dose-dependently prevented fracture-induced mechanical and cold allodynia. Moreover, single intrathecal injection of artesunate (100 μg) alleviated the established chronic pain on day 14 after fracture surgery. Intraperitoneal artesunate (10 and 50 mg kg-1) therapy was effective against chronic fracture pain. Intriguingly, artesunate inhibited the upregulation of spinal chemokine CCL21, triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) and DNAX-activating protein of 12 kDa (DAP12) expressions and microglia activation in fracture mice. Furthermore, spinal CCL21 neutralization attenuated the severity of fracture-associated post-surgical pain. Exogenous CCL21-induced acute inflammatory pain was impaired by artesunate therapy. Additionally, the pharmacological blockage of TREM2 reduced recombinant CCL21-elicited behavioral hypernociception. The present findings demonstrate that artesunate therapy reduces the initiation and maintenance of fracture-associated chronic postoperative pain by inhibiting CCL21-dependent TREM2/DAP12 inflammatory signaling and microglia activation, thus suggesting that artesunate could emerge as a therapeutic strategy for fracture pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin, China
| | - Nan Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin, China
| | - Haoyue Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yigang Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin, China
| | - Tianyu Gao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuying Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin, China
| | - Guolin Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yonghao Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin, China
| | - Chunyan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yize Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin, China
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16
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Ozok-Arici O, Kavak E, Kivrak A. Synthesis of Thiophene/Furan-Artemisinin Hybrid Molecules. Chem Biodivers 2022; 19:e202200144. [PMID: 35713943 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202200144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Natural products with semi-synthetic molecules displays higher biological activities, and creates new biological properties for the treatment of diseases. Although, natural products like artemisinin have been used as a traditional medicine over thousands of years, structure and biological properties of many natural products were investigated in the 20th century. Design and synthesis of new biologically active compounds including natural products have very critical roles to find novel drug candidates. Herein, novel thiophene/furan bridge artemisinin derivatives were synthesized by starting from artemisinin. Firstly, benzothiophene derivatives are synthesized, then Stergich esterification reactions give the new artemisinin hybrid molecules with moderate to high yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omruye Ozok-Arici
- Eski?ehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi: Eskisehir Osmangazi Universitesi, Chemistry, Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi Kimya Bölümü, 26040, Odunpazarı, TURKEY
| | - Emrah Kavak
- Van Yuzuncu Yil Universitesi, Chemistry, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Arts and Science Faculty Depatment of Chemistry, 26040, Eskisehir, TURKEY
| | - Arif Kivrak
- Eskisehir Osmangazi University: Eskisehir Osmangazi Universitesi, Chemistry, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Arts and Science Faculty Depatment of Chemistry, 26040, Eskisehir, TURKEY
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17
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Agrawal PK, Agrawal C, Blunden G. Artemisia Extracts and Artemisinin-Based Antimalarials for COVID-19 Management: Could These Be Effective Antivirals for COVID-19 Treatment? Molecules 2022; 27:3828. [PMID: 35744958 PMCID: PMC9231170 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27123828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
As the world desperately searches for ways to treat the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a growing number of people are turning to herbal remedies. The Artemisia species, such as A. annua and A. afra, in particular, exhibit positive effects against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and COVID-19 related symptoms. A. annua is a source of artemisinin, which is active against malaria, and also exhibits potential for other diseases. This has increased interest in artemisinin's potential for drug repurposing. Artemisinin-based combination therapies, so-called ACTs, have already been recognized as first-line treatments against malaria. Artemisia extract, as well as ACTs, have demonstrated inhibition of SARS-CoV-2. Artemisinin and its derivatives have also shown anti-inflammatory effects, including inhibition of interleukin-6 (IL-6) that plays a key role in the development of severe COVID-19. There is now sufficient evidence in the literature to suggest the effectiveness of Artemisia, its constituents and/or artemisinin derivatives, to fight against the SARS-CoV-2 infection by inhibiting its invasion, and replication, as well as reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, and mitigating lung damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawan K. Agrawal
- Natural Product Inc., 7963 Anderson Park Lane, Westerville, OH 43081, USA;
| | - Chandan Agrawal
- Natural Product Inc., 7963 Anderson Park Lane, Westerville, OH 43081, USA;
| | - Gerald Blunden
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK;
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18
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Dong Y, Liu L, Han J, Zhang L, Wang Y, Li J, Li Y, Liu H, Zhou K, Li L, Wang X, Shen X, Zhang M, Zhang B, Hu X. Worldwide Research Trends on Artemisinin: A Bibliometric Analysis From 2000 to 2021. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:868087. [PMID: 35602470 PMCID: PMC9121127 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.868087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ObjectiveArtemisinin is an organic compound that comes from Artemisia annua. Artemisinin treatment is the most important and effective method for treating malaria. Bibliometric analysis was carried out to identify the global research trends, hot spots, scientific frontiers, and output characteristics of artemisinin from 2000 to 2021.MethodsPublications and their recorded information from 2000 to 2021 were retrieved through the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Using VOSviewer and Citespace, the hotspots and trends of studies on artemisinin were visualized.ResultsA total of 8,466 publications were retrieved, and for the past 22 years, the annual number of publications associated with artemisinin kept increasing. The United States published most papers. The H-index and number of citations of the United States ranked first. The University of Oxford and MALARIA JOURNAL were the most productive affiliation and journal, respectively. A paper written by E.A. Ashley in 2011 achieved the highest global citation score. Keywords, such as “malaria,” “artesunate,” “plasmodium-falciparum,” “in-vitro,” “artemisinin resistance,” “plasmodium falciparum,” “resistance,” and “artemether-lumefantrine,” appeared most frequently. The research on artemisinin includes clinical research and animal and cell experiments.ConclusionThe biosynthesis, drug resistance mechanism, and combination of artemisinin have become more popular than before. Studies on artemisinin treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been carried out, and good research results have been obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yankai Dong
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Lina Liu
- General Medical Department, Nankai Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jie Han
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Lianqing Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yi Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Juan Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuexiang Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - He Liu
- Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Kun Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Luyao Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xin Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xue Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Meiling Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Clinical Laboratory, Ankang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ankang, China
- *Correspondence: Bo Zhang
| | - Xiaofei Hu
- Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
- Xiaofei Hu
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19
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Delandre O, Gendrot M, Jardot P, Le Bideau M, Boxberger M, Boschi C, Fonta I, Mosnier J, Hutter S, Levasseur A, La Scola B, Pradines B. Antiviral Activity of Repurposing Ivermectin against a Panel of 30 Clinical SARS-CoV-2 Strains Belonging to 14 Variants. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:445. [PMID: 35455442 PMCID: PMC9024598 DOI: 10.3390/ph15040445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past two years, several variants of SARS-CoV-2 have emerged and spread all over the world. However, infectivity, clinical severity, re-infection, virulence, transmissibility, vaccine responses and escape, and epidemiological aspects have differed between SARS-CoV-2 variants. Currently, very few treatments are recommended against SARS-CoV-2. Identification of effective drugs among repurposing FDA-approved drugs is a rapid, efficient and low-cost strategy against SARS-CoV-2. One of those drugs is ivermectin. Ivermectin is an antihelminthic agent that previously showed in vitro effects against a SARS-CoV-2 isolate (Australia/VI01/2020 isolate) with an IC50 of around 2 µM. We evaluated the in vitro activity of ivermectin on Vero E6 cells infected with 30 clinically isolated SARS-CoV-2 strains belonging to 14 different variants, and particularly 17 strains belonging to six variants of concern (VOC) (variants related to Wuhan, alpha, beta, gamma, delta and omicron). The in vitro activity of ivermectin was compared to those of chloroquine and remdesivir. Unlike chloroquine (EC50 from 4.3 ± 2.5 to 29.3 ± 5.2 µM) or remdesivir (EC50 from 0.4 ± 0.3 to 25.2 ± 9.4 µM), ivermectin showed a relatively homogeneous in vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2 regardless of the strains or variants (EC50 from 5.1 ± 0.5 to 6.7 ± 0.4 µM), except for one omicron strain (EC50 = 1.3 ± 0.5 µM). Ivermectin (No. EC50 = 219, mean EC50 = 5.7 ± 1.0 µM) was, overall, more potent in vitro than chloroquine (No. EC50 = 214, mean EC50 = 16.1 ± 9.0 µM) (p = 1.3 × 10-34) and remdesivir (No. EC50 = 201, mean EC50 = 11.9 ± 10.0 µM) (p = 1.6 × 10-13). These results should be interpreted with caution regarding the potential use of ivermectin in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients: it is difficult to translate in vitro study results into actual clinical treatment in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Océane Delandre
- Unité Parasitologie et Entomologie, Département Microbiologie et Maladies Infectieuses, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, 13005 Marseille, France; (O.D.); (M.G.); (I.F.); (J.M.)
