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Topic Review
Virus Genetic Diversity
Virosaurus database offers curated virus sequences, available at various degree of clustering. Clustering virus sequences with different similarity scores gives an indication of the genetic diversity of a each virus, and how deep it is. For example HIV-1 and Influenza sequences present high numbers of clusters when clustered at 98% similarity. At 90% similarity, the number of  influenza virus clusters dramatically drops by a factor of about 20, when for HIV-1it drops by a factor of 2. This suggest that the diversity of HIV-1 sequence is somehow deeper that the one for influenza.
  • 1.7K
  • 10 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Feline Infectious Peritonitis
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is the name given to a common and aberrant immune response to infection with feline coronavirus (FCoV).
  • 1.6K
  • 17 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Brief History of Yellow Fever Virus Research
Yellow fever virus (YFV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus circulating throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa and South America. Being the first human virus to be discovered, YFV has an interesting history.
  • 1.6K
  • 18 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1
Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a lentivirus containing two RNA genomes that must be reverse transcribed into double-stranded DNA and then integrated into the host genome to ensure a productive infection. HIV-1 can infect host CD4+ T cells and macrophages, resulting in CD4+ T cell loss and immune dysfunction that leads to the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
  • 1.6K
  • 23 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Animal Models for Influenza Research
Even though numerous studies have been performed in the over 100 years since the 1918 influenza pandemic, knowledge of the host factors influencing influenza disease severity remains elusive. Shortcomings include understanding the transmission mechanisms, natural history and precise pathogenesis of influenza disease, and host immune responses. In addition, knowledge gaps exist regarding the relationship between clinical presentation, transmission, and protection levels. Given that universal influenza vaccines are still unavailable, there remains prodigious potential for influenza to reassort and cause severe human epidemics and pandemics. Therefore, it is essential to continuously assess host-virus interactions, transmission mechanisms, and the host immune response to different influenza viruses in various animal models. The selection of appropriate animal models for specific research questions is prerequisite for accurate understanding of influenza virus properties prior to clinical trials for novel universal influenza vaccines. In this review, the advantages and disadvantages of different animal models used for influenza research, including mice, ferrets, guinea pigs, swine, felines, canines, and non-human primates, will be discussed.
  • 1.6K
  • 10 Jun 2021
Topic Review
PhaLP
Phage lytic proteins are a clinically advanced class of novel enzyme-based antibiotics, so-called enzybiotics. PhaLP is a database of phage lytic proteins, which serves as an open portal to facilitate the development of phage lytic proteins. PhaLP is a comprehensive, easily accessible and automatically updated database.
  • 1.6K
  • 26 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Super-Resolution Microscopy
SRM comprises optical imaging techniques that offer resolution beyond the diffraction limit of light (~250 nm).
  • 1.6K
  • 10 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Ion Channels
This reviews describes the requirement of ion channel function for viral infection. Also discussed is how viral infections can result in acquired channelopathies by altering ion channels. Ion channel modulators may be useful in treating both of these aspects.
  • 1.6K
  • 11 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Ebola Virus
Viral protein VP24 (VP24) from Ebola virus (EBOV) has been termed the minor matrix protein but its lipid-binding properties have not been investigated. Here, we found that VP24 lacks direct lipid-binding properties regardless of post-translational modification. VP24 interaction with the major matrix protein VP40 and selective plasma membrane localization were not detected, suggesting VP24 biological functions are not likely dependent on direct lipid binding.
  • 1.6K
  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Virus-Induced Oncogenesis
Tumorigenesis due to viral infection accounts for a high fraction of the total global cancer burden (15–20%) of all human cancers. One of the main mechanisms by which viruses induce host cell proliferation programs is through controlling the host’s epigenetic machinery. Oncogenic viruses establish a permanent latent infection sustained by the production of specific viral proteins, which interact with the cell environment, including the host epigenetic machinery to specifically deregulate pathways to their advantage such as cell metabolism, resistance to apoptosis, cell proliferation and innate immune response signaling. Epigenetic modifications largely alter host gene expression and can provide a common mechanism of virus-induced transformation.
  • 1.6K
  • 18 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Hepatitis C Virus
HCV leads to chronic infection in many patients that may progress to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The interferon (IFN) response is a critical component of the antiviral innate immune response against HCV infection. IFN signaling promotes the expression of many factors that can block the viral replication cycle. These IFN-induced antiviral factors can act at every level of HCV infection by decreasing viral entry, replication, transcription, translation, packaging and release. However, the antiviral state can generate significant collateral damage to the cell, requiring very tight control over the magnitude and duration of the IFN response. This is partially achieved through IFN-mediated negative self-regulation that helps in the termination of the IFN response and the return to homeostasis. However, these negative regulatory mechanisms can be hijacked by HCV to increase viral replication and promote productive infections.
  • 1.6K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Pathogenesis of COVID-19
The systemic manifestations commonly observed in COVID-19 patients include hypertension, arterial and venous thromboembolism, kidney disease, cerebrovascular disorders, and diabetes mellitus). These clinical findings strongly suggest that the virus is targeting the endothelium. Here we report a systematic and comprehensive evaluation of the evidence showing that the endothelium is a key target organ in COVID-19, playing a fundamental role in its pathogenesis.
