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Topic Review
COVID-19 Impact on Yellow/Lassa Fever Infections in Nigeria
Lassa fever (LF) and yellow fever (YF) belong to a group of viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs). These viruses have common features and damages the organs and blood vessels; they also impair the body’s homeostasis. Some VHFs cause mild disease, while some cause severe disease and death such as in the case of Ebola or Marburg. LF virus and YF virus are two of the emerging viruses in Africa, resulting in severe hemorrhagic fever in humans. Lassa fever virus is continuously on the rise both in Nigeria and neighboring countries in West Africa, with an estimate of over 500,000 cases of LF, and 5000 deaths, annually. YF virus is endemic in temperate climate regions of Africa, Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador), and South America (such as Brazil, Argentina, Peru, and Chile) with an annual estimated cases of 200,000 and 30,000 deaths globally. 
  • 720
  • 02 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Novel Nanotechnology-Based Approaches for Targeting HIV Reservoirs
Highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) is prescribed for HIV infection and, to a certain extent, limits the infection’s spread. Nanopharmaceuticals offer excellent treatment options for HIV infections by improving the drug potency/efficacy, lowering the dose-related toxicities, and providing active targeting options to the remote HIV reservoirs, leading to the near-total eradication of the virus. Nanopharmaceuticals offer advantages over conventional drug delivery, such as an encapsulation of the drug in nanocarriers, despite its physiochemical properties, providing long-acting treatment options and reducing the dosing because of selective targeting and improvements to the bioavailability of the hydrophobic drugs and adherence of the patients. 
  • 716
  • 15 Sep 2022
Topic Review
MmpL3 Inhibition in Thearaphy of Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious bacterial illness known to humankind since ancient times. The causal microorganism of TB is Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Lung or pulmonary TB is the most common form, but Mtb also affects other body parts. TB does not spare any age group and is omnipresent worldwide. Most TB patients remain asymptomatic (latent TB) and non-contagious. However, approximately 10% of latent TB cases may advance to active TB (active or symptomatic TB). Some usual symptoms of active TB comprise continuing chronic cough, hemoptysis, night sweating, and weight loss. Active TB is associated with a high mortality rate if left untreated. The 2021 TB report of the World Health Organization (WHO) states that TB is one of the top 10 reasons for global deaths, about one-quarter of the global population is affected by Mtb, and the global burden of TB is expected to increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • 715
  • 24 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Blood Culture-Negative Infective Endocarditis by Mycoplasma hominis
Mycoplasma hominis is a habitual colonizing microorganism of the lower genital tract but can exceptionally be the causal agent of blood culture-negative infective endocarditis (IE). 
  • 712
  • 21 Jul 2022
Topic Review
The COVID-19 Molecular Pathophysiology
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces immune-mediated type 1 interferon (IFN-1) production, the pathophysiology of which involves sterile alpha motif and histidine-aspartate domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) tetramerization and the cytosolic DNA sensor cyclic-GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)–stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway.
  • 712
  • 17 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Organoid Models of SARS-CoV-2
Organoids are defined as three-dimensional structures grown from stem cells and consist of organ-specific cell types that self-organize to recapitulate key features and functional characteristics of tissues in a dish. Organoids can be initiated from two main types of stem cells: (1) pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells or synthetically induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and (2) organ-restricted stem cells. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was classified as a pandemic in March 2020. Organoids from diverse human organs have been adopted to understand COVID-19 and the effects the virus has on organs.
  • 710
  • 17 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Enterococcus and COVID-19
Based on the uncontrolled use of antibiotics and the lack of worldwide-accepted healthcare policies, the COVID-19 pandemic has provided the best premises for the emergence of life-threatening infections. Based on changes described in the intestinal microbiome, showing an increased number of Enterococcus bacteria and increased intestinal permeability due to viral infection, infections with Enterococcus have taken the spotlight in the healthcare setting. The COVID-19 pandemic has launched the best premises for the development of highly resistant bacterial strains due to unregulated antimicrobial use and the lack of proper worldwide-accepted protocols. Enterococcus genus represents one of the most common findings in human infections. It is no surprise that during the pandemic, a high number of this type of infection was anticipated.
  • 709
  • 21 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Fungal Pathogens
Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are caused by pathogens that have undergone recent changes in terms of geographic spread, increasing incidence, and expanding host range, or by previously unknown pathogens that are being discovered thanks to advances in surveillance and research, particularly in the field of laboratory diagnostics.
  • 709
  • 27 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Aspergillus sp. and Calcineurin Pathway
Aspergillus species, especially A. fumigatus, and to a lesser extent others (A. flavus, A. niger, A. terreus), although rarely pathogenic to healthy humans, can be very aggressive to immunocompromised patients (they are opportunistic pathogens). Calcineurin is a serine/threonine phosphatase activated by elevated concentrations of calcium, which connects upstream calcium signaling pathways to downstream protein signaling through changes in phosphorylation states.
  • 708
  • 27 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Anisakiasis
Anisakiasis is a zoonosis caused by the ingestion of raw or undercooked seafood infected with third-stage larvae (L3) of the marine nematode Anisakis. Based on L3 localization in human accidental hosts, gastric, intestinal or ectopic (extra-gastrointestinal) anisakiasis can occur, in association with mild to severe symptoms of gastrointestinal and/or allergic nature.