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, VITROME, 13005 Marseille, France;
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.J.); (M.L.B.); (M.B.); (C.B.); (A.L.); (B.L.S.)
| | - Mathieu Gendrot
- Unité Parasitologie et Entomologie, Département Microbiologie et Maladies Infectieuses, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, 13005 Marseille, France; (O.D.); (M.G.); (I.F.); (J.M.)
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, VITROME, 13005 Marseille, France;
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.J.); (M.L.B.); (M.B.); (C.B.); (A.L.); (B.L.S.)
| | - Priscilla Jardot
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.J.); (M.L.B.); (M.B.); (C.B.); (A.L.); (B.L.S.)
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Marion Le Bideau
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.J.); (M.L.B.); (M.B.); (C.B.); (A.L.); (B.L.S.)
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Manon Boxberger
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.J.); (M.L.B.); (M.B.); (C.B.); (A.L.); (B.L.S.)
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Céline Boschi
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.J.); (M.L.B.); (M.B.); (C.B.); (A.L.); (B.L.S.)
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Isabelle Fonta
- Unité Parasitologie et Entomologie, Département Microbiologie et Maladies Infectieuses, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, 13005 Marseille, France; (O.D.); (M.G.); (I.F.); (J.M.)
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, VITROME, 13005 Marseille, France;
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.J.); (M.L.B.); (M.B.); (C.B.); (A.L.); (B.L.S.)
- Centre National de Référence du Paludisme, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Joel Mosnier
- Unité Parasitologie et Entomologie, Département Microbiologie et Maladies Infectieuses, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, 13005 Marseille, France; (O.D.); (M.G.); (I.F.); (J.M.)
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, VITROME, 13005 Marseille, France;
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.J.); (M.L.B.); (M.B.); (C.B.); (A.L.); (B.L.S.)
- Centre National de Référence du Paludisme, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Sébastien Hutter
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, VITROME, 13005 Marseille, France;
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.J.); (M.L.B.); (M.B.); (C.B.); (A.L.); (B.L.S.)
| | - Anthony Levasseur
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.J.); (M.L.B.); (M.B.); (C.B.); (A.L.); (B.L.S.)
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Bernard La Scola
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.J.); (M.L.B.); (M.B.); (C.B.); (A.L.); (B.L.S.)
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Bruno Pradines
- Unité Parasitologie et Entomologie, Département Microbiologie et Maladies Infectieuses, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, 13005 Marseille, France; (O.D.); (M.G.); (I.F.); (J.M.)
- Aix Marseille University, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, VITROME, 13005 Marseille, France;
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.J.); (M.L.B.); (M.B.); (C.B.); (A.L.); (B.L.S.)
- Centre National de Référence du Paludisme, 13005 Marseille, France
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20
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Abstract
Malaria is an ancient infectious disease that threatens millions of lives globally even today. The discovery of artemisinin, inspired by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has brought in a paradigm shift and been recognized as the “best hope for the treatment of malaria” by World Health Organization. With its high potency and low toxicity, the wide use of artemisinin effectively treats the otherwise drug-resistant parasites and helps many countries, including China, to eventually eradicate malaria. Here, we will first review the initial discovery of artemisinin, an extraordinary journey that was in stark contrast with many drugs in western medicine. We will then discuss how artemisinin and its derivatives could be repurposed to treat cancer, inflammation, immunoregulation-related diseases, and COVID-19. Finally, we will discuss the implications of the “artemisinin story” and how that can better guide the development of TCM today. We believe that artemisinin is just a starting point and TCM will play an even bigger role in healthcare in the 21st century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoli Shi
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Fei Xia
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Qixin Wang
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Fulong Liao
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Qiuyan Guo
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Chengchao Xu
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China. .,Department of Geriatrics, The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518020, China.
| | - Jigang Wang
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China. .,Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, 524045, China. .,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China. .,Department of Geriatrics, The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518020, China.
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21
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Tang Y, Li X, Yuan Y, Zhang H, Zou Y, Xu Z, Xu Q, Song J, Deng C, Wang Q. Network pharmacology-based predictions of active components and pharmacological mechanisms of Artemisia annua L. for the treatment of the novel Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). BMC Complement Med Ther 2022; 22:56. [PMID: 35241045 PMCID: PMC8893058 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-022-03523-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Novel Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is closely associated with cytokines storms. The Chinese medicinal herb Artemisia annua L. (A. annua) has been traditionally used to control many inflammatory diseases, such as malaria and rheumatoid arthritis. We performed network analysis and employed molecular docking and network analysis to elucidate active components or targets and the underlying mechanisms of A. annua for the treatment of COVID-19. Methods Active components of A. annua were identified through the TCMSP database according to their oral bioavailability (OB) and drug-likeness (DL). Moreover, target genes associated with COVID-19 were mined from GeneCards, OMIM, and TTD. A compound-target (C-T) network was constructed to predict the relationship of active components with the targets. A Compound-disease-target (C-D-T) network has been built to reveal the direct therapeutic target for COVID-19. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation studies (MD), and MM-GBSA binding free energy calculations were used to the closest molecules and targets between A. annua and COVID-19. Results In our network, GO, and KEGG analysis indicated that A. annua acted in response to COVID-19 by regulating inflammatory response, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The molecular docking results manifested excellent results to verify the binding capacity between the hub components and hub targets in COVID-19. MD and MM-GBSA data showed quercetin to be the more effective candidate against the virus by target MAPK1, and kaempferol to be the other more effective candidate against the virus by target TP53. We identified A. annua’s potentially active compounds and targets associated with them that act against COVID-19. Conclusions These findings suggest that A. annua may prevent and inhibit the inflammatory processes related to COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yexiao Tang
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Xiaobo Li
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.,Sci-tech Industrial Park, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510445, China
| | - Yueming Yuan
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.,Sci-tech Industrial Park, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510445, China
| | - Hongying Zhang
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.,Sci-tech Industrial Park, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510445, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zou
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Zhiyong Xu
- Sci-tech Industrial Park, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510445, China
| | - Qin Xu
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Jianping Song
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Changsheng Deng
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China. .,Guangzhou Chest Hospital, Guangzhou, 510095, China.
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22
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Ataba E, Dorkenoo AM, Nguepou CT, Bakai T, Tchadjobo T, Kadzahlo KD, Yakpa K, Atcha-Oubou T. Potential Emergence of Plasmodium Resistance to Artemisinin Induced by the Use of Artemisia annua for Malaria and COVID-19 Prevention in Sub-African Region. Acta Parasitol 2022; 67:55-60. [PMID: 34797496 PMCID: PMC8602884 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-021-00489-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium resistance to antimalarial drugs is an obstacle to the elimination of malaria in endemic areas. This situation is particularly dramatic for Africa, which accounts for nearly 92% of malaria cases worldwide. Drug pressure has been identified as a key factor in the emergence of antimalarial drug resistance. Indeed, this pressure is favoured by several factors, including the use of counterfeit forms of antimalarials, inadequate prescription controls, poor adherence to treatment regimens, dosing errors, and the increasing use of other forms of unapproved antimalarials. This resistance has led to the replacement of chloroquine (CQ) by artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) which are likely to become ineffective in the coming years due to the uncontrolled use of Artemisia annua in the sub-Saharan African region for malaria prevention and COVID-19. The use of Artemisia annua for the prevention of malaria and COVID-19 could be an important factor in the emergence of resistance to Artemisinin-based combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Essoham Ataba
- Ecole Supérieure des Techniques Biologiques et Alimentaires (ESTBA) /Unité de Recherche en Immunologie et Immunomodulation (UR2IM), Université de Lomé, Boulevard Eyadema, 01BP 1515 Lomé, Togo
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme, Ministère de la Santé de l’Hygiène Publique et de l’Accès Universel Aux Soins, Quartier Administratif, 01BP 518 Lomé, Togo
| | - Ameyo M. Dorkenoo
- Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Lomé, Boulevard Eyadema, 01BP 1515 Lomé, Togo
| | - Christèle Tchopba Nguepou
- Ecole Supérieure des Techniques Biologiques et Alimentaires (ESTBA) /Unité de Recherche en Immunologie et Immunomodulation (UR2IM), Université de Lomé, Boulevard Eyadema, 01BP 1515 Lomé, Togo
| | - Tchaa Bakai
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme, Ministère de la Santé de l’Hygiène Publique et de l’Accès Universel Aux Soins, Quartier Administratif, 01BP 518 Lomé, Togo
| | - Tchassama Tchadjobo
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme, Ministère de la Santé de l’Hygiène Publique et de l’Accès Universel Aux Soins, Quartier Administratif, 01BP 518 Lomé, Togo
| | - Komla Dovenè Kadzahlo
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme, Ministère de la Santé de l’Hygiène Publique et de l’Accès Universel Aux Soins, Quartier Administratif, 01BP 518 Lomé, Togo
| | - Kossi Yakpa
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme, Ministère de la Santé de l’Hygiène Publique et de l’Accès Universel Aux Soins, Quartier Administratif, 01BP 518 Lomé, Togo
| | - Tinah Atcha-Oubou
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme, Ministère de la Santé de l’Hygiène Publique et de l’Accès Universel Aux Soins, Quartier Administratif, 01BP 518 Lomé, Togo
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23
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Ruwizhi N, Maseko RB, Aderibigbe BA. Recent Advances in the Therapeutic Efficacy of Artesunate. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:504. [PMID: 35335880 PMCID: PMC8951414 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14030504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Artesunate, a semisynthetic artemisinin derivative, is well-known and used as the first-line drug for treating malaria. Apart from treating malaria, artesunate has also been found to have biological activity against a variety of cancers and viruses. It also exhibits antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherosclerosis, immunosuppressive activities, etc. During its administration, artesunate can be loaded in liposomes, alone or in combination with other therapeutic agents. Administration routes include intragastrical, intravenous, oral, and parenteral. The biological activity of artesunate is based on its ability to regulate some biological pathways. This manuscript reports a critical review of the recent advances in the therapeutic efficacy of artesunate.