  • 1.6K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Sulfated Polysaccharides from Seaweeds
Sulfated polysaccharides derived from seaweeds, considered a potential source of bioactive compounds for drug development, have shown antiviral activity against a broad spectrum of viruses, mainly including common DNA viruses and RNA viruses. In addition, sulfated polysaccharides can also improve the body’s immunity. Sulfated polysaccharides from seaweeds, including carrageenan, galactan, fucoidan, alginate, ulvan, p-KG03, naviculan, and calcium spirulan, may provide new ideas for the development of COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines.
  • 1.6K
  • 16 May 2022
Topic Review
HSV-1 Non-Essential Proteins
Approximately half of the proteins encoded by the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) genome have been classified as non-essential. These proteins have essential roles in vivo in counteracting antiviral responses, facilitating the spread of the virus from the sites of initial infection to the peripheral nervous system, where it establishes lifelong reservoirs, virus pathogenesis, and other regulatory roles during infection.
  • 1.5K
  • 11 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Hepatitis D Virus
Hepatitis D virus (HDV) is a small RNA virus with a diameter of about 36 nm, with a nucleocapsid and a 1.7Kb circular ss RNA of variable length in relation to genotype .
  • 1.5K
  • 09 Jun 2021
Topic Review
HEV infectivity in water samples
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a non-enveloped single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus, belonging to the Hepeviridae family, resistant to environmental conditions, and transmitted by the consumption of contaminated water. This virus is responsible for both sporadic and epidemic outbreaks, leading to thousands of infections per year in several countries, and is thus considered an emerging disease in Europe and Asia. This study refers to a survey in Portugal during 2019, targeting the detection and eventual quantification of enteric viruses in surface and drinking water sources. Samples positive for HEV RNA were recurrently found by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), in both matrices. The infectivity of these samples was evaluated in cultured Vero E6 cells and RNA from putative viruses produced in cell cultures was subjected to RT-qPCR targeting HEV genomic RNA. Our results evidenced the existence of samples positive either for HEV RNA (77.8% in surface water and 66.7% in drinking water) or for infectious HEV (23.0% in surface water and 27.7% in drinking water). These results highlight the need of effective virological control of water for human consumption and activities.
  • 1.5K
  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
BET Inhibitors in AIDS Therapy
A critical burden of AIDS therapy is the evasive nature of HIV-1 in face of host immune responses, the so-called “latency.” Recently, a promising approach, the “Shock and Kill” strategy, was proposed to eliminate latently HIV-1-infected cell reservoirs. This therapeutic concept involves two crucial steps: HIV-1 reactivation from its latency stage using a latency-reversing agent (LRA) followed by host immune responses to destroy HIV-1-infected cells in combination with reinforced antiretroviral therapy to kill the progeny virus. Looking at epigenetics of HIV-1 infection, researchers proved that some bromodomains and extra-terminal motif protein inhibitors (BETis) can reactivate HIV-1 from latency. However, to date, only a few BETis have shown HIV-1-reactivating functions, and none of them have yet been approved for clinical trial.  
  • 1.5K
  • 29 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Trained Immunity against Emerging Respiratory Pathogens
Although parental vaccines offer long-term protection against homologous strains, they rely exclusively on adaptive immune memory to produce neutralizing antibodies that are ineffective against emerging viral variants. Growing evidence highlights the multifaceted functions of trained immunity to elicit a rapid and enhanced innate response against unrelated stimuli or pathogens to subsequent triggers. Training immunity is pertinent in the advent of unprecedented respiratory infections, which are usually limited to the timeline of vaccine development.
  • 1.5K
  • 25 Nov 2022
Topic Review
SARS-CoV-2 and HIV Surface Envelope Glycoproteins
Although very different, in terms of their genomic organization, their enzymatic proteins, and their structural proteins, HIV and SARS-CoV-2 have an extraordinary evolutionary potential in common. Faced with various selection pressures that may be generated by treatments or immune responses, these RNA viruses demonstrate very high adaptive capacities, which result in the continuous emergence of variants and quasi-species. HIV and SARS-CoV-2 first recognize a lipid raft microdomain that acts as a landing strip for viral particles on the host cell surface. In the case of mucosal cells, which are the primary targets of both viruses, these microdomains are enriched in anionic glycolipids (gangliosides) forming a global electronegative field. Both viruses use lipid rafts to surf on the cell surface in search of a protein receptor able to trigger the fusion process. This implies that viral envelope proteins are both geometrically and electrically compatible to the biomolecules they select to invade host cells.
  • 1.5K
  • 23 Apr 2023
Topic Review
RT-qPCR HEV RNA
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a non-enveloped single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus, belonging to the Hepeviridae family, resistant to environmental conditions, and transmitted by the consumption of contaminated water. This virus is responsible for both sporadic and epidemic outbreaks, leading to thousands of infections per year in several countries, and is thus considered an emerging disease in Europe and Asia. This study refers to a survey in Portugal during 2019, targeting the detection and eventual quantification of enteric viruses in samples from surface and drinking water. Samples positive for HEV RNA were recurrently found by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), in both types of matrix. Our results evidenced the existence of samples positive either for HEV RNA (77.8% in surface water and 66.7% in drinking water) or for infectious HEV (23.0% in surface water and 27.7% in drinking water). These results highlight the need for effective virological control of water for human consumption and activities.
  • 1.5K
  • 04 Feb 2022
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