  • 707
  • 20 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Intracellular Lifestyle of Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is part of the normal skin and nasal microbiota, with approximately 30% of the healthy adult population colonized mainly in the nasopharyngeal cavity. While colonization is usually asymptomatic, a symptomatic infection can occur if there is a breach in the mucosal barrier or skin. The severity of symptomatic infections ranges from superficial skin and soft tissue infections, to devastating complications, such as necrotizing pneumonia, endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome, and sepsis. In the pre-antibiotic era, S. aureus bacteremia mortality rates were astonishingly high, ranging between 75% and 83%. Even though antibiotics have reduced this number significantly, S. aureus bloodstream infections still account for over 19,000 deaths annually in the United States. With every new antibiotic that is developed, S. aureus resistance has been quickly observed. MRSA strains that are resistant to all penicillin-like β-lactam antibiotics pose a particularly serious threat to the community. Two types of MRSA exist: hospital-acquired (HA-)MRSA and community-acquired (CA-)MRSA. CA-MRSA strains are typically regarded as more virulent and can cause infections in otherwise healthy individuals. This notion is further supported by experimental animal studies, whereas HA-MRSA strains are less virulent than CA-MRSA and cause fewer disseminating diseases. Although in animal models, mice are typically not treated with antibiotics, which is unlike a hospital setting.
  • 707
  • 05 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Nucleic Acid Vaccines for COVID-19
Nucleic acid vaccines employ genetic material from a pathogen, such as a virus or bacteria, to induce an immune response against it. Based on the vaccination, the genetic material might be DNA or RNA; as such, it offers instructions for producing a specific pathogen protein that the immune system will perceive as foreign and mount an immune response. Nucleic acid vaccines for multiple antigens might be made in the same facility, lowering costs even more. Most traditional vaccine regimens do not allow for this.  Nucleic acid vaccines could also be applied to COVID-19.
  • 706
  • 05 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Drugs Targeting the A3 Adenosine Receptor
The A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR) is overexpressed in pathological human cells. Piclidenoson and namodenoson are A3AR agonists with high affinity and selectivity to A3AR. Both induce apoptosis of cancer and inflammatory cells via a molecular mechanism entailing deregulation of the Wnt and the NF-κB signaling pathways. 
  • 706
  • 24 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Pathogenesis of Campylobacter jejuni in Broilers
Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is the leading cause of human foodborne illness associated with poultry (such as Broilers), beef, and pork consumption. C. jejuni is highly prevalent in commercial poultry farms, where horizontal transmission from the environment is considered to be the primary source of C. jejuni.
  • 704
  • 10 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Effects of Whole-Cell and Acellular Pertussis Vaccines
After the pertussis vaccine had been introduced in the 1940s and was shown to be very successful in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease, the possibility of improving both vaccine composition and vaccination schedules has become the subject of continuous interest.
  • 704
  • 13 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Cardiac Damage in Chagas Disease
Chagas disease is a complex zoonosis. Its natural history involves the interaction of transmitting arthropods with wild, peridomestic, and domestic mammals, and it has a great diversity of transmission forms. In a vertebrate host, the disease has two clinical phases: an acute phase and a chronic one; the former evolves without demonstrated pathology and can last 10–20 years. After this phase, some patients progress to the chronic symptomatic phase, in which they develop mainly cardiac lesions. The lesions in this cardiomyopathy involve several cardiac tissues, mainly the myocardium, and in severe cases, the endocardium pericardium; this can cause pleural effusion, which may evolve into sudden death, which is more frequent in cases with dilated heart disease and severe heart failure.
  • 704
  • 02 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Dendrimers for Infectious Diseases
Functionalized and modified dendrimer platforms are capable of precise imaging and efficient treatment of tumors, providing solutions for combined monitoring and early treatment of cancers.
  • 703
  • 05 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Adult Abdominal Tuberculosis Diagnosis
Tuberculosis is a common systemic infection with the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is primarily found in the lungs and causes caseous inflammation in lung tissue and other organs. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that spreads via the air. Tuberculosis is an endemic disease in developing countries, due to the wide spread of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), it might represent a problem in developed countries, as well. Only around one-fifth of patients diagnosed with abdominal TB have pulmonary disease. 
  • 703
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Mucormycosis
Mucormycosis (also called zygomycosis) is a serious fungal infection caused by a group of molds called mucoromycetes. The types of fungi that mostly cause mucormycosis include Rhizopus spp., Mucor spp., Rhizomucor spp., Syncephalastrum spp., Cunninghamella bertholletia, Apophysomyces spp., and Lichtheimia (formerly Absidia) spp.
  • 701
  • 09 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Helicobacter Pylori Survival Tactics
Helicobacter pylori is well established as a causative agent for gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. Armed with various inimitable virulence factors, this Gram-negative bacterium is one of few microorganisms that is capable of circumventing the harsh environment of the stomach. The unique spiral structure, flagella, and outer membrane proteins accelerate H. pylori movement within the viscous gastric mucosal layers while facilitating its attachment to the epithelial cells. Furthermore, secretion of urease from H. pylori eases the acidic pH within the stomach, thus creating a niche for bacteria survival and replication. Upon gaining a foothold in the gastric epithelial lining, bacterial protein CagA is injected into host cells through a type IV secretion system (T4SS), which together with VacA, damage the gastric epithelial cells.
  • 700
  • 29 Mar 2022
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