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24
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Herrmann L, Yaremenko IA, Çapcı A, Struwe J, Tailor D, Dheeraj A, Hodek J, Belyakova YY, Radulov P, Weber J, Malhotra SV, Terent'ev AO, Ackermann L, Tsogoeva SB. Synthesis and In Vitro Study of Artemisinin/Synthetic Peroxide Based Hybrid Compounds against SARS‐CoV‐2 and Cancer. ChemMedChem 2022; 17:e202200005. [PMID: 35187791 PMCID: PMC9086992 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202200005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The newly emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) cause life‐threatening diseases in millions of people worldwide, in particular, in patients with cancer, and there is an urgent need for antiviral agents against this infection. While in vitro activities of artemisinins against SARS‐CoV‐2 and cancer have recently been demonstrated, no study of artemisinin and/or synthetic peroxide‐based hybrid compounds active against both cancer and SARS‐CoV‐2 has been reported yet. However, the hybrid drug's properties (e. g., activity and/or selectivity) can be improved compared to its parent compounds and effective new agents can be obtained by modification/hybridization of existing drugs or bioactive natural products. In this study, a series of new artesunic acid and synthetic peroxide based new hybrids were synthesized and analyzed in vitro for the first time for their inhibitory activity against SARS‐CoV‐2 and leukemia cell lines. Several artesunic acid‐derived hybrids exerted a similar or stronger potency against K562 leukemia cells (81–83 % inhibition values) than the reference drug doxorubicin (78 % inhibition value) and they were also more efficient than their parent compounds artesunic acid (49.2 % inhibition value) and quinoline derivative (5.5 % inhibition value). Interestingly, the same artesunic acid‐quinoline hybrids also show inhibitory activity against SARS‐CoV‐2 in vitro (EC50 13–19 μm) and no cytotoxic effects on Vero E6 cells (CC50 up to 110 μM). These results provide a valuable basis for design of further artemisinin‐derived hybrids to treat both cancer and SARS‐CoV‐2 infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Herrmann
- Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen Nuremberg: Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy GERMANY
| | - Ivan A. Yaremenko
- Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry RAS: Institut organiceskoj himii imeni N D Zelinskogo RAN - RUSSIAN FEDERATION
| | - Aysun Çapcı
- Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen Nuremberg: Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy GERMANY
| | - Julia Struwe
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen: Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen - GERMANY
| | - Dhanir Tailor
- Oregon Health & Science University Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology UNITED STATES
| | - Arpit Dheeraj
- Oregon Health & Science University Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology UNITED STATES
| | - Jan Hodek
- Czech Academy of Sciences: Akademie ved Ceske republiky - CZECH REPUBLIC
| | - Yulia Yu. Belyakova
- Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry RAS: Institut organiceskoj himii imeni N D Zelinskogo RAN - RUSSIAN FEDERATION
| | - Peter Radulov
- Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry RAS: Institut organiceskoj himii imeni N D Zelinskogo RAN - RUSSIAN FEDERATION
| | - Jan Weber
- Czech Academy of Sciences: Akademie ved Ceske republiky - CZECH REPUBLIC
| | - Sanjay V. Malhotra
- Oregon Health & Science University Department of Cell, Development and Cancer Biology UNITED STATES
| | - Alexander O. Terent'ev
- Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry RAS: Institut organiceskoj himii imeni N D Zelinskogo RAN - RUSSIAN FEDERATION
| | - Lutz Ackermann
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen: Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen - GERMANY
| | - Svetlana B. Tsogoeva
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Department Chemie und Pharmazie Henkestrasse 42 91054 Erlangen GERMANY
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25
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Nair MS, Huang Y, Fidock DA, Towler MJ, Weathers PJ. Artemisia annua L. hot-water extracts show potent activity in vitro against Covid-19 variants including delta. J Ethnopharmacol 2022; 284:114797. [PMID: 34737005 PMCID: PMC8559441 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE For millennia, Artemisia annua L. was used in Southeast Asia to treat "fever". This medicinal plant is effective against multiple pathogens and is used by many global communities as a source of artemisinin derivatives that are first-line drugs to treat malaria caused by Plasmodium parasites. AIM OF THE STUDY The SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) global pandemic has killed millions and evolved numerous variants, with delta being the most transmissible to date and causing break-through infections of vaccinated individuals. We further queried the efficacy of A. annua cultivars against new variants. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using Vero E6 cells, we measured anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of dried-leaf hot-water A. annua L. extracts of four cultivars, A3, BUR, MED, and SAM, to determine their efficacy against five infectious variants of the virus: alpha (B.1.1.7), beta (B.1.351), gamma (P.1), delta (B.1.617.2), and kappa (B.1.617.1). RESULTS In addition to being effective against the original wild type (WT) WA1, A. annua cultivars A3, BUR, MED, and SAM were also potent against all five variants. IC50 and IC90 values based on measured artemisinin content ranged from 0.3 to 8.4 μM and 1.4-25.0 μM, respectively. The IC50 and IC90 values based on dried leaf weight (DW) used to make the tea infusions ranged from 11.0 to 67.7 μg DW and 59.5-160.6 μg DW, respectively. Cell toxicity was insignificant at a leaf dry weight of ≤50 μg in the extract of any cultivar. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that oral consumption of A. annua hot-water extracts (tea infusions) could potentially provide a cost-effective therapy to help stave off the rapid global spread of these variants, buying time for broader implementation of vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Nair
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Y Huang
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - D A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - M J Towler
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01609, USA.
| | - P J Weathers
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01609, USA.
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26
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Zhang L, Zhao Y, Gao T, Zhang H, Li J, Wang G, Wang C, Li Y. Artesunate Reduces Remifentanil-induced Hyperalgesia and Peroxiredoxin-3 Hyperacetylation via Modulating Spinal Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 in Rats. Neuroscience 2022; 487:88-98. [PMID: 35026318 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The experimental investigations on the pathogenesis of remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia (RIH) have been primarily conducted, but the effective treatment of RIH remains unclear. Recent reports highlight the necessity of ionotropic glutamate receptors in oxidative damage in spinal nociceptive transduction. Artesunate, the 1st-line anti-malaria drug, has been identified to be valid in removing superoxide in several pathological conditions. This study evaluated whether artesunate inhibits RIH via regulating metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) and mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme peroxiredoxin-3 in rats. Artesunate was injected intrathecally 10 min before intravenous infusion of remifentanil (1 μg·kg-1·min-1 for 60 min) in rats. The antinociception of artesunate was verified by assessment of paw withdrawal mechanical threshold and paw withdrawal thermal latency. Spinal mGluR5 expression and peroxiredoxin-3 hyperacetylation were examined. Also, both the mGluR5 agonist DHPG and antagonist MPEP were utilized to explore the involvement of mGluR5 in the anti-hyperalgesic property of artesunate. Here, we found that artesunate (10 μg and 100 μg but not 1 μg) prevented RIH in a dose-dependent manner. Artesunate reduced remifentanil-related spinal over-expression of mGluR5 gene and protein, and hyperacetylation of peroxiredoxin-3. Intrathecal application of MPEP (10 nmol and 100 nmol but not 1 nmol) inhibited behavioral RIH and peroxiredoxin-3 acetylation. Moreover, hyperalgesia and peroxiredoxin-3 hyperacetylation were attenuated after the combination of artesunate (1 μg) and MPEP (1 nmol). Additionally, artesunate treatment reversed acute pain and peroxiredoxin-3 hyperacetylation following spinal exposure to DHPG. In conclusion, intrathecal injection of artesunate impairs RIH by down-regulating spinal mGluR5 expression and peroxiredoxin-3 hyperacetylation-mediated oxidative stress in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China; Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Yuying Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China; Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Tianyu Gao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China; Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Haoyue Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China; Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China; Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Guolin Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China; Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Chunyan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China; Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Yize Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China; Tianjin Research Institute of Anesthesiology, Tianjin 300052, China.
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27
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Farmanpour-Kalalagh K, Beyraghdar Kashkooli A, Babaei A, Rezaei A, van der Krol AR. Artemisinins in Combating Viral Infections Like SARS-CoV-2, Inflammation and Cancers and Options to Meet Increased Global Demand. Front Plant Sci 2022; 13:780257. [PMID: 35197994 PMCID: PMC8859114 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.780257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Artemisinin is a natural bioactive sesquiterpene lactone containing an unusual endoperoxide 1, 2, 4-trioxane ring. It is derived from the herbal medicinal plant Artemisia annua and is best known for its use in treatment of malaria. However, recent studies also indicate the potential for artemisinin and related compounds, commonly referred to as artemisinins, in combating viral infections, inflammation and certain cancers. Moreover, the different potential modes of action of artemisinins make these compounds also potentially relevant to the challenges the world faces in the COVID-19 pandemic. Initial studies indicate positive effects of artemisinin or Artemisia spp. extracts to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 related symptoms and WHO-supervised clinical studies on the potential of artemisinins to combat COVID-19 are now in progress. However, implementing multiple potential new uses of artemisinins will require effective solutions to boost production, either by enhancing synthesis in A. annua itself or through biotechnological engineering in alternative biosynthesis platforms. Because of this renewed interest in artemisinin and its derivatives, here we review its modes of action, its potential application in different diseases including COVID-19, its biosynthesis and future options to boost production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Farmanpour-Kalalagh
- Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arman Beyraghdar Kashkooli
- Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
- *Correspondence: Arman Beyraghdar Kashkooli,
| | - Alireza Babaei
- Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Rezaei
- Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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28
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Asrani P, Tiwari K, Eapen MS, McAlinden KD, Haug G, Johansen MD, Hansbro PM, Flanagan KL, Hassan MI, Sohal SS. Clinical features and mechanistic insights into drug repurposing for combating COVID-19. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2022; 142:106114. [PMID: 34748991 PMCID: PMC8570392 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2021.106114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged from Wuhan in China before it spread to the entire globe. It causes coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) where mostly individuals present mild symptoms, some remain asymptomatic and some show severe lung inflammation and pneumonia in the host through the induction of a marked inflammatory 'cytokine storm'. New and efficacious vaccines have been developed and put into clinical practice in record time, however, there is a still a need for effective treatments for those who are not vaccinated or remain susceptible to emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant strains. Despite this, effective therapeutic interventions against COVID-19 remain elusive. Here, we have reviewed potential drugs for COVID-19 classified on the basis of their mode of action. The mechanisms of action of each are discussed in detail to highlight the therapeutic targets that may help in reducing the global pandemic. The review was done up to July 2021 and the data was assessed through the official websites of WHO and CDC for collecting the information on the clinical trials. Moreover, the recent research papers were also assessed for the relevant data. The search was mainly based on keywords like Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, drugs (specific name of the drugs), COVID-19, clinical efficiency, safety profile, side-effects etc.This review outlines potential areas for future research into COVID-19 treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Purva Asrani
- Department of Microbiology, University of Delhi, South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Keshav Tiwari
- ICAR - National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
| | - Mathew Suji Eapen
- Respiratory Translational Research Group, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia
| | - Kielan Darcy McAlinden
- Respiratory Translational Research Group, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia
| | - Greg Haug
- Respiratory Translational Research Group, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Launceston General Hospital, Launceston 7250, Australia
| | - Matt D Johansen
- Centre for Inflammation, Centenary Institute, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia; University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Philip M Hansbro
- Centre for Inflammation, Centenary Institute, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia; University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Katie L Flanagan
- Clinical School, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania 7250, Australia; School of Health and Biomedical Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Tasmania Vaccine Trial Centre, Clifford Craig Foundation, Launceston General Hospital, Launceston, Tasmania 7250, Australia
| | - Md Imtaiyaz Hassan
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Sukhwinder Singh Sohal
- Respiratory Translational Research Group, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia.
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Kim JY, Shin HI, Lee SE, Piao H, Rejinold SN, Choi G, Choy JH. Artesunate Drug-loaded 2D Nano-shuttle Landing on RBCs Infected with Malaria Parasites. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:5980-5988. [DOI: 10.1039/d2bm00879c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Artesunic acid (AS0), a derivative of artemisinin, is recommended for the treatment of severe and complicated malaria, but its use is limited because of limitations such as short half-life, non-specific...
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Asili P, Mirahmad M, Tabatabaei-Malazy O, Manayi A, Haghighat E, Mahdavi M, Larijani B. Characteristics of published/registered clinical trials on COVID-19 treatment: A systematic review. Daru 2021; 29:449-467. [PMID: 34762250 PMCID: PMC8581284 DOI: 10.1007/s40199-021-00422-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 worldwide, many countries have designed clinical trials to find efficient treatments. We aimed to critically report the characteristics of all the registered and published randomized clinical trials (RCTs) conducted on COVID-19, and summarize the evaluation of potential therapies developed in various regions. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION We comprehensively searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, and Clinicaltrial.gov databases to retrieve all the relevant studies up to July 19, 2021, in conformity with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flowchart. We included all English-language published/registered RCTs on COVID-19, and excluded non-RCT, in-vitro/in-vivo, editorials, and review studies. Two reviewers independently evaluated all the records, and then analyzed by using SPSS 17. RESULTS Within 3018 included studies, 2801 (92.8%) and 217 (7.2%) were registered or published RCTs consisting of about 600 synthetic drugs. Herbal medicines have been studied in 23 trials (10.6%) among the published RCTs and in 357 registered RCTs (12.7%). Hydroxychloroquine 23 (10.6%) and convalescent plasma 194 (6.9%) alone or in combination with other agents were the most frequently used interventions in published and registered RCTs, respectively. Most published RCTs have been conducted in Western Pacific Region (WPRO) (50 trials, 23.0%) including 45 trials from China. Also, a greater proportion of registered RCTs have been conducted in the Region of the Americas (PAHO) (885 trials, 31.6%) including 596 RCTs from the United States (U.S). Globally, 283 registered trials have been conducted to assess new developed vaccines for COVID or previously established for other disorders. CONCLUSION The present study highlighted the wide range of potential therapeutic agents in published and registered COVID-19 clinical trials across a wide range of regions. However, it is urgently required to global coordination in order to conduct more well-designed trials and progress in discovering safe and effective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooria Asili
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Mirahmad
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ozra Tabatabaei-Malazy
- Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azadeh Manayi
- Medicinal Plants Research Centre, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elahe Haghighat
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mahdavi
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bagher Larijani
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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31
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Oduro-Mensah D, Oduro-Mensah E, Quashie P, Awandare G, Okine L. Explaining the unexpected COVID-19 trends and potential impact across Africa. F1000Res 2021; 10:1177. [PMID: 36605410 PMCID: PMC9763772 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.74363.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Official COVID-19 case counts and mortality rates across Africa are lower than had been anticipated. Research reports, however, indicate far higher exposure rates than the official counts in some countries. Particularly in Western and Central Africa, where mortality rates are disproportionately lower than the rest of the continent, this occurrence may be due to immune response adaptations resulting from (1) frequent exposure to certain pro-inflammatory pathogens, and (2) a prevalence of low-grade inflammation coupled with peculiar modifications to the immune response based on one's immunobiography. We suggest that the two factors lead to a situation where post infection, there is a rapid ramp-up of innate immune responses, enough to induce effective defense and protection against plethora pathogens. Alongside current efforts at procuring and distributing vaccines, we draw attention to the need for work towards appreciating the impact of the apparently widespread, asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections on Africa's populations vis a vis systemic inflammation status and long-term consequences for public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Oduro-Mensah
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Peter Quashie
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, LG 581, Ghana
| | - Gordon Awandare
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Laud Okine
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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Oduro-Mensah D, Oduro-Mensah E, Quashie P, Awandare G, Okine L. Explaining the unexpected COVID-19 trends and potential impact across Africa. F1000Res 2021; 10:1177. [PMID: 36605410 PMCID: PMC9763772 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.74363.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Official COVID-19 case counts and mortality rates across Africa are lower than had been anticipated. Research reports, however, indicate far higher exposure rates than the official counts in some countries. Particularly in Western and Central Africa, where mortality rates are disproportionately lower than the rest of the continent, this occurrence may be due to immune response adaptations resulting from (1) frequent exposure to certain pro-inflammatory pathogens, and (2) a prevalence of low-grade inflammation coupled with peculiar modifications to the immune response based on one's immunobiography. We suggest that the two factors lead to a situation where post infection, there is a rapid ramp-up of innate immune responses, enough to induce effective defense and protection against plethora pathogens. Alongside current efforts at procuring and distributing vaccines, we draw attention to the need for work towards appreciating the impact of the apparently widespread, asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections on Africa's populations vis a vis systemic inflammation status and long-term consequences for public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Oduro-Mensah
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Peter Quashie
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, LG 581, Ghana
| | - Gordon Awandare
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Laud Okine
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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Aherfi S, Pradines B, Devaux C, Honore S, Colson P, Scola BL, Raoult D. Drug repurposing against SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV. Future Microbiol 2021; 16:1341-1370. [PMID: 34755538 PMCID: PMC8579950 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2021-0019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, large in silico screening studies and numerous in vitro studies have assessed the antiviral activity of various drugs on SARS-CoV-2. In the context of health emergency, drug repurposing represents the most relevant strategy because of the reduced time for approval by international medicines agencies, the low cost of development and the well-known toxicity profile of such drugs. Herein, we aim to review drugs with in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, combined with molecular docking data and results from preliminary clinical studies. Finally, when considering all these previous findings, as well as the possibility of oral administration, 11 molecules consisting of nelfinavir, favipiravir, azithromycin, clofoctol, clofazimine, ivermectin, nitazoxanide, amodiaquine, heparin, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, show an interesting antiviral activity that could be exploited as possible drug candidates for COVID-19 treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Aherfi
- Aix-Marseille Université, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Marseille, 13005, France
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) – Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, 13005, France
- Microbes, Evolution, Phylogeny & Infection (MEΦI), Marseille, 13005, France
| | - Bruno Pradines
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) – Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, 13005, France
- Unité Parasitologie et Entomologie, Département Microbiologie et Maladies Infectieuses, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, Marseille, 13005, France
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, VITROME, Marseille, 13005, France
- Centre national de référence du paludisme, Marseille, 13005, France
| | - Christian Devaux
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) – Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, 13005, France
| | - Stéphane Honore
- Aix Marseille Université, Laboratoire de Pharmacie Clinique, Marseille, 13005, France
- AP-HM, hôpital Timone, service pharmacie, Marseille, 13005, France
| | - Philippe Colson
- Aix-Marseille Université, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Marseille, 13005, France
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) – Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, 13005, France
- Microbes, Evolution, Phylogeny & Infection (MEΦI), Marseille, 13005, France
| | - Bernard La Scola
- Aix-Marseille Université, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Marseille, 13005, France
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) – Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, 13005, France
- Microbes, Evolution, Phylogeny & Infection (MEΦI), Marseille, 13005, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix-Marseille Université, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Marseille, 13005, France
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) – Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, 13005, France
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Ferra Murcia S, Hernández Sierra B, Vogt Sánchez EA, Collado Romacho AR. Febrile syndrome upon return from the tropics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enfermedades infecciosas y microbiologia clinica (English ed ) 2021; 39:477-478. [PMID: 34446398 PMCID: PMC8382604 DOI: 10.1016/j.eimce.2021.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Ferra Murcia
- Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Servicio Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Torrecárdenas, Almería, Spain.
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35
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Lobato Gómez M, Huang X, Alvarez D, He W, Baysal C, Zhu C, Armario‐Najera V, Blanco Perera A, Cerda Bennasser P, Saba‐Mayoral A, Sobrino‐Mengual G, Vargheese A, Abranches R, Abreu IA, Balamurugan S, Bock R, Buyel J, da Cunha NB, Daniell H, Faller R, Folgado A, Gowtham I, Häkkinen ST, Kumar S, Ramalingam SK, Lacorte C, Lomonossoff GP, Luís IM, Ma JK, McDonald KA, Murad A, Nandi S, O’Keefe B, Oksman‐Caldentey K, Parthiban S, Paul MJ, Ponndorf D, Rech E, Rodrigues JCM, Ruf S, Schillberg S, Schwestka J, Shah PS, Singh R, Stoger E, Twyman RM, Varghese IP, Vianna GR, Webster G, Wilbers RHP, Capell T, Christou P. Contributions of the international plant science community to the fight against human infectious diseases - part 1: epidemic and pandemic diseases. Plant Biotechnol J 2021; 19:1901-1920. [PMID: 34182608 PMCID: PMC8486245 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Infectious diseases, also known as transmissible or communicable diseases, are caused by pathogens or parasites that spread in communities by direct contact with infected individuals or contaminated materials, through droplets and aerosols, or via vectors such as insects. Such diseases cause ˜17% of all human deaths and their management and control places an immense burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Traditional approaches for the prevention and control of infectious diseases include vaccination programmes, hygiene measures and drugs that suppress the pathogen, treat the disease symptoms or attenuate aggressive reactions of the host immune system. The provision of vaccines and biologic drugs such as antibodies is hampered by the high cost and limited scalability of traditional manufacturing platforms based on microbial and animal cells, particularly in developing countries where infectious diseases are prevalent and poorly controlled. Molecular farming, which uses plants for protein expression, is a promising strategy to address the drawbacks of current manufacturing platforms. In this review article, we consider the potential of molecular farming to address healthcare demands for the most prevalent and important epidemic and pandemic diseases, focussing on recent outbreaks of high-mortality coronavirus infections and diseases that disproportionately affect the developing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Lobato Gómez
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Derry Alvarez
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Wenshu He
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Can Baysal
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Changfu Zhu
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Victoria Armario‐Najera
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Amaya Blanco Perera
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Pedro Cerda Bennasser
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Andera Saba‐Mayoral
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | | | - Ashwin Vargheese
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Rita Abranches
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| | - Isabel Alexandra Abreu
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| | - Shanmugaraj Balamurugan
- Plant Genetic Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of BiotechnologyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - Ralph Bock
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdam‐GolmGermany
| | - Johannes.F. Buyel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IMEAachenGermany
- Institute for Molecular BiotechnologyRWTH Aachen UniversityAachenGermany
| | - Nicolau B. da Cunha
- Centro de Análise Proteômicas e Bioquímicas de BrasíliaUniversidade Católica de BrasíliaBrasíliaBrazil
| | - Henry Daniell
- School of Dental MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Roland Faller
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - André Folgado
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| | - Iyappan Gowtham
- Plant Genetic Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of BiotechnologyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - Suvi T. Häkkinen
- Industrial Biotechnology and Food SolutionsVTT Technical Research Centre of Finland LtdEspooFinland
| | - Shashi Kumar
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and BiotechnologyNew DelhiIndia
| | - Sathish Kumar Ramalingam
- Plant Genetic Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of BiotechnologyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - Cristiano Lacorte
- Brazilian Agriculture Research CorporationEmbrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and National Institute of Science and Technology Synthetic in BiologyParque Estação BiológicaBrasiliaBrazil
| | | | - Ines M. Luís
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| | - Julian K.‐C. Ma
- Institute for Infection and ImmunitySt. George’s University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Karen. A. McDonald
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
- Global HealthShare InitiativeUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Andre Murad
- Brazilian Agriculture Research CorporationEmbrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and National Institute of Science and Technology Synthetic in BiologyParque Estação BiológicaBrasiliaBrazil
| | - Somen Nandi
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
- Global HealthShare InitiativeUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Barry O’Keefe
- Molecular Targets ProgramCenter for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, and Natural Products BranchDevelopmental Therapeutics ProgramDivision of Cancer Treatment and DiagnosisNational Cancer Institute, NIHFrederickMDUSA
| | | | - Subramanian Parthiban
- Plant Genetic Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of BiotechnologyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - Mathew J. Paul
- Institute for Infection and ImmunitySt. George’s University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Daniel Ponndorf
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
- Department of Biological ChemistryJohn Innes CentreNorwichUK
| | - Elibio Rech
- Brazilian Agriculture Research CorporationEmbrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and National Institute of Science and Technology Synthetic in BiologyParque Estação BiológicaBrasiliaBrazil
| | - Julio C. M. Rodrigues
- Brazilian Agriculture Research CorporationEmbrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and National Institute of Science and Technology Synthetic in BiologyParque Estação BiológicaBrasiliaBrazil
| | - Stephanie Ruf
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdam‐GolmGermany
| | - Stefan Schillberg
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IMEAachenGermany
- Institute for PhytopathologyJustus‐Liebig‐University GiessenGiessenGermany
| | - Jennifer Schwestka
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Priya S. Shah
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Rahul Singh
- School of Dental MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Eva Stoger
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | | | - Inchakalody P. Varghese
- Plant Genetic Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of BiotechnologyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - Giovanni R. Vianna
- Brazilian Agriculture Research CorporationEmbrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and National Institute of Science and Technology Synthetic in BiologyParque Estação BiológicaBrasiliaBrazil
| | - Gina Webster
- Institute for Infection and ImmunitySt. George’s University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Ruud H. P. Wilbers
- Laboratory of NematologyPlant Sciences GroupWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Teresa Capell
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Paul Christou
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
- ICREACatalan Institute for Research and Advanced StudiesBarcelonaSpain
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Hu Y, Liu M, Qin H, Lin H, An X, Shi Z, Song L, Yang X, Fan H, Tong Y. Artemether, Artesunate, Arteannuin B, Echinatin, Licochalcone B and Andrographolide Effectively Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and Related Viruses In Vitro. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:680127. [PMID: 34527599 PMCID: PMC8435859 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.680127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the first reported case caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection in Wuhan, COVID-19 has caused serious deaths and an ongoing global pandemic, and it is still raging in more than 200 countries and regions around the world and many new variants have appeared in the process of continuous transmission. In the early stage of the epidemic prevention and control and clinical treatment, traditional Chinese medicine played a huge role in China. Here, we screened out six monomer compounds, including artemether, artesunate, arteannuin B, echinatin, licochalcone B and andrographolide, with excellent anti-SARS-CoV-2 and anti-GX_P2V activity from Anti-COVID-19 Traditional Chinese Medicine Compound Library containing 389 monomer compounds extracted from traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions “three formulas and three drugs”. Our discovery preliminary proved the stage of action of those compounds against SARS-CoV-2 and provided inspiration for further research and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunjia Hu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Meiqin Liu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongbo Qin
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Haofeng Lin
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoping An
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengli Shi
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Lihua Song
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Xinglou Yang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Huahao Fan
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yigang Tong
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
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Abstract
No pharmaceutical products have been demonstrated to be safe and effective to specifically treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); therefore, the therapy administered to infected patients remains symptomatic and empiric. Alongside the development of new, often high-cost drugs, a different tactic is being applied in parallel, investigating long-established, inexpensive medications originally designed for a variety of diseases to study their potential in treating COVID-19. The skin is the largest organ of the human body. With more than 3,000 skin conditions identified, the specialty of dermatology offers a rich armamentarium of systemic therapeutic agents aimed to treat the various chronic immunologically mediated, metabolic, infectious, occupational, inherited, or paraneoplastic dermatoses. Dermatologists have extensive experience with many drugs that have demonstrated promising in vitro antiviral action (directly targeting the viral replication). Many of these drugs have been used as nonspecific immunosuppressive strategies, such as glucocorticoids, synthetic antimalarials, colchicine, or other immunomodulators, and a number of targeted therapeutics have been directed at controlling hyperinflammatory processes similar to the "cytokine storm" associated with COVID-19 infection. We discuss several dermatologic drugs that have already been used or may have a promising role in the treatment of COVID-19.
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Saied AA, Metwally AA, Madkhali NAB, Haque S, Dhama K. Egypt's COVID-19 Recent Happenings and Perspectives: A Mini-Review. Front Public Health 2021; 9:696082. [PMID: 34485226 PMCID: PMC8415352 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.696082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has affected countries across the world. While the zoonotic aspects of SARS-CoV-2 are still under investigation, bats and pangolins are currently cited as the animal origin of the virus. Several types of vaccines against COVID-19 have been developed and are being used in vaccination drives across the world. A number of countries are experiencing second and third waves of the pandemic, which have claimed nearly four million lives out of the 180 million people infected globally as of June 2021. The emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and mutants are posing high public health concerns owing to their rapid transmissibility, higher severity, and in some cases, ability to infect vaccinated people (vaccine breakthrough). Here in this mini-review, we specifically looked at the efforts and actions of the Egyptian government to slow down and control the spread of COVID-19. We also review the COVID-19 statistics in Egypt and the possible reasons behind the low prevalence and high case fatality rate (CFR%), comparing Egypt COVID-19 statistics with China (the epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic) and the USA, Brazil, India, Italy, and France (the first countries in which the numbers of patients infected with COVID-19). Additionally, we have summarized the SARS-CoV-2 variants, vaccines used in Egypt, and the use of medicinal plants as preventive and curative options.
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Affiliation(s)
- AbdulRahman A Saied
- Department of Food Establishments Licensing (Aswan Branch), National Food Safety Authority (NFSA), Aswan, Egypt.,Touristic Activities and Interior Offices Sector (Aswan Office), Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Aswan, Egypt
| | - Asmaa A Metwally
- Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt
| | | | - Shafiul Haque
- Research and Scientific Studies Unit, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.,Bursa Uludağ University, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, India
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Fuzimoto AD. An overview of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 properties of Artemisia annua, its antiviral action, protein-associated mechanisms, and repurposing for COVID-19 treatment. J Integr Med 2021; 19:375-388. [PMID: 34479848 PMCID: PMC8378675 DOI: 10.1016/j.joim.2021.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Artemisia annua and its phytocompounds have a rich history in the research and treatment of malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and other diseases. Currently, the World Health Organization recommends artemisinin-based combination therapy as the first-line treatment for multi-drug-resistant malaria. Due to the various research articles on the use of antimalarial drugs to treat coronaviruses, a question is raised: would A. annua and its compounds provide anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) properties? PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for peer-reviewed articles that investigated the antiviral effects and mechanisms of A. annua and its phytochemicals against SARS-CoVs. Particularly, articles that evidenced the herb’s role in inhibiting the coronavirus-host proteins were favored. Nineteen studies were retrieved. From these, fourteen in silico molecular docking studies demonstrated potential inhibitory properties of artemisinins against coronavirus-host proteins including 3CLPRO, S protein, N protein, E protein, cathepsin-L, helicase protein, nonstructural protein 3 (nsp3), nsp10, nsp14, nsp15, and glucose-regulated protein 78 receptor. Collectively, A. annua constituents may impede the SARS-CoV-2 attachment, membrane fusion, internalization into the host cells, and hinder the viral replication and transcription process. This is the first comprehensive overview of the application of compounds from A. annua against SARS-CoV-2/coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) describing all target proteins. A. annua’s biological properties, the signaling pathways implicated in the COVID-19, and the advantages and disadvantages for repurposing A. annua compounds are discussed. The combination of A. annua’s biological properties, action on different signaling pathways and target proteins, and a multi-drug combined-therapy approach may synergistically inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and assist in the COVID-19 treatment. Also, A. annua may modulate the host immune response to better fight the infection.
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Bordier C, Escande V, Darcel C. Past and current routes to β-hydroperoxy alcohols: A functional group with high potential in organic synthesis. Tetrahedron 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2021.132379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Xu X, Xia J, Zhao S, Wang Q, Ge G, Xu F, Liu X, Zhang W, Yang Y. Qing-Fei-Pai-Du decoction and wogonoside exert anti-inflammatory action through down-regulating USP14 to promote the degradation of activating transcription factor 2. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21870. [PMID: 34436790 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100370rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 is often characterized by dysregulated inflammatory and immune responses. It has been shown that the Traditional Chinese Medicine formulation Qing-Fei-Pai-Du decoction (QFPDD) is effective in the treatment of the disease, especially for patients in the early stage. Our network pharmacology analyses indicated that many inflammation and immune-related molecules were the targets of the active components of QFPDD, which propelled us to examine the effects of the decoction on inflammation. We found in the present study that QFPDD effectively alleviated dextran sulfate sodium-induced intestinal inflammation in mice. It inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNFα, and promoted the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 by macrophagic cells. Further investigations found that QFPDD and one of its active components wogonoside markedly reduced LPS-stimulated phosphorylation of transcription factor ATF2, an important regulator of multiple cytokines expression. Our data revealed that both QFPDD and wogonoside decreased the half-life of ATF2 and promoted its proteasomal degradation. Of note, QFPDD and wogonoside down-regulated deubiquitinating enzyme USP14 along with inducing ATF2 degradation. Inhibition of USP14 with the small molecular inhibitor IU1 also led to the decrease of ATF2 in the cells, indicating that QFPDD and wogonoside may act through regulating USP14 to promote ATF2 degradation. To further assess the importance of ubiquitination in regulating ATF2, we generated mice that were intestinal-specific KLHL5 deficiency, a CUL3-interacting protein participating in substrate recognition of E3s. In these mice, QFPDD mitigated inflammatory reaction in the spleen, but not intestinal inflammation, suggesting CUL3-KLHL5 may function as an E3 for ATF2 degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Suzhou, China
| | - Jun Xia
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Shiyi Zhao
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Suzhou, China
| | - Qun Wang
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Suzhou, China
| | - Guangbo Ge
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Xu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xia Liu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weidong Zhang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yili Yang
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Suzhou, China.,China Regional Research Center, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Taizhou, China
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Gawriljuk VO, Zin PPK, Puhl AC, Zorn KM, Foil DH, Lane TR, Hurst B, Tavella TA, Costa FTM, Lakshmanane P, Bernatchez J, Godoy AS, Oliva G, Siqueira-Neto JL, Madrid PB, Ekins S. Machine Learning Models Identify Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:4224-4235. [PMID: 34387990 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
With the rapidly evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, there is an urgent need for the discovery of further treatments for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Drug repurposing is one of the most rapid strategies for addressing this need, and numerous compounds have already been selected for in vitro testing by several groups. These have led to a growing database of molecules with in vitro activity against the virus. Machine learning models can assist drug discovery through prediction of the best compounds based on previously published data. Herein, we have implemented several machine learning methods to develop predictive models from recent SARS-CoV-2 in vitro inhibition data and used them to prioritize additional FDA-approved compounds for in vitro testing selected from our in-house compound library. From the compounds predicted with a Bayesian machine learning model, lumefantrine, an antimalarial was selected for testing and showed limited antiviral activity in cell-based assays while demonstrating binding (Kd 259 nM) to the spike protein using microscale thermophoresis. Several other compounds which we prioritized have since been tested by others and were also found to be active in vitro. This combined machine learning and in vitro testing approach can be expanded to virtually screen available molecules with predicted activity against SARS-CoV-2 reference WIV04 strain and circulating variants of concern. In the process of this work, we have created multiple iterations of machine learning models that can be used as a prioritization tool for SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drug discovery programs. The very latest model for SARS-CoV-2 with over 500 compounds is now freely available at www.assaycentral.org.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor O Gawriljuk
- São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, Av. João Dagnone, 1100-Santa Angelina, São Carlos, São Paulo 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Phyo Phyo Kyaw Zin
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Ana C Puhl
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Kimberley M Zorn
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Daniel H Foil
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Thomas R Lane
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Brett Hurst
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-5600, United States.,Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-4815, United States
| | - Tatyana Almeida Tavella
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases-Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacinto da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fabio Trindade Maranhão Costa
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases-Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacinto da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Premkumar Lakshmanane
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Jean Bernatchez
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego, California 92093, United States
| | - Andre S Godoy
- São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, Av. João Dagnone, 1100-Santa Angelina, São Carlos, São Paulo 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Glaucius Oliva
- São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, Av. João Dagnone, 1100-Santa Angelina, São Carlos, São Paulo 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Jair L Siqueira-Neto
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego, California 92093, United States
| | - Peter B Madrid
- SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
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Heuschen AK, Lu G, Razum O, Abdul-Mumin A, Sankoh O, von Seidlein L, D'Alessandro U, Müller O. Public health-relevant consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review. Malar J 2021; 20:339. [PMID: 34380494 PMCID: PMC8355579 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03872-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented challenges to health systems worldwide, including the control of non-COVID-19 diseases. Malaria cases and deaths may increase due to the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic in malaria-endemic countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This scoping review aims to summarize information on public health-relevant effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the malaria situation in SSA. METHODS Review of publications and manuscripts on preprint servers, in peer-reviewed journals and in grey literature documents from 1 December, 2019 to 9 June, 2021. A structured search was conducted on different databases using predefined eligibility criteria for the selection of articles. RESULTS A total of 51 papers have been included in the analysis. Modelling papers have predicted a significant increase in malaria cases and malaria deaths in SSA due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many papers provided potential explanations for expected COVID-19 effects on the malaria burden; these ranged from relevant diagnostical and clinical aspects to reduced access to health care services, impaired availability of curative and preventive commodities and medications, and effects on malaria prevention campaigns. Compared to previous years, fewer country reports provided data on the actual number of malaria cases and deaths in 2020, with mixed results. While highly endemic countries reported evidence of decreased malaria cases in health facilities, low endemic countries reported overall higher numbers of malaria cases and deaths in 2020. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this review provide evidence for a significant but diverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria in SSA. There is the need to further investigate the public health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the malaria burden. Protocol registered on Open Science Framework: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/STQ9D.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guangyu Lu
- Department of Public Health, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Oliver Razum
- Department of Epidemiology and International Public Health, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Alhassan Abdul-Mumin
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Osman Sankoh
- Institute of Global Health, Medical School, Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Statistics Sierra Leone, Tower Hill, Freetown, Sierra Leone
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lorenz von Seidlein
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Olaf Müller
- Institute of Global Health, Medical School, Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg, Germany
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Sepehrinezhad A, Gorji A, Sahab Negah S. SARS-CoV-2 may trigger inflammasome and pyroptosis in the central nervous system: a mechanistic view of neurotropism. Inflammopharmacology 2021; 29:1049-1059. [PMID: 34241783 PMCID: PMC8266993 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-021-00845-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can enter the central nervous system and cause several neurological manifestations. Data from cerebrospinal fluid analyses and postmortem samples have been shown that SARS-CoV-2 has neuroinvasive properties. Therefore, ongoing studies have focused on mechanisms involved in neurotropism and neural injuries of SARS-CoV-2. The inflammasome is a part of the innate immune system that is responsible for the secretion and activation of several pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and interleukin-18. Since cytokine storm has been known as a major mechanism followed by SARS-CoV-2, inflammasome may trigger an inflammatory form of lytic programmed cell death (pyroptosis) following SARS-CoV-2 infection and contribute to associated neurological complications. We reviewed and discussed the possible role of inflammasome and its consequence pyroptosis following coronavirus infections as potential mechanisms of neurotropism by SARS-CoV-2. Further studies, particularly postmortem analysis of brain samples obtained from COVID-19 patients, can shed light on the possible role of the inflammasome in neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Sepehrinezhad
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Neuroscience Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Gorji
- Neuroscience Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Shefa Neuroscience Research Center, Khatam Alanbia Hospital, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Epilepsy Research Center, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany
- Department of Neurosurgery, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany
| | - Sajad Sahab Negah
- Neuroscience Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Shefa Neuroscience Research Center, Khatam Alanbia Hospital, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics, Iranian Chapter, SBMT, Los Angeles, USA.
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Gendrot M, Jardot P, Delandre O, Boxberger M, Andreani J, Duflot I, Le Bideau M, Mosnier J, Fonta I, Hutter S, La Scola B, Pradines B. In Vitro Evaluation of the Antiviral Activity of Methylene Blue Alone or in Combination against SARS-CoV-2. J Clin Med 2021; 10:3007. [PMID: 34300178 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10143007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19), which emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019, has spread worldwide. Currently, very few treatments are officially recommended against SARS-CoV-2. Identifying effective, low-cost antiviral drugs with limited side effects that are affordable immediately is urgently needed. Methylene blue, a synthesized thiazine dye, may be a potential antiviral drug. Antiviral activity of methylene blue used alone or in combination with several antimalarial drugs or remdesivir was assessed against infected Vero E6 cells infected with two clinically isolated SARS-CoV-2 strains (IHUMI-3 and IHUMI-6). Effects both on viral entry in the cell and on post-entry were also investigated. After 48 h post-infection, the viral replication was estimated by RT-PCR. The median effective concentration (EC50) and 90% effective concentration (EC90) of methylene blue against IHUMI-3 were 0.41 ± 0.34 µM and 1.85 ± 1.41 µM, respectively; 1.06 ± 0.46 µM and 5.68 ± 1.83 µM against IHUMI-6. Methylene blue interacted at both entry and post-entry stages of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Vero E6 cells as retrieved for hydroxychloroquine. The effects of methylene blue were additive with those of quinine, mefloquine and pyronaridine. The combinations of methylene blue with chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, desethylamodiaquine, piperaquine, lumefantrine, ferroquine, dihydroartemisinin and remdesivir were antagonist. These results support the potential interest of methylene blue to treat COVID-19.
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Nair MS, Huang Y, Fidock DA, Polyak SJ, Wagoner J, Towler MJ, Weathers PJ. Artemisia annua L. extracts inhibit the in vitro replication of SARS-CoV-2 and two of its variants. J Ethnopharmacol 2021; 274:114016. [PMID: 33716085 PMCID: PMC7952131 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Artemisia annua L. has been used for millennia in Southeast Asia to treat "fever". Many infectious microbial and viral diseases have been shown to respond to A. annua and communities around the world use the plant as a medicinal tea, especially for treating malaria. AIM OF THE STUDY SARS-CoV-2 (the cause of Covid-19) globally has infected and killed millions of people. Because of the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of artemisinin that includes blockade of SARS-CoV-1, we queried whether A. annua suppressed SARS-CoV-2. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using Vero E6 and Calu-3 cells, we measured anti SARS-CoV-2 activity against fully infectious virus of dried leaf extracts of seven cultivars of A. annua sourced from four continents. IC50s were calculated and defined as the concentrations that inhibited viral replication by 50%; CC50s were also calculated and defined as the concentrations that kill 50% of cells. RESULTS Hot-water leaf extracts based on artemisinin, total flavonoids, or dry leaf mass showed antiviral activity with IC50 values of 0.1-8.7 μM, 0.01-0.14 μg, and 23.4-57.4 μg, respectively. Antiviral efficacy did not correlate with artemisinin or total flavonoid contents of the extracts. One dried leaf sample was >12 years old, yet its hot-water extract was still found to be active. The UK and South African variants, B1.1.7 and B1.351, were similarly inhibited. While all hot water extracts were effective, concentrations of artemisinin and total flavonoids varied by nearly 100-fold in the extracts. Artemisinin alone showed an estimated IC50 of about 70 μM, and the clinically used artemisinin derivatives artesunate, artemether, and dihydroartemisinin were ineffective or cytotoxic at elevated micromolar concentrations. In contrast, the antimalarial drug amodiaquine had an IC50 = 5.8 μM. Extracts had minimal effects on infection of Vero E6 or Calu-3 cells by a reporter virus pseudotyped by the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. There was no cytotoxicity within an order of magnitude above the antiviral IC90 values. CONCLUSIONS A. annua extracts inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the active component(s) in the extracts is likely something besides artemisinin or a combination of components that block virus infection at a step downstream of virus entry. Further studies will determine in vivo efficacy to assess whether A. annua might provide a cost-effective therapeutic to treat SARS-CoV-2 infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Nair
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Y Huang
- Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
| | - D A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - S J Polyak
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA.
| | - J Wagoner
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA.
| | - M J Towler
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01609, USA.
| | - P J Weathers
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01609, USA.
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Bouafia M, Amamou F, Gherib M, Benaissa M, Azzi R, Nemmiche S. Ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal analysis of wild medicinal plants traditionally used in Naâma, southwest Algeria. Vegetos 2021; 34:654-662. [PMID: 34131369 PMCID: PMC8192681 DOI: 10.1007/s42535-021-00229-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Algerian people largely rely on traditional medicine practices as part of a community’s identity. This first ethnobotanical study aimed to quantify and document the wild medicinal plant taxa from four family and the related traditional knowledge in Naâma province, Algeria. The survey was carried out between 2018 and 2020. The socio-demographic data and the use of medicinal species were recorded and collected randomly from 84 indigenous people using pre-prepared questionnaire. The result was evaluated using quantitative indices. A total of 27 medicinal plant species belonging to 21 genera used in the community were mostly recorded. The most represented families were Lamiaceae and Asteraceae (12 species for each of them). The aerial parts were the most frequently used plant part (73 %), while a decoction (34 %), and infusion (31 %) were the major modes of remedy preparation. The species with high UV were Rosmarinus officinalis L. (0.80), Artemisia herba-alba Asso (0.76), and Juniperus phoenicea L. subsp. phoenicea (0.75). Species with highest FL were: Ephedra alata subsp. alenda (Stapf) Trab (100 %), Teucrium polium L. (60 %), and Ballota hirsuta Benth (57.14.5 %). Atractylis caespitosa Desf and Nepeta nepetella subsp.amethystina (Poir.) Briq were newly cited as medicinal plants and have not been recorded previously in Algeria. Artemisia herba-alba Asso and Thymus algeriensis Boiss. & Reut were reported to treat COVID-19 symptoms. The results obtained indicate the richness of the area with medicinal plants as well as knowledge of alternative medicine. The most cited plants could be contained molecules that can be tested for therapeutic uses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miloud Bouafia
- Laboratory of Antifungal, Antibiotic, Physico-chemical, Synthesis and Biological Activity, Faculty of SNV-STU, University of Tlemcen, BP 119, Imama, 13000 Tlemcen, Algeria.,Laboratory of Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in Arid and Semi-Arid Zones, University Center of Naâma, BP 66, 45000 Naâma, Algeria.,Present Address: Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Life Sciences of the Earth and the Universe, University of Abou Bekr Belkaid, BP 119, Tlemcen, Algeria
| | - Fouzia Amamou
- Laboratory of Natural Products, Faculty of SNV-STU, LAPRONA, University of Tlemcen, BP 119, Imama, 13000 Tlemcen, Algeria
| | - Mohamed Gherib
- Laboratory of Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in Arid and Semi-Arid Zones, University Center of Naâma, BP 66, 45000 Naâma, Algeria
| | - Mohammed Benaissa
- Laboratory of Ecology and Management of Natural Ecosystems, Faculty of SNV-STU, University of Tlemcen, BP 119, Imama, 13000 Tlemcen, Algeria
| | - Rachid Azzi
- Laboratory of Antifungal, Antibiotic, Physico-chemical, Synthesis and Biological Activity, Faculty of SNV-STU, University of Tlemcen, BP 119, Imama, 13000 Tlemcen, Algeria
| | - Saïd Nemmiche
- Department of biology, Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, University of Mostaganem, Mostaganem, Algeria
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48
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Jain A, Prajapati SK, Tripathi M, Raichur AM, Kanwar JR. Exploring the room for repurposed hydroxychloroquine to impede COVID-19: toxicities and multipronged combination approaches with pharmaceutical insights. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2021; 14:715-734. [PMID: 33769888 DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2021.1909473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 has fatally affected the whole world with millions of deaths. Amidst the dilemma of a breakthrough in vaccine development, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was looked upon as a prospective repurposed candidate. It has confronted numerous controversies in the past few months as a chemoprophylactic and treatment option for COVID-19. Recently, it has been withdrawn by the World Health Organization for its use in an ongoing pandemic. However, its benefit/risk ratio regarding its use in COVID-19 disease remains poorly justified. An extensive literature search was done using Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, www.cdc.gov, www.fda.gov, and who.int.Areas covered: Toxicity vexations of HCQ; pharmaceutical perspectives on new advances in drug delivery approaches; computational modeling (PBPK and PD modeling) overtures; multipronged combination approaches for enhanced synergism with antiviral and anti-inflammatory agents; immuno-boosting effects.Expert commentary: Harnessing the multipronged pharmaceutical perspectives will optimistically help the researchers, scientists, biotech, and pharmaceutical companies to bring new horizons in the safe and efficacious utilization of HCQ alone or in combination with remdesivir and immunomodulatory molecules like bovine lactoferrin in a fight against COVID-19. Combinational therapies with free forms or nanomedicine based targeted approaches can act synergistically to boost host immunity and stop SARS-CoV-2 replication and invasion to impede the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Jain
- Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore - Karnataka, India
| | - Shiv Kumar Prajapati
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ram-Eesh Institute of Vocational and Technical Education, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Madhavi Tripathi
- Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore - Karnataka, India
| | - Ashok M Raichur
- Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore - Karnataka, India
| | - Jagat R Kanwar
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
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Abstract
Natural products are used for the treatment of a variety of diseases for many years. Last decades, design and synthesis of novel biologically active hybrid molecules including natural product is gained big importance due to their unique and new biological properties. In the present study, novel artemisinin-benzothiophene derivatives (12 A-F) are synthesised. Initially, benzothiophene derivatives (4 A-4F) are prepared via the Pd-catalyzed coupling reactions and iodocyclisation reactions. Then, Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions were used for the formation of intermediates 6 A-6F (between 64% and 91% yields). Finally, the Steglich esterification reaction between intermediate 6 and artesunate formed the artemisinin-benzothiophene hybrids (9 A-9F) in moderate to excellent yields under very mild reaction conditions. When intermediate 6 was reacted with dihydroartemisinin, product 12 A-12F was also obtained with high yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omruye Ozok
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Van Yüzüncü Yil University, Van, Turkey.,Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Sciences, Van Yüzüncü Yil University, Van, Turkey
| | - Emrah Kavak
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Van Yüzüncü Yil University, Van, Turkey
| | - Arif Kivrak
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Van Yüzüncü Yil University, Van, Turkey.,Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Department of Chemistry, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey
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50
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Firestone T, Oyewole OO, Reid SP, Ng CL. Repurposing Quinoline and Artemisinin Antimalarials as Therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2: Rationale and Implications. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2021; 4:613-623. [PMID: 33855275 PMCID: PMC8009099 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has infected more than 116 million individuals globally and resulted in over 2.5 million deaths since the first report in December 2019. For most of this time, healthcare professionals have had few tools at their disposal. In December 2020, several vaccines that were shown to be highly effective have been granted emergency use authorization (EUA). Despite these remarkable breakthroughs, challenges include vaccine roll-out and implementation, in addition to deeply entrenched antivaccination viewpoints. While vaccines will prevent disease occurrence, infected individuals still need treatment options, and repurposing drugs circumvents the lengthy and costly process of drug development. SARS-CoV-2, like many other enveloped viruses, require the action of host proteases for entry. In addition, this novel virus employs a unique method of cell exit of deacidified lysosomes and exocytosis. Thus, inhibitors of lysosomes or other players in this pathway are good candidates to target SARS-CoV-2. Chemical compounds in the quinoline class are known to be lysomotropic and perturb pH levels. A large number of quinolines are FDA-approved for treatment of inflammatory diseases and antimalarials. Artemisinins are another class of drugs that have been demonstrated to be safe for use in humans and are widely utilized as antimalarials. In this Review, we discuss the use of antimalarial drugs in the class of quinolines and artemisinins, which have been shown to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in vivo, and provide a rationale in employing quinolines as treatment of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa
M. Firestone
- Department
of Pathology & Microbiology, University
of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5900, United States
| | - Opeoluwa O. Oyewole
- Department
of Pathology & Microbiology, University
of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5900, United States
| | - St Patrick Reid
- Department
of Pathology & Microbiology, University
of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5900, United States
| | - Caroline L. Ng
- Department
of Pathology & Microbiology, University
of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5900, United States
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